The Trustworthy
August 2000 Issue

THE TRUSTWORTHY.
Issue #5. August.
Trust - Information and support for people with anxiety disorders.
http://www.geocities.com/anxietyhelp trustweb@ihug.com.au

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ISSUE #5 -August. Contents.
1. Welcome
2. This month in Trust.
3. Article- Setbacks and Anxiety.
4. Augusts Inspiration
5. Coming soon to trust.
6. Affirmation.
7. Book Review.
8. Thank you.

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WELCOME
Welcome to the newly named newsletter- The Trustworthy - issue 5 August. Sorry it has been a couple of days late this month. I hope you all like the new name… congratulations to Tamara Ash!!!! and thanks for all who entered the competition. It was lots of fun. Hope this finds you all well and improving as the months go by. This month we have the regular sections as well as an article on Change and Anxiety. The ways in which life changes for people with anxiety disorders can not only cause us to question our coping skills, but can also can occasionally bring us setbacks. If you have only signed up to receive this newsletter recently and would be interested in any of the previous four back issues, just email me and I will get them to you.

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LAST MONTH
I've had a really buys month and as a result I haven't done too much work on Trust. I have however added a inspirational quoter to the home page. Everyday there will be a new quote on it. I've also done the finishing touches on the new look of the site. If any of you find any broken links or pains with the new design I'd love to hear from you.

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ARTICLE- SETBACKS AND ANXIETY.
It is unfortunate that many of us with anxiety disorders will not necessarily ever completely be panic and anxiety free for the rest of our lives even after a recovery. For some recovery means simply learning to live with and no longer fearing anxiety. Others may live quite normally but have the very occasionally panic attack or anxiety. In this article I want to talk about setbacks and how to not let a setback become another cycle of anxiety and how to cope emotionally with the feelings it brings. Many of us have had times when we have been doing well with our anxiety, we may even seem to be panic free, then out of the blue panic or anxiety will hit. Usually this is not only very scary, but also extremely discouraging. It can feel as though you are never safe, that they can arise at anytime, anywhere. It can bring back feelings of having no control. After being panic or anxiety free for a period of time just one panic attack when you least expect it can bring back the thoughts of worry and anticipation of another hitting at anytime. This is where a setback can become another anxiety cycle. The way we deal with a setback can either put as back on the road to recovery, or it can bring us back down through our own concerns of the situation. Once we start to fear and worry excessively about panic once more, we are more likely to experience that anxiety. After the initial setback it is extremely important to try and find out the reason why it may have happened. It's important to reason with yourself. Often the panic may have just been caused by a simple reaction. It may have been lack of food or sleep; you may have been going through life changes and generally have had your stress levels build over a period of time. Usually when you sit down with yourself and look at how you have been living and the stress you have been under it becomes apparent why you may have had panic or anxiety. Often a setback can be an excellent wake up call. It can make us realise that we need to take better care of ourselves emotionally and physically. Setbacks are also times in which we need to show a little faith. This can be really hard given that your confidence has just been shaken. However, what you tell yourself at this time is very important. To begin to excessively worry over a setback and to become anxious about it is to worsen your condition. I know how hard it is to not concern you with what has happened and to try and not be fearful; thoughts can come often come automatically. However, the more you reassure yourself and tell you tell yourself that it was just a setback due to stressors you've been experiencing, the more quickly you will recover from it and get back to where you were. It is very natural to find setbacks discouraging and even depressing. But if you look for what was behind them, learn the lesson to reduce stressors and try to only see the setback as a temporary occurrence, you will move through it quickly and regain your confidence.

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AUGUSTS' INSPIRATION.
"Destiny is no matter of chance. It is a matter of choice: It is not a thing to be waited for, it is a thing to be achieved."
William Jennings Bryan

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COMING SOON TO TRUST. This month I am taking a little breather from Trust. I will still however be answering all emails that come my way and doing the general work on the site. Last month I didn't get the chance to add the relaxation room. But I have been working on it and it should be up and running over the past week. I will be adding more books to the book page and I also have some new support groups in the USA to add. I will be doing that over the next few days. Keep a look out.

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AUGUSTS' AFFIRMATION
" I can effectively handle any situation that comes my way."

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BOOK REVEIW - Feel the Fear and Do it Anyway by Susan Jeffers.
My book review this month is on a book that isn't necessarily a guide that is made to help people with anxiety disorders, but it can however be very helpful with negative self-talk and issues of fear due to anxiety. This months book is 'Feel the Fear and Do it Anyway- how to turn your fear and indecision into confidence and action' by Susan Jeffers. I read this book a long time ago before I had an anxiety disorder. At that time I really didn't get much out of it. However recently I picked up another copy of it and I really understood what was being said in the book and how a lot of the topics talked about are extremely relevant to people with anxiety disorders. The book deals largely with negative self-talk, and how we can defeat ourselves from doing things even before we attempt them. It also shows how fear isn't necessarily a bad thing and how we can use it to make changes in our lives for the better. The book is really easy to understand, it is also a self-help book that will make you feel inspired and stronger even while you are reading it. If you have fears and problems asserting yourself or moving passed where you are right now this book might be a great one to grab a copy of.

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THANK YOU.
Thank you to everyone who has come to Trust over the past month. Also thanks to everyone who has helped me over the past month. You know who you are. Hope Trust has helped you in some way. I hope August is a great month for you all and that it is either the beginning of the road to recovery or it brings you further down that road. If you have anything at all you would like to contribute to this newsletter please feel free to email me. It can be poetry, articles, a book review even your favourite quote. If you would like to stay anonymous just add at the end of your contribution 'anonymous' and it will stay that way. Also if you have any suggestions for the site, or would like to make contact with me, for anything, just email me. Have a great month everyone and if I can help in anyway you know where I am.