I hope you understand this is just week 1 of an approximately 12 week Positivity Process (thru Sections 5 & 6), to Completely Turn Matters Around in Life… Full Instruction set & As Required Details are included throughout… After doing the Section 5 Training, thru approx 4 weeks, shortly after within 6 weeks I Strongly Feel, You Will Seriously Start to Feel rather Significant Positive CHANGE going on within You if Diligent about doing the Reading (& turning off all audible aps if using at this time!!), & Working on Selves… Specifically, maybe in the first time in your life you will start feeling Positive thoughts rolling thru you automatically & Naturally, and it will be mind blowing… After 12 weeks you will feel like a CHANGED Person, not who we are as individuals, but just the way we React to Everything really… in our thoughts and actions :) … & Don’t Forget about Section 4 as well …. Allowing Faith to Grow with Age… as this is Imperative when matters fall outside of Our Control or when Our Issues Run Deep!  Besides, that my Friends is the Basis of your Positivity when have a Solid Foundation & Live Life Righteously… Otherwise this could result in the Basis of our negativity!

“5.2   You need to start Loving Yourself Unconditionally today and thereafter no matter what and no matter how you feel in the process to improve!

You are your safe-haven and safe place.  No one can really help you through this condition, to improve, but yourself.  That is why you need to love yourself unconditionally and be your best friend in the process to improve!

Remember, it is natural to have some bouts of anxiety and depression in Life, but what we must do is to have the proper coping skills you will be learning so that A & D does not become your typical daily battle over lengthy periods of time.  You have to fess up now and blame no one and nothing on this condition really but yourself.  But, Please, you need to be kind and compassionate with yourself in the process, because you are not the only one that has this condition; A & D is impacting lots of people in today’s society!  A & D is at epidemic levels out there and it is human nature actually to be reacting like you have been. Our natural reactions to negativity is actually opposite how we should be treating ourselves to allow us to get and feel better (this is explained further).  Strange how us humans were put together!  A & D sufferers often will take whatever external negatives we are subjected to, and internally over-react negatively to it/them, initiating or accentuating the A & D state or condition.  Sorry, but plain and simple, the quicker you can accept this and then change per the included process, the better off you will be.  Hey, everyone has all sorts of negative things that happen to them in their lives, and if you think you have it worse than others from an external perspective, guess what?  Just take a look around the corner at others; you probably would be wrong with such a judgment.  Everyone carries a Cross or Multiple Crosses in their lives…

Be kind, considerate, and compassionate to yourself at all times.  If you are feeling down, anxious, etc., talk to yourself soothingly like you would to someone special in your Life (best friend, parent, Son/Daughter) in case you needed to pick their spirits up.  Believe me, this is SO VERY IMPORTANT since we have been really good at beating ourselves up.  As Lucinda put it is like “we are walking around with a baseball bat beating ourselves up.”  YES, WE ARE OUR WORST CRITICS NO DOUBT!

Always give yourself Positive affirmations (a pat on the back) for the every little Positive thing you do; for the simple things, for the little things as well as the big things you have achieved in Life, or for each Positive action that you do or have done in a given day or whenever.  Hey, when you go through or begin this process of changing or turning your Life around, give yourself a treat or buy yourself a gift for taking these strides to improve on yourself; you certainly deserve it!  The more often you fuel yourself with the Positives affirmations,  the better you will feel, the more deliberate and natural this will become over time in your mindset and vocabulary, and the quicker you will be able to pull yourself out of the mud.  Understandably, if we have been in the mud for some time after delivering ourselves a constant influx of negative messages for years, it may take a while to make a switch and believe the Positive messages you need to flow to yourselves consistently.  We will have to repeatedly train ourselves daily, hourly, so that it does become a habit and becomes natural.  Negative to Positive Self talk is covered in section 5.5 and this is key in the recovery process, but Please, do not jump ahead!  

About our Positive Affirmations: Really when you cut through our negative, depressing, anxious thoughts, and get to our true selves from what you have seen in the past, or what you may have been told by others, I am certain there is a long list of Positive attributes/affirmations about yourself.

