After so many years of suffering, I was determined to recover and stay recovered.
I came across many sufferers during my recovery who thought they had recovered, only for anxiety to return just as bad as before. This was particularly devastating for them, since they had been enjoying an extended period of peace.
Everyone wants their recovery to be permanent, but staying recovered requires a specific step to be taken. Without it, a descent back into the anxiety state is very likely when some major life crisis happens.
Those that recovered fully and did not have a relapse said it was because they built up their right inner voices sufficiently. In other words, they made facing and accepting their default response to any anxious thoughts or feelings, no matter how strong those feelings were. They had completely lost their fear of the symptoms and sensations of anxiety, so were always able to face and allow any anxiety, without adding second fear.
I heard this from so many people I decided it must be necessary, and that I would have to do the same (build an invincible right inner voice) if I wished to stay recovered.
I wasn’t just looking to get rid of my current anxiety. I wanted to live the remainder of my life free from anxious suffering.
Notice I don’t say “free from anxiety”, but “free from anxious suffering”. Because as long as we are on this earth, we will, from time to time, experience stress and anxiety. But they are as natural as hunger, thirst, tiredness, etc. and do not cause any suffering as long as we respond to them without fighting them or avoiding them.
The Bottom Line
It is our fear reaction that turns normal stress and anxiety into the anxiety state and anxious suffering.
Without that reaction, these are normal feelings that fade away naturally when the situation that causes them is resolved.
