Georgian Bay Panorama
Originally uploaded by Sylvia’s Eye.

Photography is a pastime that is also one of my favorite relaxation techniques. Since nature has always been a part of my life, easing my stresses in troubling times, I want to share these images with you.

Occasionally, I will add one of my recent nature scenes as a post for you to enjoy.

Perhaps you will get an easing of tensions by viewing them, even though you can’t be there in person. You will learn from my blog that I highly recommend nature as natural cure for anxiety, stress and depression. Perhaps my images will convince you.

This photo was taken near Collingwood, Ontario, Canada overlooking Georgian Bay. It’s difficult to tell from this small image, but about the center of the photo beside that tree, way off in the distance is the lake and a popular destination for many people. As a teen, I spent many hours at Wasaga Beach.

Enjoy!

    

Nature’s Amazing Strength
Originally uploaded by Sylvia’s Eye.

I’m adding this photo today because it represents the strength and endurance of living things.

Lesson for today
Never under-estimate your own inner strength

These trees somehow managed to start on the rock itself and grow their roots around the obstacle to plant themselves into the earth.

We can learn a lot from Mother Nature.

It always amazes me to see such things in nature. In this case, the trees’ development created a beautiful artform that deserved to be captured on film and shared with others.

This shot was taken at a McInnis Falls, a large waterfall in Ontario, just southwest of Collingwood.

Back in the mid 1970s while I was recovering from my anxiety and depression, my partner and I discovered this huge waterfall. We climbed to the bottom and spent hours photographing the water making its way around the boulders at the bottom that had fallen from the rock face. Especially fascinating were the spots where water found its way through rock forms to create miniature waterfalls, complete with wildflowers and caverns.

Adding to the beauty of the scene were the heavy mosses that coated many of the rocks with a relaxing green. Did you know that green is one of the most relaxing colors? My father used to say that the lawn and trees are green for this very reason - to relax our eyes. Needless to say, my mother used green a lot in our house.

That’s the same reason I chose green for this blog.

If I can find my photo of the waterfall, I will post it at a later date.

Researchers have mixed opinions about Vitamin B and its affects on depression. While some claim that taking Vitamin B-12 has been shown to have no effect on people suffering from depression and anxiety, others have made the link between a lack of Vitamin B with anxiety, depression and insomnia.

If your Vitamin B-12 level is just a little bit low, you might not have any symptoms, but if it’s considerably low, you can experience depression and other conditions.
For instance, some people with low vitamin B-12 also have high levels a certain amino acid in the blood. If you have a high level of the amino acid, homocysteine, as well as low Vitamin B-12, you might be at higher risk of developing heart disease and stroke.

So what is Vitamin B-12?

Vitamin B-12 is an important vitamin that is mainly found in meat and dairy products. It helps make red blood cells and keeps your nervous system working properly.

True vegetarians who avoid meat and dairy products are at risk for low vitamin B-12. Most people with low vitamin B-12 levels generally have trouble absorbing vitamin B-12 from their stomach or small intestines.

There are several things that can cause problems absorbing Vitamin B-12, including people with pernicious anemia that can destroy cells in the stomach that helps absorb the vitamin. Another contributor is the excessive long-term use of heartburn and ulcer medications.

As well, lack of magnesium and insufficient intake of Vitamin B and Calcium can contribute to anxiety, depression and insomnia.

To combat these shortfalls, make sure you add to your diet foods that are rich in these substances such as wholegrain cereals, leafy-green vegetables and low fat diary products. Fresh, unprocessed foods are best.

Avoid nicotine, caffeine, salt, and artificial additives such as preservatives as these trigger the adrenal glands which is one of the main stress chemicals.

Vitamin B6 as a Contributor

People who consume large amounts of alcohol can be at risk of Vitamin B6 deficiency, generally because they tend to have a low intake and poor metabolism of this vitamin.

People who are under-nourished and who have poor diets will also have a Vitamin B6 deficiency. While severe Vitamin B6 deficiency is relatively rare, the symptoms include irritability, depression and confusion.

Once again, researchers are in conflict. While some believe there is evidence to suggest that Vitamin B-6 deficiency may lead to depression, clinical trials have not provided evidence that an increase in vitamin B-6 is effective in the treatment of depression.

As a layperson who has experienced great improvement with regular supplements of a Vitamin B complex, I can assert that they do, in fact, have a positive effect on depression, anxiety and overall well-being.

I question the tests that do not detail the length of the studies done. In my case, the supplements were taken for an extended period of time before the improvement was noticeable. It took approximately 2-3 months of All-B and Calcium (high-level Stress Formula vitamins) before I began to feel better. Consequently, I wonder whether their tests were given adequate time since they seem to have been conducted over several weeks, not months.

