DEALING WITH

ANXIETY
DISORDERS
Compiled by:

A.RAZAK MEMON
Hypnotherapist & NLP Practitioner.

With word contributions of from a

variety of sources and well renowned
leading NLP Trainers and Behavior
Therapists. Many many thanks to all
involved. If you need my help, I am just
an Email away. Email:
arazakmemon@gmail.com

TABLE OF CONTENTS

KINDS OF ANXIETY DISORDERS

Generalized Anxiety Disorder
Panic Attack and Panic Disorder
Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder
Obsessive Compulsion Disorder
Acute Stress Disorder

STRATEGIES FOR DEALING WITH ANXIETY DISORDERS

Pre sleep Affirmation

Progressive Relaxation
Breathing Control
Fantasizing a Mini-vacation
Manage your Self Talk
Writing Freely
Manage your Ruminations

ANXIETY DISORDERS
Everybody knows what it's like to feel anxious -- the butterflies in
your stomach before a first date, you feel anxiety before
examination, the tension you feel when your boss is angry, your
limbs are shaky when you stand on the stage for making a speech
and the way your heart pounds if you're in danger. Anxiety rouses
you to action. It gears you up to face a threatening situation. It
makes you study harder for that exam, and keeps you on your toes
when you're making a speech. In general, it helps you cope.
But if you have an anxiety disorder, this normally helpful emotion can
do just the opposite -- it can keep you from coping and can disrupt
your daily life. There are several types of anxiety disorders, each with
their own distinct features.
An anxiety disorder may make you feel anxious most of the time,
without any apparent reason. Or the anxious feelings may be so
uncomfortable that to avoid them you may stop some everyday
activities. Or you may have occasional bouts of anxiety so intense
they terrify and immobilize you.
There are many bodily sensations that are signs of Anxiety Disorders
and many thoughts and feelings that typify Anxiety Disorders picture.
To determine how significant a problem Anxiety Disorder is for you,
review the following signs of Anxiety Disorder. Consider how
frequently these bodily sensations, thoughts and feelings interfere
with your day to day functioning.

PHYSICAL SENSATIONS OF ANXIETY

Feeling a tight band around the head
Your heart beating so rapidly that you may wonder if it will
leap out of your chest or cause a heart attack
Heart skipping beats or beating irregularly
Feeling that stomach is tied up in knots
Tremulousness in hands, arms or legs
Tremulousness in voice
Dryness in mouth
Having difficulty in breathing
Chest pain
Stiffness or tightness in back of the neck
Stiffness or tightness along the arms or across the back of
shoulders
Coldness and numbness in limbs
Weakness of the limbs
General weakness through out the body
Having difficulty in swallowing
Feeling a lump in throat
Heavy sweating
Diarrhea or loose or frequent bowel movements
Nausea
Dizziness
Light head ache or faintness
Restlessness or feeling keyed up or on edge
Being easily fatigued
Difficulty concentrating or mind going blank
Irritability
Muscle tension
Sleep disturbance (difficulty falling or staying asleep, or
restless unsatisfying sleep)
Not all people experience all these signs but most of them.

THOUGHTS & FEELINGS

If you have some of the above bodily sensations, you may
also experience some of the following thoughts and feelings:

Thinking that you can not cope with your problems

Thinking that you are falling apart
Feeling uncomfortable in crowded places
Often feeling tense
Feeling frightened for no reason
Getting upset by little things
Feeling afraid when you are alone
Feeling without any logical reason that you are going to
be left alone
Feeling irritable
Forgetting what you were going to do or forgetting
major items you were going to buy at supermarket
Worrying about very little and minor things
Having nightmares
Feeling that you work under much more pressure than
others in your circumstances
Feeling that something dreadful is going to happen
though there is no logical reason for it
Feeling that you may loose your control and hurt
someone even though you do not want to
Feeling that as if you are going to die, though your
physician assured you that there is nothing medically
wrong with you

By observing the above mentioned signs you will have a clear

impression of how significant a problem anxiety is for you.
Anxiety disorders are the most common of all the mental health
disorders.

