It freaks me out!

Hi Prew,

No, I am a firm believer that if you stray from the path of healing...that you just get right back on from where you took a detour! 😊

I went a few years without having any sort of panic episode...

...and then, just last February had a pretty brutal one.

However, I got right back into my regime without losing any ground. I really think one's mindset has a lot to do with it...I was NOT going to let fear or nagativity even get a foot in the door.😉

So don't fear...you are equipped to handle anything that comes your way...and we will be here cheering you on!

S.C.

Hey Prew,

I see that S.C. already offered a helpful perspective.

The only thing I'd add is that many relapses seem to come -- at least in my own experience -- when we find ourselves feeling better, and fall back on some of (or all of) the practices that helped us climb out of chronic anxiety in the first place. That, or we fall back into old habits that lead to stress (I'm certainly guilty of both).

It's not that coping skills stop working. Rather, I think, some people recover without ever developing solid coping skills in the first place. And, relating to the paragraph above, other people develop coping skills/strategies, but stop using them when they feel better.

If you keep at it, and work on your mental health regularly -- even when it feels unnecessary -- I don't think you have too much to worry about!

I think that with our panic / anxiety affliction, it can be useful to acknowledge that yes we have an underlying condition (overly sensitive nerves if you will) that constantly need soothing with our coping skills. For me, acknowledging that I have such a condition allows me to not worry as much...when I get really anxious or panicky, I just tell myself it's a flare up of those already amped up nerves. That alone helps calm my mind and pretty soon I'm feeling mostly normal again.

Like SC said when we get distracted and feeling good we let our guards down a bit, so have to maintain those coping skills. But it's also important to be kind and compassionate to yourself along the way.