TOI Magazine OFFICIAL July/August 2018 Issue N.10

M A G A Z I N E JULY/AUGUST 2018 • ISSUE 10

DEAR ANXIETY...

OCD,PTSD, and Panic Disorder survivors speak on how anxiety affected their lives.

ENCOURAGE ETHICAL Speaking on the NEED for more awareness when it comes to "Slow Fashion"

www.boutiqueoftoi.com

4 MUST-TRY VEGAN SUMMER TREATS

ALLISON SHERMAN

"All the pretty stores in the mall look so glamorous, but in reality, it’s quite the opposite."

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Ethical Fashion, aka "slow fashion" holds SO MUCH importance. Listen to our cover girl "Allison Sherman" speak on how her ethical fashion journey began and will stay with her forever.

TEAM:

04 Treat your body this summer with live, plant-based foods that you can make in under an hour!!

EDITOR-IN-CHIEF : AUTUMN FARR

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CREATIVE DIRECTOR: TENISHA FARR GRAPHIC DESIGNER: AUTUMN FARR CONTACT: WWW.BOUTIQUEOFTOI.COM (415)689-9465 SERVICES@BOUTIQUEOFTOI.COM SOCIAL MEDIA: @BOUTIQUEOFTOI TAG US IN YOUR INSTAGRAM POST ON OUR PRINT MAGAZINE FOR A DISCOUNT ON YOUR NEXT MAGAZINE PURCHASE!

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"For as a man thinks in his heart, so is he."

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fresh off the farm.

4 EASY PlantBased Summer Recipes EVERYONE Will Love!!!

OvenBaked Potato Wedges and Creamy Hummus serves 2 Preparation 10 minutes + Baking time 20 minutes

Ingredients: Fries: 10 medium sized potatoes 2 tbsp olive oil (optional) Salt, pepper, ground chili (1 tsp each)

Hummus: 1 can of chickpeas + 1/2 cup of liquid from the chickpeas Juice of 1/4 lemon 1 1/2 tbsp tahini Salt, pepper (1/2 tsp each) 1 1/2 tsp curry 1 1/2 tsp chopped cilantro Method: 1. Cut the potatoes into half an inch wide sticks 2. Spread the potatoes on a baking sheet and season with (oil,) salt, pepper and chili. 3. Bake at 180°c or 350°f for about 20 minutes.

4. Blend the chickpeas, the liquid, the lemon juice, tahini and spices.

5. Divide the mixture into 2 equal shares 6. Mix one with curry and the other with chopped cilantro.

7. Take the potatoes out of the oven and enjoy!

RECIPE BY VEGAN FOOD BLOGGER AND INSTAGRAMMER @ VEGANVEGGIEVIEW

"These fries are the perfect summer snack and perfect for a barbecue. The hummus is the PERFECT summer dip because it's quick and easy to make; real cooking is not required. Having a picnic? Pair it with different veggies,crackers or bread and serve to your family and friends."

EASY VEGAN FALAFELS AND TZATZIKI SAUCE MAKES 13-14 FALAFELS RECIPE BY TAAVI MOORE @HEALTHIENUT WWW.HEALTHIENUT.COM

INGREDIENTS Ingredients Falafels 1 15 oz. can rinsed/drained chickpeas 1/2 chopped yellow onion 2 minced garlic cloves 2 tsp baking powder 1 tsp chopped fresh mint 2 tbsp chopped fresh parsley Juice from 1/2 lemon 1 tsp ground cumin Dash of red pepper flakes 1/2 tsp salt Pepper to taste 1 tbsp olive oil 1/2 cup unbleached all-purpose flour* Tzatziki 1/2 cup non-dairy yogurt 1/3 cup grated cucumber 1 minced garlic clove 1 tbsp lemon juice 1/2 tsp lemon zest 1 heaping tbsp finely chopped fresh dill Salt and pepper to taste

METHOD Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.

In a food processor, pulse together all ingredients except flour until smooth. Transfer to a large bowl. Stir in flour until incorporated.

Refrigerate for 30 min.

Take 2 tbsp of mixture at a time and roll into balls (lightly flour your hands for this method), or use an ice cream scoop. Space evenly on the baking sheet. Bake for 30-35 min. or until golden brown.

While falafels are baking, prepare the sauce.

Whisk together all the ingredients until smooth.

Serve falafels in pita bread with chopped lettuce, tomatoes, and cucumber. Drizzle on the tzatziki sauce. Enjoy!

Pair with a creamy yogurt-based Greek Tzatziki sauce and crunchy fresh veggies.

Perfect for a summer party!

TAAVI MOORE

RECIPE BY CAREN RICKETTS

IG: @C_A_RICKETTS TWITTER: RICKETTSCAREN

4 Easy Steps to Your "On the Beach" Smoothie Bowl w/ Homemade Vanilla Granola I’m a mother of 3 amazing children. Trying to get them to eat more veggies and fruits has been a challenge, so I decided to find creative ways to sneak them in. I started with simple smoothies adding kale to make them green or carrots to change them to orange. My children fell in love with the smoothies, and started requesting them daily. While trying to come up with new and exciting smoothies I started marking smoothie bowls (adding granola, nuts, fruits & superfoods).

The kids have loved being able to choose the different colors of the smoothies & picking out different toppings to put in their bowls. It continues to be so much fun introducing them to new fruits & veggies, and knowing that they are enjoying some healthy options.

I’ve been a vegan for over 8 years. I love coming up with healthy vegan options for myself and my kids.

DIRECTIONS PREP TIME 10MINS MIXING TIME 5 MINS TOTAL TIME 15 MINS

INGREDIENTS

METHOD

For the smoothie bowl:

Start by gathering and prepping all of your toppings first.

Add the frozen bananas, pineapple, mango, and ¾ cup of the cashew milk to a high powered blender and blend until smooth. *If your blender has trouble blending the smoothie gradually add more cashew milk ¼ of a cup at a time until you reach the consistency that you’re looking for.

Add the blue spirulina and blend again until smooth.

Pour smoothie mixture into a large bowl, add your toppings, and enjoy

3 large frozen bananas 1½ cups frozen mangoes 1¼ cup cashew milk (or another nondairy milk) 1/2 cup fresh pineapple ½-1 tsp blue spirulina (I use Unicorn Superfoods natural blue spirulina powder) For the toppings: 2 large strawberries (sliced) 1 kiwi fruit (peeled and sliced) 1/2 banana (peeled and sliced) 2 tbsp granola (I use my homemade vanilla granola ) 1 tbsp shredded coconut

PREP TIME 10 MINS COOK TIME 30 MINS TOTAL TIME 40 MINS

METHOD INGREDIENTS 1/2 cup hemp hearts 1/2 cup flaxseeds 3/4 cup Agave Nectar 1 tsp vanilla extract 4 cups quick cooking oats

Preheat the oven to 300 degrees Fahrenheit.

