Calming The Voice of Stress
But how can this happen to someone? Let's concentrate on how these illnesses affect the way we value the self. Of all of the destructive patterns of behavior these illnesses cause, the way a sufferer talks to the self is the fuel that maintains their illness. I have experienced depression from two sides. For 5 years, a series of traumatic events triggered a personal nightmare I believed would never end. One of these events came when my lover was diagnosed with depression. At this time, I too had entered into the spiral of anxiety-induced depression. Both of these experiences have given me an insight into how sufferers destroy any value of the self. Let me give a couple of examples. With my partner, if I'd arranged an evening out with friends, she'd say: "No, I won't come, you go without me. I never have anything interesting to say. I just bore people. They'll find me an effort to be with. I'll stay here." If I made a mistake, I'd say to myself: "I'm useless. I'm no good at anything. Everything I do I get wrong." This self-deprecation then spreads into other areas of life. You begin to criticize the way you look, the decisions you make or don't make, and you focus solely on the downside of life. Each time a little bit of self-worth, a little bit of self-respect and a little bit of self-confidence are eroded. Eventually, they are lost completely. When I reached my lowest point, having lost everything and everyone I loved, I'd say to myself: "If I died tomorrow, no one would know and no one would care." So, what helped me to come out of the fog? Well, the reason I thought I'd become depressed was because of a series of traumatic events occurring at the same time. I was wrong. The root cause of my depression lay in the ways I reacted to them. One of the ways I'd reacted was to blame myself for events I couldn't control. The more I blamed myself, the more I beat myself up. The more I beat myself up, the more my self-esteem decreased. The phrases I have used to briefly illustrate self-deprecating phrases we continually use against the self are mild. I'm sure you realize that many people use much stronger phrases than I've given here. The point is that these phrases would be totally unacceptable to say to others. You wouldn't tell a person that they were boring, an effort to be with and that everyone found their company dull and it would be better for everyone else if they kept away from people. Agreed? Yet, if I say to people: "Pay yourself compliments. Accentuate your good in all areas of your life. Write down your good points, your triumphs, your achievements. Remind yourself as often as possible about all the good you have done." They look at me like I'm an alien and say they'd feel stupid. Or uncomfortable. Or even embarrassed. Yet they don't feel any of these emotions when they talk to themselves using emotionally charged, self-deprecating phrases! And like rust upon metal, these phrases gradually erode our self-esteem and our confidence. OK, here's the bottom-line. I'd like you to inscribe what you are about to read into your mind over and over again until it is permanently etched there: It is NEVER acceptable to talk to myself in a way I know is inappropriate and even offensive if I spoke in the same way to others. Time for me to sign off, but before I do, here's a phrase I say to myself every single day without fail. Please use it, it is very powerful: "If you put yourself down, down is where you will stay." Chris Green is the author of the new book "Conquering Stress", a special program which will show you how to conquer stressful illnesses such as depression, anxiety, panic and worry permanently and without taking powerful drugs. You can learn more about this new book and purchase it at http://www.conqueringstress.com
MORE RESOURCES:
Princess Cruises unveils yoga for kidsUSA Today - 7 hours agoStill, yoga for kids? That's the Big New Thing this week at Princess Cruises, which announced it is rolling out what it bills as the industry's first yoga ... |
YMCA yoga class begins at Camp YomechasMiddleboro Gazette, MA - 3 hours agoMIDDLEBORO — The YMCA's Fall I 2008 session of yoga begins Thursday, Sept. 11. A new meditation class will be offered from 6-7 pm, and All Levels Yoga ... |
Yoga classes offered in SalisburyBethany Beach Wave, DE - 3 hours agoThe Unitarian Universalist Fellowship Salisbury is located at 2812 Old Ocean City Rd. A lunchtime yoga class is held Wednesdays at noon at Salisbury ... |
Downward dogsCalgary Herald, Canada - 6 hours agoJessica Beck is her 30-year-old owner and a Calgary-based yoga teacher about to launch a class for dog owners and their dogs with Patricia Kopec, ... |
Share this article:Desert Valley Times, UT - 8 hours agoOngoing basic yoga at 9:45 am Friday. Open to active adults 60 and older. Beginners welcome. Senior Citizens Center, 489 E. 200 South; $2 for those 60 and ... |
Yoga - Google News
|
 |
|
|
RELATED ARTICLES
The Physiology of Stress
In the body, the stress response is mediated by the hypothalamic-adrenal-pituitary axis, or the HPA-axis for short.When the body perceives stress, the HPA axis, along with the sympathetic nervous system, famous for its "fight of flight" response, are activated together.
