Anxiety

Anxiety in human life is like the squeaking and grinding of machinery that is not oiled. The sage has learned that understanding how things work is the oil necessary for smooth operation. --Lao Fzu

     I subscribe to a service provided by taowoods.org. Each day they send a quick quote which I take a minute to think on. The above is today's quote.

     Having Asperger's Syndrome, I feel anxiety while out in public. It was never noticeable until recently when focusing on self discovery. This morning before receiving the quote I had listened to a science podcast from Grok's Science Show, they had interviewed an author that wrote a book on anxiety. The author spent most of his life dealing with panic attacks. He took many paths trying to reduce and cope. After many attempts of success and failure with various techniques, he wrote a book about what worked for him. The book is called A Life Less Anxious: Freedom from panic attacks and social anxiety without drugs or therapy written by Steve Pavilanis.

A note from the author on the book:

     Do you have a tremendous fear of public speaking, flying, or other social situations? Do you live in fear of having another panic attack? Do you depend on antidepressants, alcohol, or other medications to calm you down or help you sleep? If so, you're not alone. Tens of millions of Americans are affected by anxiety disorders and many more worldwide. I personally struggled for five years with extreme social anxiety and panic attacks, constantly battling my own scary and seemingly uncontrollable thoughts.

     I finally found the path to freedom from excessive worry, medication, and fear. I have overcome these problems and now live my life with a greater sense of inner peace and calmness. I'm not a medical doctor, psychiatrist, or therapist of any sort. I am simply a normal guy whose life was once overrun with constant worry, fear, and depression. With great determination, research, and trial and error, I have returned to a healthy state of wholeness and optimism.

     My book details many of the problems I encountered daily, struggles that anyone suffering from anxiety can certainly relate to. I expand in detail upon my journey towards personal freedom, the valuable lessons I learned along the way, and how to apply them to your own life. I discuss why I had several severe relapses with my progress, and how you can avoid the same pitfalls.

     On the show the author discusses overcoming anxiety in a zen kind of style and discussing it in the book. This may be helpful for those that have elevated anxiety levels.