In a sauce pan, heat the agave nectar and vanilla extract on high for one minute, just until its warm (do not let it bubble). Remove from heat and set to the side.

Place the quick cooking oats, hemp hearts, and flaxseeds in a large bowl.

Pour the agave mixture on top of the oats mixture. Mix well with a spoon until everything is coated with agave.

Pour onto a parchment lined baking sheet. Bake for 30 minutes (be sure to mix half way through baking time).

Remove from oven and allow to cool completely on baking sheet. Granola will harden as it cools.

Store in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 1 week.

y k o m SCAULIPOWER BOWL

RECIPE BY SACHI WONG INSTAGRAM:

@never.met.herbivore Serves: 2

Time: 50 minutes

? y l d n e i r F n a ! ! g t e e V You b

Ingredients

1 Can of Chickpeas 1 Large Head of Purple Cauliflower Extra Virgin Olive Oil Salt Pepper 2 Garlic Cloves (minced) 3 TBS of Fresh Thyme 2 Summer Squash Avocado Oil (or any high heat oil) Smoked Paprika Turmeric 1 Pint of Cherry Tomatoes 1 TBS of Vegan Butter ¾ Cup of Breadcrumbs Scallions (chopped) Lemon

DIRECTIONS

OUR CHEF

SACHI WONG I grew up in Davis, California, but I currently live in Boulder, Colorado. I am a full time graduate student and part time amateur vegan food blogger! I enjoy cooking seasonal, simple meals for everyone to enjoy.

My favorite pastime is tricking meat lovers and vegetable haters into eating a vegan meal without realizing it.

Preheat oven to 450 degrees F. Drain and rinse chickpeas. Spread on a baking sheet, and bake for 40 minutes, tossing half way through.

While chickpeas bake, remove the cauliflower core and roughly chop. Place into food processor, and pulse ~5 times until small and the texture of rice. Be careful not to over process! Place cauliflower rice into bowl and add 1 TBS of extra virgin olive oil, 1 TSP of salt, ½ TSP of pepper, minced garlic, and 2 TBS of chopped thyme. Stir until combined.

Spread cauliflower onto baking sheet, forming a thin layer. Bake for 20 minutes at 450 degrees F (can be in the oven with chickpeas), stirring halfway through.

While cauliflower and chickpeas bake, chop summer squash into ½-inch cubes. Place into skillet on medium heat with 1 TBS of avocado oil. Add 1 TBS of smoked paprika, 1 TSP of turmeric, 1 TSP of salt, and ½ TSP of pepper. Sautée for 10 minutes until golden.

Once summer squash is done, remove from pan. Turn the stove up to high and add 1 TBS of avocado oil. Add cherry tomatoes (whole) and cook for 3 minutes until they burst and soften, stirring often.

In a small skillet on medium heat add 1 TBS of vegan butter. Once hot and bubbly, add bread crumbs, 1 TBS of thyme, 1 TSP of salt, and ½ TSP of pepper. Cook for 4 minutes until golden, stirring frequently. Remove from pan immediately to avoid over browning.

When chickpeas are golden and crispy, remove from oven. Toss with 1 TSP of extra virgin olive oil, 1 TBS of smoked paprika, ½ TSP of turmeric, ½ TSP of salt, and ½ TSP of pepper.

Top cauliflower rice with summer squash, burst tomatoes, roasted chickpeas, toasted breadcrumbs, and chopped scallions. Squeeze lemon over dish and watch the cauliflower rice change from purple to pink! (Pink)ture perfect!

Alli Sher

ENCOURAGING ETHICAL FASHION WITH

ALLISON SHERMAN

lison rman

@ALLISONSHERMAN4 WWW.ALLISONCAROL.COM

ETHICAL FASHION BLOGGER, CONTENT CREATOR,BTL (LA'S BEYOND THE LABEL) CREATIVE DIRECTOR & GRAPHIC DESIGNER, PROFESSIONAL FREELANCE PHOTOGRAPHER, AND STYLIST ALLISON SHERMAN FROM SCOTTSDALE ARIZONA, CURRENTLY REPPING LONG BEACH, CALIFORNIA SHARES HER DEEP PASSION FOR ETHICAL FASHION IN AN INTERVIEW WITH US.

ALL THE PRETTY STORES IN THE MALL LOOK SO GLAMOROUS, BUT IN REALITY, IT’S QUITE THE OPPOSITE. "Eco" (ecological or sustainable) fashion is clothing that is kind/good to the EARTH, and "ethical" fashion is kind/good to PEOPLE (and animals). Eco fashion is not always ethical, just like ethical fashion is not always good for the environment--but when your fashion items are both eco and ethical, its a winwin for both the environment AND people!

Examples of ethical fashion include: -Having a "Sweatshop" free environment: There should be no harsh working conditions for the employees, all the design and production and shipping facilities and factories must comply with state/country regulations and standards.

-Fair Trade: Workers are compensated fairly for their work in accordance with regulations and wage guidelines.

-Any initiatives, programs, partnerships, etc. that a brand may have that is dedicated to social/environmental good.

An example could be an artisan jewelry company that donates a percentage of profits to the World Wildlife Foundation or charity wellness programs for the artisans who make the jewelry.

Overlap of ethical and eco fashion include: Made in America: Most clothing items made in the United States are not necessarily eco-friendly or sustainable.

However, if the clothing is made in the United States, wages and working conditions in American factories are usually better than in other countries, due to stricter regulations and workplace standards. However, there have been

reports that there are still sweatshops in the US where workers are not earning minimum wage, or are required to work long hours or work in other potentially hazardous conditions, so try to do some research. By shopping local(ish), you also cut down on transportation pollution.

Something shipped within the same state or country has much less of a transportation environmental impact than something shipped from overseas. Some companies take greater measures to implement sustainable practices and materials than others. Depending on the company or brand though, you could be shopping both eco and ethical made in the USA items! Bonus: by purchasing items within country or state lines, you're also supporting the economy and hardworking Americans! Made in Europe, Australia, or Canada generally have similar working conditions to the US. Vegan Fashion: Vegan fashion includes clothing items that are free of any animal products! This means no leather, suede, wool, silk, cashmere, fur, etc. The debate of vegan fashion needs to be addressed--you can make the case that it is eco or unsustainable and you can also make the case that it's ethical and non-ethical.

