Monkeys, Leaky Roofs and Health Anxieties

[Hal 9000]

This is mostly for the new people who come here and not so much for the sages who seem so knowledgeable and experienced and share all of it.

When I was young the teacher read us a story about some monkeys who had a leaky roof. Whenever it rained they were cold and wet and swore they would fix it.
Then when it was sunny they said "We don't need to fix it, it's not leaking now".

I think this is what a lot of us do with health anxieties. While we are suffering we would do anything to make the fear go away.
Then when the anxiety subsides we figure we're in the clear and don't want to think about it.

When we are more ourselves, when the rain stops, and we aren't scared, that's when we have to do our work and our research and learn how to fight this thing.
That's the time to come here and ask others what has worked for them. Or research therapies and therapists or psychiatrists and medicine or whatever helps.

It's very difficult to learn in a crisis. Take advantage of the good times when you can think straight and take some control of this unfair burden.

 

[triceps]

This is mostly for the new people who come here and not so much for the sages who seem so knowledgeable and experienced and share all of it.

When I was young the teacher read us a story about some monkeys who had a leaky roof. Whenever it rained they were cold and wet and swore they would fix it.
Then when it was sunny they said "We don't need to fix it, it's not leaking now".

I think this is what a lot of us do with health anxieties. While we are suffering we would do anything to make the fear go away.
Then when the anxiety subsides we figure we're in the clear and don't want to think about it.

When we are more ourselves, when the rain stops, and we aren't scared, that's when we have to do our work and our research and learn how to fight this thing.
That's the time to come here and ask others what has worked for them. Or research therapies and therapists or psychiatrists and medicine or whatever helps.

It's very difficult to learn in a crisis. Take advantage of the good times when you can think straight and take some control of this unfair burden.

Hal9000 makes some great points along with his usual sage advice. A couple of additions to his advice. One is for us to remember that we don't deserve the plight we're in. We shouldn't blame ourselves which drags us even further downward. Letting everyone I care for or interact regularly with know that I have an anxiety disorder even though the vast majority don't have a clue about we have to go through has helped me a lot. Taking this tact allows me to not spend a lot of energy on trying to act "normal" and use that energy for trying to remain sane. I realize that this kind of openness isn't practical for everyone but it's probably the single-most effective form of therapy that I have.

 

[Hal 9000]

That's so true. That's why I think this place is important.
The people in our lives can be supportive but it helps to hear someone else's similar plight.

 

[Rinka]

This is mostly for the new people who come here and not so much for the sages who seem so knowledgeable and experienced and share all of it.

When I was young the teacher read us a story about some monkeys who had a leaky roof. Whenever it rained they were cold and wet and swore they would fix it.
Then when it was sunny they said "We don't need to fix it, it's not leaking now".

I think this is what a lot of us do with health anxieties. While we are suffering we would do anything to make the fear go away.
Then when the anxiety subsides we figure we're in the clear and don't want to think about it.

When we are more ourselves, when the rain stops, and we aren't scared, that's when we have to do our work and our research and learn how to fight this thing.
That's the time to come here and ask others what has worked for them. Or research therapies and therapists or psychiatrists and medicine or whatever helps.

It's very difficult to learn in a crisis. Take advantage of the good times when you can think straight and take some control of this unfair burden.

That a really good analogy. I suppose it’s also about self responsibility and taking ownership of ones own life.

 

[Hal 9000]

That a really good analogy. I suppose it’s also about self responsibility and taking ownership of ones own life.

Yes, you and triceps cued me into the loss of control thing and it seems to be such a common thread.

 

[Rinka]

I think in a weird way, anxiety is a Methode to increase control in our life. We are unable to let life be, we have to know all the consequences and when we don’t, that’s when we get the anxiety and panic attacks. It quite hard to explain what I mean. In a way we want to increase control, but we also lose control over ourselves. If that makes sense.