John's advice holds true for me. I still have many bouts of anxiety, though now it's only in relation to socialising. Regular exercise helps a lot, though it only makes the process easier, it alone isn't enough. My general anxiety and unhappiness gradually disappeared as I became more aware of my good points, and more accepting of my bad points. The same good points my friends had been pointing out for years, and bad points which bothered only me, though I ignored them, or rather, I believed they were just trying to make me feel better. I eventually realised they were trying to make me feel better, but they were also telling the truth, as they saw it.
So an increase in self-acceptance and self-confidence lead to a decrease in anxiety and unhappiness. I'm now applying the same process to my remaining causes of anxiety.
But most importantly sketchygirl, in all of this, where are your friends? I don't know if any of those self-help books mention the importance of social networks and their impact on mental and physical health, but if you want I can point you to a few research papers, books, and scientific journalism pieces.
__________________
Take a stroll down The Winding Path and let me know what you think of the scenery.
|