Every situation requires a bit of thoughtful analysis--Here are a couple of examples: Example 1: Company X sells Vegan shoes for ($10 - $30) -Eco: Good because you're using much less resources to produce the fabrics and materials to make the shoes. Bad because this particular company is known for its pollution, harsh chemicals, etc. to produce

shoes--thus potentially harming both the environment and workers' health.

-Ethical: Good because you're not harming animals, but not so good because this company may cut corners in taking good care of their employees, and not pay them a fair wage for work, and there have less than good working conditions in their factories.

Lower price point items are typically made cheap, do not last as long, but are much less likely to have animal products, whereas most more expensive items (unfortunately) are made with animal products and are durable. This is not the case with all brands and items though.

Example 2: Company Y sells Vegan shoes ($500+) Eco: This company as a brand is dedicated to sustainability efforts in every area of its development and production.

Ethical: This brand is ethical all the way around - to humans, animals, and the environment.

PROMOTING AND PRACTICING SUSTAINABLE INITIATIVES Environmental sustainability is both a concern for both ethical fashion and eco fashion. While it is both eco and ethical-there is sometimes a conflict in that you can't always afford to buy the most expensive items you'd like--a good time for shopping for resale.

I don’t think many people are aware of what “ethical fashion” means because it’s not something that is generally mentioned or advertised. The fashion industry doesn’t want to bring attention to its unsustainable or polluting practices, similar to other industries such as factory farming. You have to seek out the

information! Once you get a taste though, you have to know more. And once you have that information, it’s almost impossible not to shift your habits.

All the pretty stores in the mall look so glamorous, but in reality, it’s quite the opposite. Consumers are lured in by new, shiny, pretty, and phrases like “what’s in style now”, “you gotta have these”, “best ____ for the season”, etc. etc. rather than sticking to styles they enjoy. Fashion goes in and out of style in a relatively short cycle (ie. everything retro from the 70’s is somehow totally in style again).

It can also be much more work to seek out an ethical fashion brand, to shop sustainably, or buy secondhand. There is less of a market; there is also more research and searching in general for the items. People often like to try on in-store, and there are very few in-store sustainable or ethical brands. It’s almost all online, with the exception of shopping secondhand at a thrift or consignment store.

Basically, long story short: it’s out of sight and out of mind for most people.

THE BEGINNING OF ALLISON'S ETHICAL FASHION JOURNEY It started out small and over the years I’ve implemented more sustainable habits into shopping ethically. I was a vegetarian for seven years and in college I got a random vegan roommate. I had told myself I would NEVER go vegan because it was too extreme and too limiting and I could never give up all my sweets, cheese, and my fabulous shoe and handbag collection.

Basically, one documentary led to the other and I was vegan within a couple months of her moving in. It was mostly the sustainability reasons that got to me, but the animal and health reasons quickly followed. At first I still wore leather and suede because I was a fashionista and what else was I supposed to wear? Was I supposed to sell my Brian Atwood’s, Tory Burch’s, Rebecca Minkoff’s, Jeffrey Campbell’s, etc.?! Oh no, I couldn’t do that.

But, time would have it that when I was

faced with moving states, I needed to reduce my closet to have room in my new apartment in Long Beach as my boyfriend, Zach, had just gotten into graduate school there.

Over the summer, I made the decision I needed to get rid of all the clothes I didn’t wear and *queue dramatic sigh* sell all my leather and suede as I had started to feel guilty wearing it and wouldn’t have room in my new closet. This was the biggest step for me in transitioning into a more sustainable wardrobe and was definitely the hardest part. I still own a couple wool hats, but I am in the process of replacing them with vegan ones (these are hard to find!), and there may be a few pieces I still own that have a tiny leather piece on them but it’s hard to tell if this is the true material.

After that summer in 2016, I started to research more sustainable fashion brands, ways to shop, and the environmental, health, and humanitarian implications the fashion industry was having. I began shifting my habits slowly and started educating others on what I had been learning.

ENCOURAGING ETHICAL Ethical fashion is so important because it holds the concept of “respect” at its foundation. It’s about respect for the planet, respect for your own health and the health of others, and respect for the well being of sentient animals. Whether you are aware of the implications or not, when you buy something, you are voting with your wallet.

THE MANY MISCONCEPTIONS Ethical fashion is expensive.

-In most cases, yes - ethical fashion is more expensive because you are paying fair-trade working wages for the people who made your clothes. You are paying for sustainable manufacturing, sweatshop free environments, etc. However, there are some brands that are pretty affordable, you can always be more selective in what you buy, you can shop at thrift or consignment stores, or you can search those brands on secondhand

marketplaces like eBay, Poshmark, Mercari, Tradesy, Swap Society, ThredUp, etc. Many of the products listed on these sites are brand new with the tags--and are much less expensive and it is a more sustainable way of purchasing in comparison to regular retail. You can find both ethical brands or regular brands, but either way it’s way more sustainable as you are literally reducing the amount of manufacturing/transportation/carbon footprint for the brand, reusing something that could have gone to landfill, and using something that already exists.

Ethical fashion isn’t very cute.

- I get where you’re coming from. At first, I thought ethical fashion would be plain, boring, and unstylish. WRONG. There are so many ethical fashion brands that make really trendy and stylish clothes that also have a real classic appeal. You just have to do a little bit of research!

MUST-ASK QUESTIONS -Is it fair trade?

-Is the brand sweatshop-free?

-Where is it made? America, Europe, Australia generally have better working conditions than countries in Asia, Central/South America, and Africa, but it totally depends. Do your research on the brand!

-Is it made using sustainable materials?

-Are they dedicated to social good? (ie. Do they give back to any non-profits, work on humanitarian or sustainability efforts, etc.?)

-Are their fabrics organic?

-Do they advertise where or how they manufacture? Odds are if they don’t openly boast about it, it’s likely unethical.

-Is it vegan and is it cruelty-free? Yes, there’s a difference. Vegan means that no animal products are used in the making of the item (ie. leather, suede, wool, silk, cashmere, beeswax, etc.) Cruelty-free means that the product did not undergo animal testing (this is common for beauty products). Others may argue, but in my opinion, in order for something to be truly ethical, it also needs to be free of any animal products and ingredients as well as not be tested on animals. All beings deserve the right to go unharmed,

especially when there are perfectly good alternatives.