Actions:

• Write down all the Positives that you can think about yourself. Every day, during the initial process of improvement/recovery, and/or if you are feeling down, take out that list of Positives and re read it and believe in it.
• As you progress through the process, amend or add to this list. …

I clearly remember in one of my in-patient sabbaticals, at a time when I was very depressed and anxious.  There was a situation which clearly addressed the misconceptions we can have of ourselves when we are feeling very negative.  We had a group session, at a time after we became somewhat familiar with the patients around us.  We went around the room and someone who had known a particular person for a bit of time, spoke what they thought about that person.  And when it came around to a lady I befriended who talked about me, it brought tears to my eyes.  It was the first true and heartfelt emotion I had felt for some time; when you are in the dumps you are hurting so bad you cannot conjure up any emotion.  I did not necessarily feel at the time as her words described, although I did begin to realize that those words were me, somewhere within me.  Goes to show, the false impression we have of ourselves when we are consumed by negativity.  Then I thought at that time, I wish I could go back to who I was before.  However, as Lucinda mentioned in her program when one of her panelists, who was recovering, was indicating this same thing (that she wanted to be like she was before), Lucinda said: “You do not want to go back to who you were, because who you were is what got you here!  You want to improve on who you were!”  Wow, How TRUE, How TRUE that is!  Remember that if one does the same thing and expects different results, there is a problem with that; unfortunately we just do not work that way!

Remember some of the typical characteristics of people who have Anxiety and Depression.  You are very smart and creative with a great imagination (all Positives really when we think appropriately).  And since we are typically very analytical (another Positive when channeled appropriately), unintentionally, we tend to venture to find all those negative paths/avenues to all those negative thoughts.  In my case, I think I have had every negative thought and every facet of a negative thought that is feasibly possible by a male human being on planet earth :); yeah I can smile about it now.  And, what type and how obtuse our negative thoughts can be?  I remember during one of my negative instances I was thinking: “… maybe I forgot how to breathe the way I need to and adequately”.  Yeah, really ridiculous thinking, but this goes to show you the negative things we can come up with.  Thus, such a negative mindset removes us from how capable and relaxed/soothed we can be, and prevents us from concentrating on what we are doing rather than how we are doing which we get consumed with.

Now, if we could reverse our mind set and use all this time and energy to think of the matter at hand and not how we are feeling, how creative do you think we could be, and what do you think we could accomplish at our work or on things we really want to concentrate on?  Yeah, it is a Wow really!  Besides, we would not get so worn out by the end of the day as we do now, constantly worrying about everything and often beating ourselves into mental submission.   And, if you are currently working and are an A & D sufferer, you are most likely a very very good and solid worker even with this condition.  You would probably be worn out by the end of the day, but a real good worker none the less.   So think how creative you would be if you were to find that inner peace and calm?  It is a — oh my gosh once you have gone through the complete ride!!! I am there and you certainly can be there too!!

Continuing on our Positive attributes, us sufferers are typically, good people, have good hearts, respect those around, diligent, thorough, detailed oriented, etc. so the list of Positives we have goes on.  So don’t think you cannot come up with a list of Positive attributes of yourself per that Action above!

When you start working the process to improve, don’t ever feel that you are being selfish or self-centered.  Actually with Anxiety and Depression going on within us, we unfortunately get self-centered, even though we do not mean to be.  We are always thinking about how we are doing, how we are feeling, or how are we are going to react in situations when we get there.  But this is not really who we are but it’s just that we got that way based on our problems with A & D.  Once we follow the process of Recovery, you will find yourself slowly and methodically getting out of that how am I feeling type thinking, with little if any emphasis on those thoughts since we will be gaining the confidence in ourselves to not worry about those matters.  The Important thing to do here is to take care of yourself #1. And when you do this, you will then be able to and willing to take care of others!

Lower your expectations of yourself.  Realize that you are going through a tough time and that you need to be nurtured. It is OKAY to feel down at times, with your guard down, and vulnerable, — It really is Okay.  But no need to feel this way for long.  Pick yourself up by talking to yourself Positively instead.  Positive Self talk is the key to self-esteem.

