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Living In The Present Not The Past. - Page 2

© Jennifer Salt

Another good tool to use is when you think of a negative experience from your past, try and either see the good outcome of that experience, or replace it with a similar situation in which you have done well with. For example, if you have a negative thought about the last time you attempted to go to the supermarket before entering try and see the outcome of that experience. Usually with most bad anxiety memories from the past the reality is that that was some discomfort and anxiety, but ultimately nothing extremely bad happened. You really did make it through. To replace the negative memory with a positive one, try and think of a time in which you triumphed over your anxiety in a similar situation to that. Remember how great you felt afterwards.

We really can have selective memories when it comes to our past experiences. In some circumstances this is a large part of learning. But with agoraphobia it can be not only self-defeating, but it can also prolong the disorder. Try to just be in situations you fear, just stay in the present and challenge your memories from the past.

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