I was so tired of being scared of my own heart , heart beat.... anything related to heart. Monday, I got so tired of fight for 6 years and I confronted the phobia by imagining my own heart beating, how the blood moves in and out my heart... it was tough but I was determined to let go. I thanked my heart so much for being so strong when I was hurt by narcissistic parents and siblings and so on. I gave my inner child a big hug and promised my heart to never let it get hurt again. My life changed in 20 minutes. God was there throughout, as I asked him to give strength and courage... he did big time and it was a big relief....
Fasika Enyew I know this reply comes a year later but thank you for sharing your testimony. I relaxed and calmed down just reading your comment. I realize now I’m not afraid or anxious of the “thing/event” necessarily but more so my own interpretation and bodily reaction to it.
Tried to go to the market for 4 times in a week alone.. A place that ive never been alone going to for 10 years!!! Ofcourse I have symptoms. The first try was the hardest.. but I managed to buy everything that I planned to buy. And man, I felt so happy! There are still some bad days but the first step to change has started. Next week will try to do one of the hardest for me, riding a public transportation. I am anxious but excited as well. Pray for me! 😉
I’m proud of my self I drove on the freeway where I had ah phobia 2015 .. surprisingly i cured it just learning anxiety.. thank you so much for this channel I got my life back
I have a fear of doctors but even more than that is having my blood pressure taken. As I have white coat syndrome. So when I think of having blood pressure taken my heart races and blood pressure goes up. Even when I went to the eye doctor and they wanted to take my blood pressure I almost had a panic attack. I will use your technique to desensitize. Love your video. Thanks for sharing.
I did exposure therapy...not easy but it did work....Great video Dennis. I listen to you 1st in the morn, and throughout the day when I am able. Today is day 3 I've watched you. I smiled all morning, for no reason. 1st time this has happened in many many years. Thank you for taking your time to do videos. You are loved
i needed this more than i thought i did.. visualizing the exposure before you go into it with the right mindset and celebrate afterwards (thinking- imagining-doing-being) the process kinda makes sense.
I have to do a sleep study soon because after a head injury i have 4 days where i cant sleep at all before i can pass out its horrible and i am going to pass this challenge too! Thanks to you my life has changed immensely and i will get through this too! I appreciate this video like every other one you make it always helps my transition! Bless you dennis ❤
Thank you Dennis so much for this video!! I'm so tired of feeling scared when I have to leave the house alone and that I always cancel plans just bc I'm so so so afraid. I don't want to miss out on my own life any longer. But it is sooooo difficult...even the visualization practice gave me so many sensations, but I know eventually I'll get there. Thank you again!!!
The anxiety guy is going to help you way more than a therapist/psychotherapy atleast from what I’ve dealt with, do yourself a favor and just keep his bell on and watch his videos. It’s free and he actually cares
Dennis, I started doing exposure for a loud heartbeat that I feel constantly ( since developing panic disorder and sensitization) , by stepping for a minute to raise up my heartbeat. Doing it at least 10 times a day and then sitting in it. I am scared of my body /panic attacks. So maybe just imagining all the symptoms of having a panic attack might be a better way.
Write down your biggest triggers and then practice this per individual trigger - at least that's what I'm doing. I have social and generalized anxiety to the point I'm afraid to do everyday things. I plan to share my exposure therapy on my channel at some point. I think it could be beneficial to my health journey I'm on.
@Dennis sir...I don't have words to thank you...In this world of selfish people you are genuinely helping people and god will definitely reward you and your family for this purpose....
Hi Dennis, so glad I came across your channel!!! I've subscribed bcoz I feel your teachings can help me in the changes I know I need to make in my life ..I don't like how I feel on most days & I need to sort out my health too so lot's of hard work ahead...Will keep you updated with my progress! Thanks for helping everyone, God bless you brother
So i joined a english class not realizing it was based around getting graded only on speaking to pears in person infront of class and online. I tried to expose myself and man up... But I failed. I dropped the class because the class made me so anxious. I was too humiliated to go back and didnt feel good enough to be there. I felt like a failure... I was so terrified of being judged by my pears, because i was bullied heavily in high school. Everytime it was my turn my anxiety would be so bad id almost have an attack. Ugh i guess since it was once a week it wasnt enough for me to get used to it. So difficult...
