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Posts created by Karen, Health Educator

15 years ago 0 +0 / -0 406

Holiday Stress

Dear Members,

During the holiday season, stress levels can reach peak levels leading to many reactions within our body, including increased anxiety and fatigue. Your body’s physical and emotional reactions to stress are determined by your sympathetic nervous system (SNS). The SNS produces the fight or flight reaction in response to stress leading to an increased heart rate, muscle tension, increased blood flow and respiration. If you are constantly being exposed to stressful situations (ie. the holiday season) this may cause your SNS to overreact and be constantly stimulated. This constant stimulation can lead to depleted energy reserves and emotional and physical exhaustion. It’s important that during times of high stress we learn how to manage out stress levels.

Members, what are some of the ways that you manage your stress levels during the holiday season?

Karen, Health Educator

15 years ago 0 +0 / -0 406

New member dealing with social anxiety

Laura,

Thank you for sharing your concerns and support with us. There are many people within this support group that share the same questions and concerns as you. We are all a group of individuals who support one another.

If you look to the left of the screen under "Tools" you will find many supportive tests. These tests may or may not be for you but they are "free." The purpose of these tests is to prepare you with information that you can present to your physician. When you're finished the test, you can either print your final report or email it directly to your doctor.

We've also developed the Panic Program. This program is 12-weeks and involves the tools mentioned above including challenging your negative thoughts. We strongly encourage you to work through the program slowly and not jump ahead. You can contact us at support@paniccenter.net if you have any questions or concerns with our tools.

Please continue to strive forward and lean on us for support.

Karen, Health Educator

15 years ago 0 +0 / -0 406

How to avoid Holiday Stress Part 5

Dear Members,

Don’t expect perfection. Holiday TV specials showcase families living nearly perfect lives, but in reality we know this is not the way it is. You may be late for dinner, your partner may forget to put the trash at the curb, and your dog may eat your slippers. These events happen to everyone. Accept that imperfections are everywhere and that no family or person is perfect.

Seek help when needed. You may find yourself feeling overwhelmed with sadness or anxiety, tense, unable to sleep, irritable and hopeless, and unable to return to daily activities. If these feelings persist, talk to your doctor or a mental health professional.

Karen, Health Educator

15 years ago 0 +0 / -0 406

It Is that Time of The Year!

Zoe,

Have you tried relaxation techniques? Take a look in your Toolbox for box breathing and muscle relaxation techniques. These exercises can help reduce the anxiety. If your chest pain persists, please contact your doctor.

How about you try visualizing yourself and the family around the Christmas tree, in pj's opening gifts, music and laughter in the back ground... feeling any better? Members, have any advice for Zoe?

Karen, Health Educator

15 years ago 0 +0 / -0 406

Lousy Day

Cadenmccallum,

Sorry to hear that you are having relationship problems with your mother. I recommend you take this time to work on the Expectation and Communication Analysis Worksheets (in your toolbox) to think about your situation in a little more detail. As you learn more about your disputes, ask yourself if there is anything you'd like to change about expectations (both your own and your mother's) and how you could improve the outcome of your interactions. Let us know if this helps. Members have any advice for Cadenmccallum?

Hang in there, you will get through this!

Karen, Health Educator

15 years ago 0 +0 / -0 406

Happy New Year!

Dear Members,

Happy New Year! Take a few moments to reflect upon the changes and progress you've made in overcoming your fears and anxiety and make plans to meet and achieve some goals for this year. We are always here to help and assist you every step of the way, so post often and let us know how we can be of assistance to you.

Karen, Health Educator

15 years ago 0 +0 / -0 406

Challenging Negative Thoughts

Dear Members,

In your quest to track your negative thoughts, you may have had trouble challenging them and you may now be wondering how to challenge them.

The following 10 questions will help you to challenge any negative thought. When you have a negative thought, try to answer these 10 questions:

1. What’s the evidence that the thought is true?

2. What’s the evidence that the thought is not true?

3. What is the worst possible thing that could happen and how would you cope if it did happen?

4. What’s the best possible thing that could happen?

5. What would most likely happen and how would you cope if that happened?

6. What’s another way of thinking about this situation? What else could be going on?

7. What would you tell a friend of yours if they were in this situation and had the same negative thought?

8. What’s the effect of believing the negative thought?

9. What would happen if you didn’t believe the negative thought?

10. What are some alternative thoughts in this situation?

Today we encourage you to look at your tracking results and share what patterns you have identified.

Karen, Health Educator

15 years ago 0 +0 / -0 406

stressful days :(

Karla,

Good to hear you enjoyed yourself with friends and gained a better outlook on things by just talking it through with close ones. Continue with that support system and let us know how we can help along the way.

Karen, Health Educator

15 years ago 0 +0 / -0 406

Cant cope anymore

Zoe27,

Have you tried any relaxation techniques to help you dispell your panic attacks? In your program Toolbox, you will find the steps for Box Breathing and Progressive Muscle Relaxation...try practicing these techniques when ever you have an attack.

To avoid the long wait time with your psychiatrist for a prescription, contact your family physician as he/she should be able to prescribe you depression/panic medication to you as well. Hope you get help sooner!

Karen, Health Educator

15 years ago 0 +0 / -0 406

Lousy Day

Cadenmccallum,

Sorry to hear of your difficult night...hope you recooperate and get in some rest.

Working in groups can be difficult. It is helpful to form group norms in the beginning to avoid the kinds of problems that may arise with group work. Do other members of your group share the same thoughts? Perhaps you can raise the issue with your group and come up with some resolutions. How does that sound?

Wishing you success in your group assignment

Karen, Health Educator

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