Keep in mind, too, that all people are different. They have different variables that contribute to their depression and anxiety. For some, it’s an inherited trait and is locked into their genes. For others, it’s contributable to other general health issues. In still others, it’s about lifestyle, how they feel about themselves, and what problems they have to deal with. Also, other medications can affect how your body reacts both to events and to how vitamins and minerals are absorbed and used.

Clearly, no one answer will benefit everyone. That’s why it’s important to understand yourself and your own condition.

The important thing is that we all can be helped. Vitamin B is a relatively safe vitamin to take. Plus there are other steps that are proven beneficial that you can take to relieve your condition.

There are relatively simple anxiety attacks that come with a stressful event. This might be a change in lifestyle, a change of job or a move to another region.

It’s normal for people to experience anxiety at this time because there are a lot of unknown elements involved. They will wonder if they’ll like the change and everything that comes with it. They will be concerned about how they will adapt and what surprises are in store.

Once these questions are answered and these people regain control of their destiny, the anxiety usually will end.

Then there are people who experience anxiety for no apparent reason. When this anxiety lasts more than six months, it must be treated or it can worsen.

A full blown anxiety attack is one that doesn’t go away. It involves a constant apprehension about life in general. The person’s life becomes filled with irrational fears, doubts and general nervousness that extend beyond simple life changes. They encompass situations that, in the past, have not triggered anxiety or fear, like shopping or speaking in public.

People experiencing an anxiety attack go through a number of symptoms.

At first, they might feel an unexplainable odd sensation for no apparent reason. Sweating and nervousness soon follow, along with an inner discomfort and dis-ease that cannot be explained. As the condition worsens, some people might develop chest pains that simply add to their growing fears. They think they are having a heart attack as they experience all the common symptoms.

There are a number of things that can cause anxiety besides life changes. Alcohol and drug abuse are two common contributors. Until these and any other underlying mental health issues are resolved, the anxiety will be difficult to cure.

Of course, in certain drug treatments anxiety is a side effect. If you suspect any drugs you might be on, ask your doctor or pharmacist so that modifications to your treatment can be made if necessary.

Physical illness also can trigger anxiety attacks as the person worries, perhaps needlessly, about the outcome. In some cases, anxiety can be the early sign of a physical illness as the body begins to react defensively to the problem within, before the person even knows the illness exists.

Generally, full blown anxiety that is long lasting doesn’t resolve itself and, in fact, can get worse. At this point, what might have started out as simple agitation and apprehension becomes attacks of outright terror. It affects the entire life of the sufferer who is now afraid to leave the house, afraid at every turn and with every irrational thought.

Now, the anxiety has become a Panic disorder. As well as the pounding heart, sweating, weakness, faintness and dizziness that came with the anxiety, he or she is paralyzed with sudden attacks of terror. The person might flush or feel chilled, their hands might tingle or feel numb; and they might experience nausea, chest pain, or smothering sensations. During the panic attacks the person usually develops a sense of unreality, a fear of impending doom, or a fear of losing control.

The resulting irrational fears include fears of having a heart attack, of losing their minds, and that death looms.

It is imperative, therefore, that the underlying causes of anxiety be resolved so that the anxiety can be cured in its early stages before panic becomes so overwhelming that the person is too paralyzed to think rationally and seek help. At this level, treatment is much more long lasting.

I have provided more information about anxiety and some treatments that can help at http://www.book-titles.ca/anxietycure.htm

As we go about our daily activities, our minds are constantly busy thinking about everything from what we’ll have for lunch to how we feel about ourselves and others.

Self-talk can be a powerful thing. When it is negative, however, they can be devastating. Those negative thoughts influence how confident we are and how successful we become. Positive thoughts, on the other hand, give us strength and an inner power that enables us to overcome even the most devastating experience.

Negative thinking can be directly connected to anxiety, because our thoughts don’t provide the power we need to feel good about ourselves, our decisions and our actions.

One of my favorite authors gives this advice:

“Believe in yourself. Have faith in your abilities. Without a humble but reasonable confidence in your own powers you cannot be successful or happy. But with sound self-confidence you can succeed. A sense of inferiority and inadequacy interferes with the attainment of your hopes, but self-confidence leads to self-realization and successful achievement.” (The Power of Positive Thinking, by Norman Vincent Peale)

His books helped me overcome my lack of confidence and resulting anxiety and panic attacks. He stresses the importance of having faith in yourself so you can “avoid the jitters in your daily work.” This faith will make a huge difference in your life, as it has mine.

I highly recommend my readers get a copy of his book for yourself. Mine has been read numerous times. Pages have been dog-eared, significant text passages have been underlined in pen, and other sections have been highlighted – something I never do to my books, but in this instance it seemed the right thing to do. First published in 1952, it’s message remains valid today, perhaps more than ever. My copy, which I acquired back in the ‘70s is yellowed with age, but still a vital addition to my bookshelf.

