PREFACE/SUMMARY
Some Background & Why Select this Anxiety and Depression and Life Management True Self-Help Book?
First of all, I need to identify, I (Author Ron) am one of those who is pretty much “Honest to a Fault” as they say, especially by today’s standards. And hope all understand there is No Fault in Honesty… When you understand that Honesty is not only the Best Policy but the Only Policy, you realize there is absolutely nothing to hide… And Certainly, Honesty towards Ourselves and Others is Very Important in the process to Improve. Yes, I am human, and hence, hardly perfect (!), and I do falter at times, but nothing like during those early formative/teen years which I do address in the Book’s only optional section 1.2; i.e. upfront, where I identify a bit about my upbringing, & in item “1) So am I honest?”, along with some :)s as it naturally turned out :). Nowadays if I falter with dishonesty, it would have to do with harmless accentuations of truths if anything (i.e. saying whatever is bigger, worse, faster, slower, grander, etc. vs. reality). However, I Assure you, there are no Untruths being told within this Book, about this Book, or elsewhere on Book sites when my words are used. And how could I anyway, with section 4 being what It Is :).
I bet my Life on the contents of this Book because frankly speaking, I would not be around today (nor would you be reading this), had it not been for the Tremendous Skills/Tools I came across, Learned, and subsequently, to have been Lucky Enough to Grow to Experience and Know what is Written in this Book; And all this for the price of a Good Pizza, with extra toppings really, and future bargains are a possibility :). And as for me, what that amounts to, is I would be receiving maybe an average tip as the delivery boy (at age 68 now :)). Regarding the :)s you will see throughout this Book: You will understand that Humor, a Laugh, and a Smile are very therapeutic (for specific reasons), and is like taking a free natural pill to lift one’s Spirit and Well Being. And yeah, you may find a grammatical error here or there, but not in Content, and what I say to that, which is the way we need to handle the mistakes we make day to day in our lives is, first of all, fess up and say, Ooopppsss, Sorry :), I’m just a human being, and to be human is to err.
When looking back at all the Changes within … from having Significant to Extreme Levels of Anxiety and Depression for approximately 25 years, with all that went along with that … regularly suffering with panic attacks, and sometimes multiple times in a day, feeling like I was the most fragile person on planet earth, (4) times in psych wards, attempting suicide twice… Yeah, a Worse Caser (!)… and then, understand the complete 180 degree turnaround, and Transformation I went through(!), well, it just seems Magical really! Going from being excessively negative all the time, with all the Pains that went along with that, to being Predominantly Positive for the most part, and often Elated & Energized, but yet calm at the same time; you call that Peace of Mind :). Cycling through the process made me feel like I was being set free for the first time in my Life (!), as I sensed the changes coming on … Just So Freeing!! And then being able to look forward to the next moment, the next day, the next whenever … Motivated, and with Excitement instead of with constant dread and fear in the Life I was living; it is a WOW! … Now, whenever emotions are going south at times, based on Life’s Ups and downs, whether things are within my control or outside my control, I now Know, I have the Positivity Tools/Skills, along with my Faith necessary to deal with Life’s Issues as Best as I can as a human. In retrospect, I think I was truly the Ideal Guinea Pig for all of the downs, and now the True Ups involved, and most importantly, for the understanding what it really takes to turn it all around & Flourish.
I have been writing, editing, writing, editing, etc.…while continuing to Grow and Experience matters over the last 10 years, 4 months+ since starting to write this Book. I originally started writing the Original publication, towards the latter part of 2011, even though I did not know I was going to be writing a Book at the time (?). This was spurred by my Son who at the time was going through a downward Anxiety/Depression spiral in his senior year in college, What-Ifing this and that, and the road ahead… Essentially, I started writing for Him to Help, or maybe Save Him, sometime after I had to Save myself back when I was 46. Anyway, just about 2 1/2 years later, the Original Book was published 6/19/2014.
