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.
Faryal - Health Educator
