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How to Overcome Anxiety

Hey! My name is Anna L. Graham.

I’m a Licensed Clinical Professional Counselor from Illinois.

In this class, I will guide you through five strategies for overcoming the anxiety that narcissistic abuse causes.

  • Warning: The content on this page discusses narcissism and narcissistic abuse. This subject may be triggering for some people. If you find yourself feeling triggered, please click here to watch our Trigger/Flashback Protocol.

Anna L. Graham’s Strategies

We recommend using If/When-Then Plans to implement Anna L. Graham’s advice effectively. Please click here to learn more about this research-backed approach.

First Strategy: Safety

Deeper dive

Anna L Graham highlighted the importance of creating safety while explaining this strategy. Here’s a course that will help you do this.

Second + Third Strategy: Intuition & Trust

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To help you put this strategy into practice, we’ve created a Mindfulness + Radical Acceptance Exercise. Give it a try – it’s designed to support your journey.

This is a guide to creating a radical acceptance mantra, which you can use in conjunction with the mindful exercises mentioned below.

The term “radical acceptance” refers to acknowledging reality as it is, without judgment or resistance.

The term “mindfulness” refers to a mental state achieved by focusing one’s awareness on the present moment while calmly acknowledging and accepting one’s feelings, thoughts, and bodily sensations.

This combination is a powerful way to enhance your mindfulness practice and validate your experiences and intuition, leading to higher self-trust. 

Step 1: Identify Key Phrases

Think of phrases that resonate with your understanding of acceptance. These might include affirmations like “I accept this moment,” “I trust my experience,” or “This is how it is right now.”

Step 2: Incorporate Personal Elements

Tailor the mantra to your personal journey and needs. Include phrases that specifically address trusting your intuition or acknowledging your feelings.

Step 3: Keep it Simple and Positive

A mantra should be easy to remember and positive in tone. For instance, “I trust my intuition and accept my reality” is simple yet profound.

Step 4: Write It Down

Once you have your mantra, write it down. It would help if you kept it somewhere visible as a regular reminder.

Step 5: Integrate with Mindfulness Practice

  • Sit or lie comfortably.
  • Close your eyes and take a deep breath in.
  • Exhale slowly, focusing on the sensation of air leaving your body.
  • Recite your mantra silently to reinforce trust in your intuition.
  • Repeat this process for 3-5 minutes.

Deeper dive

Anna L Graham highlighted the importance of trusting yourself while explaining this strategy. Here’s a masterclass that will help you do this.

Fourth Strategy: Body

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To help you put this strategy into practice, we’ve created a TIPP guide. Give it a try – it’s designed to support your journey.

TIPP is a distress tolerance skill from Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT).

It helps you manage intense emotional states healthily and effectively. 

TIPP stands for:

T – Temperature

Changing your body temperature can help you snap out of a heightened emotional state. A common method is to splash your face with cold water or hold a cold pack on your face for a few seconds. This triggers the “dive reflex” that helps your body and mind to calm down.

I – Intense Exercise

Engaging in intense physical activity, even briefly, can help dissipate the energy associated with strong emotions. Exercise releases endorphins, which are natural mood lifters and can help shift your mental state.

P – Paced Breathing

Slow, deep, paced breathing can help regulate the body’s response to stress. Breathing deeply and evenly helps activate the parasympathetic nervous system, which calms the body down after a stress response.

P – Paced Breathing Variation – Paired Muscle Relaxation

Along with paced breathing, you can also practice progressive muscle relaxation. This involves tensing and then relaxing different muscle groups in conjunction with your breathing.

Fifth Strategy: Mind

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