PROS & CONS LIST Pros: -Better for the environment (less or no surface run-off, less wasting, lower carbon footprint, less chemicals in the growing of fabric crops, etc.)

-Better for humanity (working conditions, sweatshop-free, fair-trade, etc.)

-Better for the animals (if it’s vegan and cruelty-free).

-Better for your health and the health of others (harsh chemicals and manufacturing methods can be used in typical clothing production– these toxins seep into your skin while wearing and have even deeper effects on the garment workers)

If we are doing boutiques/marketplaces, Bead & Reel and MooShoes are all sustainable and vegan boutiques. Also, Artisan & Fox is a sustainable artisan marketplace.

I get most of my clothes secondhand though, and in this case no matter which brand you buy it’s considered sustainable!

Cons: -Harder to find -Need to have more patience -In general, will be more expensive unless you’re shopping secondhand. There’s no such thing as new ethical clothes for $10.

-More limited selection ALLISON'S GO-TO BRANDS If it’s luxury, 100% love Stella McCartney.

The brand is all vegan and dedicated to sustainability. I only own a few things from the brand, but it’s definitely good for a special occasion, birthday, the holidays, etc.

Although I don’t own something from all of these brands, I absolutely adore them. In due time, I hope to add some pieces to my collection: If we are going everyday brands, I love: Reformation, Christy Dawn, Groceries Apparel, Mate the Label, Matt & Nat, Coconuts by Matisse (not an all vegan brand, but has a ton of options), BC Footwear, Segara Swim, Freebella Swim, Vitamin A swim, Whimsey & Row, Elliott Clothing, Everlane, Eileen Fischer, Boyish

by Her, DL1961, Good Guys Don’t Wear Leather, Bhava, Nicora, Patricia Correia, Rafa, Abask Clothing, Azura Bay, Veerah, Nae Vegan Shoes, White Rabbit, etc.

PHOTOGRAPHER: DANIEL WOODS INSTAGRAM @DEER_DANN

ETHICAL FASHION IN DUBLIN, IRELAND

By Saoirse Doyle www.irishmountainchild.com @irishmountainchild

Professional Actress Saoirse Doyle originally from Wicklow Mountains, Ireland, but currently in Dublin, shows how not only can you dress ethically on vacations, parties, etc. but YOUR WEDDING TOO!! That's right. Her wedding was this summer and the gorgeous form-fitted dress she is wearing is 100% ethical fashion. Win-Win.

I

have been a vegetarian for most of my life (since 11 years old) and three years ago started transitioning to a vegan diet. While doing so I also came across a

documentary on Netflix called 'True Cost' and it really made me rethink how the fashion world works. If a top costs €4. in a high street fashion store and it was made in a less developed country, most likely someone along the line suffered. €4. barely covers the travel cost, let alone, the workers wages, the materials used, the farmers costs who produce the materials, the transport and travel, to just name a few of the different payment points. I have been lucky in that I have always kept my clothes since I have been about 19/20. I have always taken really good care of my clothes and they last me a long time. I also can regularly be seen shopping in a secondhand/ charity shops and some of my best pieces are second hand. So since watching True Cost, I have continued to do this, but also when I need to get something new I will really think about where is the best place to purchase it, I think of companies that try to make a positive impact on the world and have good company ethics. My advise to anyone looking to make more ethical fashion choices is to first of all watch 'True Cost'. Then to NOT run to their wardrobe and throw everything out, as that is very environmentally damaging, rather just to really think going forward, do I really need a new dress? Can I get it second hand and if not what are some of the best ethical & socially responsible shops to buy from.

ANXIETY. OCD. PANIC DISORDER. PTSD. HYPOCHONDRIA. GAD. THEY CANNOT HOLD US DOWN ANY LONGER.

The following articles are not to be used as a form of self-diagnosis. Consult with your primary care doctor, therapist, physician etc. TOI Magazine and all features speaking their story and psychology of anxiety will not be held reliable for anyone who finds this article to aid them in self-diagnosis. Consult with your primary care.

UNDERSTANDING

ANXIETY

with Australian Clinical Psychotherapist Natalie Dwyer-West

About Natalie "I am Clinical Psychotherapist/ Hypnotherapist, Master Self – Image Coach, Entrepreneur and Speaker.

I am so in love what I do and feel so privileged that I get to work with brilliant entrepreneurs and stressed out CEO & Executives who are truly ready to overcome their stress and anxiety, no longer just learning how to cope.

So, they can really get back to doing what they love and being in love with who they really are. Back into their business and moving forward, be more present & back into loving life and with the people they love.

I am a mum of two, and a mum of a very moody Burmese cat named Monty, however it’s becoming fine balance between the cat and soon to be 12-year-old son right now!

My mental & physical health is #1 priority for me. I weight train 5 -6 days a week and eat a high nutritional dense based diet, I LOVE food and only drink restructured antioxidant water.

I steer clear of tap water due to the chlorine amongst other toxins and bottle water is off the list as it’s highly acidic around 2.5ph (yellow) on the PH scale and not to mention the plastic it’s been sitting in for who knows how long, and the impact on the environment with all that plastic waste.

I love music and dance and have ever since I was very young – if I wasn’t doing what I am doing now I would be a Rockstar – however an in-tune voice was not what I was gifted with, however I will continue to suffer the eyerolls from my children I live in Melbourne – Australia, but my other home that I frequently visit is Toronto Canada."

@natalie.e.west

Anxiety is the generalised term to describe several “disorders” that cause nervousness, fear, apprehension, worrying and continuous overthinking and out of control thoughts of what “might” happen in the future.

Even if we look at the word disorder it’s “dis-ordered” thoughts, feelings and reactions. Each anxiety disorder has unique symptoms based each person’s own unique conscious and unconscious programming.

These “dis-ordered” thoughts affect how we feel and behave and can cause physical symptoms that engage the fight or flight response even though 100% of time you are not in real danger you are in created dis-ordered “fear” which triggers the releases of adrenaline.

However, one area that is commonly overlooked when talking about stress & anxiety is the role of our Self-Image.

Some people have a greater problem with this conflict which causes them great distress and anxiety, often to the point it can stop you from functioning.

In 12+ years working in this area Stress & Anxiety are the side effects of a very poor and conflicted self-image, this reactional behaviour appears when trying to control yourself, your environment people & or circumstances in your life.

One of the most important limiting factors in our behaviour, and ability to be 100% productive in our lives is our Self Image.

