I struggled with fear and anxiety for over 20 years and there many times I felt like giving up.
There were times I was at the end of my rope and I did not know what to do. There were times that my fears, anxieties, and depression were so much more powerful than me that I had trouble getting through a given day let alone one week. It was very tough, however I did not lose hope and I did not give up. Here is what I did to help me get through those difficult times.
I received help from various professionals and I read many books on how to deal with fear and anxiety. Whenever I applied various techniques on dealing with my fears, there were times the fear went away and there were a lot of times where the fear did not go away.
This reminded me that there was hope because there were times I was able to manage my fears. Whenever my fears did not go away, I came to the conclusion that I just needed to get better in managing those type of fearful situations. It did not take away the pain, but in my heart I knew that the answers I was looking for were out there and all I had to do was to make an effort to find them. I felt this was the best solution rather than to using drugs or alcohol or just giving up.
With this knowledge, I started to look at my fearful and anxious situations differently.
Instead of looking at my fearful struggles as a curse, I looked at each situation as a learning experience. I remembered when I first learned to ice skate. In the beginning I fell down all the time but I kept getting back up even though it was very difficult. Over time, I did not fall as much and eventually I was able to skate without falling down.
Whenever I came across a fearful situation I looked at it as a learning experience. I figured that if I could find the answers to my situation, then the next time I would be better able to deal with it the next time around. As a result, I made an effort to try different techniques I learned to help me get through. I kept a personal notebook of what worked and what did not work when I encountered my fears. The next time I encountered the same fearful situation, I was better able to deal with it by reading my personal notes. I followed this process for every situation I encountered.
Throughout my struggles I also prayed and use the power of God to help me.
Praying and asking help from God was a tremendous asset in getting through my struggles. I also surrounded myself with very good counseling professionals, helpful friends and relatives, and people who had similar past experiences. They all gave me hope and positive encouragement to go on. They were also helpful in finding the answers to my fears.
I was also very determined to find those answers to my fears and I never stopped looking even when I was feeling good. I knew that there was always room for improvement. I also learned that a person maybe 99% correct in predicting the future, but all it takes that 1% to make the biggest difference. There are factors and circumstances that you can’t predict and/or anticipate that can make the biggest difference in finding the answers to your fears. You never know when the answers you are looking for come to your door. The key is not to give up.
Read more posts by Stan Popovich, an author who personally overcame fear and anxiety in his life.
