Lessons I Have Learned From My 20 Year Struggle With Fear And Anxiety

By: Stan Popovich

Do you currently struggle with fear and anxiety and wish you could talk to someone who can relate to your situation?

If so, I dealt with fear and anxiety for over 20 years and here are some lessons I learned during my mental health struggles.

1. Listen To The Professionals And Not Your Friends: Your friends may mean well, but when it comes down to it, the professionals know your situation more than anyone. They know what you are going through and are trained to deal with your situation. Consult with a counselor when you have questions about your mental health issues.
2. Distance Yourself From People Who Give You A Hard Time: Distance yourself from those people who won’t make an effort to help understand what you are going through. You need to surround yourself with positive and supportive people. I felt better when I avoided those people who would constantly argue with me regarding my anxieties and stresses.
3. Focus On The Facts of Your Situation And Not Your Thoughts: When people are depressed they rely on their fearful and negative thoughts.  Your fearful thoughts are exaggerated and are not based on reality. When you are depressed, focus on the facts of your current situation and not on what you think.
4. Learn From Your Experiences: In every anxiety-related situation I experienced, I learned what worked, what did not work, and what I needed to improve on as I managed my fears and anxieties. For example, you have a lot of anxiety and you decide to take a walk to help you feel better. The next time you feel anxious you can remind yourself that you got through it the last time by taking a walk.
5. You Can’t Predict The Future Regardless What Your Thoughts May Tell You: No one can predict the future with one hundred percent certainty. Even if the thing that you are afraid of does happen, there are circumstances and factors that you can’t predict which can be used to your advantage. For instance, you miss the deadline for a project at work. Suddenly, your boss comes to your office and tells you that the deadline is extended and that he forgot to tell you the day before. This unknown factor changes everything.
6.  Things Change Over Time: Regardless of your current situation, things do not stay the same. You may feel very bad today, but it won’t last forever. Everything changes over time and this includes your current mental health issues.

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