I felt Very Strong about this Original Edition, after going through all I went through, with the 1st 23 of those 25 years just being a continuous saga of increasing levels of Pain & Struggle, till I was 46, and then Completely turning matters around with a Tremendous (Proven & True) Self-Help program I came across, purchased, & worked (i.e. the “core” Process which I flowed down into this Book). Although, I made some serious mistakes of impatience in process which caused me to miss some Key elements along the way, resulting in me to meander some, and sometimes excessively/Deeply into those dark holes again, intermittently, for maybe 2 out of the next 10 years or so … DA me (!) (…you guessed it :)), as I later realized the mistakes made… This drove me to go through the full 15 week program twice more, in the prescribed time, as opposed to racing through it in like 9 weeks which I previously did… And why twice? Well, I wanted to squeeze Everything out of this I could, since by that time in my Life, I realized how Powerful this program was, with nothing better!
Yeah, after I sped through the Program the first time through, I did crash real hard with an impending divorce coming along which I was in denial about, and then happening. And that landed me in psych wards (3) of the (4) times actually, with the last two being back to back; was just not ready as I tried to migrate back to my normal life too quickly… But, when I was pulling out of those mental jams in the follow-up out-patient care facilities, which had zero to do with what they (the professionals) were informing me of, and Everything to do with being able to again see and grasp all the coping Tools & Skills I had already learned, I realized how Powerful that Program was/is! I Rapidly Improved back to my Good Positive form each of those times, which I know, more than raised the eyebrows of the working “professionals”. I sensed and then knew thereafter, that I really did know as much or likely more of What It Really Takes to turn a Life around, than the professionals seemed to, although obviously, I was missing somethings… Finally (!), I thought I better go back and do that Program again, and that is when I learned of those mistakes I made… Nonetheless, along the way in my journey, based on pondering the overall Process time and time again, that ultimately allowed me to shore up & Add to the Process, especially when falling off on the depressive side of the fence. These improvements, Certainly Helped me ++, and I Know can Only Help Others as well! And Yes, in the Book, I do share those mistakes I made, so that the Reader does not make the same mistakes as I did to Progress!
Anyway, I had no idea I was ever going to make changes to this Original cut at the time. I was (and am) Convinced, the Key Ingredients in this Book, including this Optimum & Proven Positivity Process I Knew & Know it to be, plus section 4 in this Book (i.e. Our Belief System, Spirituality, Mindfulness … Our Faith), besides Exercise & Eating well, Combined, is All We Can Do as humans to Take Care of Ourselves through Life. But, due to the continued Growth, Education/Experiences, and the grey hairs along the way, including having gone through some additional down times, this prompted me to greatly improve on the clarity, and rationale supporting this Book’s Combination of what it takes… So Yeah, Changes were inevitable, and I was Driven to do so. This included, providing another level of definition tying both the Positivity Process, and section 4 (Our Faith … allowing Our Faith to Grow) together, addressing the parallels/commonality between, and the complimentary relation of Both… and when Summed Up, this clearly defines All We Really Can Do to enhance Our Positivity, and Total Wellness & Well Being.
Per the the 4th Edition updates, I finally addressed this Book is not only Important for Anxiety & Depression, but is likewise Important in dealing with most mental health conditions People suffer with. These include PTSD, OCD, ADD, ADHD, BPD, Other acronyms (?), AddictionRecovery, even Bipolar 2, as long as Bi-Polar 1 or Schizophrenia based conditions are not involved, which necessitates different/unknown (to me) solutions, including the apparent needs for medication for Life (?). This True Self-Help Books use for most mental health issues, was obvious to me for some time considering the fact This Book applies to Everyone providing All We Can Do Naturally in support of a Healthy Well-Being… Why I did not bother to add this in earlier Editions, I do not know … guess I can chalk this up as, Oooopppsss, Sorry, but I am only human here :)…
4th Edition updates also included observations made while cycling through those psych wards & follow-up outpatient visits… As I connect those dots and sum matters up, with human nature qualities… how we operate as humans… on how things are really going considering related medication stats… and then realize the direction Society (driven by people) is going (ref: section 4.4.), it is Numbing!
