By Brian Robinson. A blurred word with blurred meaning. When you attempt to describe a complicated thing, or a number of different things in a single word, it is bound to lead to misunderstandings. For example, when we use the word anxiety what exactly do we mean? What is it we are trying to describe? … Continue reading Anxiety in a Word
The Misunderstanding
By Brian Robinson. Plugged "Why won't mummy wake up dad?" "I'm afraid she's been in a bad accident son." "Is she going to be okay? She looks all right." "She might look all right on the outside, but I'm afraid she's not all right on the inside. Her brain's been damaged and it's not working … Continue reading The Misunderstanding
The Conversation
By Brian Robinson. A tree in a dish. "It's funny you know, you never see a tree lose its temper. I wonder if somewhere along the line they made a pact. Let's face it, if they did fight, we would never have forests, just a sparse sprinkling of trees." "I'm not sure what to say? … Continue reading The Conversation
Health Phobia
By Brian Robinson. Many people who suffer from general anxiety also develop worries about their health. The tendency for this to emerge is a common characteristic of GAD (General Anxiety Disorder) and panic. When this happens, this could be no more than raised health concerns. Or, it could be that the person has developed a … Continue reading Health Phobia
The Consultation
By Brian Robinson. "Come in Mrs Adams. Please, take a seat. Can I call you Susan? Mrs Adams sounds so formal." "I'd rather you didn't." "I understand. That's not a problem. Okay, so I know roughly why you've asked for therapy. You've already spoken a bit about that. This first session will concentrate on assessment. … Continue reading The Consultation
Anxiety: The Problem With Resistance.
By Brian Robinson. Punching makes sense when there is something to punch. There is nothing more natural than to resist the things we dislike or fear. That's the way we're wired. And most of the time it works. Resistance is our friend: it's not our enemy. But what if the things we are trying to … Continue reading Anxiety: The Problem With Resistance.
The Call Centre
By Brian Robinson. "Can you help me please? I don't want to die." "I'm sorry sir, you must have pressed a wrong number. You've come through to planet Earth. On planet Earth, everyone dies. That's just the way it is." "What shall I do then?" "You could try transferring to another planet. I know for … Continue reading The Call Centre
Curtains
By Brian Robinson. Curtain opens. "If you'd just shut up for five minutes we might be able to see what's happened. Run the bloody tape will you." "The dog's heard something! He's sat up, looking at the stairs." "Did you close the bedroom door? I bet you didn't. How many times have I told you … Continue reading Curtains
The Private Sale
By Brian Robinson. The test drive. As a rule, I never go to a main dealer when I want to buy a car. I prefer to search for them privately, not only to get a better deal, but to know the history; the service history; the personal history. But the trade ad in the paper … Continue reading The Private Sale
The Hole
By Brian Robinson. A Worm Hole. "The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want." "I've always been fascinated by holes; but I struggled to understand why?" "He maketh me to lie down in green pastures: he leadeth me beside the still waters." "When I was a child I would watch men working down them, … Continue reading The Hole
Anxiety Symptoms: Depersonalisation: Derealisation
By Brian Robinson. Blurred vision Anxiety sufferers can experience a host of troublesome symptoms. This is a characteristic which often makes it a difficult condition to manage. Generally speaking, however, symptoms only arise due to high levels of stress or the fight or flight response having been activated. Although as anxiety sufferers, we may believe … Continue reading Anxiety Symptoms: Depersonalisation: Derealisation
Friends
By Brian Robinson. Souk-Marrakesh-Morocco. Susie couldn't wait to see her friend Emma. Emma loves a good story, and boy did she have a story to tell. Five days earlier, Susie had returned from her holiday in Morocco. Her head was full of colours, spices and flavours. She had brought her holiday back with her. Morocco … Continue reading Friends
A Room With a View
By Brian Robinson. My husband has been dead for six months but I still haven't picked up the pieces. I haven't even started. Logic tells me I should be adjusting by now. Logic needs to have a conversation with the pit of my stomach. I have to get away; away from this house; away from … Continue reading A Room With a View
OCD: The Power of Pictures
By Brian Robinson. The power of pictures Here is a thought: if there was no such thing as language, there would be no anxiety disorders, no OCD and no intrusive thoughts. Although it is true that in some cases the intrusive thoughts involved with OCD take the form of images, the vast majority of intrusions … Continue reading OCD: The Power of Pictures
OCD In a Nutshell
By Brian Robinson. Almost always, OCD has two main characteristics i.e. compulsions and intrusive thoughts. Compulsions are what they say on the tin: you have to do them. Intrusive thoughts are difficult too, not only because they are troublesome and uncompromising, but because at worst the sufferer may believe the thoughts represent the absolute truth. … Continue reading OCD In a Nutshell
The Bird Feeder
By Brian Robinson. Our back garden is a haven for birds. We even have a few chickens. I sit at my window and watch them for hours on end pecking away at the feeders. I noticed that the sparrows seem to drop far more seeds than they eat. Now to me that seems strange. However, … Continue reading The Bird Feeder
Anxiety: Two Tensions
By Brian Robinson. Anxiety can be a confusing experience. But the better we understand it: the less confusing it becomes. The critical thing to remember, is that the underlying cause of anxiety is stress or tension within the body. If our body, our emotions and our minds are relaxed, then we cannot possibly be anxious. … Continue reading Anxiety: Two Tensions
Buried Alive
By Brian Robinson. The Premature Burial. By Antoine Wiertz. There are lots of reasons why people have been buried alive, but when you boil the reasons down, you end up with: by accident or design. There are bad people in this world. There's no getting away from that. And bad people are capable of the … Continue reading Buried Alive
The Interruption
By Brian Robinson. Poppy Harper awoke to find the sun streaming in through her bedroom window. Today was going to be a good day. She knew that instinctively. Then, out of the blue, a thought entered her head. It took a few seconds to register, but she soon realised this was the most profound thought … Continue reading The Interruption
The Vortex
By Brian Robinson. Standing on the clifftop overlooking the bay I felt transfixed but perfectly safe. What looked like some form of vortex was way out on the horizon. Besides, I wasn't chasing tornadoes. I was merely watching the sun go down on what had been a perfectly normal day. I knew I had to … Continue reading The Vortex
How to Live Forever
By Brian Robinson. The answer lies in a book? A friend suggested I read a book. It came highly recommended. 'How Not to Die' by Dr Michael Greger. I didn't like the bookseller's attitude though. "You don't want to read that book. This is the book you want to read," he growled offering me a … Continue reading How to Live Forever
A Journey Through Space and Time
By Brian Robinson. The night begins. My journey took me deep into the cosmos on a special quest amongst a myriad of stars. Galaxies drifted by all around me, shooting stars fell away behind me, and I sped forward at the speed of light. I screamed and slammed on the brakes as hard as I … Continue reading A Journey Through Space and Time
Shamanic Cave: Relaxation and Visualisation Exercise.
By Brian Robinson. Colours: reflections: thoughts. Visualisation can take a thousand forms and can be used towards a variety of ends. When it is used to help with anxiety, it serves as a means of escape to a safe place; as a distraction from troublesome thoughts; and a means to relax the mind. Visualisations work … Continue reading Shamanic Cave: Relaxation and Visualisation Exercise.
Anxiety in a Nutshell
By Brian Robinson. Anxiety happens when a system in our body becomes energised inappropriately. This system is commonly referred to as fight or flight and can only be aroused in two ways. Firstly, our brain can bring this system into play if it believes we are in danger. For example, if we walk out of … Continue reading Anxiety in a Nutshell