Considered in the category of anxiety disorders are:

Generalized Anxiety Disorder

Panic Disorder
Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder
Obsessive Compulsion Disorder
Acute Stress Disorder

GENERALIZED ANXIETY DISORDER

If you feel anxious most of the time without
any apparent reason and these anxious
feelings may be so uncomfortable that to
avoid them you may stop some everyday
activities. Your limbs become shaky, cold or
numb. And your heart pounds so hard you
feel it leap out of your chest, you may
wonder if theres something medically wrong. And your physician
after medical checkup finds no medical reason for these sensations.
Than you are suffering from Generalized Anxiety Disorder.
Generalized Anxiety Disorder is much more than the normal anxiety
people experience day to day. It's chronic and exaggerated worry
and tension, even though nothing seems to provoke it. Having this
disorder means always anticipating disaster, often worrying
excessively about health, money, family, or work. Sometimes,
though, the source of the worry is hard to pinpoint. Simply the
thought of getting through the day provokes anxiety.
People with Generalized Anxiety Disorder can't seem to shake their
concerns, even though they usually realize that their anxiety is more
intense than the situation warrants. People with Generalized Anxiety
Disorder also seem unable to relax. They often have trouble falling or
staying asleep. Their worries are accompanied by physical symptoms,
especially trembling, twitching, muscle tension, headaches, irritability,

sweating, or hot flashes. They may feel lightheaded or out of breath.

They may feel nauseated or have to go to the bathroom frequently.
Or they might feel as though they have a lump in the throat.
Many individuals with Generalized Anxiety Disorder startle more
easily than other people. They tend to feel tired, have trouble
concentrating, and sometimes suffer depression, too.
Usually the impairment associated with Generalized Anxiety Disorder
is mild and people with the disorder don't feel too restricted in social
settings or on the job. Unlike many other anxiety disorders, people
with Generalized Anxiety Disorder don't characteristically avoid
certain situations as a result of their disorder. However, if severe,
Generalized Anxiety Disorder can be very debilitating because of the
excessive worrying, making it difficult to carry out even the most
ordinary daily activities.
There are many reasons of Generalized Anxiety Disorder:
International Tension and Conflicts. (conflict between
nations)
Interpersonal Conflicts. (conflict between individuals)
Internal conflicts
Crisis in Traditional Beliefs and Values
Emotional or Spiritual Conflict
Daily Life Problems and Frustration
Death of someone near and dear
Marriage, Separation, Divorce
Child leaving home.
Losing job, Retirement
Panic Attack & Panic Disorder
People with panic disorder have feelings of terror that strike suddenly
and repeatedly with no warning. They can't predict when an attack
will occur, and many develop intense anxiety between episodes,
worrying when and where the next one will strike. In between times

there is a persistent, lingering worry that another attack could come

any minute.
When a panic attack strikes, most likely your heart pounds and you
may feel sweaty, weak, faint, or dizzy. Your hands may tingle or feel
numb, and you might feel flushed or chilled. You may have chest
pain or smothering sensations, a sense of unreality, or fear of
impending doom or loss of control. You may genuinely believe you're
having a heart attack or stroke, losing your mind, or on the verge of
death. Attacks can occur any time, even during no dream sleep.
While most attacks average a couple of minutes, occasionally they
can go on for up to 10 minutes. In rare cases, they may last an hour
or more.
Panic disorder is twice as common in women as in men. It can
appear at any age--in children or in the elderly--but most often it
begins in young adults. Not everyone who experiences panic attacks
will develop panic disorder-- for example; many people have one
attack but never have another.
Panic disorder is often accompanied by other conditions such as
phobias, which can develop in places or situations where panic
attacks have occurred. For example, if a panic attack strikes while
you're riding an elevator, you may develop a fear of elevators and
perhaps start avoiding them.
Some people's lives become greatly restricted -- they avoid normal,
everyday activities such as grocery shopping, driving, or in some
cases even leaving the house. Or, they may be able to confront a
feared situation only if accompanied by a spouse or other trusted
person. Basically, they avoid any situation they fear would make
them feel helpless if a panic attack occurs. When people's lives
become so restricted by the disorder, as happens in about one-third
of all people with panic disorder, the condition is called
agoraphobia. A tendency toward panic disorder and agoraphobia
runs in families. Nevertheless, early treatment of panic disorder can
often stop the progression to agoraphobia.