Since the Original publication 6/19/2014, 4 publications followed, with the 2nd Edition published (rev. date) 2/19/2015, the 3rd Edition (rev date) 4/7/2016, the “4th / Final Edition -Final Cut” (… well, I thought it was going to be truly the Final one at the time…), published 5/15/2019, and now a “5th/Final Touch Edition” which will be published some time after 10/30/24 as I am writing this.
As for this 5th Edition Book, the main reason for this had to do with necessary changes in the Spirituality section 4.1, which turned out to be a Huge Awakening and Influence on me as well as I know it could have on others, as valuable lessons materialized… Updates to the Book were based on a blog post generated upon this Awakening which was the driver for This 5th Edition publication; i.e. [https://riseandshineanxietydepression.net/2020/11/15/]. The 5th Edition changes made include… a), consistency between the first paragraph of this Preface/Summary section, where I address… “…When you understand that Honesty is not only the Best Policy but the Only Policy, you realize there is absolutely nothing to hide…”, vs. the Dis-Integrity issue I addressed in section 4.1, first paragraph for the first 4 Editions of this Book… b), addressing Realization as to the Importance of Fellowship, Bible Study, & Prayer in one’s Faith/Spiritual Growth… although knew of the Importance of Prayer as all the earlier Book Editions addressed the Importance of inclusion of Prayer statements along with Positivity statements in self-talk, when dealing with Serious levels of Depression! … c), words addressing the Awakening/Enlightenment I personally went thru, which had a Huge Influence on me, as it would have on Others (Unquestionably)… d) Upfront Tidbits in support of working the Positivity Tools/Skills Process which were added in section 1.4, & e) added clarity & consistency involving the Importance of section 4 NEEDS for our Well-Being, especially when dealing with Serious Levels of Depression, or for those matters which fall outside our control.
Yeah, I certainly thought the 4th Edition of the Book was Truly Final with no further changes conceivable. However, on May 3/24, I started a pitfall into Deep Depression lasting 5 months (which led to a True Awakening)… So Very Painful though, thinking… How Could This Be Happening & What is going on??!!… I felt this way considering this Book I wrote, is All we can do for ourselves Naturally, to take care of ourselves through Life !!! So, I was Baffled, and was Unraveling, as I was thinking & saying to God…not again Please…!!! … Fortunately though, Thanks to God & Thanks for Fellowship/Bible Study & Prayer, & the Beautiful People Involved in this Personal Awakening & NEED, as I pulled out of that Depressive state on October 1/24… Amazing!!!… When I subsequently did a recap in thought of what went on & how I pulled out of this abruptly, hindsight made me realize this was a necessary trial & tribulation phase for me in my Life which was all meant to be… I realized then after about 68 yrs, 2 months of being on this planet, I had been Truly hanging onto living Life as a stickler of perfectionism in my relationship with God, always wondering if I was Good Enough for God. This was a Spiritual nuance I just didn’t see through all those years, even after going through & reading the Bible several times by then?… Yeah, this oversight caused me to Live Life in bondage ridiculously holding onto a guilty soul, as I continued to miss the bullseye & often the target of Spiritual Righteousness as we all do as humans, imperfect as we all are… This Renewed Awareness, made it clear this Awakening would likewise be Impactful/Influential for others, not doing well, or for those not sure of their Faith, or for those questioning their Faith. Section 4.1 explains this Awakening/Enlightenment further & what this could mean for others…
As for the Book’s Main Ingredients etc.:
A Complete Process including Detailed Instructions, and Optimum/Proven Coping Skills & Tools, Unmatched I believe, combining what I Learned from which Saved my Life upfront, plus additional elements provided which absolutely can only Help+, are provided for All. These Tools & Skills are those we were not born with, but we need to Learn. This Detailed Positivity Process, which also addresses the importance of Exercise & Eating Well (i.e. per section 3), and laughter & :)s, teaches us how to change or reprogram a negative mindset to a Positive mindset to prevent or eliminate significant levels of Anxiety and Depression in Life. More Specifically, this allows us to drill down to our individual negative thoughts/mindset, changing those to Positive thoughts/mindset, and also drilling down to the sources of Our negativity and dealing with that as Best as we can; this personalizes the process for Anyone. This is the Bottom Line Key to Self-Improvement or Recovery from an Anxiety & Depression perspective. Besides, a Positive mindset is what it takes to Aspire in Life; most all People believe this by now. This Process is based on the premise & the (Logical) FACT that a negative thought impacts the brain/body chemistry in a bad/negative way, and a Positive thought reverses that, and impacts brain/body chemistry in a Positive way. If this process works for those most afflicted, such as for me, it will work for Anyone! I am certain there is not anyone who couldn’t get something out of this Book unless they have been fully educated on these matters, and more importantly, have experienced all this. Take it from someone who has been Living and breathing this for 40 years now actually; and believe me a lot of those years up front, felt like it was 24 hours a day. Why for Anyone, is further explained in the 1st paragraph of the Introduction (section 1.).