Actions:

• What I have included in my daily self-talk are the following statements that I highly suggest that you incorporate in your daily dialog to yourself: This will help you boost your self- image and mood, and remember, these statements are all true even if you don’t feel that way initially:  “I love myself, I respect myself, I believe in myself, I have confidence in myself but yet I am humble (appropriate in the eyes of God and Jesus), I forgive myself.  I manage myself through love, respect, belief, confidence in myself, humility, and forgiveness.  I’m worthy of love, respect, belief, and confidence in myself, and forgiveness.” 

Training:

1. Read through/review all sections in 5.2 through to section 5.2.4, (4) times following the initial reads (as defined in the Introduction in section 1.4), on non-consecutive days, skipping a day in-between each review day. [Blog post Note Only: Repetitive training Needs first come into play here; Importance of Repetitive training is addressed in Book Blog post dated 9/19/18 way below on this site]
2. Start listening to Lucinda’s Relaxation media, daily, up to 3 times a day if possible. Just read section 5.3 through to the end of  5.3.1 “Action/Training interval” item 1) only at this time.  During the initial phases of Recovery, it is best to cycle through the relaxation session (3) times a day, but do it at least twice a day (i.e. in the morning before starting off the day, and at night prior to going to bed).  It is best to lie down when you are going through this Relaxation routine for the morning, and night time sessions.  As far as your midday session, get in a comfortable seated or reclined position.  Note that the recommendation for (3) times a day is geared to those most afflicted with A & D.  If you are not a significant sufferer from A & D, I suggest you do this at least in the mornings when you wake up as I do; this allows you to kick off the day on the right foot, in a calming and soothing manner. If you have any trouble sleeping I suggest you do the Relaxation routine, at night as well, before going to bed. [ Blog post Note Only:  “Intended Relaxation media” YouTube Session, Id’d in 5.3.1 in Book, now Unavailable.  See Details contained in following Blog Post addressing Options: https://riseandshineanxietydepression.net/2020/08/23…. (as ID’d upfront in all Book’s Overviews on all Book sites for the Book)  Listening to this Relaxation media as indicated here is CRUCIAL, and a Huge part of the Conditioning Process for the Individual Sufferer] 
3. For those in-between days when you are not reading/reviewing this material as instructed per 1) above, be a mental observer. Being a mental observer means:

• Be conscious of your inner dialogue and outward behavior with regard to this subject matter (i.e. “How am I thinking and behaving with this information in mind?”)
•   Write down/journal on matters (ref 5.2.4).   Writing is therapeutic.  Journaling serves in part, to slow down and capture one’s thoughts on paper, which relieves our minds of the constant barrage of thoughts in our Anxiety ridden minds.  “Write down new insights you have.  Write about any anxious episodes you have/had (i.e. Where you were?, Time of day?, What did you eat or drink a half hour before the anxiety?, What were you doing?, What were you focusing on (thinking about) at the time?)  Journaling will enable you to see themes, patterns, progress and growth,” during your recovery.  “Some individuals report that they have found it to be very therapeutic to write a biography, including their experience with Anxiety and Depression.”
• Write down your goal for the week (ref 5.2.4).
• Speak to yourself with utmost respect and catch yourself using disrespectful tones or words and immediately replace it with respectful language and compassionate tones.

4.  Make sure you work both Actions included in this section 5.2. The first of these Actions as a minimum should be worked daily (generating the initial listing of Positives and thereafter amending it, and re-reading as indicated).

5. Start waking up in the mornings and begin the process to read at first and then recite from memory (eventually you will get there), the Daily goals identified in section 6.16.

6. If you do not presently Exercise, begin to implement an aerobic routine daily. Please refer to section 3.4 for details.

7. If your eating habits are not very good, begin to eat healthier and drink plenty of water (ref: section 3.3)

8. Start a plan to begin the process to Minimize those Stimulants and Alcohol consumption; don’t think I need to tell you what to do about Drug use (ref: section 3.2)

9. Do the above steps 6) – 8) in baby steps if you have to, and do not pressure yourself into doing everything just right initially. Grow into it and do what you can at first.  The key thing is to move forward and progress.