Excellent video Dennis this is great advice while doing the anti anxiety program i am working a lot on exposure therapy such as going up mountains, flying and working on breathing and heart sensations while exercising which is my current sticking point
Dennis, this was extremely helpful! Great walk through!! Thanks!! I had questions on exactly how to do it. Now I feel like I have something to work with:)
After 7 weeks of group DBT therapy, I'm now in a prolonged PTSD program. Today was Day 4 for me. We have group check in & then my therapist, who has 4 patients including me assigned to her, meets with me individually for 30 minutes. We plan what I'll do until 12:15 and that mainly involves doing exposure therapy with the other other patients. On day 4, a fellow patient did his exposure therapy with me and I was disturbed by the intimate & angry detsils he shared with me. I'm very open minded however, I am finding out that their definition of individual therapy is more like the patients being responsible for what the trained therapist should be doing.
I use imaginative and systematic exposure. Flooding is just too intense for me at this point. It feels like flooding would do more damage than good, but I guess it does depend on the mindset as you mentioned.
The Anxiety Guy, I want to thank you for this video which is highly informative while being presented so simply. I particularly appreciate your emphasis on the need for regular, disciplined practice of any psychological intervention - this according to me, is the number one reason why therapy does not work out for so many people. Also, your clarification on the thinking to doing to becoming process at the end was enlightening.
yes i ben exposing my self everyday .. fear and anxiety are getting worse...but i think bcz i dont trust my self or im highly sensitized .. or been doing exposure randomley without tools ,,
Great video dennis love your chanell i cannot help but look at the surroundings is this your garden its lovely very relaxing i look forward to your youtube videos every wednesday love them and all the pods and FBLive ❤❤well done good job
Hi Dennis, great explanation. How long roughly should each daily session last? And what are the skill sets at the moment of exposure you are referring to?
Great video. I would also like to know what to do while in the exposure. My inclination is that deep breathing and relaxation techniques are band-aids to the actual healing work of exposure - ie they squash the emotions to erupt later. For instance, I am experiencing Exploding Head Syndrome at night. If I just breathe through it, sometimes i can quiet the sensations a bit but i can tell I’m not healing them or moving through the underlying fears / wounds. My inclination is that “being with” the sensation is essential to processing. But what does “being with” look/feel like?
Brandon Bosch Best combination of input and a question I’ve received in a long time. You’ve hit the nail on the head by recognizing that the feeling must be fully experienced in order for the subconscious programming to shift. There are exceptions to this though, for instance I’ve regressed people to cause/the initial sensitizing event but not experience the event through the child’s senses but through the adults mind. Being with the feeling means allowing the emotions to accompany the visual imagery, without running from, stuffing aside etc. The self punishing programs installed within the subconscious and have come with harbouring emotions get stored in the mind and body and the subconscious is a goal seeking system. It will do all it can to accomplish the goals of the most original programs embedded. Let me know if this helps and I’ll do my best to add to it.
I am affraid of having heart attack and losing people that I love and being alone on this world. That could the reason having this anxiety and panic attacks. Try to ignore it but sometimes the pain keep getting worse even it's only in my head. I will try this and hope will work for me. But anything is possible
Nelson Cartier Gaming omg I have panic attacks in the car. They say I have vehophobia . I want to heal from this because I use to love to drive!! This been going on since September. How do I keep thinking positive while driving ??? Any tips
@dennis ! I have a great video I haven’t see u make yet .. you have helped me so much ! Can you discuss what to do when people around you die from what your health anxiety spawns off of. ( me heart stuff .... my friend died this week 33 in his sleep of heart stuff ). Or when you are around people with chronic/ terminal illnesses (cancer / Parkinson’s etc ) that are triggers to health anxiety . My gpa just passed of Parkinson’s and the last few months were a lot for my brain . I’m in over load .. I’ve been on edge all week and kinda getting arogaphobic . I’m sure many would love to hear your thoughts on how to deal with these “triggers” . Thanks ❣️🌟
Thanks for the clarification this was really helpful for me. I feel like there have been quite a few mental health care "professionals" that I've worked with who really push exposure therapy and just don't really seem to have a clue what anxiety is. I got a lot of "just get out there exposure therapy works" with no other guidance and when I ran into problems they kind of just brushed me off and told me I must not really be trying hard enough. So I kind of went through this cycle of pushing myself really hard to get out there with a mindset that I wasn't good enough and never would be and for a while it would seem to be working but after awhile the anxiety would just build and build again until I just seemed to slam into a wall and feel worse off than ever. Fortunately I have a much more knowledgeable therapist now and I've also learned other techniques like CBT and mindfulness that have helped with the negative self-talk a lot. I've been wanting to give exposure a try again and this advice has given me a good idea about how to go about it the right way this time. I really want to be able to have a life that isn't polarized by anxiety.