His advice helped me at a time when I suffered severe lack of confidence. Back then, my mind was filled with self-doubt and negative self-talk. At every opportunity, I told myself that I was “just kidding myself” and that “I can’t do that” and “I’m ugly – no one will want me” and “I’m too stupid to succeed”. Over half my lifetime, my mind fed me these deceptive thoughts and crushed any flickering positive ones.

It’s extremely important to catch your thoughts – to listen to how you talk to yourself and make a determined effort to stop the negatives and feed the positives.

This will be hard to do at first because you’ve probably become so accustomed to those thoughts that you don’t hear them. Most likely it will take some time before you learn how to listen to yourself, but once you do you might well discover that you are constantly putting yourself down, belittling your capabilities and your strengths.

Some people don’t understand what positive thinking really is. They think it’s about always looking at the good things, of always thinking happy thoughts that put a persistent smile on your face, but that’s not true. Positive thinking is about looking at the positives while downplaying the negatives.

When you are faced with an obstacle, do your thoughts immediately tell you “I don’t know how to do that” or “I don’t have the skills to do that”? My favorite was, “What the heck do I know? I’ve never done anything like that before.”

Clearly, this immediately tells you indirectly that you don’t have the brain power to learn because you haven’t so far. It is a self-defeatist approach.

Have you ever heard stories of people showing incredible strength in emergencies, yet in normal circumstances, they would be much weaker? That’s because at the time of the emergency, they are driven by adrenalin and are thinking of nothing else but how to help resolve the emergency, especially if it involves saving another life.

Had these people decided they weren’t strong enough because they’ve never done this before, they might not have even tried.

Never underestimate your own power and strength, whether it’s inner strength or physical strength. In times of need, the body is designed to respond accordingly. The same thing goes for your mind. It is built to deal with problems as they arise, but when those thoughts are hindered by negativity, a negative outcome will result.

One Response to “Control Your Thoughts to Control Your Anxiety”

1. Panic Portal Says:
   August 4th, 2007 at 5:36 am e 

   Panic Away

   This brought me back from the Brink!

   This brought me back from the Brink!

Are you an anxiety and/or panic and/or depression sufferer who is taking medications and would like to stop?

Or do you just want more information about your condition?

If so, then this blog is for you.

As you will read in my Profile, I am an ex-anxiety/panic/depression sufferer of 15 or more years who is now cured and medication-free. While drugs have a definite role in a person’s recovery, they are not the ultimate solution for everyone.

That’s why I’ve created this blog – to share with you my knowledge and experience in all three areas - anxiety, panic and depression, because I have learned that these three can overlap.

I suffered from depression initially, probably starting when I was still very young, like about 12 or so. My parents didn’t take any action to find out why I was what they called “moping” because they didn’t understand about depression as many do today. Consequently, mine was never diagnosed.

In my mid-20s I got married. Very soon after, depression hit like a hammer. And I hit the bed, for an entire month, getting up only to eat a meager meal and use the washroom. My husband left me alone that entire time, probably because he didn’t understand what was wrong and didn’t know what to do.

Eventually, the depression lifted and I managed to live the next 4 years fairly well. Until our marriage started to fall apart. That’s when the anxiety hit and with it, irrational fears that soon turned into panic.

My divorce became final in 1975. At that time, I was visiting a therapist who had me on medications for the anxiety and panic. Coming off the drugs was an anxiety-ridden concept in itself, so I continued to visit him regularly, filled with questions and concerns about my life over the previous week. In the meantime, I read everything I could get my hands on related to all aspects of my condition. I became obsessed with every feeling, every thought, every symptom.

Then, the inevitable happened. He determined he couldn’t help my anymore and in an instant, I was on my own. How would I survive without the medications he’d had me on for two years, I wondered?

He didn’t abandon me, but referred me to another therapist who determined that I might have some form of epilepsy that was causing my “weird feelings”. Being petrified of needles and doctors, which was also magnified by my condition, I fled from the waiting room and never went back.

That’s when my life began to change for the better. Over the next few years, I was no longer on medications but was slowly learning how to overcome my anxiety and panic alone. And one day, I was cured.

Throughout this blog, I will share with you my knowledge and experiences in the hope that I reveal something that helps you to better understand your condition and how you can cure yourself using natural methods.

If you’d like to get more information, please visit www.book-titles.ca where I sell several natural anxiety relief books. You’re sure to like the new fun multimedia product I just discovered that uses biofeedback to teach you how to relax and reduce stress.

I wish you all the very best in your recovery.

Sylvia