Can't start due to extreme anxiety

[samsaraspath]

I've been trying to meditate on the advice of self-help forums and a few friends, but can't make myself even begin. I've suffered severe anxiety and depression my entire life - as far back as I remember at any rate - but even attempting to get into a comfortable position with the intent to meditate brings on anxiety to a degree I've never experienced before. I've yet to even try, as the racing heart, onslaught of (negative) thoughts/thinking, and nausea makes it quite impossible.

Have others experienced this and/or do you have any suggestions for getting to a point where I can at least TRY starting, without feeling like I'm going to implode?

[GilesC]

Hi and welcome to the community,

Have you tried downloading the free "Discover Meditation" cd's from this website? You can listen to those and be guided by Michael and just take it in small steps.

Hugs

Giles

[Boris Badenov]

Hello Sam
As a fellow anxiety/panic attack sufferer I know where you're coming from. I would say to sit back and simply listen to Lifeflow 10 or some ambient music and just try to be present. Don't 'try' to do or accomplish anything. Just be in the moment and listen. And breathe. Even if you only do it for 10 minutes a day. I think in the course of time if you can establish a habit of listening and being present that that will allow you to pass through the anxiety and meditate. And if you find you aren't able to do it today or if you are only able to do it for 5 minutes, that's okay. It's not a failure. Try again tomorrow.
Believe me I know how impossible it is "breathe deeply to relax" and to be in the moment to meditate when I am having a panic attack and I feel like I am in the process of dying. I've found that the short 10-15 minute stints got me over the hump.

Peace

[cindyeeson]

I used to meditate in a traditional way with pretty good results but when I stumbled on Lifeflow a few weeks ago I was hooked! I had immediate and very positive results with the free sample tape but when I switched to Lifeflow10 I had experiences similar to yours. It left me feeling ill all day, like I was getting the stomach flu.So did further research and have a few suggestions.
Your anxiety/depression is most likely from unrecognized repressed emotions that you have been ignoring for a long time and which Lifeflow warns us can surface when we start their very powerful meditations. You need to go slowly, like go back to the demo tape and listen to it for 15 minutes a day only, building up to 3 repeats,over a couple of weeks ,before you move on to Lifeflow10. Also go to Micheal's guided meditations found elsewhere in the Forum and use the Emotional release and Anger release a few times. May also want to read "Repressed Emotions" found at MKProjects Home of Vibrational Health and Flower, Gem and Tree Essences or Google Repressed Emotions and see what else you find. Whatever you do, don't give up!! This is a journey you can not afford to miss! Good luck.

[Panthau]

Im with Boris here. Breath! I suffered from the same symptoms, and while Lifeflow helps massively, i can relate to your anxiety.

Emotions, especially anxiety, arise through thoughts (about what could happen in the future). You dont even need to meditate in the first place. Start by recognizing what you are thinking all day long. Reflect on your thoughts, are they true? And then learn to concentrate on your breath, in every possible situation. Breath all day long... thats meditation in itself, because by breathing, you arent concentrated on your thoughts, and where there are no thoughts, theres no anxiety.

I promise you, if youre disciplined enough to do that, your anxiety will get better. As always, there are expeptions, like anxiety regarding letting go or breathing itself and so on, but its worth a try. And then you can actively start with Lifeflow meditation.

As always, thats just my point of view. Dont believe it, prove it for yourself.

[Bryan555]

Hi Samsaraspath...

I wonder whether you have also explored the variety of excellent hypnosis CD's available? There is no doubt that, ultimately, meditation is a wonderful gift for virtually anyone. But, when there are specific problems involved, sometimes we need specific "tools" that are tailored for that job.

I discovered Lifeflow about a year ago, after a stroke left me with recurrent dizziness. It was a return to meditation, for me, and the Lifeflow tracks have been wonderful.

But I also heard of people having great success with hypnosis for quitting smoking, weight loss, self-esteem, etc. So I got hold of some amazing material from people like Paul McKenna, and am now 100% convinced that hypnosis is an effective tool for treating underlying conditions. It is targeted, as I'm sure you know, more at the subconscious mind than the conscious. Which makes it ideal for dealing with anxiety.

Anyway, it's just an idea I thought useful to throw into the mix. You've undoubtedly heard others mention it before.

I'm sure all of use wish you a speedy recovery from this affliction.

[Edwin]

I know how bad these anxiety attacks are, and I am not trying to make it seem like a smaller problem than it is for you.

However, the anxiety itself is like a self-feeding organism. The worse the anxiety, the harder you try to fight it. The harder you fight it, the worse the anxiety will become.

What I am suggesting requires an enormous amount of courage, because you feel like hanging on the edge of a cliff, you have to hold on or else you will fall, you have to fight it.

What I am saying is: let go !

Accept the anxiety, accept the feelings of fear. Welcome them. thank them for appearing in you. Open the door completely. Think about it, what is the worst that could happen ? It might feel like you will lose control, but what if that feeling is an illusion ?
What could happen if you did let go ? Will you die ? Most likely not, because you managed to survive the other anxiety attacks.

What if that cliff you have been hanging on turns out to be only so high that after a few inches, your feet will meet the ground allready ? What if your fear has tricked you into believing that you are hanging miles high ?

Let go.

Fear needs no action, fear needs no re-action. It needs acceptance. accept that you are scared. challenge yourself to feel it completely for the first time in your life. I allready think you are courageous just to post this inhere, so the courage to do this is probably allready there to face your fear like this.

My deepest and sincearest thoughts and sympathy go out towards you. Please report back !

Big digital hug, Edwin

[tarun]

Originally Posted by samsaraspath

I've been trying to meditate on the advice of self-help forums and a few friends, but can't make myself even begin. I've suffered severe anxiety and depression my entire life - as far back as I remember at any rate - but even attempting to get into a comfortable position with the intent to meditate brings on anxiety to a degree I've never experienced before. I've yet to even try, as the racing heart, onslaught of (negative) thoughts/thinking, and nausea makes it quite impossible.

Have others experienced this and/or do you have any suggestions for getting to a point where I can at least TRY starting, without feeling like I'm going to implode?

like other people have said, please do breath meditation and accept your emotions and fears and THEN create new beliefs. You can't move on without accepting your emotions. You ask yourself, how can you move on. Take an example for instance, i am a cricket player, if i think i am the best player in the world then how am i going to get better. I will only get better when i realize that there's place for improvement, otherwise i won't do anytime to improve or take action, likewise you can take action after you accept and then get over them. As said before do breath meditation, and there's no need to combat any uprising negative thoughts, just don't pay attention and allow them to go, think of the thought as coming through one ear and going out through the other. Losing attention is normal and will definitely happen with meditation but the thing is to stay on target and calm back to focusing on your breath . Once gain don't feel frustrated or angry if you can't focus very well, just relax and come back to your meditation, persisting/ And as you persist and get better, you will find yourself in a beautiful serene calm state of mind, simply ecstatic to experience. Out of the things people can do in life for sensual pleasures, the spiritual pleasure of mediation outweighs them all, whether it be, drinking smoking, sex or whatever. And lastly but CERTAINLY not least, i HIGHLY,HIGHLY,HIGHLY, suggest and recommend you to read a book by name "The Art Of Living", where it talks about how to live peacefully, talking about emotions and how humans unlike animals have the discreet ability of discrimination, ( of not giving in to their emotions). This is a basic summary, it covers a lot of things and looks into things deeply, from a subjective perspective. Also read other inspiring articles and quotes and books about happiness and emotions. Also check out the law of attraction, google it if you already don't know what it is.
All the best, hope you have a happy life. You