Driving
If I do say so myself, I really got the driving thing down. I'm driving long distances in the rain, and in the night. I'm able to drive leaning back and relaxing instead of sitting up all anxious, and I can drive in the middle lane. Necessity is the mother of invention. Before I took this new job, I drove only in a limited radius. Now, I commute thirty miles to work. Today I drove like I used to before I got this phobia. Trucks are whizzing by, and it's raining. I put on a tape and am just singing along, floating. "Tralala.... How can I keep from singing?" There's fog on Highway Four, then I turn onto Eighty and suddenly, I come over a hill and there's blue sky. It is like a miracle! The music is playing, the hills are an emerald green, and I feel good. I would never have imagined I would be driving in the rain and happy. --Jan

Steps
Whenever I do those small steps, what I see more and more, is how much in the past I have distrusted myself. The small, concrete steps keeps bringing me back to a place, for the first time in my life, of really knowing that whatever I feel is enough. Trusting that I have a voice, and somebody else may not agree with it, but that doesn't have to throw me off track. As long as I am really very clear in trusting myself, than everything is okay. --Dinah

Joy!
Today I drove by myself, for the first time in the snow and ice, on the freeway, in each lane. I am having a great time. --Dale

Tools
The desensitization tools are helping me take back my life a little each day. My world is getting larger. I'm able to ride the train each day. It's wonderful. I used to wonder if I was ever going to be the person I always wanted to be. Now I am becoming that person. --Catherine

Independence
I just returned from presenting at a professional conference. My husband and I checked in at the hotel and as usual I asked for a room on a lower floor. The receptionist explained that the lowest floor available for the conference was five, except for special accommodations for handicapped persons. In the past I might have asked for one of those rooms. I could remember avoiding elevators, or being in an elevator ringing my hands, my heart tight, my stomach in a knot. This time I was ready to take the room on the fifth floor. All weekend I went up and down the elevators, sometimes with others, sometimes alone.. There was never a moment when, waiting for the door to open, my heart started pounding. I didn't have to wait for my husband or say, "Come with me." I didn't anticipate in my mind: if I go up, I won't be able to go back down. It felt so good to claim my independence again. The image that comes to me that symbolized the feeling of riding the elevators up and down and taking command again is a bouquet of flowers.
--Marcia

New Found Freedom
This summer I completed Algebra I at my community college. In the beginning I was a little shaky in class, but by going to class every day, my confidence grew to the point of my being able to control my classroom phobia. With the help of medication and other techniques such as breathing, thinking of pleasantries, having mint candies and gum on my way to class, I have greatly reduced my fear of feeling trapped in the classroom. I did more listening and asking questions, and less worrying about unimportant things that I could do nothing about. I am so pleased with my new found attitude which has resulted in a comfortable class adjustment and...my final class average of 89.4%! Now I can't wait until the Fall semester! --E.L.

Acceptance
For me, the best healing tool is to calmly accept whatever is happening to me at the time. Sooner or later, I find I get less and less scared of what's going on and finally it's just kind of an annoyance that doesn't disrupt my life...and the feelings are gone. --Sue

Queen of Thunder
I worked intensely with Dr. L. about my fear of thunder and he helped me look at it differently by saying "Go out and lead the thunder storms, be the Queen of Storms." Well, I would rather not, but the practice of deep breathing, quieting my mind, saying supportive things to myself, and prayer were all very helpful. As for bridges, I had the most beautiful ride across the Bay Bridge. The clouds were billowing, the waves azure, and I actually didn't notice anything but the ride. It was worth everything to be going somewhere with a pleasant destination in mind. --Betsy

Inner Resiliency
I just couldn't believe some of the feelings I had in my mind and body. "This couldn't be happening to me," I thought. How frightening to lose one's footing... Now I see that I'll never have all the answers, but what I have is probably greater, for I now have tools and have developed an inner resiliency and trust to allow me to deal with my sensitivity and anxiety. Meditation, "success rehearsals," mantras such as "so what," walking, music, humor, good friends and food have helped support me through some tough times. I've come a long way on my journey and know that healing is something that unfolds each day and needs nurturing and time. There are no quick fixes! "What lies behind us and what lies before us are tiny matters compared to what lies within us." (Oliver Wendell Holmes) --Nancy

Best Friend's Wedding
I was in my best friend's wedding, who I've know since I was five years old. I found out two days before the ceremony that they decided to put us up on the altar in front of everyone. I have horrible fear of freaking out in public, so this was a real challenge. I managed to not only get through the wedding but to enjoy watching my best friend get married in the church of our childhood, and felt all the emotions and memories that came with that. I was really proud of myself and realized just how far I had come. --Mare
 

Come back and visit us next month to read more victories....maybe even your own!