Our Self – Image is the way we view ourselves and more importantly how we feel about our knowledge, physical characteristics and the way we handle emotions, these are all unconscious programs formed in your first critical 7 years of life.

Your Self – Image forms the relationship with yourself and all other relationships in your life, personal and professionally….

Applying all external tactical, band aid methodology or motivational stuff can only get you so far, if you are being held back by inner feelings of not being deserving of business success, or not feeling that you’re good enough personally to succeed not just in business but also personally your self-image affects our performance at work, in subtle yet impactful ways and this is all unconscious behaviour.

Our progress gets impeded by how we see and feel about ourselves deep down inside and other people’s perceptions of us this stops you moving forward in the direction you truly desire.

If you keep hiding your true self, based on other people’s thoughts, feelings and perceptions your life will become like slow drawn out painful experience of stress, anxiety and depression.

THE STATS Anxiety is the most common mental health condition around the world. Up to one-third of women and one-four of men will experience anxiety at some point in their lives, and research suggest one – two by 2020.

Severe anxiety is a feature of a group of mental health disorders including: generalised anxiety disorder (GAD) social phobia specific phobia i.e spiders, planes, obsessive compulsive disorder (OCD) panic disorder separation anxiety disorder agoraphobia post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD).

And, Self – Image is generally absent from most diagnosed groups when it comes to describing anxiety disorders which I believe is the root to most mental health conditions, Self-Image conflicts can cause great anxiety and depression of self.

RECOGNIZING ANXIETY While there are many types of anxiety disorder, there are some common signs and symptoms.

You might be feeling: very worried or afraid most of the time tense and on edge nervous or scared panicky irritable, agitated worried you're going crazy detached from your body feeling like you may vomit.

You may be thinking: 'everything's going to go wrong' ‘Something is wrong with me’ 'I might die' 'I can't handle the way I feel' 'I can't focus on anything but my worries' 'I don't want to go out today' 'I can't calm myself down'.

‘No one likes me’

“I hate myself’ You may also be experiencing: sleep problems (can't get to sleep, wake often) pounding heart sweating 'pins and needles' tummy aches, churning stomach light-headedness, dizziness twitches, trembling problems concentrating excessive thirst.

When these constant repetitive thoughts and feelings take over, we can feel overwhelmed, lose sleep, feel exhausted, and start to avoid social situations.

DURING A PANIC ATTACK Providing the right strategies and understanding around the why’s prior to an attack is impetrative, and anyone that is experiencing stress and anxiety needs to learn how to breathe correctly even when they are not in a panic attack but all the time.

Its’ being in touch with your body, and your lungs by using them correctly, most people do not breath correctly, this is our bodies natural calming response.

The slow breathing technique is useful, as it helps you to settle down, stop releasing adrenaline, and turn off the fight or flight response.

I also recommend listening to your favourite music, carry ear pods and turn your music on and just breath and switch your attention to listening the words in the song – it immediately switches your focus to what you are hearing, also recognizing that you’re having a panic attack instead of a heart attack, you can remind yourself that this is temporary, it will pass as it has in the past.

ANXIETY IS MENTAL, SO WHY I AM SUFFERING PHYSICALLY? Humans have evolved the fight response so that they are ready to take down anything big and scary. If you’re attacked by a large animal in the wild, you might have to be ready to fight it!

Adrenaline is a useful hormone when used as it is supposed to protect you from the wild animal, highly unlikely in today’s environment, unless you work in a zoo!

This response helps you to focus and give your muscles oxygen so that they can

fight. This response might make you overly reactive in situations that aren’t really threatening.

These physical changes occur rapidly and automatically. If one were experiencing a life-threatening event, they would be expected. But, when they occur while picking up a few groceries for dinner or sitting in a meeting at work, they can be quite frightening.

Since much of the stress is our current day society is psychosocial anxiety & stress, this prehistoric response which once was necessary for survival is now detrimental.

During a panic or anxiety attack, the body’s alarm system is triggered without the presence of any danger. It is the absence of identifiable danger that actually intensifies the fear associated with panic attacks.

If there is an identifiable danger, we understand the symptoms. We can then fear the danger, not the symptoms.

However, if there is no danger and someone experiences sweating and changes in heart rate, breathing, vision, and hearing, it would seem logical to fear the symptoms, even believing they are life-threatening.

Physically, your body is telling you to get ready, you are in grave danger. But how do you prepare psychologically for certain danger that is unseen?

It may be that you assign the symptoms mistaken meaning. It may be that you immediately flee the situation as if it were dangerous. But, these thoughts and actions don’t get you out of danger. They only reinforce and strengthen the association of a fear that is not based on an actual threat of danger.

Since the fight or flight response isn't under conscious control, but rather an involuntary unconscious response.

IS THERE A LINK BETWEEN ANXIETY AND DEPRESSION? Yes, there can be, however people who been told they have depression do not always have anxiety and vice – versa.

The consistent link I see over & over again is Self-image, values and attitudes all derive from the programs we took on during those first critical 7 years of our life, formed from the thought and feeling

reactions recorded by your unconscious mind about how you see yourself in the world.

We are taught so often from a young age to run away from our feelings, or not talk about how we feel, so we dismiss them and push them so deep down inside that they will come up eventually like a volcano and we have no way of managing them.

High anxiety levels are created in this society by the environment simply because we react to the environment according to our internal programming.

There are many sources of internal stress that continue to ferment below the surface, forever adding pressure to a personal emotional overload and common stressors include Self-image conflicts Sexual self-image and belief systems Religious beliefs that fuel guilt Uncontrolled drive for Success Some people can cope with these; others can't.

People react to the environment differently because each of us carries different memory systems based on a vastly different circumstances supplied by those in authority to us in the vital first 7 years .

NATURAL TREATMENTS A spotlight is now being shown globally on the effects of poor nutrition and how this can interfere with your nervous system in many ways, along with mental health.

Your Self- Image reactions are triggered a thousand times a day, continuously raising adrenaline and cortisol levels and over a period of time this cause your body to be out of balance.

Poor nutrition or an insufficient supply of essential nutrients can also cause your nervous system to malfunction. As a result, huge mood swings occur.

If you are operating on a diet of high processed sugar, chemical laden food, take away and soft drinks this will have a direct effect on your body, your mental health and this will affect your energy levels and your ability to function at the optimal level.

In the case of overcoming anxiety this comes down to understanding how YOUR mind really works both conscious and unconscious programming, your self-

image, limiting beliefs, value systems that will drive your behaviour cycle both positive and negative.