A panic attack is a discrete period of intense fear or discomfort, in

which four (or more) of the following symptoms developed abruptly
and reached a peak within 10 minutes:

palpitations, pounding heart, or accelerated heart rate

sweating

trembling or shaking

sensations of shortness of breath or smothering

feeling of choking

chest pain or discomfort

nausea or abdominal distress

feeling dizzy, unsteady, lightheaded, or faint

Feelings of unreality or depersonalization (being detached from

oneself)

fear of losing control or going crazy

fear of dying

numbness or tingling sensations

chills or hot flushes

Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder

Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) is a debilitating condition that
follows a terrifying event. Often, people with PTSD have persistent
frightening thoughts and memories of their ordeal and feel
emotionally numb, especially with people they were once close to.
These include kidnapping, serious accidents such as car or train
wrecks, natural disasters such as floods or earthquakes, violent
attacks such as a mugging, rape, or torture, or being held captive.

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The event that triggers it may be something that threatened the

person's life or the life of someone close to him or her. Or it could be
something witnessed, such as mass destruction after a plane crash.
Whatever the source of the problem, some people with PTSD
repeatedly relive the trauma in the form of nightmares and disturbing
recollections during the day. They may also experience sleep
problems, depression, feeling detached or numb, or being easily
startled. They may lose interest in things they used to enjoy and
have trouble feeling affectionate. They may feel irritable, more
aggressive than before, or even violent. Seeing things that remind
them of the incident may be very distressing, which could lead them
to avoid certain places or situations that bring back those memories.
Anniversaries of the event are often very difficult.
PTSD can occur at any age, including childhood. The disorder can be
accompanied by depression, substance abuse, or anxiety. Symptoms
may be mild or severe--people may become easily irritated or have
violent outbursts. In severe cases they may have trouble working or
socializing. In general, the symptoms seem to be worse if a person-such as a rape, as opposed to a flood, initiated the event that
triggered them.
Ordinary events can serve as reminders of the trauma and trigger
flashbacks or intrusive images. A flashback may make the person
lose touch with reality and reenact the event for a period of seconds
or hours or, very rarely, days. A person having a flashback, which
can come in the form of images, sounds, smells, or feelings, usually
believes that the traumatic event is happening all over again.
Not every traumatized person gets full-blown PTSD, or experiences
PTSD at all. PTSD is diagnosed only if the symptoms last more than a
month. In those who do have PTSD, symptoms usually begin within 3
months of the trauma, and the course of the illness varies. Some
people recover within 6 months, others have symptoms that last
much longer. In some cases, the condition may be chronic.
Occasionally, the illness doesn't show up until years after the
traumatic event.

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OBSESSIVE COMPULSION DISORDER

SYMPTUMS
Unpleasant thoughts or images that repeatedly enter
subjects mind
over concerns with contamination (dirt, germs, chemicals,
radiation) or getting a serious illness such as AIDS
over concerned with keeping objects (clothing, shopping, tools)
in perfect order, or arranged exactly
have mental images of death or other horrible events
have personally unacceptable religious or sexual thoughts
Excessive worry about terrible things happening
worry about fire, burglary, or flooding the house
worry about accidentally hitting a pedestrian with your car or
letting it roll down the hill
worry about spreading an illness (i.e. giving someone AIDS)
worry about losing something valuable
worry about harm coming to a loved one because you weren't
careful enough
Concerns about acting on an unwanted and senseless urge or
impulse:
Concerned about physically harming a loved one, pushing a
stranger in front of a bus, steering your car into oncoming
traffic; inappropriate sexual contact; or poisoning dinner guests
Feeling driven to perform certain acts over and over again:
Perform excessive or ritualized washing, cleaning, or grooming
rituals
Check light switches, taps, the oven, door locks, or car's
emergency brake

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Collect useless objects or inspect the rubbish before it is thrown

out
Repeat routine actions (going in/out of a chair, going through a
doorway, re-lighting a cigarette) a certain number of times, or
until it feels 'just right
Need to touch objects or people
Examine your body for signs of illness
Feel a need to 'confess' or repeatedly ask for reassurance that
you said or did something correctly
ACUTE STRESS DISORDER
Stress is often a matter of how we frame a situation, rather than the
situation itself, and how we react to potential stressors is greatly
influenced by our internal reaction to external situations.
A certain amount of stress in life can be helpful, motivating us to deal
with the situation. When something stressful happens, the body
instinctively sees it as a threat and goes into a fight-or-flight mode.
In stressful situations, the mind tells the body: Challenge is
imminent, get ready to run or to fight"
However, being over stressed can adversely affect our health and
happiness. It can literally ruin our life, our career, and our peace of
mind. High-level stress induces symptoms such as chronic muscular
tension, self-perpetuating hyperactivity, excessive worry, insomnia
and apprehensive expectation.

