Journey from Anxiety
to Freedom
Moving Beyond Panic
and Phobias and Learning to Trust Yourself
Some excerpts from the Introduction
Telling
the truth was the beginning of my healing. It helped me rebuild closeness
to people who cared about me and find the professional help I needed. I
learned that the rush of disorienting sensations I experienced during a
panic attack was triggered by an over-reaction of my body's emergency distress
system, and that I could do something to change this response. For the
first time I had a language and a framework for looking at my fears. By
working with the therapist my brother had recommended, I learned specific
skills to reduce this panic reaction and cope more effectively with fear....
The challenge
of panic has takem me on a journey I couldn't have imagined in the days
when anxiety cast a shadow over all my experience. My healing process has
given me a conscious way to approach any new challenge or opportunity,
as well as a new perspective on what it means to be free. My experiences
over these past ten years have shown me that freedom is more profound than
merely the ability to fly or to drive. It is more enduring than the momentary
sense of elation I get from performing well or the feeling of inadequacy
when my securities are exposed. My real bridge to freedom is not made of
steel. It is a bridge within myself, an attitude that takes me over the
chasm of self-rejection to the peace of mind that comes with accepting
myself and my life....
Journey from
Anxiety to Freedom has two sections. In Part I you will read what it
was like to be immobilized by fear, living with a secret and not knowing
where to turn for help....In chapter 3 you will witness each of the people
in the book as they turn a corner and embark on their healing journeys.
In chapters 4 through 8 you can accompany them, day by day, step by step,
as they learn specific techniques to cope with panic and reclaim the territory
that has been usurped by fear. You will hear how they put their new skills
into practice, and discovered that what once required enormous effort could
finally be done with ease. You can look through their eyes and learn from
their stories in a natural way one, as one benefits from listening to a
friend.
Part II will
take you beyond the mechanics of alleviating panic to discovering the real
spirit of freedom....You will get a glimpse of what it is like to be free--free
from debilitating fear, free from self-recrimination. You will get a taste
of the rewards of their journey--self-discovery, growing trust, and gratitude
for simple, ordinary pleasures.
We cross many
bridges in a lifetime. For you the challenge may not be the Bay Bridge
or the freeway. It may be speaking in public, becoming intimate with
another person, or overcoming your fear of potential illness. It may be
going to new places alone, taking airplanes, or attending classes. Whether
you are dealing with the intense terror associated with panic or a gnawing
anxiety that makes you dread specific occasions or experiences, you will
find in Journey from Anxiety to Freedom the encouragement, support,
and skills to take back command of your life. I hope you will discover
that embracing the challenge of anxiety, panic or phobias is not a detour
on your journey but rather a path that guides you home to yourself.
--Mani Feniger, author
Table of Contents