Anxiety and negative thinking can cause you to lose your sense of perspective and allow small things to become too important, so this is a very useful step that will stop you worrying needlessly about small things.

Setbacks Setbacks are bound to be more worrying, but virtually everybody has them. Dont, whatever you do, belittle your achievements. Research has shown that most of us are able to have these thoughts without getting upset or obsessed with them - we dont attach any importance to them. Now the lawn looks better, but any gardener will tell you that a dandelion will recover even if you pull its leaves off, so you grab a trowel and dig down into the soil to get the root out. The obsessive thoughts are often about dirt and disease, or about harming someone, either by accident or by giving way to an impulse. YES/NO Each time you make a note of your thoughts also mention the situation and the intensity of any feelings you had, both physical and emotional. In those days parents werent allowed to visit, a whole week with no contact! I had a traumatic experience when I was about 13 - I was raped . ABOUT TREATMENT I tried hypnotherapy in my teens. The most useful kind of exercise is aerobic exercise - that is, something that gets you out of breath. Relax your arms and let them fall back comfortably. Social Anxiety Disorder This type of disorder more commonly strikes when a sufferer is placed within a social setting. Key skill - accepting change The first key skill is accepting that change is necessary. When you are trying to change your thought processes you need coping skills that will give you the confidence to let go of anxious thinking. Some people are only anxious about one particular type of activity. You may even feel that you have travelled so far along that road that you consider yourself to have recovered from Anxiety. With a core belief such as Im useless at everything or I never get anything right you could well find that other people see you quite differently - as competent and reliable for instance. Advantages of staying as I am I can be sure that I havent hurt anyone as long as I do my checking rituals. An example of Socratic questioning Here is an example of Socratic questioning for someone who fears having a panic attack at a parent-teacher evening. Do you worry about blushing or trembling when speaking to people?