Drew, I want to offer your readers/ listeners encouragement and support. It was exactly a year ago this month that my life changed as I knew it. Mr.’s cancer spread to his liver and anxiety became debilitating because I didn’t know how to process and deal with anything. I could find nothing to be thankful for and all I wanted to do was sleep and go back in time before cancer made it’s presence known. I was in hell every day and anxiety, she was my daily companion taunting and haunting me with her thoughts and symptoms. However, I am happy to say today I have found many, many things to be thankful for; anxiety being one of them. Yes you all heard me right! She has taught me how to listen to myself and my body and how to say no. She has taught me how to process feelings and emotions and not to be afraid of the past, present and future. She has shown me how to truly be strong and how to embrace life circumstances with confidence and peace. She even had the ability to draw me closer to God and build on my spirituality. So yes, I am thankful for anxiety and all the days she sought me out for companionship. Today, she is welcomed with open arms and greeted with love however, she doesn't seem to come around much anymore. 😊. Thank you Drew! As alway, Love you Big Guy. 😉
First time commenting. Ten years of panic attacks. I have read many books on how to rid yourself of these awful, awful attacks. I implemented the strategies. I used breathing, meditation, I kept one tablet of Ativan with me at all times (just in case)! I made it through. I work, shop, go to gatherings, appointments.. I make it through. On Thanksgiving, I was reflecting on how far I have come. Then the light went on. A blazing light. I now need to live! I want to not just make it through I want to live. I want to go to parties and look at friends and loved ones. I can still do my breathing, non reacting to panic sensations etc. But, I want to listen to stories, I want to wait in WalMart lines, I want to watch my granddaughter in a basketball game( typically my strategy is to make it through.. watching the game clock the entire time.) My thankful moment.. there is one more aspect to my life.. to live it, to revel in it.. for this revelation.. to live I am humbly thankful.
I’m grateful for you and your hard work and dedication to this thing called anxiety. I’m hosting today and I hope everyone can find a few moments of calm and peace ❤️.
Thanks for taking time for us today. I am a little frustrated. You hit it in the head with the not being able to feel thankful thing. I’m going to see relatives, I am doing a little of the cooking and I feel like I am holding up pretty well. Then my husband says that another couple we know has invited us to “stop by” after dinner. I feel like I’ve stretched myself enough for one day. When I told him I don’t think I’m up for it, he says…. “You’re supposed to be getting out more, be more social so you can get better…” how do I handle it when I spout off what will help my recovery and then it’s used against me? Maybe I’m just feeling sorry for myself? Yeah… not feeling too thankful right now.
At my worst, I was just so incredibly self-focused, I didn’t even have a moment to consider thankfulness or family or anything else the world considers on holidays. My only thoughts were “Okay have to go to this event at 1pm. I can hold it together until 3. If I need to leave early I can say I’m sick. I can also go in the back room to calm down.” I just spent the entire time obsessing about how I feel and how to “handle” the day.
I‘ve come so far! I think many people feel anxiety and stress on holidays, and I do too, but it no longer takes over my day.
Nov 24, 2022·edited Nov 24, 2022Liked by Drew Linsalata
So kind of you to post today, Drew! Thank you! I relate to every sentence in here today. Thanks for giving us permission to not be at our best. I have a relative who has been telling me to, "Look at the bright side!!!" since my illness began. I can't put into words how exasperated and angry I am with her, and how hard it is to be told to be positive when I am having the most difficult period in my life. I feel so judged. I will keep your words with me today, and am very grateful that you took the time to write!!! Have a wonderful Thanksgiving Drew, and wishing happiness to everyone who is in our community!
I reckon there’s a whole lot of us on here that feel thankful for The Anxious Truth. The content. The effort. The support. The community. The space you finally find in anxiety that makes room for change.
In the beginning maybe only just a glimpse or a second but as time goes on it turns into a pretty big ball of thankfulness!