Additionally, this Book goes One Big Step further, addressing what I and many Others believe, is Necessary to Solidify Recovery (or Improvement) from Our Anxieties & Depression, and then Solidify Our Well Being (i.e. Our Positivity and Peace of Mind). This allows us the potential to achieve True Peace of Mind/Tranquility through Life, Living Comfortably in an imperfect world (Everyone’s Goal!). When we become Positive Thinking People via the Key Tools and Skills Process included in this Book, which Is Crucial for People to appropriately deal with their earthly problems, especially for significant sufferers from Anxiety and Depression, we then become more Clear In Thought and More Apt to See and Sense What Really Is Important in Life; and that Should Include Our Belief System/Spirituality/God (addressed in section 4 of this Book). When we acknowledge, per my and many other People’s Beliefs (hopefully), that without God, there would be absolutely nothing, including Ourselves, all the Animals and Wildlife, and this Ecologically Perfect World we were born into… well, that pretty much sums it up and validates it … doesn’t it, or shouldn’t it :)? Unless of course, we believe in the Big Bang theory where, I guess, that belief is based on some state of entropy or something where All This including Ourselves, just miraculously by luck/chance, came into being and ended up this way ((?:)). For those who are not sure, I ask you… did All of This come from nothing at all, or from Something rather SPECIAL :)? If you’re thinking of something Special, you are on the Right Track :)! … When we work on our Positivity via the Tools, Skills, and Instruction set specifically addressed in this Book, together with Our Faith (section 4), and, Yeah, Exercise & Eating well of course, then I Firmly Believe this is as Good as we can do for ourselves as human beings on planet Earth, providing us that potential to achieve that True Peace of Mind through Life. So Absolutely Mind, Body, Spirit are the factors in our Life we need to work on to provide a Balance in our Lives… And as the Bible essentially says in Corinthians, we need to treat ourselves like a Temple, which encompasses us as a whole… Our Minds, Bodies, & Most Importantly, our Spirit :)!
This Combination of what it takes, allows us to appropriately cope under Very Difficult situations whether matters stack up within or outside of our control. At times, our Positivity which we can develop extensively/beautifully via the included Positivity Tools/Skills Process, can only take us so far, until we reach that threshold within us, past the burden we can bare, when we need More (i.e. Our Faith…); unfortunately, help from another human is very limited. I have grown to know this from firsthand experience, with some of those (very) down times. Considering an example of an Extreme case of the combination of PTSD, and subsequent Addiction (to alcohol), Faith was the only answer for Louis Zamperini! His biography is written in the Book“Unbroken”, addressing this, which is also addressed fully in the sequel to the movie “Unbroken”, entitled,“Unbroken: Path to Redemption”.