5.2.1           Things to Remember in the Process of Recovery. 

As stated previously, the way we need to react toward Anxiety and all those mind games and panicky body symptoms that go along with it, is analogous to how we need to react if we were caught in a rip tide/rip current in the ocean.  You certainly do not fight it, but you handle it with an even keel/under-reactive attitude and approach (per a google search):   “The swimmer should remain calm and swim parallel to the shore until he or she is outside of the current”(and then swim to shore), or “should relax and calmly float or tread water to conserve energy. Eventually the rip current will lose strength, and the swimmer can swim at a leisurely pace” back to shore.  In support of this, just start slowing down all your actions, including the way you walk and the way you talk;  relaxation techniques  per section 5.3 prepares us for those rip tides.

On the flipside, when you are feeling down or depressed, that is the time you need to pick yourself up and get active. Go out and Exercise (ref: section 3.4) which also causes our bodies to produce that positive endorphin flow. Talk to yourself Positively and Upbeat.  Go ahead and Laugh, Smile and Play which causes our bodies to produce additional endorphins (ref: section 5.2.2).  The Positive statements I often say to myself, for a quick pickup, if I am feeling a little gloomy, are:

• Feel the Excitement, Energy, and Enthusiasm of Life with inner Child Like Exuberance and Enthusiasm.
• Live in the Present moment, make the most of the moments and enjoy the Special Moments with Child-Like Exuberance and Enthusiasm.
• Positives, Positives, Positives — Emanate Positive Energy and Good Feelings no matter what, and no matter how I feel within reason if I can, when I can, the Best I can and Smile darn it :)
• Look for the Good, the Pluses, and the Positives in anything, everything, anybody, everybody, anytime and all the time. This does not mean you need to always see it but just look for it.

[Blog post Note only: Section 4 as addressed in earlier Blog post (Ref: Blog post dated 10/11/18), addresses Additional Power when draw in words of Faith/Prayer in these Positive statements we say to Ourselves as we allow Our Faith to Grow…]

Hey, there are going to be hiccups in the process when you are going through the process to recover, where you may have some difficulties at times using or believing in the provided tools, due to the negativity within you at the time; this is perfectly normal.  In such cases, which more likely occurs early in the process when you are just learning these new tools to form new habits, it is important to not be so hard on yourself for not readily grasping the information like you think you should.  Again, we are our worst critics!  You have to put up that stop sign when you are getting negative in this process, and tell yourself it is going to take some time, that I need to be Patient,  that this is just a temporary condition, and I will be getting through this before long since I believe in it and am calmly working it.  Just treat yourself soothingly, again like you are talking to your best friend or loved one, and don’t put excessive pressure on yourself.  Remember it is only negativity (unreal thoughts) that is preventing you from marching forward if anything.  But, please don’t let this bog you down too long and don’t’ let this negativity stop you on your march forward.  You Can Do It !

Don’t think you can’t change because you absolutely can change.  If you think you can’t change, well that is just another one of those negative thoughts.   But you can change and the incentive you have to change is Huge!  It’s a simple choice really.  Would you rather face the continued pains and ways, engulfed/submerged in all those Anxious and Depressed feelings with all those negative thoughts, and associated body symptoms, or would you rather Positively Change, ridding ourselves of that agony and flourishing and flying in effect, with a real constant and unforced smile/grin within and externally( as desired)?  Yep, this is a dumb question, so give yourself a hug and keep moving forward.

And remember, every moment is a fresh and beautiful moment and every day is a brand new, fresh, and beautiful day!  So if you feel you are having a bad moment, morning, afternoon, or day, that doesn’t mean that you are going to have a bad next moment, second, minute, hour, afternoon, evening, or the  next day !  As most sufferers know, the morning is often the most difficult part of the day, after brooding/festering about things during the evening.  So if you wake up in a bad mood keep this understanding in mind.  Using the tools and Positive self-talk discussed here in section 5, helps kick us off in a good way/mood.  Just pick your head up, challenge those negative thoughts that are making you feel down, and get yourself back into that Positive flow and mind set.

5.2.2   Use Humor in your Life and in your approach to getting better; humor yourself, make light of situations, and learn to Smile and Laugh and have fun !

Begin to make light of situations that you took so seriously before and Smile.  Regarding the subject of using Humor as a tool to alleviate our A & D ways, the Attacking Anxiety and Depression program states in an attached letter written by the Education director entitled “Smile Darn ya, Smile” :).