Destressing Your Life!
Do you have stress in your life?..
How to Relieve Stress
One question that is not asked enough by people under stress is how to relieve stress. Unfortunately, people who are under stress tend to simply take it as a matter of course and simply accept its existence as though it was some sort of natural occurrence, or even a boon! Thus, people who are feeling the effects of stress do not actually take the time to notice that they are under stress and need relief.
Stress Management Made Simple And Easy...Just Follow Cliff Kuhn M.D.s Foolproof Formula
Stress management is a hot topic; stress-related illness and suffering is at an all-time high in America and increasing every year. Cliff Kuhn, M.
3 Easy Ways to Reduce Stress
Stress, America's #1 health problem, is a leading cause of major illness. In fact, heart disease, high blood pressure, and depression are just some of the harmful effects of stress.
It is Looking Up for Stress Relief
No this is not related to praying, this is how your brain works. Looking up will reduce your stress?.
The Power of Five
Do you ever fret? In today's materialistic age, sometimes fretting is inevitable. With so many goals to achieve and needs to meet, fretting has become the "official emotion of the generation.
Tame Your Work Stress
Work stress has become a major problem today. The nature of work is changing at whirlwind speed.
Children Playing - How Play Is Important To Kids And Adults
You can learn a lot by watching children playing. There is no greater sight than to see children pretending to be superheroes or digging for treasure in a sandbox.
How To Stress Less and Smile More-The Six Fundamental Steps To Improved Health
More than two-thirds of visits to doctors' surgeries are for stress-related illnesses. Stress has been linked to headaches, backaches, insomnia, anger, cramps, elevated blood pressure, chronic fatigue syndrome, fibromyalgia and lowered resistance to infection.
10 Ways to Benchmark Workplace Stress
With almost 50% of workers complaining that their jobs are very stressful, it is no surprise that more than two-thirds of all medical problems are stress related.Each day, workplace stress is credited with more than a million absences and at least 40% of all personnel turnover.
The Best Stress Relief and Its Free!
"Let your mind be quiet, realizing the beauty of the world, and the immense, the boundless treasures that it holds in store." by Edward CarpenterThe Best Stress Relief and It's Free!Sometimes it's the simple things that are the most moving.
Permission to Play
At what age does the benefit of play cease? Child development experts agree that play is very important in the learning and emotional development of all children. But do we ever grow out of a need for play? I answer with an emphatic no.
Stress Management and Mastery: Breakdown or Breakthrough?
Q: "My career, though very very stressful, is one that I thoroughly enjoy and do not want to change. Because I'm under so much stress, my counselor has recommended that I eliminate all stress from my life.
Dealing with Workplace Stress
One of the hardest forms of stress to avoid is workplace stress. After all, you need to go to work and there are plenty of things to worry about once you get there.
Instant Relaxation Anytime Anywhere
If there was a way of relaxing quickly and easily in any situation would you want to know what it is?Ancient cultures knew this secret, and followers of Hawaiian Huna used it to access altered states. In more recent times martial artists used it as a way to develop relaxed alertness, and today photoreaders use it to relax before reading books at speeds of 25,000 words per minute.
Assess Your Stress Using Haris Stress Inventory
This is a tool to measure the amount of stress you experience in your daily life. 66 statements are included.
How To Use Diet To Reduce Your Stress
The Problem
You don't need me to tell you how pervasive stress is in our modern lives. In part, this is due to our chosen life styles.
10 Symptoms of Workplace Stress
It is no secret that stress and related disorders
are the most frequent cause of employee disability
(National Institute for Occupational Safety and
Health). As far back as 1992, a United Nations
report called job stress a "world wide epidemic.
One Way to Beat Stress: Arrive Early!
I'm so excited that I have discovered this secret today. It's something that I promise will reduce the stress level in your lives.
|
