3 Mistaken Ideas That Stop You Overcoming Anxiety

I’ve helped hundreds of people overcome anxiety and panic attacks. I love seeing people make the shift from having a life ruled by their anxiety, to being free, confident and happy!

One of my clients recently sent me this message:

'Marléne, I wanted to say thank you - my life is fab now. I have my own flat, a new job and I can go in and out of the supermarket as I please!'

I get messages like this all the time - and it totally warms my heart 🙂

One thing I’ve seen is that people often get stuck in a life of anxiety because they've formed mistaken ideas about what anxiety is, and what having anxiety must mean about themselves.

Maybe you're feeling like this right now, or you know someone who's struggling.

Mistaken Idea #1: My Panic Symptoms Are Abnormal

No, your panic symptoms are NOT abnormal, they are a normal reaction to stress.
When my clients first come to me for help they sometimes ask what on earth is happening to them. It’s as though the anxiety has crept up from nowhere and overtaken their life.

But those panic attacks are just a reaction to stress in your life. They show up in your body as a pounding heart, churning tummy, breathlessness etc.

It’s because you get scared of these feelings in your body that you panic. Panic is often fear of fear itself. It usually starts with having one panic attack and then worrying:

"What if I have another!"  ... and so a cycle begins.

Remember your physical symptoms only happen because your body is listening in and responding to your thoughts about them.

So doesn't it make sense that If you can think yourself into a panic attack – you can equally think yourself out of one?

Mistaken Idea #2: I’m The Only One Who Feels Like This!

If you’re experiencing panic attacks; it's easy to feel all alone with your problem. However anxiety and panic are extremely common. In fact, most people have either experienced panic attacks or know someone who has.  I too used to have debilitating attacks at one time in my life. So I do know how bad they can feel!

Mistaken Idea #3: I’ll Never Get Over This!

Yes you can get over this. Overcoming anxiety can happen with the right help and by following the correct techniques.

It's interesting to observe how your body responds to the signals sent by your subconscious mind, often without distinguishing between reality and imagination. Consider the experience of watching a scary film—despite merely sitting in front of a screen, your heart may beat faster, and both your mind and body react as if it were real.

The silver lining is that this means you have the power to influence your body's anxiety symptoms by shifting what your thoughts. By changing what your mind focuses on, you can actively alter whether or not your body experiences those symptoms.