“People are about as happy as they decide to be” … “In general, outside influences have little to do with how happy we are. People with high self-esteem tend to be happy people.  Having an optimistic view of Life is essential to feeling happy. I have heard it suggested that “acting as if” is a great strategy.  Research proves that a smile can change our brain chemistry.  A smile encourages the production of endorphins which leads to a feeling of overall well-being.  Other research culminates the powerful fact that laughter is a painkiller. In a study involving patients in unending pain, they found that if the patient laughed for twenty minutes, they were (un-medicated) pain free for two-hours.  Another research project proposes that there is a correlation between IQ and our sense of humor.  ….The final trait that seems to be integral part of the happy person is – love of people.  If you find your fellow man interesting and basically enjoy being around others, lead a socially involved Life, are outgoing, with a diverse group of friends, you probably classify yourself as happy.”—Or happy at times and altogether, peaceful.

Here is link to an old song “Keep on Smiling”.  So start putting a smile on your face:), :http://www.YouTube.com/watch?v=tg0BNTebcbY.  And go out and Play and do things you really enjoy doing.  You don’t want to be serious all the time.  That is boring and results in us getting old and grumpy :).

5.2.3           Consider the following definition adjustments and acknowledgements in our Lives 

• Adopt the New definition of Failure = Not trying: This is the most important definition adjustment we need to make in our lives.  This stems from the fact that the only thing that we can control really, is ourselves.  If you hang your hat on anything that is outside your control in your definition of failure, you are setting yourself up for disappointments.

• Remove the word Can’t from you vocabulary other than, using it in the phrase, There is nothing I Can’t do!

• Adopt the New definition or understanding of the term Happy. Don’t think that every moment of every day of your Life should be Happy, Happy.  That is not realistic.  You just can’t be Happy, smiling from ear to ear, during every moment and every day of your Life.  In Life there are ups and downs.  So, instead of Happy, say Peaceful, instead and consider that to be your new goal for everyday Living.  Now that is a realistic. 

• Adopt the New definition or understanding of the term Perfect. Nothing involving human influence is Perfect.  Perfect is what was provided to us from above, and that is it/all in my Book.  And as Human Beings, we certainly are not perfect so let your perfectionistic ways go concerning ourselves and all those around.  We are only Human and to be Human is to err.

5.2.4           Journaling is a/the Key  Theraputic mental/physical type action required for Recovery and Life management

When I was working as an Engineer for 33 years, anytime there was something that was rather confusing I was working on, based on its complexity, I would always write down and journal on the matter.  This helped me dig in deeper and deeper into the problem spots and helped determine the best solutions to the problem spots and the overall assignment.

This is why it is so very important to write and journal about your bouts with Anxiety and Depression.  What could possibly be more confusing than dealing with your A & D issues?  Hence, this is why Journaling/Writing is stressed as the #1 action we need to do, to help unravel the solutions to our problems.

Journaling provides the therapeutic approach which serves in part, to slow down and capture one’s thoughts on paper, which helps relieve our minds of the constant barrage of negative thoughts in our Anxiety ridden minds.  The therapeutic aspects of writing and recovery involve the following:

• Writing becomes Imperative during the process of Recovery, when converting all the Negative thoughts one has, to corresponding Positives. The repetitive process of doing this reprograms the A & D sufferer overtime, from initially doing it on paper, to an automatic response, mentally, as you continue through the process.  This allows one to convert from a Negative thinker to a Positive thinker, which bottom line is what we need to do to Recover.  So depending on the severity of you’re A & D you could likely be doing an enormous amount of writing. But the payoff is Amazing.  Details of this are included in section 5.5; but please do not jump ahead here unless you have worked through that part of the process.
• Writing allows you to plan your day to day lives, as required to help eliminate those worries; i.e. to get it out of mind and on paper, and filed away if involves a future worry as addressed in section 6.7. But please do not jump ahead here unless you have worked through that part of the process.
• Writing supports determination of your future Plans or Goals to determine what process you need to follow to get there. Information further down below provides related pointers.
• Writing helps determine the legitimacy of your “Unrealistic Expectations”, and your “Should do lists”(ref: sections 6.2 and 6.3). But please do not jump ahead here unless you have worked through that part of the process.

