Jean's Example

I was okay for about an hour and a half. I then started to feel anxious. I wanted to go home. I wanted to cry because I had so much to do and I couldn't focus on doing it. I felt restless and disoriented. I wanted to tell someone how badly I was feeling. 

I told my self that feelings are not facts. Just because I felt these things did not mean that I had to act on either my thoughts or my impulses. I decided to move my muscles and go to the ladies room, get a drink from the vending machine and walk the long way back to the office. I would take a 10 minute break. I reminded myself that return of the symptoms did not mean return of the illness. I endorsed myself for being there for even part of the day and for my willingness to begin again after a setback. I did what I planned to do and did remain as planned for the four hours. I kept telling myself that I could bear the discomfort. 

Before Recovery, I would have done all the things I wanted to do rather than do what I needed to do. I would have called my husband and told him how poorly I felt. I would have called my boss and told her I couldn't stay at work. I would have not taken the bus to meet my husband. I would not have known that I could function in spite of my discomfort. I would have felt so concerned because I couldn't concentrate that I would have focused on the inability to concentrate and not on options of a way to persevere. I did endorse for my will to effort. I did excuse myself for not giving 100% that day realizing that the average worker doesn't always give 100%. Oh, and by the way, without Recovery, I'd have been in the hospital during the set-back period instead of at home. I also would have worked myself up over the state of affairs in the office so much, that I'd probably have gone to the emergency room when I felt the symptoms returning to the extent I was experiencing them. 

Smitty -- I liked the way Jean spotted that her symptoms didn't mean she was ill again. She is an apprentice in the Recovery method and will get symptoms, but she practiced and became realistic in her performance.

May -- Jean mentioned that she had the will to effort, instead of the will to comfort. That's the method and it works! 

endorsed -- It would have been very easy for Jean to keep on working herself up. When she remembers to give herself a mental pat on the back, she is giving herself credit for effort and control, which is not easy when one is under the tyranny of nervous symptoms. Self endorsement is valued because it builds morale and hope. It is more valued than endorsement from others in Recovery. 

feelings are not facts -- This is in the sense of the facts of a situation. Her feelings are there and they are not right or wrong but if she were to have acted on them alone, she would be feeling-led instead of being self-led.