Stop Struggling with Anxiety - Overcome It the Feelgood Way

The medical approach to overcoming physical problems is usually to get rid of the symptoms. This may be done by removing them (surgery), masking them (medication), or temporarily fixing the body so it can repair itself (pins, casts).

None of these is appropriate for a psychological problem. But because we go to the doctor when we have either a physical or a psychological problem, we automatically (unconsciously) expect a similar approach. We expect the doctor to fix it for us.

This is what often gets in the way of recovery in psychological difficulties.

When something is removed from our lives it creates a gap. Unless that gap is filled with something desirable, it is likely that something undesirable will find its way in. Nature doesn't like a vacuum.

How to go about starting to create something now to fill the gap that will open up as your anxiety habits become less significant in your life.

A Summary of the main points of Section 3 and a pdf download of homework tasks.

This lecture focuses on the importance of baby steps.

It describes some simple small changes to introduce into your everyday life from now

In order to let go of negative thoughts you need something to put in their place. The lesson explains the concept of the Calm Reservoir.

This section focuses on the mechanics of how and why humans learn anxiety habits. The introduction explains why it is vital to fully understand this in order to be able to change things.

A look at the Arousal System. We each have one but there are slight variations which must be recognised and understood so as to manage it to good effect.

This lecture considers the Survival Instinct: how it is designed to work and why it isn't always helpful where anxiety is concerned, until we become aware of it.

The real purpose of the Fight or Flight response: why we all have it and where some of us go wrong in managing it.

It is the Survival Instinct that triggers warnings which lead, in some of us, to inappropriate and unwanted anxiety. There are two categories of things which we get warnings about. This lesson looks at the first of these.

This lesson considers the second category of things which we get danger warnings about and the part they play in anxiety habits.

The Startle Warning is the key to anxiety control. This lecture describes how this leads to the development of anxieties in those who are unaware of its power. It also makes it clear that learning not to buy into its warnings will eventually get rid of unwanted anxieties.

The Fight or Flight response is a life-saver, when triggered appropriately. This lecture considers those situations where it is triggered inappropriately and how anxieties result from this.

Brains work mechanically. We often attribute greater significance to what our brains tell us than is necessary. Our brains only tell us what we have taught them to tell us. This lesson explains this.

This lecture is a simple task for you to do to further demonstrate your brain's linking habits.

The effects of having taught your brain both positive and negative links. Identifying where these may have outlived their usefulness.

This is a re-cap on Section Five.

A full understanding of what has been taught in this section is vital to what follows. For this reason you are asked to complete some brief quizzes to test your knowledge before proceeding.

Test your understanding of the basic human systems which are responsible for the development of unwanted anxiety.

Test your understanding of the basic human systems which are responsible for the development of unwanted anxiety.

Test your understanding of the basic human systems which are responsible for the development of unwanted anxiety.

Test your understanding of the basic human systems which are responsible for the development of unwanted anxiety.

This lecture introduces a section in which you finally find out what to do to gradually overcome your anxieties. It considers what you may have done up until now and why it hasn't worked and starts to outline the way forward.

We are not all afraid of the same things. This lesson considers what it is that determines which things we develop a fear of and which we don't.

Learn about what not to do in response to Startle Warnings if you want to lose your anxiety habits.

There are two parts to a human - a mind and a body. When anxiety reactions arise both parts are involved. This lesson considers a better way of responding with your body.

This follows on from the previous lesson and considers better responses for your mind

Here you will learn the technique which I used myself to finally overcome my panic attacks for good. This technique relies on an ability to visualise.

This is where you can listen to instructions for using the Calm Scene tracks as well as download an audio and pdf version. You can also download three Calm Scene audio tracks - a beach, a garden and a woodland.

This lecture introduces a second technique which you can practise and then use to divert your thoughts from inappropriate anxiety. This is especially useful for those who are unable to visualise.

Here you can download both pdf and audio instructions as well as audio tracks for three different Momentary Meditations.

Here we question traditional approaches to overcoming psychological problems and their focus on what's wrong.

The Feelgood Way focuses on what feels good.

Being in the moment is a key concept of mindfulness. Keeping mind and body together is calming in itself. This lesson looks at the practical application of this way of being.

Before you learnt to talk you probably didn't worry. You just took things as they were because that was all you were able to do. We need words to worry effectively.

This lesson considers what we might usefully re-learn from toddlers or our pets.

Our ability to use language enables us to label and categorise our experiences. When we use negative labels we are influencing our future emotions. Can we do away with labelling?

Further reading and other useful information for taking the skills learnt here to another level.