Saturday, April 19, 2014

Recovery training takes time and effort

There are no quick fixes to dealing with anxiety.

That may seem obvious, but in our fast-paced world people crave the easy way out. The Internet is flooded with advertisements for pills and potions, techniques and trainings, “guaranteed” to quickly abate nervous symptoms.

But these problems don’t develop overnight, and they won’t disappear that quickly, either.

However, that doesn’t mean there isn’t reason for hope. In Recovery we continuously remind ourselves that the discipline of sticking with the Recovery method leads to a path of wellness. Reading Dr. Low’s books or attending a few Recovery meetings will not lead to instant symptom relief. Yet Dr. Low reminded us that anything worth doing won’t be easy. Overcoming distressing symptoms takes time and effort—if it didn’t, we wouldn’t have these problems in the first place.

Recovery is about continuous practice—endorsing along the way no matter what the outcomes. After a short time, things will get better—any sort of cognitive training will have the same result. Recovery’s focus on a continuously applied method, regular attendance at meetings, and frequent spotting builds the character and discipline needed to face and overcome our fears. In many ways, the mechanics of the Recovery method, just going through the motions so to speak, can lead to improvements.

When I started this blog years ago, I was at a point in my life where I felt I “couldn’t take anymore” and that I needed instant relief from my distressing symptoms. Recovery taught me that such thinking, on both counts, is unrealistic, and that with continuous practice I will get better. Recovery may not be the quickest way to a better life, but I believe it is the surest.