Question:
After nearly five years of suffering, searching and hard work, I achieved my
cure from panic disorder and agoraphobia. Many people helped me in my
healing journey. Now, it's my turn to "give something back". As a first
step, I wrote "An Open Letter to Those on the Healing Journey", talking
about how I achieved my cure. Here's the link:
http://sites.netscape.net/nsideman/homepage
It's an incredible gift to be able to share some of what I learned in my own
healing path.
Answer:
I believe that everyone has their own unique healing path. I can
answer about what worked for me. For me, there were two approaches to
healing. The first was meditation. I found forms of meditation that
spoke to me very profoundly. At first, it was a guided meditation,
focused on feelings of inner safety. I practiced this every day.
The second approach related specifically to panic disorder/
agoraphobia (PDA). The cognitive-behavioral approaches I found had a
lot to offer, but I felt something essential was lacking, so I kept
looking. I found Dr. David Barlow's "Mastery of Your Anxiety and
Panic" -- the MAP program. Barlow and his colleagues are incredibly
brilliant psychologists who have been working full-time in this field
for over 20 years. In my opinion, they have discovered the keys that
unlock the panic response. I'll post a short piece I wrote about MAP.
To overcome my agoraphobia, I "practiced" six days a week, working
with a therapist trained in Dr. Barlow's approach. Even though we
took it step-by-step, it took everything I had to do this practicing.
I guess on some level I began to trust that I was going to reach the
"other side" of this condition. My therapist put me in touch with
others who had been successful.
Do you think there are any people that require medication for their panic
disorder? Are you against meds?
In response to Chip1040: I dont think that simply because Neal chose to
share a strategy that works for him, in attaining suitable anxiety control,
that this somehow compels him to "explain" anything!! There IS no
explanation to offer, if one ponders this a bit. If there was, this whole
topic could be neatly wrapped up, in a pamphlet sent to everyone on earth,
and the problem would cease to exist. Certainly an absurd idea. Different
strategies work for different people in different circumstances, and
sometimes a strategy that failed in one life circumstance is successful
later on, in a different one. Admittedly this is my opinion, and you know
what they say about those..
To the extent that Neal is cured, he will see this type of negativity when
people present such postures to him for only what they are, and nothing
more.
I am so grateful that I read your posts this AM. They hit home so
directly that I started crying--your gentle, insightful offerings will be
very helpful to me on my path of overcoming panic disorder.
I visited this newsgroup just now because my family (husband and 2 young
daughters) are planning a cruise in August, and a lot of my anxieties are
coming up, as I kind of expected. I had my first panic attack around 12
years ago, but never underwent therapy or took meds for them, because
they were sort of random. They usually only occur when I perceive some
physical or emotional danger (example--going through labor or watching a
Holocaust special on TV). I haven't had too many panic attacks lately,
but it may be because I have limited my life so much so as to avoid them!
I'm a stay-at-home mom (RN by profession) at this time, and seem to be
growing more and more averse to travelling anywhere out of my immediate
area, although I do it, but with discomfort.
