Recovery tip- Many of our desires are about wanting not to feel things. If you experience panic attacks, you may identify particular situations that make you very anxious and bring up an attack. For example: Going into crowded busy places, public speaking, traveling in a car or plane, hospitals etc. but research shows that for many people, it’s not the situation that they’re actually scared of but the experience of having a panic attack. That desire to avoid the experience leads to the person checking, coping or controlling to make sure it’s not happening. Which increases their chances of judging something internal or external as a sign that it is happening, which scares them and leads to more attempts of controlling, coping or checking, which leads to it actually happening. Keep in mind, if you want to get rid of anxiety and intrusive thoughts or sensations more than anything in this world, your brain will give you many things to feel anxious about so you can try to get rid of that feeling and get what you want more than anything else in the world. Your brain is just trying to help you. It’s helpful to treat your brain like a toddler or a puppy. Toddlers and puppies react to many things. Toddlers cry when they don’t get a cookie, they may think it’s the end of the world. Puppies bark at random noises or whine if they don’t think they’re getting enough attention or enough treats! Your brain operates similarly. Your brain is an uncertainty barometer, always looking out for you. You don’t control the random thoughts or emotions your brain throws up at random moments, but you control your actions. Be the adult to your brain. Give your brain thanks for always being there for you and watching out for you. But you’re not going to perform compulsions and react to those random thoughts and emotions. An urge, desire, thought or sensation can be there as you take a step towards what actually matters to you!