Self Help for Your Nerves

1. Understand the Nature of Nervous Illness

You are no exception. You can find it if you make up your mind to, however great a coward you may think yourself at this moment.

The power within. Nervous illness is not a sign of weakness but a result of oversensitized nerves and exaggerated reactions to stress. It's crucial to understand that recovery is possible for everyone, regardless of how severe the symptoms may seem. The illness often stems from a cycle of fear-adrenalin-fear, where initial stress sensitizes the nervous system, leading to more intense reactions to subsequent stressors.

Key components of nervous illness:

• Overactive sympathetic (adrenalin-releasing) nervous system
• Exaggerated physical sensations (e.g., racing heart, churning stomach)
• Intrusive thoughts and obsessions
• Loss of confidence and feelings of unreality

Understanding these aspects helps demystify the condition and paves the way for recovery. Remember, you have unsuspected power within you to overcome this illness.

2. Face, Accept, Float, and Let Time Pass

Facing, Accepting, Floating, Letting time pass.

The recovery formula. This four-step approach is the cornerstone of overcoming nervous illness. Facing involves confronting your fears and symptoms head-on rather than avoiding them. Accepting means acknowledging your current state without fighting against it. Floating refers to letting go of the struggle and allowing yourself to move through experiences without resistance. Letting time pass emphasizes the importance of patience in the recovery process.

Implementing the approach:

• Face your symptoms: Examine and describe them objectively
• Accept your current state: Don't try to forcefully change how you feel
• Float through experiences: Imagine yourself floating past difficulties
• Let time pass: Understand that recovery takes time and can't be rushed

By consistently applying these principles, you gradually desensitize your nervous system and break the cycle of fear and anxiety.

3. Recognize and Manage Physical Symptoms

You cannot harm your heart. You can do anything you wish, provided you are prepared 'to put up temporarily with the strange feelings that come from the region of your heart.

Understand your body's reactions. Physical symptoms of nervous illness, such as palpitations, sweating, and churning stomach, are alarming but harmless. They are the result of an oversensitive nervous system, not indicators of underlying physical disease. Recognizing this can significantly reduce anxiety about these sensations.

Managing common symptoms:

• Palpitations: Accept them, breathe deeply, and remember they're harmless
• Churning stomach: Analyze the sensation objectively, don't shrink from it
• Sweating and trembling: Understand these as normal stress responses
• Headaches and muscle tension: Practice relaxation techniques

Remember, these symptoms will gradually subside as you become less sensitized to them. Don't let fear of these sensations control your actions or limit your activities.

4. Overcome Obsessive Thoughts and Behaviors

You cannot increase your symptoms by facing them or even trying to intensify them. In fact, you may find that when you try consciously to make them worse, they improve.

Confront obsessions. Obsessive thoughts and behaviors are common in nervous illness. They often arise from fatigue and fear, becoming habitual over time. The key to overcoming them is not to fight or suppress them, but to accept their presence while understanding their true nature.

Strategies for managing obsessions:

• Recognize them as symptoms, not realities
• Accept their presence without trying to forcefully remove them
• Gradually replace obsessive thoughts with more realistic ones
• Practice "floating" past the urge to engage in obsessive behaviors

By facing obsessions without fear and accepting them as temporary, you reduce their power and allow them to fade naturally over time.

5. Address Depression and Restore Confidence

Depression is you, not the world that is so terrible. Depression is an illness, just as influenza is an illness, and nature is waiting as readily to cure one as the other, if you will let her.

Understand depression's nature. Depression often accompanies nervous illness, robbing sufferers of joy and confidence. It's crucial to recognize depression as a symptom of your condition, not a reflection of reality. Like other aspects of nervous illness, depression can be overcome with the right approach.

Strategies for managing depression and rebuilding confidence:

• Stay occupied, especially in the company of others
• Avoid excessive rest or isolation
• Engage in small, daily pleasurable activities
• Recognize and challenge negative thought patterns
• Set small, achievable goals to rebuild confidence gradually

Remember, confidence is rebuilt through action, not introspection. As you face and overcome challenges, no matter how small, your confidence will naturally grow.

6. Navigate Home and Social Interactions

Do not be alarmed by the term disintegration if you have not heard it before. Your personality has not truly disintegrated. Your adrenalin-releasing nerves are merely oversensitized by fear and continuous tension, and your mind slowed by fatigue.

Reconnect with the world. Many sufferers of nervous illness feel disconnected from others and struggle with social interactions. This feeling of "disintegration" is a symptom of the illness, not a permanent state. As you recover, your ability to connect with others will naturally improve.

Tips for social reintegration:

• Accept that feelings of disconnection are temporary
• Start with small, manageable social interactions
• Don't force feelings; allow them to return naturally
• Be patient with yourself and others during this process

When returning home after treatment, remember that initial discomfort is normal. Apply the principles of facing, accepting, floating, and letting time pass to navigate this transition smoothly.

7. Embrace Occupation as a Path to Recovery

LET OCCUPATION BE YOUR CRUTCH.

The power of purposeful activity. Occupation plays a crucial role in recovery from nervous illness. It provides structure, diverts attention from symptoms, and helps rebuild confidence. The right kind of occupation can act as a "splint for the tired mind," allowing it to heal and regain strength.

Guidelines for effective occupation:

• Choose activities that are engaging but not overly stressful
• Balance activity with appropriate rest
• Gradually increase the complexity and duration of tasks
• Include social elements in your occupations when possible
• Be patient with your progress and accept temporary setbacks

Remember, the goal is not perfection but engagement. Even small amounts of purposeful activity can significantly aid recovery.

8. Harness the Power of Courage and Faith

You have probably seen yourself in part, if not in all, of this description. It is possible that you have difficulties not mentioned here, but the principle of treatment outlined in the next chapters will meet all those difficulties.

Inner strength and belief. Courage and faith are powerful allies in overcoming nervous illness. Courage doesn't mean absence of fear, but the willingness to face and move through fear. Faith, whether religious or secular, provides a sense of purpose and hope that can sustain you through difficult times.

Cultivating courage and faith:

• Recognize small acts of bravery in your daily life
• Draw inspiration from others who have overcome similar challenges
• Practice self-compassion and acknowledge your efforts
• Connect with sources of spiritual or personal meaning
• Maintain hope in the possibility of recovery

Remember, recovery is a journey, not a destination. Every step forward, no matter how small, is a victory. Trust in your inner strength and the healing power of time and perseverance.

Last updated: August 17, 2024