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Stress is caused by any change, threat of change, or possibility

of change in our environment, our thoughts, and our life style or in
our body. The change may be negative such as the death of loved
one or positive such as moving into a new house. Though some
stress experts list up to a hundred or more stress producing
experiences, but they can be broken down into six major categories:
1. Death of: Spouse, Child, Parent, Relative, Close friend, or a
political or religious leader.
2. Marriage, Separation, Divorce, Child being born, Child leaving
home.
3. Business Readjustment, Financial Changes either up or down,
Promotion, Losing job, Retirement.
4. Interpersonal, Internal Emotional or Spiritual Conflicts.
5. Any Significant Change in Life Style, Environment, Neighborhood,
and Cost of Living etc.
6. Daily Life Problems and Frustration.

SIGNS OF STRESS
PRIMARY PHYSICAL SIGNS:
ACCELERATED HEART BEAT - NERVOUS STOMACH. - COLD LIMBS
SWEATY HANDS AND FEET.- COLD CHILLS. - TIGHTENED MUSCLES. SHALLOW
OR RAPID BREATHING.

SECONDARY PHYSICAL SIGNS:

HEADACHES - INSOMNIA - ULCERS - STOMACH DISORDERS - FATIGUE NECK
AND SHOULDER TENSION - CHEST TENSION - CONSTIPATION DIARRHEA.

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PSYCHOLOGICAL SIGNS:
ON EDGE - GUILT - DEPRESSION - WORRY - BLAME - FEAR - BOREDOM
- ANGER

BEHAVIORAL SIGNS:
AVOIDENCE - WITHDRAWAL - AGGRESSION - SEXUAL OR MARITAL PROBLEMS
PROCRASTINATION - HYPERALERTNESS - SUBSTANCE ABUSE (FOOD, DRUGS,
ALCHOHOL)

STRATEGIES FOR DEALING WITH ANXIETY DISORDERS

Pre sleep Affirmation

Progressive Relaxation
Breathing Control
Fantasizing a Minivacation
Manage your Self Talk
Writing Freely
Manage your Ruminations

PRE SLEEP AFFIRMATION

When you go to bed at night, give yourself the following
suggestion ten times just before falling asleep.

IN ANY ANXIETY INDUCING SITUATION I REMAIN

RELAXED, CALM, COMFORTABLE AND CONFIDENT
While giving yourself this suggestion, allow yourself to imagine, in
every anxiety inducing situation you remain calm and confident.
In order not to fall asleep and not to loose count, every time you
say the suggestion, press down with a finger of your right hand
and then left hand until you have completed your suggestion ten
times.
Its very important to do this exercise every night without falling
asleep until you have completed your suggestion ten times.

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When you do it every night, very soon you will find yourself
reacting very positively to your suggestion.

PROGRESSIVE RELAXATION

*Remove your shoes if possible and make sure you will not be
disturbed. Get in a comfortable position and close your eyes,
taking a few moments to focus on your breathing and beginning
to relax.
*Tightly clench your right fist for about five seconds. Focus on the
sensations in your hand and study the feelings of muscular
tension.
*Release the tension very slowly and gradually paying close
attention to the different sensations. (You may find it helps to say
to yourself "let go" or "Relax" as you release the tension)
*Take a few moments to allow the feelings of relaxation to
develop. Focus on the contrast; try to feel just how different the
sensations of deep relaxation are.
*Repeat the same exercise with your left hand.
*Now clench your fist and tense the whole of your right arm,
lifting it a few inches off the ground if you are lying down. Wait
about five seconds and allow your arm to slowly sink down, limp,
heavy and relaxed. Again take a few moments to become aware
of the feelings of relaxation.
*Repeat with your left arm.
*Repeat the same exercise, this time tensing and releasing whole
of your both arms at the same time.

