It made me more paranoid and anxious though I didnt realise it at the time. I do smoke, when I gave it up I got colds all the time.

But quite possibly they dont, quite possibly they have managed to cope with difficulties without developing Anxiety. For instance, someone who couldnt progress with their dental phobia because of the long gaps between appointments volunteered as a driver for elderly people - the regular visits to the surgery helped them to be much more relaxed there. OCD with compulsive thoughts Everyone knows you cant stop yourself thinking just like that. If you are a casual user and you have developed Anxiety, then its time to stop. You may recognise this mindset if you have ever been a parent, or worked with children. We had sessions twice a week for three weeks until I could tolerate the tape at full volume for 10 minutes. And the greatest fear of an Anxiety attack/disorder sufferer? A person having their first panic attack can think theyre having a heart attack. They feel the need to suck in great gulps of air, as if they cant get enough, and often feel unable to breathe out fully before taking the next breath in. Examine your behaviour while you are busy with your thoughts (this is known as ruminating). Youll then be able to create your own individual recovery programme. Hold a spider. And while were on the subject, lets answer those two questions. So, the greatest determiner of having an Anxiety attack is also your greatest treasure, your MIND. Arrange a time when you wont be disturbed - if there are other people around, explain that you need to be alone for a while. Simple emotions Research suggests that there are six simple emotions that are found in all cultures, all over the world: happiness, anger, grief, sadness, fear, and disgust. This is one of the things you may wish to discuss with them, and remind them that its not particularly helpful to keep giving this reassurance. I did some one-to-one work with a co-worker at first, then a couple of us would go out together and we would talk to take the focus away from feeling scared. Lets meet the group: I was on tranquillisers for 36 years and your body becomes tolerant and you start to feel anxiety symptoms which get worse when you stop taking them. I had an older brother who was cleverer than me, and I developed a stammer when I was 8 years old which made me very self-conscious. I was on the bus going to visit my mother and I started to feel floaty and scared and out-of-sorts. There is no real evidence that this person is an unsafe driver and there is no objective reason for them to give up driving. Take a moment to look through your notebook - it will remind you of how far youve come and how much more you now understand about Anxiety.