It’s also crucial that the person who is wanting to overcome the anxiety cycle is provided with real actionable strategies that work permanently, along with looking at the effects on nutritional deficiencies that may not be obvious to most people, and or seek health professionals trained in this area.

NATALIE DWYER-WEST'S Private Facebook Group – Transforming Lives From Stress & Anxiety https://bit.ly /2MTH9Es

PANIC With Australian Clinical Psychologist Dr. Danielle McCarthy

DISORDER Facebook: mindpotentialpsychology Instagram: dr.daniellemccarthy/ Twitter: DanielleMPsych YouTube: Mind Potential Psychology BOOK an Appointment: https://www.mppsych.com.au

Panic disorder is an anxiety disorder characterised by experiencing recurring panic attacks. It is often accompanied by the individual worrying about experiencing future panic attacks, as well as the implications about these panic attacks (i.e. it is common for individuals to think there is something medically wrong with them). In addition, many individuals start to avoid certain places for fear of having a panic attack (e.g. public transport, shops). Panic disorder can vary in severity. Because panic attacks feel so physically horrible, the fear of having another one can be intense and become very disabling, and the avoidance of certain places and activities can take a serious toll on a person's wellbeing.

When working with an individual who experiences panic attacks, one of the first things I would do is help them understand what’s happening in their brain & body during a panic attack. In short, I would teach them about our natural survival mechanism called the “fight or flight” response (i.e. our biological drive to either fight off or flee from danger). The physical changes that occur during the fight or flight response assist an individual to survive. However, a panic attack is this fight or flight response being triggered when we are not faced with a lifethreatening situation. It is essentially a false alarm. I believe that understanding this process is very useful for an individual as it takes the “crazy” out of it.

A panic attack is the sudden onset of overwhelming fear and anxiety with intense physical symptoms (e.g., pounding heart, trembling, shortness of breath, chest pain). Due to the intensity of the physical symptoms experienced during a panic attack, it is not uncommon for individuals to believe they are having a heart attack or that something else is seriously medically wrong with them.

Psychologically, the individual may experience a fear of dying or that they are going crazy. Panic attacks can be either expected (e.g., in response to a feared situation such as being on a high building), or unexpected where there is no apparent trigger.

I would also ensure the person is aware that although their panic attacks feel horrible and like something is very wrong (like a heart attack), in actual fact a panic attack can’t physically hurt them...it just feels like it. I would then ensure the person is well versed at breathing from their abdomen, as this is very helpful for calming the fight or flight response down.

This is because when an individual has a panic attack they tend to take short, shallow breaths from their chest. Another helpful tool for someone experiencing a panic attack in the moment is to ground themselves. I teach people with panic attacks to use their senses to ground themselves. For example, name 5 things you can see, hear, and touch. This helps a person to shift their focus from all the uncomfortable sensations they are experiencing, as well as the distressing thoughts they are likely having.

Panic attacks do not only occur in relation to panic disorder. If you have recurring panic attacks you may meet criteria for panic disorder. However, an individual may experience panic attacks as part of another anxiety disorder such as the ones listed above. For example, someone with OCD who has a compulsion to wash their hands may experience a panic attack if they are in a situation where they are unable to wash their hands. Or someone with PTSD may experience a panic attack when they have a flashback to the traumatic event. Somebody can be diagnosed with panic disorder, as well as another anxiety disorder such as the ones listed above.

HOW TO REACT TO SOMEONE WHO IS HAVING A PANIC ATTACK Because of the physical nature of panic attacks, it will be very hard for the individual to mask their distress. They will appear in a state of panic and may be experiencing difficulty breathing or appear uneasy on their feet. A loved one or co-worker can be useful in assisting to ground the individual. For example, they can hold the individuals hands, and instruct them to pay attention to the

sensations of the clasped hands, as well as the sensations of their feet on the floor.

They may even instruct the individual to tell them 5 things they can see, hear, and touch. Helpful phrases such as “this will pass”, and “I’m here” can also assist.

IF YOU HAVE PANIC DISORDER...

Seek support. You do not have to live with an anxiety disorder. There is treatment available that has great success rates.

Speak to your GP and get a referral to a psychologist. If you have any questions, feel free to send me a private message on one of the social networks below and I will do everything I can to ensure you are linked in with the appropriate support.

There are absolutely natural ways of overcoming anxiety. If you’re experiencing panic attacks/panic disorder, or some other anxiety disorder, I highly recommend reaching out and seeking support from a health professional. There are evidence-based treatments available for all anxiety disorders. By learning strategies to assist with your specific concerns, you can get control over your anxiety and not have it hold you back from living a fulfilling life.

TRISH BARILLAS

@afaceofanxiety @tbarillas

Trish Barillas

Life Coach, Author, and Speaker Trish Barillas shares with us the inspiration behind her MOVING book, " A Face of Anxiety".

As a woman who exudes emotional resilience and bravery, her memoirs help you to fully understand and encourage ANYONE to use their anxiety as a stepping stone.

You can purchase "A Face of Anxiety" on: Amazon: Kindle & Paperback Apple iBooks and www.barillascoaching.com

What inspired you to create “A Face of Anxiety”?

I wanted to create/share my experience of growing up and living with anxiety so others would feel less alone. My intention was to post my life with anxiety on Instagram in a raw unedited way to break the shame that comes with mental illness.

The IG posts reads as a cliffstyle version of a book, it's what I call an Instabook: a series of posts that wasn’t heavy mentally, that felt more as if you were chatting with a friend. Soon enough the posts were receiving so many comments and likes that it progressed into a book. The title came from people always telling me “Wow you don’t look or act like someone with a disorder”. Due to my former jobs and lifestyle people were floored to learn how much I suffered, this made me think that I wanted people to know that yes I too was “A Face” of this disorder. There are so many faces because there are so many sufferers and I wanted to reach out to them.

What has been your personal experience with anxiety?

I’ve had anxiety disorder for as long as I can remember which may be about 5 years old. Along with anxiety, I also have panic disorder which had been very debilitating at many transitional points in my life. The type of anxiety I experience is the fear of losing control, so basically I feel as if I’m going crazy (which I’m not however that is what my brain had been trained to believe.)

How can “A Face of Anxiety” help someone who may be struggling with anxiety?

