I want to share with you a story about how an anxiety disorder turned my life upside down. How anxiety, fear, and panic knocked me down and changed my life within the matter of one day. This was not typical, everyday anxiety that is healthy and natural, nor was it situational anxiety that comes and goes based on stressful events and circumstances. This was constant and uncontrollable anxiety that ruled every second of every day. This anxiety-my anxiety-had truly become a disorder. I want to inform you about my experience with anxiety along with the skills that I developed to help me overcome my harmful thoughts and feelings. I believe my story will equip you with the knowledge and awareness necessary to handle your thoughts and feelings and hopefully avoid an anxiety disorder altogether.

My struggle with anxiety was amplified in large part because I knew very little about the condition and its potentially disastrous effects. I knew nothing about its symptoms, effects, or the dangers associated with the disorder. I was oblivious that anxiety can very quickly convince you that you can't handle life's adversities and challenges, large or small. My ignorance led to a much longer and more tumultuous battle with anxiety as it completely infiltrated every aspect of my life. If I was equipped then with the knowledge about anxiety that I possess today, I believe I could have better controlled my anxious feelings and prevented them from developing into a disorder. As we know, knowledge is power, so informing future unsuspecting victims about anxiety and its related disorders is the first step in prevention.

This book will also resonate with those of you who consider yourselves to be motivated and driven people, constantly striving for success and achievement in all aspects of your life. Contrary to popular belief, it is you who are typically the people most affected by anxiety. Anxiety is actually a natural part of all of us as human beings. It can be a very positive tool because it is what drives us to push ourselves to succeed. I like to say it is what keeps us off our couches all day long. Yet, when anxiety becomes abnormal or excessive, it can quickly become a very negative force. It is only our knowledge, skills, and our ability to control this anxiety that can allow us to maintain its positive effects. But for many of us, the ability to control anxiety does not come naturally. These skills must be taught, learned, retained, and practiced. Finding a source that provides helpful strategies for controlling anxiety is not very easy.

For me, speaking with my friends and family who had had similar experiences with anxiety was most helpful in dealing with my disorder. When I was struggling with anxiety I initially turned to internet research and books written by professionals for information and advice. While these resources did help greatly, I found that often times the discussion from the professional's point of view made me feel simply like another statistic with a medical problem. I never found any comfort in learning that I was an incremental part of the more than 28 million people in this world who suffer from an anxiety disorder and/or depression (www.HealthLine.com). It wasn't until I spoke with my good friends and family about my struggle with anxiety that I began to find comfort. For just about each one of them had experienced abnormal anxiety at some point in their lives, some even to the point that they developed a disorder.

They were all average everyday people, much like me, who also dealt with thoughts and feelings similar to the way I did. I began to realize and learn that "abnormal" anxiety was in fact quite common. This was extremely surprising for me to learn! Most people don't openly discuss their struggles with anxiety or depression because our society has attached such a negative stigma to these conditions. Anxiety and depression are often thought of as affecting only weak-minded or unsuccessful people and so it is this stigma that prevents many people from openly sharing their battles with others. In fact, all of the close people in my life that I spoke to only shared their stories with me because I broached the subject and shared my personal struggles with them first. Thankfully I did so, because it was these stories that gave me a sense of normalcy and acceptance, and a great deal of hope. I no longer felt like a statistic! There were so many people around me who had been through difficult struggles with anxiety (or were experiencing them at that time) and had prospered and grown from those challenges. This newfound realization lifted me from my state of despair and uncertainty. This knowledge empowered me, restoring the confidence I so desperately needed to help me free myself from the hold that my anxiety disorder had on my life. I am hoping that my story will do the same for you.