Journaling is extremely helpful for Goal setting.  Regardless of what stage in Life we are, we need to have goals in Life.  This is so very important as I have recently and personally discovered.  Reliance on what you have done and how you have performed in the past, will not necessarily allow you to maintain a peaceful soothing attitude in present and future days.

Of course, for any plans or goals we have for the future, worries or otherwise, it is real wise to write the resolutions of these plans or goals down and file them away.  That way, they are then out of mind, allowing us to hit that imaginary switch within us to stop ruminating about them, eliminating undue stress on ourselves.  At a later time you can revisit what you have written down, and amend the plan as you see fit.  I have always used writing as a tool to figure things out on the job or in my Life (more recently the process of recovery, compliments of Lucinda :)).  When you write things down, and then revisit what you wrote at a later day, new fresh thoughts often come to mind in your approach to optimize your plan.  This is extremely therapeutic and important in the process.

One Very Important Tidbit that I need to throw in here regarding Goal setting:

Don’t get caught up in the ultimate goal of things that you are trying to achieve or else you will likely be extremely upset/down if it does not work out.  You need to just enjoy the ride in the process of getting there!  Remember, we have control over what we do only and really nothing else.  So if you let Your Spirit ride on the ultimate goal of achievement, which usually requires reliance on other factors that are outside our control, major disappointment is likely.  Be realistic when establishing your goals!”

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Well, that is the Whole section 5.2, my Friends. Yeah, this is the POWERFUL Kick-off to One’s Recovery, and is indicative of the Thorough nature of the remaining parts of the Total Process.  Thoughts that went into showing the whole thing etc.:

• I was initially attempting to narrow down on “Key Elements” involved with the First Week/Steps of the Book’s Positivity/Coping Tools/Skills Process and provide that material only on this Blog post. However, while doing that, I realized this would not do this Crucial stage of this Recovery Process Justice, since Everything included in this section (5.2) Is Key/Important!  So the Complete section 5.2 along with the Suggested, if not Required Actions and Training Needs are provided.
• This early segment of the Process appropriately supports Necessary Thought Conditioning/Early Training of an Individual, initiating the process of turning matters Completely around for the Sufferer.  If you Struggle, I Urge you to take the time and Read through this. This will give you a Solid Feel for the Thorough nature of this TRUE Self-Help Book/Education covering the Sufferer’s Needs for Recovery. Details in this Process are Key!  If there is something that seems a bit lacking in this 5.2 text, be rest assured, that material is thoroughly & appropriately covered elsewhere in the Book.  Remember, this is only the Initiation phase of the Process… And Yeah, I have gone over this Book So Many Times to Ensure Content Integrity #1, based on All I have Learned, plus all I was able to provide from subsequent Experience & Growth.
• As I say in section 1.4 “Recommended Instructions and Training and Actions”: “The included Training and Actions are geared to those most in need, and are written to Optimize  recovery for all people.  If you do less than this optimal approach, it is not like it will not work at all….”  The Key thing to do as an Individual/Sufferer, is to TRY, and do whatever you can.
• Remember, this Content is based on Proven Ground per what the Lady (an X-Sufferer) and Her Supporting Professional’s provided in a Self-Help Program I purchased for just about $400 at the time.  I Strongly Feel, the Core Process of Recovery within this Process/Program was Optimized.  This Process took  Her and Her Crew, just about 16 years to formulate.  And Yes, I added some Key pieces including additional elements in dealing with Depression factors which were Hugely Important for me and I Know would be Very Helpful for Others.  I felt this was the only area which could use some shoring up on; otherwise there was not a close second from all I have seen/come across back when formulated (in 1999) or now.  It’s Effectiveness was Certainly not hard to believe, since this Process (again) Flat Out Saved my Life!  And if you were to read the Book Blog post dated 12/7/18, down below on this site, you would realize this Process translates to most Everyone.  You will also Understand, why this  Total Process is So Effective.  Yeah I often say this, and mean it, and will say again… I do not think in a TRUE Self-Help Book form, it is feasibly possible for Anything to be Better…

Apologies for  some formatting issues, merging the Book text into this Book Blog post format.

Enjoy Life my Friends, and if that is not happening for ya, Start Reading and Working this…

Ron