This book is very conversational so it feels light and humorous. I wanted to really showcase my personality on how I view my anxiety in a positive aspect. The book proves that even amidst the ups and downs their is always hope. The main takeaway is that anxiety is manageable, once you truly understand yourself and your body you can take back control of your life. Even if the book helps one person feel less alone, than I have met my objective.

LIES M "LIES MY MIND TELLS ME"

BY

TOSHA MCLAREN

@TOSHAMcoaching

@toshamclaren

MIND T " It’s not just about overcoming anxiety it’s about having an amazing life. If people read this book and actually apply the things in the book, their lives will literally never be the same."

BOOK AVAILABLE: www.barnesandnoble.com www.toshamclaren.com amazon

I was inspired to create the book after suffering since a young girl from OCD and then as an adult, PTSD and panic attacks.

The book is super unconventional because I'm super unconventional. I was sick of doctors giving people no hope when I knew from my own experiences that they were wrong. See, people who suffer from anxiety are a different type of person.

After all my years of doing this I've realized that. Ive realized that they have certain personality traits that other people just don't have. Many of them are extremely empathetic people with huge hearts and that plays a significant role in both their anxiety and their healing.

Doctors want to give you pills and send you on your way but I want to show people that that is ONE way, but it's not THE way. I never ended up taking those pills myself and I have severe OCD and was often told that I needed these pills to get better. I feel like people really need a success story and people really need hope.

People also need to know that they don't need to rely on pills in order to get better.

I think people need to feel empowered in their own lives and in their own mental health care. This book does that and I created it because I knew that's what I needed, so I figured that's what other people needed too. Anxiety sufferers need to know that they can take control of their life back without prescription drugs.

My own experience with anxiety has been quite the long haul. It started when I was very young. My earliest memory of it was lying on the floor in the bathroom crying on Christmas Day when I was about 8 years old. I remember hearing my family laughing in the living room while I sat on the cold dark floor. I was terrified that this would be my last Christmas with them and it's something horrible is going to happen in the year to come. I was always terrified of that. I would wash my hands until they bled , I would have to walk through the door several times and switch light switch is off all the time and everything was done in numbers. I was convinced that if I did these rituals that I would prevent horrible things from happening to my family .

When I grew up the obsessions begin to change. There was a lot of variety of

different obsessions and compulsions as the years went on. Unfortunately, I ended up experiencing PTSD after several traumatic events in my life, which I talked extensively in my book about. I had a lot of drama in my life in general. I began to have panic attacks and anxiety attacks as well as an adult. My life has been challenging to say the least. That's why I felt the need to write this book. To give people hope and to see what I've been through and how I've overcome.

I just have so much confidence in this book because I've seen what it has done already in people's lives. It's quite miraculous really. I never expected it to reach as many people as it has and to change as many lives as it has already. I created a 40-day program at the end of the book that I think is one of the most important parts of the book. It really helps to start to shift the mind in a way I haven't seen before. I'm a bit of a self-help book junkie so I've seen and read a lot of different approaches. I basically have taken different approaches that I've learned over the years and all the things that are in this book are things that have actually helped me immensely in my own recovery from anxiety as well as addictions. I really wanted to write a book that teaches people with anxiety not just to overcome their anxiety, but to have a better life than even the average person without anxiety out there. This book helps people to get clarity on their dreams and helps them to get excited about life. It’s not just about overcoming anxiety it’s about having an amazing life. If people read this book and actually apply the things in the book, their lives will literally never be the same. I know that sounds very cliché but it’s just the truth. I wrote this book to help people and it does just that.

ABOUT TOSHA I'm a huge music person. Classic rock is my passion! I literally learned how to read by reading the lyrics of Bohemian Rhapsody on my aunt's old Queen album.

My husband is actually a musician and that's how we met. I loved his band back in 2005 and a mutual friend introduced us and the rest is history! I'm an anxiety

coach and work with both children and adults. My background is with kids actually. I used to work for the school board for years and years and have a huge passion for the youth. I enjoy photography and you'll see that influence on my social media pages. I like to try and combine all my interests and somehow link them into my business. I have a bit of a dark sarcastic sense of humour that you see in there too a little, I have a lot of passions and interests. My most significant passion is God and my faith. I grew up in a Christian home but after getting turned off by the way other Christians acted, I kind of turned away from it for several years. Unfortunately, there is a lot of that going on in the world right now. Christians are getting associated more with hate and anger than love and kindness and it’s a gutwrenching shame. After my health started going down a scary path, which I talk about in the book, I found my faith on a whole new level.

My beliefs have literally got me through and if it weren't for God, I wouldn't be here right now! I'd love to eventually be part of a movement where church is redefined away from judgement and closer to love. Many people out there right now working hard to do that and I just thinks that's the coolest thing! Hope it's ok that I say all this in here! I just think it's an important message to get out there for people suffering.

JOHN'S STORY... " I am from Estacada Oregon. I grew up in Clackamas for nineteen years and live in Estacada now for 3 years.

Some of my hobbies I enjoy is dancing to Michael Jackson songs, reading books from my favorite movies, and playing guitar and learning new songs.

I am passionate about helping others work through their generalized anxiety recovery whether they are at the level of struggle that is debilitating or high functioning. I am also passionate about filmmaking and creating videos.

For a living I do videography and video editing using software like Premiere Pro to edit my videos. My main videos I make are wedding videos for married couples. But I strongly desire to branch out and create a lot more with my gifts and talents in storytelling.

In the past struggling with generalized anxiety disorder at first, I felt even more worthless and unlovable. I was never officially diagnosed. But I practically had all the symptoms and these symptoms went on for years and I was high functioning in my struggle. The worst that it got was 3 years ago and I stopped driving and I was experiencing panic attacks once a day at least. During this time I had felt useless to myself and to those around me. I felt I had nothing to offer of value to others or something worth giving to someone. I thought no one cared; not my family, not my friends, not my church, and not God. They expressed in words that they cared but they couldn't relate to me so that resulted in an apathetic emotional abandonment. I knew my family and friends cared about me but they didn't care enough to help me get better. When you struggle with something for so long it's hard to believe that anything could ever change or get better. I felt this ruined me like a car after it's been in a severe accident. I felt so destroyed by life and by my worried thoughts and didn't really know if it was possible for me to keep living it. I felt so much shame from my panic attacks and how needy I felt. I felt so much guilt about needing serious help and put so much blame on myself for where I was in life and felt like everything in my life to this point was my fault which resulted in lots of bitter feelings toward myself and selfhatred. I felt so bitter about my life and the negative experiences that had happened from my panic attacks growing up and my parents marriage falling apart when I was 10 and dropping out of college because my anxiety was too overwhelming. By God's grace after all that and going through this recovery workbook I went through, I am not in that emotional place of death anymore. My thought life is so much healthier and balanced now. I didn't take any anxiety medications during this whole process let alone my whole life. Out of my gratitude for God loving me and allowing me to heal so much emotionally and physically from all of those destructive emotions that I carried for years and all the overused fight or flight responses abusing my body and

