You are an extraordinarily resourceful person, and are doing all the right things to keep your demons at bay. Thank you for detailing some of the things you do; I’m sure other readers will be helped.

I think of my own mental disorders as demons, too, borrowing the image of a demon riding on my back from C.S. Lewis’ The Great Divorce. Although many would disagree with me, I think it helps to anthropomorphize mental disorders, to “name” them, and thereby learn to control them.

We live in frightening times — and I don’t mean just the recession. There’s much to turn us into quivering lumps of fear in each day’s newspaper. But as you say, we can choose whether we will succumb to that fear, and we can choose where we will live our lives: in the past, the present, or the future. Living in the present is the only real choice we have to maintain a fulfilling, contented, and productive life!

Please feel free to explore the site. Start with the “Most Popular” and the “Recent Posts” lists in the sidebar. Then check out the “Categories” tab at the top of the page. Specific topics can be found using the “search” facility in the sidebar. The “Reference & Info” list in the sidebar has longer background articles about the various Anxiety Disorders.

If you’re interested in a topic you don’t see covered, I would welcome your suggestions! Just email me using the “Contact” tab at the top of each page.

I refuse to see the worst, though it’s built into my temperament to do so. I was raised to look for possibilities, so catastrophizing isn’t an option — by determined choice. I choose to live in the present instead of the future, because NOW requires an action to create my THEN.

I believe what has been so often written in books on personal growth — what I see (look at, focus on, tell myself) is what I’ll get. (And that’s also Biblical: Phil 4:8-9)

I do fear our future somewhat — but I’m feisty enough to go down fighting if I go down at all.

Thanks for the series, Mike. Found you on Barbara Swafford’s blog.

Barb Hartsook’s last blog post..Why Does an Artist Paint? Or a Writer Write?

Thank you!

Karen

Personally, I’m not given much to catastrophizing. Whether it’s nurture or nature, I just don’t get bent out of shape about things I can’t control, especially those things in the future. I get no extra credit for this: It’s just the way I was designed to be.

However, I am an expert at denial. I’ll just cover my eyes to a problem, hoping it will go away, which of course, it never does. I can’t tell you how many times a situation has gotten out of hand because I ignored it for too long. And it seems like I never learn. I’m in the middle of a situation now that I know full well needs my attention, but here I am writing blithely about it while the house burns down around me! Physician, heal thyself!

Kim Woodbridge’s last blog post..My 5 Favorite Articles That I’ve Written This Year

Yes, I wish I knew when I was younger what I know now, too! I could have avoided so much pain and heartache, so many crazy-making people, so much… But that is dwelling in the past, which doesn’t do anybody any good except to learn from.

I’m glad that you have found some help here on the blog. If there are any subjects that you think others may be interested in, please let me know and I will consider putting them on my research list.

Your post about your son in the bathroom is hilarious! It reminds me so much of my own son when he was that age. In fact, he’s still like that, and he’s 28!

When I first was reading your post, I hadn’t gotten to the CommentLuv line that shows your last post. I was thinking that you really, really needed a blog for your writing. And there, you have one! Good for you!

In my own life, I have found that a continuous low-level sickness is often the sign of unresolved issues trying to rise to the level of attention. For me, these are centered around bipolar disorder and my Anxiety Disorders.

Have you thought about seeing a mental health professional? They may be able to help you sort things out so that you get some relief.

Parts 3 and 4 are out now, and I do hope you enjoy them and find them useful. They were originally planned for only one article, but at 31 tips, I just had to split them up!