Panic Away member, Roy shares his anxiety story with us. For anyone doubting themselves, or the Panic Away program, Roy is here to tell you and reassure you that: YOU CAN DO IT!
“It’s been a little over two years since I found the Panic Away program, and the Forum. I had suffered a pretty nasty panic attack around October of 2010, and not being able to understand what it was that I experienced, the fear of it drove me to a pretty bad case of anxiety.
I suffered through all of the nasty symptoms that most of us experience with panic and anxiety, and I’ve been through some pretty tough and challenging experiences in my life, including Army boot camp. Nothing came close to the battle, and the challenge of overcoming a really heavy case of anxiety, and the fear of another panic attack.
If you’re someone that has just started this program, or you’ve been on this journey for a while and you’re trying to get back that life you once enjoyed. I’m hear to tell you… you can do it!
I’ve seen and heard people say, (and I said the same thing myself)… “I just want my old self back.” I’m pretty sure what you’re going to discover on your journey through this experience, is that you will find yourself again, but you’ll be a changed person because of it. What I mean by that, is that you’ll be so much more aware of things that you didn’t pay attention to before your struggle began, and you’ll be a better person for it.
I heard this great quote from an NFL coach who won his battle against leukemia… he said “it’s not your circumstances that define you, it’s how you deal with them, and overcome them, that make you who you are.”
I think the hardest thing to accept through my recovery process, was that it was going to take time. I heard Barry and others say this over and over, but I wanted it to go away now. If there’s one piece of advice that I can give you, it would be this… try not to rush the recovery process. Give your mind and body time to heal itself, and it will. Accept where you are, and believe that you will get through this by working through the program, being patient with yourself, and giving it time.
I can honestly tell you that I don’t know exactly when the anxiety no longer effected my daily walk through life. It just begins to fade away when the focus on living your life, becomes more important than the focus on your struggle with anxiety. I still feel a little anxious now and then, but that’s to be expected. After all, it is human to be a little anxious and fearful of things sometimes.
The memory of what I went through with panic and anxiety will always be there, just like the memories of all the good times, and the struggles I’ve experienced in my life. I think they’re a reminder of what’s important in life, and that past experiences help us to avoid making the same mistakes in the future. Sharing our experiences can also help others get through tough times, and maybe avoid some of the pitfalls in life that you’ve experienced.
Yesterday… I checked in to say hi. I haven’t been back to the Forum much over the past year, so I stopped by to say hi to an old forum friend… Pam. She’s been quite an inspiration to many of us, and I just wanted to let her know that I was doing well, and I hoped the same for her. Pam replied, and suggested that it might be a good idea to tell everyone how I’m doing. She said it might help some others to know that they too can get through this struggle, just like I did.
Thank you Pam for being such a caring force for many on this Forum, you will always be my friend. Thank you Barry for sharing your life experience, so that all of us can use your program to help regain the life that anxiety, and panic took from us. I am a better person today, because of my experience. You can, and will get through this… stay strong, have fatih, and believe.
Roy”