brain, I now facilitate anxiety recovery support groups and walk with people through the same workbook that I went through. People that struggle with generalized anxiety are so worth loving and they are worth so much more than walking in the dark for years of their life with GAD thinking it's impossible for them to recover. I used to think it was impossible for anything good to come out of the struggle that I've had for majority of my 27 years of life but I'm very grateful that I was wrong. I'm grateful to live the life I have now with the challenges that I have. For me, recovery is a lifelong everyday practice and without my relationship with Jesus and His unconditional love I would have not made it this far and would have given up in life a long time ago with complete seriousness.

The way I battle and counter these anxious thoughts is by not avoiding them when I experience them. When these anxious thoughts and scary thoughts pop up on the movie screen of my brain, I first recognize that the scary thoughts are a distractions designed to distract me from emotional or physical pain. I also remember that these scary thoughts are part of my own creativity used against myself. I have a talk with God and receive his love for me in that moment knowing he doesn't judge me for the thoughts passing through my brain and I remember that these scary thoughts are temporary negative distractions helping me not think about things in real life that I prefer to avoid thinking about or to emotionally process. Being able to distinguish two types of thoughts is very helpful for me. there are anxious thoughts that are concrete and part of real life for example being homeless or having bills to catch up on losing our home not getting work.

Then there are scary thoughts and an example of those thoughts would be what if I got Alzheimer's and forgot who I was, what if I forget my name, what if I just lose my mind and go crazy. And it's these thoughts that I perceive as useless and have no value to me and when something has no value it's almost like it doesn't exist.

Instead of getting distracted by these thoughts and not spend an exhausted

amount of mental emotional and physical energy on these thoughts, I can spend a lot more time doing stuff that I really want to do in my life instead of worrying about stuff that will never happen or worrying about stuff that are misbeliefs and lies. Do I still worry? Yes. Do I still experience generalized anxiety? Yes at times because anxiety is a human emotion that we must experience.

Do I still experience scary thoughts?

Yes, but I know how to handle this struggle now and instead of it holding me prisoner I'm holding it prisoner and this thorn in my side is a stepping stool for my good now.

Using scripture verses and replacing them with God's word in the Bible extremely helps me feel safe and confident and worth enough (look up 2 Cor 10:5). When are self esteem is strong and we know the Truth these lies and misbeliefs cannot emotionally manipulate us anymore or deceive us even in our weakest moments.

@anxiety_recovery_com @ihadanxietydisordertoo johnpaulwilliamsfilm.com

ERICA'S STORY...

"My greatest desire in life is to help others. I believe it's my greatest passion because it's my purpose. I'm a girl that firmly believes in purpose. For everything. The good the bad and the ugly.

That's right.

Clint Eastwood style lol Whom I've been referred to though I don't know exactly why.

Perhaps I'm a bit of a rebel. Ok...I retract the "perhaps" lol I love sports. Basketball, swimming, gymnastics and ping pong are my favs.

I'm super competitive.

I can have a temper Is it acceptable to blame that on being part Italian? Lol I love my family and my friends more than my own life.

I treasure the truth.

Jesus is my best friend."

PTSD, depression, anxiety, social anxiety and OCD make me feel...

Trapped, ashamed, fearful, hopeless, crazy, different, excluded, unloved, broken, frustrated and angry.

What do I tell myself when PTSD, anxiety, depression, etc attack?

I think on my goals. I remind myself of God's promises then count the blessings of each and spend time thanking him for each.

I change my focus from the negative" hellish" side effects/symptoms/attacks of PTSD to thoughts of what is good. What is beautiful. What is kind. On love. On God's creation and mercy.

There's always a rainbow behind you and in front of you.

And if I may give one bit of advice to anyone out there struggling and at the end of their rope. Flat on their back.

LOOK UP. Jesus is a friend that sticks closer than a brother. I couldn't survive one moment of this monster without Him. And He LOVES you!

Erica also credits her sister (@annieegallagher) for always being there to support here through thick and thin.

"She has been through this journey with me and has proven to me time after time that she's with me through the good, the bad and the ugly. She's taught me a lot though she's younger than I am. And she's the one I told you about starting our podcast together. I can't wait!"

@lilsnuff78

LIZ'S STORY...

Elizabeth is an OUTSTANDING individual from Wisconsin who also happens to be a Wife and Boy Mom, lover of Pregnancy, Health, Fitness, Coffee and Wine lover, Full Time Teacher and Lifestyle Coach, Podcasting, Public Speaking, Passion for helping resilient individuals find beauty in their journey!

My anxiety and OCD began as early in life as I remember. Being raised by a single mother who struggled with the disease of addiction and the instabilities that came with that, were ultimately the trigger for my disorders. Anxiety often made me feel uneasy with change, angry when things didn’t go as planned, and fearful of what could happen in the future. My OCD would cause my to fixate on the unknown and then control whatever was in my power-my routines, grades, relationships, etc. My Anxiety and OCD tendencies made it difficult for me to feel like I was understood, stood as barriers in many relationships with friends and significant others, and challenged me to overextend myself past what was expected of one individual. I didn’t stop until I thought I had reached perfection. This left me feeling severely burnt out in early adulthood. When it came to others, my expectations were often unrealistic. I would often push others away before they had a chance to see my flaws and insecurities. My disorders convinced me that I needed them in order to appear “strong” and “in control.”

What do you tell yourself to counter the thoughts of anxiety that try to occupy your mind?

@elizabeth_joy91 @Elizabeth Joy Colburn www./thephmedia.com/themorning-uplift/

Today, I still have anxious and compulsive thoughts, but I am daily learning how to counter these thoughts, with gratefulness.

I am grateful for how far I have come, I am in love with the journey of growth, and I speak positive affirmations over myself and my life. When negative thoughts enter, I dig into God’s word, communicate with my support system, push play on my workout, and make other healthy choices.

Mindset is everything! What you believe and speak becomes your reality.

If you are in need of anxiety relief, Text CONNECT or HOME to 741741- United States Text 686868 in Canada for FREE help 24/7.