Personal Development for Smart People Forums - View Single Post - PATHS

desertlady · 03-26-2007, 10:30 PM

Hello everyone,

I was going to respond to the other thread awhile back, but I’m sure you can gather why I didn’t. I have been a PATHS user since the 20th of February. I am not here to sell PATHS as I am not an affiliate nor do I have a vested interest in the PATHS company. I only wish to relate my experience. I know this is a rather long post, but I think the background will be helpful to understand my PATHS experience.

For whatever past trauma and/or wiring reasons, I have had an anxiety syndrome for more years than I’d like to count. Over the last three years I have regularly meditated, practiced mindfulness, devoured and incorporated as much PD-LOA material as probably most of you. I had reduced my mind chatter to almost non-existent floating thoughts and have pretty much successfully banished negative thinking and reactions in my daily life. I have been grateful in a profound sense. From all outward appearances friends and acquaintances think I’m a dynamic and very positive woman. And I am. However, I still couldn’t get through one day without several small doses of Xanax plus a couple of glasses of wine at night to get to sleep. I kept coming around to Michael Beckwith’s lines in The Secret, “either consciously or UNCONSCIOUSLY (caps mine)…now there’s the rub.”

I felt there was something in my SC hinterland that had a basis for the anxiety that I continually experienced and was keeping me from totally being the joyful, present, integrated person that I consciously have strived to be. At my age, I really was not into nor did I feel I would benefit from therapy or other modalities available without more “self” involvement and time than I wanted to expend.

After following a forum where Aaron had introduced the PATHS program in December of last year I was a little intrigued but very skeptical. When I felt that I had done enough due diligence after two months I was prompted to try PATHS.

I signed up for four modules: Mood Elevator, Self Esteem, Successful Living I, and Defying Gravity.

The first two days were rather nondescript with the exception being that when I woke up, I was very awake and aware. I still had trouble going to sleep, as I always had, but I had never had that kind of alertness upon waking that I can ever remember.

For the next couple of weeks I bounced from a pronounced sense of joy to feeling just plain awful. I was overwhelmed a great deal of the time, sometimes with feelings of sadness, or “I just can’t cope right now, I’m hitting the bed.” I really upped my spirluna intake and it helped, but the cognitive dissonance was not very fun. I had moments or times where I “felt” my left eye was lower than the right eye, or my scalp would buzz on the left side and feel constricted. My balance seemed to be off. It was very disorienting. Then there were periods where I experienced tremendous clarity with heightened tactile senses, like a veil had been lifted, with no anxiety at all. I felt energetic and balanced. I found myself taking less Xanax as the days went on.

Now, five weeks into the PATHS modules, I have been the last nine days without any Xanax or wine nightcaps. I feel much more present in every moment, lighter, safer and more grounded. I’m venturing out more and interacting with strangers with much more ease, and they in turn seem more open to me.

Four days ago I switched the Mood Elevation to the Goals Setting module. The calm and clarity are still with me. I take between 10-12 grams of spirulina per day. I still had trouble going to and staying asleep. After contacting customer service regarding this I was advised to try a small does of melatonin at night. I did and it has helped tremendously. I haven’t noticed any discernable difference with the Defying Gravity, but I haven’t given up on it yet either.

I am paying $34.95 per month for four modules plus the sleep. In the next day or so I will switch Successful Living 1 to 2. Customer service has been prompt and helpful; and I appreciate that I can switch out any or all of my modules at no charge once a month.

Satisfied, thus far? You betcha. And very grateful. Placebo? If I had immediate positive results, maybe. But, with all the upheaval I initially experienced, I think not.

Thanks for taking the time to read this.

Enjoy,

Donna

03-26-2007, 10:30 PM	#77 (permalink)
desertlady Junior Member Join Date: Mar 2007 Posts: 7	Hello everyone, I was going to respond to the other thread awhile back, but I’m sure you can gather why I didn’t. I have been a PATHS user since the 20th of February. I am not here to sell PATHS as I am not an affiliate nor do I have a vested interest in the PATHS company. I only wish to relate my experience. I know this is a rather long post, but I think the background will be helpful to understand my PATHS experience. For whatever past trauma and/or wiring reasons, I have had an anxiety syndrome for more years than I’d like to count. Over the last three years I have regularly meditated, practiced mindfulness, devoured and incorporated as much PD-LOA material as probably most of you. I had reduced my mind chatter to almost non-existent floating thoughts and have pretty much successfully banished negative thinking and reactions in my daily life. I have been grateful in a profound sense. From all outward appearances friends and acquaintances think I’m a dynamic and very positive woman. And I am. However, I still couldn’t get through one day without several small doses of Xanax plus a couple of glasses of wine at night to get to sleep. I kept coming around to Michael Beckwith’s lines in The Secret, “either consciously or UNCONSCIOUSLY (caps mine)…now there’s the rub.” I felt there was something in my SC hinterland that had a basis for the anxiety that I continually experienced and was keeping me from totally being the joyful, present, integrated person that I consciously have strived to be. At my age, I really was not into nor did I feel I would benefit from therapy or other modalities available without more “self” involvement and time than I wanted to expend. After following a forum where Aaron had introduced the PATHS program in December of last year I was a little intrigued but very skeptical. When I felt that I had done enough due diligence after two months I was prompted to try PATHS. I signed up for four modules: Mood Elevator, Self Esteem, Successful Living I, and Defying Gravity. The first two days were rather nondescript with the exception being that when I woke up, I was very awake and aware. I still had trouble going to sleep, as I always had, but I had never had that kind of alertness upon waking that I can ever remember. For the next couple of weeks I bounced from a pronounced sense of joy to feeling just plain awful. I was overwhelmed a great deal of the time, sometimes with feelings of sadness, or “I just can’t cope right now, I’m hitting the bed.” I really upped my spirluna intake and it helped, but the cognitive dissonance was not very fun. I had moments or times where I “felt” my left eye was lower than the right eye, or my scalp would buzz on the left side and feel constricted. My balance seemed to be off. It was very disorienting. Then there were periods where I experienced tremendous clarity with heightened tactile senses, like a veil had been lifted, with no anxiety at all. I felt energetic and balanced. I found myself taking less Xanax as the days went on. Now, five weeks into the PATHS modules, I have been the last nine days without any Xanax or wine nightcaps. I feel much more present in every moment, lighter, safer and more grounded. I’m venturing out more and interacting with strangers with much more ease, and they in turn seem more open to me. Four days ago I switched the Mood Elevation to the Goals Setting module. The calm and clarity are still with me. I take between 10-12 grams of spirulina per day. I still had trouble going to and staying asleep. After contacting customer service regarding this I was advised to try a small does of melatonin at night. I did and it has helped tremendously. I haven’t noticed any discernable difference with the Defying Gravity, but I haven’t given up on it yet either. I am paying $34.95 per month for four modules plus the sleep. In the next day or so I will switch Successful Living 1 to 2. Customer service has been prompt and helpful; and I appreciate that I can switch out any or all of my modules at no charge once a month. Satisfied, thus far? You betcha. And very grateful. Placebo? If I had immediate positive results, maybe. But, with all the upheaval I initially experienced, I think not. Thanks for taking the time to read this. Enjoy, Donna