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*Now, hunch your shoulders up and tense the muscles of your

neck. Again, wait a few seconds before gradually releasing the
tension.
*Turning your attention to you legs, flex your right foot and tense
the muscles of your right leg, by straightening out your leg hard,
and pushing it out from your body. Stretch your leg forward.
Study the feelings of muscular tension. After a few seconds
release the tension very slowly and allow your muscles to go limp
and slack and, again, take a moment to enjoy the feelings of
deepening relaxation.
*Repeat with your left leg.
*Now, repeat the same exercise with your both legs at once
*Now, turning your attention to the muscles of your face and
head, where stress often finds expression in physical tension.
Screw up your face as tightly as you can, clench your jaw, furrow
your brow and squeeze your eyes shut. Again, after a few
seconds, release all of the tension allowing the muscles of your
face and scalp to gradually become smooth and relaxed.
*Press your tongue against the roof of your mouth and purse your
lips. Relax and release the tension. When you relax your facial
muscles you will probably find that your lips become slightly
parted. Your eyes may also water slightly.
*Take a deep breathe from your abdomen, and hold it for about
five seconds before exhaling completely. Tense your abdominal
region by sucking in your stomach hard. Focus on the feelings of
tension in your abdomen and chest as you hold your breath, and
the contrasting feelings of deepening relaxation as you let the
breath out.
*Your whole body should be thoroughly relaxed now, but take a
few moments to empty your mind and to allow the feelings of

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relaxation to spread throughout your body. Mentally scan your

body for any remaining tension, and allow yourself to let go of it.
After tensing each muscle groups, hold the contraction for few
seconds, focus your attention on that part of your body, and feel the
sensations of contraction. Then let go slowly. Relax the contraction
completely. Study the difference on that area. Let the feeling of
relaxation to go farther and farther. Take your full time to let the
relaxation develop. The muscle group will feel warmer and bit
heavier. This feeling of relaxation will spread to adjacent areas. Allow
that region of your body to become more warmer and heavier. Using
the trigger word Relax will permit you to achieve the deep muscular
relaxation. And you will drift into deeper relaxation.
THIS RELAXATION EXERCISE TAKES ONLY A FEW MINUTES TO ACCOMPLISH AND SHOULD BE PRACTICED
AT LEAST ONCE A DAY. IT IS ESPECIALLY HELPFUL ANY TIME YOU ARE EXPERIENCING ANXIETY OR
STRESS.

As you continue the practice of Progressive Relaxation regularly

twice a day for two weeks or once a day for one month, you will
notice that you become deeply relaxed more rapidly and that feeling
of deep relaxation remain for longer period of time throughout the
day. Then switch to abbreviated progressive relaxation outlined
below.
Find a quite place in your home or office.
Off-hook your phone. Turn off your mobile. Tell people not to

disturb you for next 15 minutes.

Sit back or lay down, in a comfortable position on a chair, a

couch or on your bed.

Uncross your arms and your legs.
Choose a trigger word, which will help you to relax, such as

Let go or Relax;

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Imagine that your body is divided into three sections, which

you will relax in turn: (1) from your waist down to your feet,
(2) your torso, shoulders and arms, (3) your head and neck.

Take a deep breath in. Hold your breath for about three

seconds. Let out a deep sigh. Repeat your trigger word

Relax as you exhale. And relax your whole body. Allow your
breathing to return to normal for a few moments and just be
aware of how relaxed your body now feels.

Breath in again, in the same way, and this time relax your

lower body, from your waist down to your feet, as you exhale
and repeat your trigger word Relax.
Another deep breath. Relax your chest, backs and arms as you

exhale and repeat your trigger word Relax

Breathe in again and relax your head, neck and face as you

breathe out and repeat your trigger word Relax.

Take a few moments to settle and allow your breathing to

return to normal, and your mind to become empty, tranquil and

quiet.
After two weeks of abbreviated progressive relaxation practice, you
will find that you can experience deep relaxation almost immediately
upon taking a deep breath and at exhaling saying Let go or
Relax You will be able to relax yourself in any anxiety and stress
inducing situations, and gain control of the physical sensations of
anxiety as you cope with, whether you are sitting, standing or
walking or whether you are alone or you are in a crowd of the
people.
PROPER BREATHING
Did you notice, whenever you feel anxiety or stressed or start
thinking negative thoughts, your respiratory rhythm
changesSimilarly the way we breathe, can have a profound effect

