Amy is a student from my most recent round of Panic to Peace who has come such a long way in her anxiety recovery journey! In December 2022, Amy felt like she was out of options when it came to her anxiety. And ultimately, this led her to me! I'm so proud of how far she's come, and I can't wait for you to hear her story in today's episode.
ANXIETY RECOVERY SUCCESS STORIES: MEET AMY
Like so many of us, Amy has struggled with anxiety since childhood. Her first panic attack happened when she was only eleven years old! She recalls that this first panic attack happened during a school assembly. Of course, this experience was terrifying for Amy, because she had no idea what was happening to her. And after that panic attack, she always felt the need to stay near exits. For years, the only explanation she received from doctors was that she suffered from claustrophobia.
Amy managed to cope with her anxiety and panic until a series of extremely difficult life events occurred in 2022. And ultimately, this led her to join my program this past December! Amy shared with me that she never believed anxiety recovery was possible until she discovered A Healthy Push. And now that she’s on the path to recovery, she’s here proving that anxiety recovery is possible. So let’s discuss some of the most valuable lessons Amy has learned throughout her journey!
Navigating Anticipatory Anxiety
One of the first lessons Amy learned on her anxiety recovery journey was how to navigate anticipatory anxiety. And when she told me what she's learned, I was so proud! Because anticipatory anxiety can often make you want to avoid the things that will lead you to peace, joy, and freedom. Amy shared that Panic to Peace helped her believe that anticipatory anxiety is always worse than the thing you're anticipating.
And the only way Amy was able to really believe this was through lots of healthy action. Despite her anticipatory anxiety and fears, Amy continued to challenge herself to do the hard thing. And ultimately, this taught her that anticipatory anxiety is really nothing to fear!
Slowing Down and Dropping the Resistance
Like so many of us, Amy avoided the things that made her feel panic and anxiety. But with practice and time, she’s learned to slow down during the anxious moments. And when you slow down, anxiety can start to lose so much of its power! Amy also mentioned that she’s learned that resisting anxiety only makes the thoughts and sensations worse. Now that she’s able to allow the anxiety to be there, it passes with so much more ease. Learning to stop resisting anxiety is one of the biggest lessons that helped Amy get back to her job, too!
Accepting That Anxiety Recovery is a Process
I'm so happy that Amy mentioned that recovery isn't always linear. In fact... it's a good thing it's not linear! Because experiencing bumps in the road of anxiety recovery gives us more opportunities to prove to ourselves just how capable we really are. And it's been no different for Amy! We can put so much pressure on ourselves to recover quickly and perfectly, but a meaningful recovery takes time (and maybe a few hiccups!).
Being gentle with yourself throughout this journey is so important. Because what you’re dealing with is hard! When you accept yourself for where you are, it becomes that much easier to accept anxiety, too. And, as you probably know, acceptance is a huge part of anxiety recovery!
I hope you enjoyed Amy’s story! Anxiety success stories can be so helpful when you're needing some hope. Don’t forget to listen to the full episode filled with all of the amazing things she’s learned. And if you’re looking for a good place to start on your personal anxiety recovery journey, my email newsletter is the place for you, friend. Each week, I’ll offer you some support, tips, and tools to help you on your journey. It’s free, and I promise to never send you any junk!