Additional rationale supporting the Importance and Need to Combine the included Positivity Tools & Skills Process with Our Faith, involves the synonymous nature of doing this when compared to those 12 Step Programs and their approach to deal with addictions (for alcohol or drugs). These programs have been around since 1939, and to this day are considered to be the Best Approach in Dealing with addictions. The basis of these 12 step programs involve the Best Approach steps necessary for People to rid themselves of their specific addictions, and combining this with the Needs for Belief in a Power Greater than Us; and that is Belief in God Ultimately. So, when Combining Our Belief in God with the included Detailed Cognitive/Behavioral Modification Approach, which I Am Convinced to be the Best Means to Resolve Our Problems with negativity, or Resolve Our addiction to negativity which it is in a sense, especially if we are significant sufferers with Anxiety and Depression, sums up and Validates my Complete Understanding (and gut feeling) that in a True Self-Help Book form, It Can’t Get Any Better.
Summing up the Total Process of Recovery, or Significant Improvement of Our Positive Thinking Ways for Anyone, and then Flourishing, depends on Amending or Taking Care of Our Heart & Soul (i.e. Our Spirit/Our Faith addressed in section 4), and Our Mind & Body (i.e. the Positivity Process covered in the majority of the Book, with details in sections 5, & 6, along with importance of Eating Well, & Exercise per section 3). We Need to Learn, to Balance our Lives, Physically, Mentally, and Our Spirit (Our Faith) which collectively defines Our Wellness & Well Being. In stride with what the Bible says, we need to treat ourselves like a Temple, which encompasses our Mind, Body, & Spirit.
Few noteworthy points, before wrapping this Preface/Summary up:
- Key information/text in the Book is often repeated for the reason, repetition of information is Important for education/training purposes. Most Importantly, this repetition applies to Sufferers in the process to reprogram their mindset, from being predominantly negative to being Positive
- As far as my unorthodox writing style … i.e. Capitalization of words which would not be normally capitalized … that is all based on Passion, Emotions, and Certainty of this subject matter, considering the Tremendous Education & Experience I have had through the years, and the Huge Emotional swings I went through, from the deepest of holes, to Flourishing in effect. As for the :)s, you read something about that already … and then the “… “s … well, just for the flow of what said at times, or for those afterthoughts … , and also when providing snippets to condense a long story into short form, when addressing e.g. a bit of my story which I wanted to keep short … Hey, this Book is not about me … it is about the Reader with the Desire to Help them…
Bottom line, I wrote this Book to Help Someone #1, so they do not have to go through what I had to in my Life! And I have seen the Power of this Book, with Book in hand for several individuals;100% of those I have come across, who I Know Read and Worked it appropriately, the Positive Impacts observed were Impressive, Life Changing & even Life Savings… In an apartment complex I lived at, there were (3) individuals I ran or swam into who worked the Book in the 2nd or 3rd edition forms, & the Impacts seen Completely Blew Me Away leaving me in awe; one of whom provided her Amazon Review 9/2/2015… Then, when it came to the Amazon 3/4/20 Reviewer, who had “Anxiety, Depression, OCD, PTSD his whole life”, who diligently worked the Process in the 4th Edition/Final Cut Book, Completely Turning his Life around, again, Clearly ID’d How Powerful of a Total Process This Is! I address these individuals more in section 1. Introduction/Rationale…
I am an unknown and did not get too many Books out there to date, since it is such a Popularity contest out there for Books and all, besides, in the eyes of naysayers likely, I don’t have a “PHD” by my name. So the thoughts likely amongst many are… What does he know?… Hmmm I just :), Knowing Better :)….. But Yeah, I Know this Book Is Truly Special, tying all aspects of our Well-being together, Knowing this would be Tremendously Beneficial for So Many people out there… Frankly Speaking, I do not think there could be anything better in a Complete Process & True Self-Help Book This Is. Besides, I don’t think anyone ever put this much Passion into a Book like this…! So Please, Read On for You and Your Loved Ones!
Life Is Good, Thanks,
& God Bless!
Author Ron
"Rise and Shine Anxiety & Depression & Life Management Tools" & "Rise and Shine Parents Self-Help Guide for the Youngins" 