Mental Health Advice With Stan: How I Overcome the Vicious Cycle of Worry and Fear

Like flying, dealing managing worry and fear takes practice. – Courtesy photo

By Stan Popovich

Do you ever get stuck into that vicious cycle of worrying where you get overwhelmed with worrying and fearful thoughts? In return, this creates more panic and worry and eventually you can’t function because you are a basket case.

As the author of a managing fear book, I struggled with fear, anxiety, and stress for over 20 years. Eventually, I was able to overcome the endless cycle of fear and worrying. Here is a brief summary of what I did to get better.

1. I got advice from the professionals. The first thing I did was to talk to various counselors since they knew how to deal with fear and anxiety. Whenever I talked to the counselors, I would always bring a notebook and take notes so I would not forget the advice that was given to me. I then used their advice to overcome my anxiety issues.
2. I became an expert on dealing with fear and anxiety. I did everything possible to learn as much as I could in how to deal with my fears and anxiety. As a layman, I talked to professionals, read books, joined support groups, and learned from my experiences. I never stopped learning on how to handle my anxieties.
3. I surrounded myself with helpful people. I made it a habit of surrounding myself with supportive people who understood what I was going through. During some of my anxious times, one of my good friends gave me a hard time and was not very supportive. I tried to explain my situation to him, but he would not listen. One day, I got mad and told him to leave me alone if he was to continue getting on my case. He later apologized and was more understanding.
4. I learned how to manage my fearful thoughts. The key in overcoming the cycle of worry and fear is overcoming your fearful thoughts. Whenever I would get a negative and fearful thought, I would challenge that thought with positive statements and realistic thinking. I also made it a habit to focus on the facts of my current situation and not on my negative thoughts.
5. I was persistent. There were many times I felt like giving up because my fears and worrying were so powerful and I didn’t know what to do. I worried about what would happen and that just made my fears that much stronger. During those times, I would consult with a professional and I made it a point to learn from my experiences so that I would be better able to handle these situations in the future.
6. I did not make excuses. With a lot of practice, I became very good at dealing with my fears and anxieties. I realized that the answers to my problems were out there, however it was up to me to find those techniques that would get rid of my fears and anxieties. I realized that making excuses for not getting help wasn’t going to make things any better.
7. I made the choice to get better. If you struggle with fear and worrying there is hope, however you need to make the effort in getting better. The answers will not come to you. You have to make the effort to find the answers to overcome your situation.  It will not always be easy, but you can overcome the cycle of fear and worry with hard work and a willingness to learn from your everyday experiences.

Stan Popovich is a Penn State graduate and the nationally known anxiety  author of “A Layman’s Guide to Managing Fear”— an easy-to-read  overcoming anxiety book that’s helped thousands of people to confidently  manage their persistent fears and anxieties. Stan has over 20 years of personal experience in dealing with fear and anxiety. For more free mental health advice visit Stan’s website at managingfear.com and read Stan’s articles and his blog. The above is not intended to be a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Mr. Popovich is not a medical professional. Always seek the advice of your physician or other qualified health providers with any questions you may have regarding a medical condition. Never disregard professional medical advice or delay in seeking it because of something you have read here.

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