Laura Flora I know you posted this about a year ago; I’m going through the same and I LOVE this video. I have been told the same from the professionals. How are you doing on your journey!♥️
Thank so much Dennis , your videos are so helpful. I have food anxiety. Basically terrified of food poisoning so i limit my foods to basically carbs and very few things. I’m sure exposure therapy will help me but i can’t get over that initial fear.
I have had a similar issue and it took awhile but one food at a time i would reintroduce it when i was ready and my list of what i could eat got longer then by the time i was getting better about it i kind of stopped caring so much i said well if something happens i will be ok and im not living like this anymore! Slow exposure works when you're having a relaxed day and neutral and ready to give it a go
All I think of is if I can use this to get over my phobia of roaches..... I just can't get my body to relax when just the thought of them enters my mind. This is tough!
Please help, how can I overcome this anxiety feeling. My body always feels like it’s vibrating, I have loss of appetite and some what dizziness. What can I do to lessen this ?
Mohammad Meeran In the anxiety world it means certain environments, things, people still are paired up with a danger or threat because the subconscious mind picks up on energy. Everything is energy, in order to end it exposure is key in a manageable way, but not without the right mindset and some skills.
Thanks a lot Dennis. You're an ANGEL from above who brought me/others God's mercy and compassion. You showed us the right way. Maybe Jesus inspires you to be ableto bring Gods message of salvation.
Ta lhah Khan, Meditation is the practical way to handle anxiety because the mind is reprogrammed. Watch alternate nostril breathing meditation videos on Google search and do this simple meditation for 5-10 minutes if possible twice a day. You can sit on a chair and do this meditation. Second simple meditation is to close eyes, sit anywhere with back erect without moving for 5-10 minutes. Don’t move-be still -slowly negative thoughts will reduce. Best wishes Shyaaam Sir, Make meditation a daily habit.
Hi Dennis, can I still apply the steps that you mentioned if new symptoms on my body have already exposed me to my fears and triggered my health anxiety ? I wasn't trying to expose myself to my fears, but a new symptom kind of "volunteered" me to do just that. Is it a lost case since I wasn't mentally prepared first this time?
I recently became sensitized to swallowing after a choking experience. I feel like I dont have time to repeat this imaginative work until I reach low levels of anxiety because I eat multiple times a day. Any advice for desensitizing this kind of fear?
Mate i have a question for you. i have a trauma of making and keeping money. Everytime i start imagining myself having money , anxiety kicks in and money dries up until i give up the affirmation/visualization. I have done plenty of therapies and nothing appears to address this issue. How to use this ET to my situation?
Dennis what about getting the same sensation over the same experience i remember one i was praying and i was so anxious before and when i got engaged i praying my heart rate went up and had an anxiety attacj because of the rushing thoughts in my head so whenever i wanna pray i feel scared just like if m expecting my heartcrate to go up and it happens todya was my day 1 i prayed 5 times and my heart rate went up i will keep doing until it will go away but i just wanna know what u think about this!
Dennis. My sensations are purely dizzyness and swaying. How do i face that. Its a daily and constant thing, it makes me feel like im gonna lose my mind
Anthonys Facing it wouldn’t be the approach, understanding it would. Your nervous system is telling you to slow down the onslaught of emotions so I’d start with recognizing when and where those times where my system has to work overtime is. Then I’d begin finding a new perspective over them while simultaneously practice a neutral stance emotionally in those moments. The better you can get at observing your symptoms and viewing them as signals rather than going into reaction mode the faster healing takes place. Take care.
Hi Derek getting specific in this area. I have tinnitus which has a considerable emotional element, it is something that feeds upon itself. I get how you can rehearse exposure to external stuff, but internal stuff is a bit more tricky. Having said that tinnitus does vary in intensity so an idea might be to take one of those less intense moments and to go through the process you suggest. Your thoughts?
