Holistic Approach to Anxiety

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If one looks across the spectrum of examples in society, many successful ventures are the result of joint ventures in which contributors share resources, roles, etc.  It might be public and private partnerships.  It might be an interdisciplinary team that provides healthcare.  It could be the healthcare approach by a society which involves a public component and supplemental private coverage – sometimes a more even combination might be referred to as a hybrid system.

I’m not trying to get off on a tangent here but want to get across a fundamental that I think needs to be made explicit.  Your recovery from anxiety, panic attacks, and agoraphobia is something in which you need to use a hybrid approach – what I refer to as a holistic approach.  You need to draw on the variety of techniques that I have shared with you and that others have shared with you. 

If you're a subscriber to my free newsletter then you'll know that it encompasses an holistic approach, and this is what I’m getting at here.  In my opinion, a true holistic approach also involves constantly monitoring the process (which I’ll get to next) and making adjustments where needed.

You might be asking: how do I do this?

You need to do a self-assessment.  I’m not referring to self-diagnosis, as that would need to come from a professional.  What I’m referring to is that you need to really spend some time looking at how you feel.  I’ve always encouraged some form of monitoring your moods, for example by using mood logs.

But if you've been reviewing using the tips of this website for some time, I think at this point you should be spending some time on questions like:

Is your anxiety getting better? Is the frequency of your panic attacks decreasing?

Next, what to do with this information?

You need to utilize this feedback.  You need to organize your moving forward strategy according to how things are working.

For example, if you have improved much with respect to your anxiety, then I think you should consider the importance of seeing this stage as a maintenance phase.  In other words you first need to realize that where you are at today is because of what you have done in the past so, secondly, don’t stop doing the things that work.  You want to stay better now that you are better.  If you have made healthy life changes along the way then don’t revert to your old habits, etc.

With respect to the maintenance phase, the great news is that the tips in my newsletter are not really just helpful for sufferers of panic attacks, anxiety, agoraphobia but they can be utilized for greater wellness in your life.  You can really continue to add momentum to greater wellness and this can dramatically add richness to your life.

If you are not yet at this stage, then know that you needn’t despair.  You will be able to use this feedback to your advantage.  (This is an example of the importance of always being proactive – which is a fundamental that has been stressed throughout my newsletter)

Ask yourself whether you have been diligently following the suggestions?

Next actually try to document how you have been doing this.  Often people might feel that they are following all the tips, but upon attempting to document what they have doing, they might find out that they have not been doing all things, or they might not have been doing them consistently.  But also more typical is that they may very well realize that they have been getting better, but that they are “discounting the positive”. 

Remember discounting the positive is a Cognitive Distortion.  So the next appropriate step might be to continue working on those distortions with Cognitive Behavioral Therapy CBT. In the end if you are really uncomfortable at this stage, please ensure that you are working with a qualified mental health professional.

Remember that your current perception of where you are at - whether it feels good or bad - is a sign that you need to continue working on things, but this needn’t be something to cause you despair; on the contrary, it is either just a call to action or a call to continue being proactive. Recognizing this and continuing along the journey is key.