This is For Me

Today I "graduated" from 9 weeks of working with my amazing therapist, Jen. When I saw her two years ago I remember getting to this point also, where I go wondering what we will talk about. When I'm in the middle of the muck I know exactly what I need to talk about, but again, I'm at that point where I've learned a lot and feel a lot better than I did 9 weeks ago when we started.
This week I also finished my 6-week treatment plan with Dr. Troy and I will have my re-evaluation next week. He is so impressed with how my muscles are holding and believes that physically we have everything right where it needs to be for optimal functioning. We still need to keep an eye on the hormones, which he feels played a big part in the strong anxiety I was having earlier. As the first trimester has ended, the anxiety has become so much more manageable. It's there a little bit still, but it doesn't come with the racing thoughts that it did for the past few months. So, we will keep an eye on those hormones and hope everything hold physically. If not, I know right where to go.
So, like the title of this post says, this is for me. I want to record what I've learned this summer because accepting anxiety as a gift and as a learning tool has much better results than fighting it. So here is my top 10 list.
Laura's Top 10 Reasons Why Anxiety is a Gift
10. It forces me to open up and talk about my emotions and what is bothering me.
9. It forces me to slow down, relax, and take more naps.
8. I have become aware of the fact that foods, specifically sugar and wheat, greatly impact my moods and energy levels.
7. It has allowed me to share my story with others and make new friends along the way.
6. I know that I can overcome anxiety without taking a pill.
5. Yoga, breathing, walking, reading, blogging, listening to music, and focusing on others helps ease anxiety.
4. I have become less of a perfectionist.
3. I am stronger than I think and have never once lost control.
2. Feeling more comfortable with this pregnancy and my ability to be a great mom!
1. I can use what I have learned to help others.

I googled "Anxiety as a Gift" and came up with this amazing article. It says it all so well. http://tinybuddha.com/blog/the-gift-of-anxiety-7-ways-to-get-the-message-and-find-peace/

When, and if, panic and/or anxiety creeps back into my days, I hope I can refer back to this blog post so that I can remember this is a gift given to me because I can handle it, I can learn from it, and I can help others.

Courage is not the absence of fear, but rather the judgment that something else is more important than fear. -Ambrose Redmoon