Brandon Wimberly I was driving for an hour today and I got really bad anxiety and felt myself starting to panic so what I do to distract my mind is play a song and start singing along to the song and don’t let myself stop to think about my anxiety, eventually it distracted me and I calmed down again
Diane C. I’m so glad that helped you stick to it 🙌🏾. I be trying every and anything to distract myself but my body symptoms gets the best of me now I barely drive at all. One day hopefully GOD a heal this from me for life until then......... 😢🙏🏾
Brandon Wimberly I know, it’s so hard to ignore those intense feelings but exposure therapy really shows you how there is nothing to fear, and you get used to it. It’s not going to entirely disappear but it takes work, I plan on driving 25 miles and back on Thursday again and I already know I’m going to get very anxious, just thinking about it, but I’m trying to push myself, if I can do it, you can too!😃
Diane C. So do you be getting the weird feeling in your feet and the adrenaline rushes when you drive? I know you can drive 25 miles and back I have faith in you 😊 I be feeling like this is apart of my life forever because this been going on since last September smh. I stop going to work a few months back because I couldn’t drive the 25 miles there & back anymore 😢 it got worse for me. People keep asking me now am I claustrophobic which I never was, could that be it now or it’s just all in my head?
Brandon Wimberly Yes, my heart starts pounding, shortness of breath that’s why distraction is important. Maybe try listening to a podcast through your car speakers, start driving little by little, maybe down the street and back? Btw thank you :) i believe you can overcome it as well! Don’t push yourself too hard, build your progress slowly’
Dont understand.how this can work. I inow i am not scared of going to the shopping mall but as soon as i get in there , my head tightens up and i feel faint. Of course i am here at home lying down , calm , i can inagine going there and not feeling ill but it will never stop it happening . I go out and go to these places everyday , theres no one place tha5 hasnt been a trigger . I have had a turn everywhere now ,there is nowhere left to avoid , so you just keep going so one day you might forget. I can inagine that it wont hsppen but it always will
@@TheAnxietyGuy1 Dear Dennis , you know i think my nervous system is so jangled , it still does it automatically. What would you suggest for calming diwn the nervous system? Surely i need to do this before i can proceed with recovery. Have you read Claire Weekes? Obviously written in the 60's when Valium was still popular, a few days of supervised sedation via your doctor is recommended before recovery can start . Naturally you can imagine that a doctor these days would do no such thing . I wondered what you thought the alternative could be of that part of the process . How do we calm down the already sensitized system ? Thank you as always.
Suededogs Open your heart to a new experience, and do this meditation twice a day for 21 days, and don’t stop when you feel better: ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-ICW0PK28vM4.html 🙏❤️
My heart area always feel tight😢😢below my left nipple.. As if a muscle is pulled.. I play football.. Do workout.. But it doesn't affect anyway.. 😢help me plz I'm too afraid
Kathy McDevitt I’m guessing it’s because of the rush of dopamine that floods a persons mind when they hear do have, it’s addicting, and it gives people a ‘fix’ (so they need more). The 4 stages takes more work internally, that equals pain to most, this is a big reason why you’ll see so many people circling around the same wants in life and never achieving it. Because it’s the stuff below the hood, below the surface that needs attention and shifting, and for the majority of people doing skips too many critical steps.
Would it be possible to put up either small personal family photos, or vacation photos at your desk that you would enjoy? Are you able to bring along a favorite healthy snack for your break to have something to look forward to? Maybe try to think of little things to ease you thru, and less focus on the "thought of specifically going to the office" might help. Everytime you take a water or tea break, focus on sights, sounds, taste, smell and check your breathing pattern (breathe from the stomach instead of upper chest). And remember, "We're in transition". We are warriors.
Thanks , really appreciate it , I will try , and yes, We are Warriors !!!! P/S: How to "less focus on the "thought of specifically going to the office" , any proven way??
Nelson Cartier Gaming The trick is to feel anxiaty and say: its OK. To be with peace with it... Then anxiaty just melts away. Every time more and more...
This is not exposure therapy for anxiety done right! This is just imagination/visualisation and hoping that through that an anxiety sufferer will be better prepared facing their fear. To overcome fear is a doing thing, not a vibrational frequency pseudo thing!
That Anxiety Chick Thanks for sharing your side. Fortunately science and the works and studies of people like Brent Baum have proven the effectiveness of visual imagery coupled with emotional intensity to literally change the brain, and affect a person physiologically. Since we understand that the brain doesn’t know the difference between an imagined and real experience, we can utilize this in our interventions with great success, and have test studies to prove its effectiveness. Wishing you well. ❤️