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on the way we feel... Many anxiety and stress related ailments,

whether physical, mental or emotional, may be caused by improper
breathing, and fortunately, they can be easily reversed by adopting
scientific breathing mechanisms.
1. SIT DOWN AND CLOSE YOUR EYES
2. PLACE RIGHT HAND ON YOUR STOMACH & LEFT HAND ON
YOUR CHEST
3. IMAGINE A BLUE BALLOON IN YOUR STOMACH
4. NOW BREATH SLOWLY TEN TIMES USING THE FOLLOWING
TECHNIQUE:
5. BREATHE IN THROGH YOUR NOSTRILS FOR 6 SECONDS
6. IMAGINE THE BALLOON FILLING UP IN YOUR STOMACH
7. HOLD YOUR BREATH FOR 3 SECONDS
8. EXHALE VERY SLOWLY FOR 6 SECONDS AND ALLOW THE ALL
AIR TO FLOW OUT OF YOUR BODY
(REPEAT THE ABOVE EXERCISE 10 TIMES COUNTING BACKWARD
FROM 10 TO 1)

FANTASIZING A MINI VACATION.

1. Find a place where you can be undisturbed for ten or fifteen

minutes. Place yourself in a comfortable sitting or lying
position. Loosen any tight clothing.
2. Close your eyes.
3. Stretch your muscles Take a deep breath and while exhaling
release tension and say to yourself RELAX and let go. Do it
with all your muscles one by one.

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4. As you experience physical relaxation, imagine yourself in a

very beautiful place; it might be a Hill Top, a Beach, a Garden
or any beautiful place of your choice imaginative or real.
Imagine yourself there.
5. See each and everything around you. Colors of flowers. Green
leaves of tree. Clouds above you. See people drinking
refreshing beverages from long glasses in which ice cubes are
clinking.
6. Note how the sun is pleasant, hot warm and bright.
7. Hear every sounds around you, voices of birds, sound of
waterfall and the voice of air passing through tree leaves etc.
8. Feel the touch of grass or sand under your soles, touch of air
on your body, smell the aroma etc.
Enjoy and relax for some time there. When your preplanned time
limit has elapsed, open your eyes and allow yourself a few moments
to become completely reoriented to your actual surroundings.
MANAGE YOUR SELF TALK
Pay attention to your self-talk. That's the constant stream of
chatter that goes on in your head.
Notice what you say to yourself and how you say it. Do you
constantly criticize yourself inside your head? Or do you constantly
criticize others? Or complain about your life, your faults, or how
life 'treats' you? Or internally rant about the injustices of life? Do
you constantly tell yourself youre at your wits end? Or, that you
can't cope with this much longer? Or, that you'll fail at something?
Or, that you're going to have a panic attack?
Negative self-talk is pernicious and demoralizing and debilitating. And
you get so used to doing it and responding to it that you don't
consciously pay attention to it and therefore do not challenge it. It
goes on and on in the background, and the effect is that you are
continuously giving yourself very powerful hypnotic suggestions to
feel bad!

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Gently replace the negative self-talk. Gently - because there's no

point in adding to the inner stress by arguing with yourself by saying
I must not say this etc. that would be adding fuel to the fire.
Each time you recognize that you are doing your self-criticising or
self-undermining, pause; remind yourself that it's just the old habit
you got into, and that you're from now on changing this habit.
Use a very soft and patient inner tone of voice for this. You inner
voice should sound as if you are calming an upset 2-year old!
Reassure yourself. Calm yourself. Remind yourself of the rationales
and facts of the situation. Remind yourself of the value of handing
things in a cool, calm, and confident manner.
Doing this once or twice won't make a lot of difference. It takes
quite a while to replace the habits of a lifetime - but it's definitely
worth doing so.
You should take a more active and direct approach to coping with
anxiety inducing thoughts by saying different things to your self
such as:
Theres no point to getting upset. In a few moments I will be
feeling fine.
There was a time when I had no idea what was happening to
me or what to do about it. Now I know that I was making
things worse for my self by getting more and more upset.
Now I can stop the vicious cycle.
Day by day, in every way, I am getting better and better
WRITING FREELY
In panic or anxiety states negative or critical self-talk often
contributes to our symptoms and, when it appears out of control, can
be quite scary. Writing Freely is an excellent tool for becoming
aware of your self talk, and gradually reducing the intensity of your
negative self talk.
Writing Freely is a useful self-management technique for dealing with
this 'racing mind' state since it enables us to recognize the typical

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themes of our self talk, challenge our 'awful sing', and develop a
degree of objectivity about our feelings. The method needs to be
used at least twice daily for about 10-15 minutes at a time.
This Writing Freely technique is a useful way of getting to know
and of updating what you sub vocalise about. It is also an
excellent mental-spring-cleaning exercise to run occasionally. And
it can be especially helpful when you are in a very stressful, or
pressured, or panicky period.
1. Pick a period each day when you can be alone and

undisturbed for about 10-15 minutes.

