To bring you up to speed on my personal history, I have Generalized Anxiety Disorder aka GAD. GAD is exactly what it sounds like, a continuous state of anxiety. My mind can take the smallest problem and spin it around and around and around for hours looking at all the issues and scenarios associated with that problem. It is virtually impossible to get myself to stop this freight train thinking on my own. I take Lexapro every day and have taken it for the last 10 years of my life. I hate being dependent upon a drug, but without it my issue leads to panic attacks and my feelings being uncontrollably volatile. Trust me, it is best for my family and the world if I medicate.
You can now see why the Snowball Effect of Thinking is a scary chapter for me. In the end, Carlson doesn't leave me with anything I haven't heard before: "Stop your train of thought before it has a chance to get going. " This is sooooooo much easier said than done. His suggestions like writing things down is blah, blah, blah to me.
Regardless of whether or not I can stop the Snowball Effect, I try and I have gotten much better at it over the years. Breathing deep helps a lot. And I am learning to try to box things up and push them to the side temporarily. I think the Lexapro aids me in this task tremendously.
I take Carlson's point and know that he is right: I do feel uptight when my thoughts spiral out of control; I do get upset about the details which fuels my fire: I do become incredibly agitated. All I can do is be aware and do my best to stop this pattern. I hope that people without GAD take his lesson to heart.
-Dear God, Please be with me and my continuous struggle to not obsess on things. Help me to breathe deep and ease my mind of anxiety. I pray that I continue to be healthy so that I can combat some of these mental problem with exercise. I also ask that you protect me from the possible side effects of Lexapro. Help me to be mentally strong. Amen.
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