For a long time we have been hearing about the increase (or sometimes just the recognition) of depression in our society. In the Western World the number 1 cause of disability is depression. The 200th report by the National Institute of Mental Health, in the USA, says that the 5 anxiety disorders - general anxiety, panic disorder, obsessive-compulsive disorder, post traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and phobias afflict approximately 3 times as many Americans aged 18 years or older as depression. Yes anxiety disorders are more prevalent than depression! Why? What is going on?

In times gone by we described anxiousness as "nervy" or just "being a worrier" or "don't think about it - you'll get over it"!  The numbers are so huge (18% in USA) that this area of ill health is being addressed.  We can often be in a heightened state for example when we may have to attend an interview or give a speech, and that's OK.  But when the anxiety becomes stressful or we become chronically stressed, then the body has moved into an internal chemical addiction which brings about repeated episodes of anxiety.

When an anxiety disorder sets in - to the body - then there could be difficulty in breathing, fear, emotion, sweating, loss of control, heart racing and difficulty in thinking clearly. When panic attacks occur the autonomic nervous system is now in control.

Dr Joe Dispenza writes in his book "Evolve Your Brain":   ".... if we could trace anxiety back to the beginning, for most people it starts off with some major difficulty that caused intense emotional pressure.  After the event, the memory of that experience causes the person to think about that episode, over and over, in anticipation of a similar event occurring again.  As they mentally review their past, the brain starts to make the appropriate chemistry, and those thoughts signal the sympathetic (SNS) impulses to begin.  They become anxious and afraid about their future moments and what potentially might happen.  Their attitude (cluster of thoughts) now is making the chemicals for anxiety and worry.  Their thoughts about a particular stressor, not the stressor itself, are creating the stress response."

The Body's Addiction

If we worry every day about what may happen, in this way we start to build a neural network which becomes like a highway in our brain.  I wrote about how this occurs in my previous E-Report.

The next step that happens automatically is that all the previous "worry" memories, which have similar patterns, flow forth and the body creates those chemicals relating to the "worry memories".

Now the body is "worried" and the brain registers that and we think and say "how worried we feel".  The next step is that a panic attack can start and we can lose control.  Now we are really "worried" and we don't like it ... but ... the body is getting used to it and the habit forms.  The body "wants" it.

We feel the way we are thinking and think the way we are feeling.  So the brain makes the "worry" network and we create even more brain chemicals to reinforce how our body is feeling

Now our thoughts have become real.

We are Creators

We can create worry.  Anxiety feeds anxiety and when it's a habit the body and our brain cells want it!

Any repetitive feeling, whatever that feeling may be, creates a state of being.  We did that!  That's how the chemicals in the brain works - we create associated feelings of sad, lonely, unworthy, insecure, which often lead to depression.

Imagine if we put our thinking towards joy, happiness, gratitude, love or relaxation ... we can create in our body and our brain, the required neuro-chemicals to serve us.

So #firstname#, knowing that we are creators I have developed a way through this which is on DVD (teaching about how Mind Matters) and I have a Meditation CD, which when used every day for a month, will help to resolve issues involving worry and anxiousness by creating new positive neural pathways..

All the Best

 
Sandy MacGregor 

Success Stories

My wife has being wanting to email you about what she experienced when giving birth to our youngest son, about 4 weeks ago. She had been playing your birth CD at night for weeks prior to the birth and during labour she visualised the colours as per instructions. She was amazed at how easily she was able to relax and deal with the pain. She told me (I was there) that between contractions she was actually relaxing deeply!  M.M.  ACT.