Update Time + Therapy help

Hello everyone who reads my blog, welcome back!

I have been very absent from my blog for the past month, and I'm not happy about that. I've had a few things happen in my personal life (most of them relating to anxiety) that have caused me to have a rollercoaster full of emotions the past few weeks. Certain things I was not able to do, which meant that I got very down about my anxiety, especially because it had been going so well up until then. Setbacks can be extremely nasty, as they can make you believe that you have lost all that you have learnt.

But you have to remember two things:
1 - You got better until this point, therefore you will be able to get better again
2 - A setback is a setback because you managed to make progress before (otherwise this would just be another failure)

Recovery from anything is most often two steps forward, one step back. In some cases, like my situation right now, this step back can be a very large step, but you must never give up and get back on the road with teeny tiny steps in the right direction.

People who aren't very empathetic or haven't experienced a difficult time in their lives relating to your personality or brain, can and often will insult your progress. "You aren't trying hard enough" or "You just have to get over it" or "What the hell are you doing now?" are things we hear a lot. Yet we have to shut those voices out (as hard as it is we have to try - although you will not always be successful) and either give them a stern talk and explain what you are going through (probably for the 100th time) or rely on your own strength to hear past them. You are doing the best you can, and each step in the right direction, no matter how small, is the right way forward.

I am writing this for not only my readers, but also for myself. I find that blogging and journalling and writing my thoughts down is very relaxing and therapeutic and I highly recommend it if you have something you wish to work on or work out in your own life. Speaking of therapy, please let me know if you have tried any alternative therapies for anxiety, panic disorder, phobias and more. I have undergone CBT and found that although it helped me, it was not enough or what I was really looking for. I am now considering and in the process of starting mindfulness, and have bought books on ACT (acceptance and commitment therapy), and am looking into EMDR therapy. Please let me know your experiences with those or others.

I would love to hear how any of you are doing right now, cause sometimes you just need an anonymous place to talk.

Love you all!!
Adrianna