No matter how much progress you’ve made in the program, we want you to be prepared for the return of anxiety (relapse) and a worsening of your symptoms.

Below are some common reasons for relapse and some suggestions for what you can do to prevent it.  

You haven’t achieved a significant (50%) reduction in the severity of your symptoms

If you’ve made some gains but are not 50% better than when you started this program, anxiety really still has a foot in the door. If this program is working for you, keep going! If you still have significant symptoms, it may take you longer to get a 50% reduction in symptoms. If you’re not making progress, consult your family doctor or another health care provider.

You’ve stopped using the CBT techniques

It often happens that when people start to feel better and get back to their lives, they stop using the CBT techniques that helped them get well. When you stop using CBT techniques you can become more vulnerable to stress. The longer you don’t use the techniques, the harder it is to dust them off and use them again when you encounter a stressful situation or negative life event.

But the solution to this problem is pretty simple. If you notice that you’re getting very stressed or anxious, start using the CBT techniques again. Come back to the Panic Program and start reviewing the techniques. The techniques that worked for you the first time around will work again. Over time you can become better and better at noticing the early warning signs of depression and getting back to the CBT techniques sooner rather than later.

The good news is that you now know how to challenge your symptoms. You have the tools you need to get through stressful life events. If the CBT techniques worked for you, your next episode of depression, if it happens, probably won’t be as bad or last as long.

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Anticipating the return or worsening of your symptoms will allow you to plan for what you’re going to do if it happens. We have a number of suggestions for what you should do if you experience a setback.

Please remember: Setbacks are to be expected.

In fact, setbacks are part of the process of learning how to cope with your anxiety. Most therapists who do CBT actually hope that their clients experience a setback, especially toward the end of treatment, so the therapist can help a client learn to cope with them.

Often when people experience a setback they feel like they’re back to square one. This is definitely not the case, and like all negative thoughts, thoughts like this can and should be challenged. In reality, after 12 sessions of this program it’s almost impossible to go back to square one. You’ve learned too much and accomplished too much to ever go back to where you started. Your symptoms will likely never be as bad as they once were and they’ll most likely never have the same control over your life as they once did.

When you experience a setback, understand what’s happening to you and why. Then, work your way out of the setback by using the same tools and techniques that have helped in the past.  

If you experience a setback, return to the Panic Program and:

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• change in appetite, in particular a craving for sweet or starchy foods
• weight gain
• decreased energy
• fatigue
• tendency to oversleep
• difficulty concentrating
• irritability
• avoidance of social situations
• feelings of anxiety and despair

The fact is we all need fats. There is however, a popular myth that all fats are bad and will eventually pile up in unattractive masses. There are different types of fats and consuming the right type will determine weight gain or weight loss.

All fats are not created equal. Some fats promote our health positively while others increase our risk for health problems such as heart disease, diabetes and other endocrine disorders.

What to do?  

• Avoid processed, refined oils such as vegetable shortening or hydrogenated fats such as margarine
• Use unrefined oils such as canola, olive, flax seed, or sunflower to sprinkle over foods but not to cook with as these are not stable at high temperatures
• For cooking use butter, extra-virgin olive oil, or coconut oil
• Supplement your diet with flax seed oil, evening primrose oil or fish oil which provide important essential fatty acids – these are crucial for cholesterol metabolism, visual and nerve function, skin and hair health, and form hormone-like substances that are involved in inflammation and pain.
• Minimize commercially packaged foods which are high in trans fats (trans fats are chemically altered in order to withstand commercial food production processes better and have longer shelf lives)

A trim, firm body can be achieved faster by adding exercise in any form – walk, run, swim, clean out the garage, dance, or push a vacuum!! Anything that gets the body moving will increase your metabolism and help you to stay slim and healthy!

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As we already know, fibre is an essential and vital part of a healthy diet. Why is it then, that most of us are only still getting less than half of the recommended daily amount?

A healthy adult needs 21-38 grams of fibre daily, yet a recent study shows that the average daily Canadian intake is 14 grams.

Fibre is a carbohydrate found in plants and passes through the body undigested. This means it adds zero calories – a welcome bonus especially for those trying to manage or lose weight, as well as in preventing future weight gain and obesity.

Fibre can be soluble or insoluble. Soluble fibre is a softer fibre that helps control blood sugar and lower cholesterol. Insoluble fibre is also called “roughage” and is bulky – this is the type of fibre that helps with bowel problems and is linked with lowering cancer risk. It is important to drink plenty of fluids when consuming high-fibre foods in order to avoid bloating and to help the digestive system work better.

Fibre tips:  

• Start your day with a fibre-rich cereal such as oat-bran, bran flakes or oatmeal. Top up your cereal with a scoop of raisins, a sliced banana or some orange sections.
• Choose whole-grain breads as often as possible.
• Boost your salads with high fibre such as carrots, apples, broccoli, chick peas, garbanzo beans and kidney beans.
• Add green peas to stir-fry meals, casseroles, soups, rice or noodles – they are stacked with fibre.
• Include more beans and legumes in your diet. Try lentil soups or curry, or lima beans for supper.
• For a sweet tooth indulge in lower fat oatmeal cookies, or raisin cookies or fig bars which contain very little fat.

Members, can you identify sources of fibre in your diet? Are you getting enough?

Faryal - Health Educator