Self Help Articles
What if..? - So What..!
Author: Kathleen Savory
(Founder / Co-ordinator Chester-le-Street Self Help Group)
Anxious people are nearly always saying to
themselves, "What
if..."
What if this pain in my chest is a heart attack? - What if this
headache is a brain tumour? - What if I faint? - What if I die? - What
if I go mad?
In fact the brain doesn't need the rest of the sentence. Just by saying
"What if..." has started the physical
reactions already. Taking notice, or writing down your thoughts, will
make you more aware of how many negative
"What if's" you use every day.
In order to change the way we feel, we need to change the way we think.
Replacing "What if" with "So
What" can become your positive
thought. Saying "So What" to yourself is
like letting go; letting go of the tension you feel, dropping your
shoulders, releasing the tight hold on your stomach. "So
What" is accepting the way that you feel, knowing you
have felt this way before, and survived. It will be hard work at first.
Write down a list of your usual "What if's",
then try writing a positive
"So What" opposite the negative
"What if". It may seem difficult at first
but give it a try. It's worth it!
To me, recovery is having all the symptoms - having all the "What
if's" - and saying "So What!".
