My Own Kind of Courage

I am 32 years old and come from Slovakia, the heart of Europe.

The first time I encountered panic attacks and anxiety disorder was in my early 20s. Back then I had only one symptom – dizziness.

After 2-3 years of medical, psychological and psychiatric treatment I thought I was “cured” for good.

Unfortunately in January 2017, I was rushed to the hospital, where the doctors asked me if I was ever treated for panic attacks, because I just had one.

I was relieved and confused, because I thought that was my last day on earth, so the term panic attack was bittersweet to hear.

I didn’t allow myself to pay attention to it, I didn’t want it to get to my head.

After this experience, now and then I started feeling nausea for no reason which ended up with me vomiting and many stomach-aches.

I thought it was a gallbladder problem, which runs in the family. Until one day, while on my way to work it hit me while driving: BOOM a full blown panic attack.

I pulled over, starting some yoga based breathing techniques and went back home.

When I went to take out the trash in the evening I felt that familiar feeling of dizziness and I started feeling arm pain, chest pain and so on.

The next days these sensations got worse. I couldn’t go to work, or outside the apartment.

The WORST thing about the whole thing was the loss of reality, derealisation.

I was really scared, because I had never experienced this before. I was just about to attend a three day management training camp in the north of the country.

The day I was supposed to drive up there it got me again. Not one, but two panic attacks in a row.

I was so crushed. I was totally washed up physically and emotionally.

Somehow I knew I couldn’t stall any longer and that IT’s back again. The same day I was looking on YouTube for some sort of help and found a video called “Vitamins for panic attacks.”

The video had nothing to do with the title, it was Barry’s cartoonish promo video for Panic Away.

It was incredibly interesting so I searched online for the book. The minute I went through the whole web page I knew I found the cure.

Just seeing all the “usual suspects” the most common symptoms gave me a tremendous feeling of ease as at that point I was so scared, I barely came out of the bedroom.

I bought the book Panic Away and immediately started reading. It was a game changer.

The most important thing for me was that I felt I could finally trust someone with this.

The saying is true, no one will understand what you’re going through until they’ve experienced it themselves.

It was so relieving for me to read about my fears and feelings I myself wasn’t sure are there, not to say the knowing that it’s all part of the process and everything is perfectly normal.

The whole insight and all the knowledge it gave me about things I didn’t know about myself was just amazing.

Still, I had a lot of pain in my arms and chest, choking sensations, dizziness, pins and needles… Many times, my hands were so numb, I couldn’t even hold my cellphone for more than a minute.

I remember once, being a musician, I was playing the guitar and I couldn’t hold the pick in one hand and couldn’t hold the chords with the other.

But I was applying the 21-7 technique as much as I could and it helped tremendously.

I didn’t want to take medication again, so I was determined to get through this on my own.

The book gave me so much useful information on what is happening in my body and mind that I couldn’t figure out on my own.

After about two months of reading and exercising everything from the Panic Away book, I came across the DARE book.

I knew I have to dive in to it. All the spare time I had I dedicated to DARE.

When I was driving, I was listening to it, when I was sitting in my office, or lying in my bed at home, I was reading it.

Up to that moment I was making really great progress:

• My arm- and chest pains got a lot better

• My choking sensations were almost gone

• I was back in my company, facing obstacles like never before, I felt really great

When things started to take a turn for the better something strange started happening.

My conditions got worse, I had a minor panic attack, and a lot of painful sensations were back on the table.

Fortunately I knew I don’t have to worry, since Barry said in both books that it’s perfectly normal to have setbacks.

So I accepted the fact and continued with my self-treatment.

Today after about 4 months of reading both books, meditating with the Rapid Relief program I can say I feel good.

There are still a few anxious thoughts here and there a few strange sensations once or twice but I can say about 95% percent of my symptoms are gone.

It was an incredibly hard journey to partake but the whole experience gave me so much confidence.

Thanks to DARE and Panic Away, I didn’t take any medication, I did it all thanks to Barry’s books and the support of my friends and family.

Now I know how to (or better yet how no to) react when something troubling happens inside me.

I wish to give a few advices to all the people who are on their way to freedom from anxiety:

The first thing you have to do, is go to the doctor and have yourself checked out fully.

You’ll probably still think there’s something wrong with you, and that the doctors forgot about something, but that’s normal.

In time, this mindset will pass. And when you’ll gain more courage, the results of your tests will be a great support when facing anxious thoughts.

Change your diet, be careful what you eat.

If your large intestine can’t function correctly because it’s full of junk, you’ll be more prone to feel a lot of needles sensations you could’ve saved yourself from.

Do a detoxification cleanse with your Doctor’s supervision.

Get the Rapid Relief program. I’ve done lots of guided mediations, but none of them come even close to the Rapid Relief audios, especially if you need short term results.

Do not let yourself become a victim. There is a saying I repeat to myself each day:

There’s time to be a victim and there’s time to be myself.

My most sincere thanks to Barry and all the people in the DARE program, thank you so much for your support.

And to all the people gaining their freedom. Remember, we are all one, you’re not alone in this, keep up the courage, and my love goes to you all!