The Flume
The Flume in the New Hampshire White Mountains is magnificent. But for me it is not just its beauty that is haunting. Many years ago as a young girl, I visited The Flume with my family. Somewhere before the top, my father had something like altitude sickness or a panic attack. I thought he was dying. He did not die, but the fear I felt and saw in him bit me like a venomous spider. Anxiety, the venom from that wound, was to course through my psyche for years to come.
Years later, arriving home from an early fall picnic with two baby daughters, I found my then husband’s mother in my house with the panic on her face. The old anxiety bite, which could activate in milliseconds, put me on instant visceral alert. Her son was in the hospital... such a young man....a heart attack.....will be okay.....they think.
For her son there was to be an exercise rehab regime; for me there was to be yet another infusion of fear and stress into my life story.
Today I have come to realize that everyone of us has a fascinating story to tell. Embedded in the chapters of these stories are the root causes of our pain as well as the seeds of our strengths. These life stories alter our emotions, inspire our creativity; and, depending on the choices we make, actually shape our identities, our experiences and our capacities for coping.
I often wonder what would have happened to me if I had not chosen to go back to social work school? What if I had not become so determined to learn how to manage stress? Fortunately for me, my traumatic experiences and anxiety turned into immense curiosity about how to feel better. My story guided me into both personal growth and the professional practice of helping others as a clinical social worker. But there was a time when I saw that my stress might take me down a different road. Anxiety could have become debilitating, constricting my life as it does for some sufferers of panic attacks and agoraphobia.
Today we know that the stress we experience can lead us to a variety of emotional and physical problems. We know that it is wise to deal with stress effectively in order to head of these possible problems and sicknesses. But how do we find out what our stress is really about? Sometimes it is clear--like a difficult boss or a 40-hour a week job that requires 80 hours to be done well. However, it is often the hidden stresses that can trick us and make us sick. How do we uncover these?
Read more on my website about stress and how to cope with the stressors we know and the ones that hide from our view. Remember, the secrets are also in your stories. Think about your stories. Talk about your stories.
Tell your stories. All our stories have inspirations for others.