2. Has a pen or pencil and a few sheets of paper - scrap paper
will do, as you will be destroying what you have written
afterwards.
3. Now begin writing everything that comes into your head.
And, once you have begun, keep writing non-stop! It doesn't
matter if you cannot think of anything to write - in this case
simply write "I cannot think of anything to write"
4. You are writing everything that comes into your head - as
quickly as you can - non-stop AS it occurs to you!
5. No censoring - let everything, every single thought that
comes into your head, come out on paper - no matter how
unusual, surprising, unacceptable or dirty it is.
6. You are actually transcribing your own inner self-talk. Write
fast and furiously. Every single thought. Even the seemingly
irrelevant ones.
7. Stop writing after doing this for at least ten minutes or,
ideally, when the thoughts fully dry up.
8. Now take a break for 15 minutes or so. Get up and walk
around. Do something un-related to this activity. You are
doing this to change your mood.
9. Next go back and read what you have written. Notice the
themes that have come up.
10.Now rationalize these.
11.When you have finished, keep papers in a safe place and do
something else. And after few minutes destroy the notes.

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This is a very important step because destroying the notes

within a few minutes of writing them convinces yourself that
no-one except you will ever read what you have written. And
this convinces you that it is OK to put everything on paper.
This method works best when it is done regularly for a few weeks.
It is both a way of clearing your mind and of developing
awareness what you are saying to yourself inside your head.
MANAGE YOUR RUMINATIONS
Ruminations are a particularly distressing sign of anxiety, and are
defined as difficulty in getting persistent, nagging, ugly negative
thoughts out of mind. Thoughts like, I am falling all to pieces Ill
never be able to do anything about it I know I am going to die My
heart is going to burst, it goes on beating rapidly
Dr. David C. Rimm of Old Dominion University has devised a
technique for dealing with repetitive, negative, anxiety inducing
thoughts, called, Stopping Anxiety Inducing Thoughts and Assertive
Statements Method.
Dr. Rimm first employs this time honored method of thought
stopping by yelling STOP when a client is ruminating about some
anxious subject. Doing so disrupts the rumination. Dr. Rimm suggest
that any time you are ruminating about some anxious subject yell the
word STOP out loud and eventually make the word STOP! a
commanding thought.
Dr. Rimms particular contribution is the addition of an assertive
thought following the self command STOP! The assertive thought is
antagonistic to the rumination. If you are jobless and ruminate that
Every thing is hopeless, there is nothing I can do about my life you
might practice yelling STOP! I will take things step by step, read the
classified adds of wanted in news papers and day by day I will do
what I can. Or if you are ruminating I am going to die you might
practice thinking STOP! I am in perfect health; I am going to be
okay, everything is right.

24

You can use your home cassette recorder. Record in your own voice,
the strongly stated command STOP followed immediately by the
assertive, counter ruminative statements, spoken clearly and
affirmatively and in a proper tone of voice. Remember, the STOP
must be yelled in commanding tone aloud. You must select assertive
statements that contradict your negative ruminations and sound right
for you.
For example, if you are thinking that you are going to have a heart
attack although medical checkup shows no physical problem. Record
assertive statements like, My doctor did an ECG and found nothing
wrong There is not a single chance of heart attack I am in perfect
health.
Place your self in a comfortable sitting or reclining position,

with your fingers ready to press the play button of your

cassette recorder.
Begin purposefully ruminating the distressing thoughts.
Press the play button of the recorder. The recording will disrupt
the ruminations and will provide assertive, counter ruminative
statements.
Repeat this procedure for a couple of weeks. Most probably
your ruminations will be ceased by the end of the two weeks
treatment, but keep it continue for two more weeks to attempt
to stamp out your ruminations permanently.
It is possible that your ruminations will return back after some time,
so keep the cassette available and be ready to repeat procedure. This
time you will find the stamping out process more effective and you
may need to repeat it only for a few days.

THATS THE ENDIN FACT EVERY END IS A NEW BEGINING

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