I used to feel exactly like this about Christmas (grew up in Aust and live in London, so no formal Thanksgiving as such), both for social anxiety reasons but esp. when we lost our parents in tragic circumstances. Life seemed like a black hole and there was simply nothing to feel thankful about, with many of the reasons for being joyful at Xmas being suddenly stolen from us. It was hard to pretend, at a time of year when everyone else appeared so happy, buzzing and full of family bliss. It almost seemed criminal to feel any resentment about life, or other people, or my own circumstances etc. So I 100% relate to the huge pressure of feeling like you have to put on a cloak of fake joy, smiles, gratitude and partake in obligatory gift-giving. Thankfully I’ve since developed a much brighter mindset but it’s taken years, and moreso through organic evolution than personal enforcement. Whilst I’ll never be a huge fan of seasonal Xmas excesses and mass commercialism (a bit like Valentine’s Day etc) I can now thoroughly enjoy a good old merry Xmas party (err sometimes too much!) and actually love the idea of a Thanksgiving celebration/holiday - because I recognise there’s much to be grateful about, which it’s easy to take for granted rushing about our busy lives the rest of the year. There’s definitely an individual spectrum we all oscillate on as humans, depending on what’s happening in our lives in any given year. The important thing as Drew says is ‘it’s totally okay’ to feel whatever is being felt. Don’t force anything on yourself because this just introduces further mental pressure and confusion at an already tough time. Thanks for keeping it real as always Drew.. and wishing everyone there in the States a truly happy, blessed and peaceful holidays💖
Drew, I want to offer your readers/ listeners encouragement and support. It was exactly a year ago this month that my life changed as I knew it. Mr.’s cancer spread to his liver and anxiety became debilitating because I didn’t know how to process and deal with anything. I could find nothing to be thankful for and all I wanted to do was sleep and go back in time before cancer made it’s presence known. I was in hell every day and anxiety, she was my daily companion taunting and haunting me with her thoughts and symptoms. However, I am happy to say today I have found many, many things to be thankful for; anxiety being one of them. Yes you all heard me right! She has taught me how to listen to myself and my body and how to say no. She has taught me how to process feelings and emotions and not to be afraid of the past, present and future. She has shown me how to truly be strong and how to embrace life circumstances with confidence and peace. She even had the ability to draw me closer to God and build on my spirituality. So yes, I am thankful for anxiety and all the days she sought me out for companionship. Today, she is welcomed with open arms and greeted with love however, she doesn't seem to come around much anymore. 😊. Thank you Drew! As alway, Love you Big Guy. 😉
First time commenting. Ten years of panic attacks. I have read many books on how to rid yourself of these awful, awful attacks. I implemented the strategies. I used breathing, meditation, I kept one tablet of Ativan with me at all times (just in case)! I made it through. I work, shop, go to gatherings, appointments.. I make it through. On Thanksgiving, I was reflecting on how far I have come. Then the light went on. A blazing light. I now need to live! I want to not just make it through I want to live. I want to go to parties and look at friends and loved ones. I can still do my breathing, non reacting to panic sensations etc. But, I want to listen to stories, I want to wait in WalMart lines, I want to watch my granddaughter in a basketball game( typically my strategy is to make it through.. watching the game clock the entire time.) My thankful moment.. there is one more aspect to my life.. to live it, to revel in it.. for this revelation.. to live I am humbly thankful.
I’m grateful for you and your hard work and dedication to this thing called anxiety. I’m hosting today and I hope everyone can find a few moments of calm and peace ❤️.
Thanks for taking time for us today. I am a little frustrated. You hit it in the head with the not being able to feel thankful thing. I’m going to see relatives, I am doing a little of the cooking and I feel like I am holding up pretty well. Then my husband says that another couple we know has invited us to “stop by” after dinner. I feel like I’ve stretched myself enough for one day. When I told him I don’t think I’m up for it, he says…. “You’re supposed to be getting out more, be more social so you can get better…” how do I handle it when I spout off what will help my recovery and then it’s used against me? Maybe I’m just feeling sorry for myself? Yeah… not feeling too thankful right now.
At my worst, I was just so incredibly self-focused, I didn’t even have a moment to consider thankfulness or family or anything else the world considers on holidays. My only thoughts were “Okay have to go to this event at 1pm. I can hold it together until 3. If I need to leave early I can say I’m sick. I can also go in the back room to calm down.” I just spent the entire time obsessing about how I feel and how to “handle” the day.
I‘ve come so far! I think many people feel anxiety and stress on holidays, and I do too, but it no longer takes over my day.
So kind of you to post today, Drew! Thank you! I relate to every sentence in here today. Thanks for giving us permission to not be at our best. I have a relative who has been telling me to, "Look at the bright side!!!" since my illness began. I can't put into words how exasperated and angry I am with her, and how hard it is to be told to be positive when I am having the most difficult period in my life. I feel so judged. I will keep your words with me today, and am very grateful that you took the time to write!!! Have a wonderful Thanksgiving Drew, and wishing happiness to everyone who is in our community!
I reckon there’s a whole lot of us on here that feel thankful for The Anxious Truth. The content. The effort. The support. The community. The space you finally find in anxiety that makes room for change.
In the beginning maybe only just a glimpse or a second but as time goes on it turns into a pretty big ball of thankfulness!
I used to feel exactly like this about Christmas (grew up in Aust and live in London, so no formal Thanksgiving as such), both for social anxiety reasons but esp. when we lost our parents in tragic circumstances. Life seemed like a black hole and there was simply nothing to feel thankful about, with many of the reasons for being joyful at Xmas being suddenly stolen from us. It was hard to pretend, at a time of year when everyone else appeared so happy, buzzing and full of family bliss. It almost seemed criminal to feel any resentment about life, or other people, or my own circumstances etc. So I 100% relate to the huge pressure of feeling like you have to put on a cloak of fake joy, smiles, gratitude and partake in obligatory gift-giving. Thankfully I’ve since developed a much brighter mindset but it’s taken years, and moreso through organic evolution than personal enforcement. Whilst I’ll never be a huge fan of seasonal Xmas excesses and mass commercialism (a bit like Valentine’s Day etc) I can now thoroughly enjoy a good old merry Xmas party (err sometimes too much!) and actually love the idea of a Thanksgiving celebration/holiday - because I recognise there’s much to be grateful about, which it’s easy to take for granted rushing about our busy lives the rest of the year. There’s definitely an individual spectrum we all oscillate on as humans, depending on what’s happening in our lives in any given year. The important thing as Drew says is ‘it’s totally okay’ to feel whatever is being felt. Don’t force anything on yourself because this just introduces further mental pressure and confusion at an already tough time. Thanks for keeping it real as always Drew.. and wishing everyone there in the States a truly happy, blessed and peaceful holidays💖