livelifenow

You have a few videos on Depression (thank you!) but I don't see anything on it's ugly sibling Anxiety. I wonder, is there a deeper meaning to anxiety (and I'm talking actual crippling free-form anxiety, not just fear in certain situations)? You could speak on how it feeds negative behaviors such as unhealthy habits and addictions. I know there is a connection- Ie: when my anxiety is at it's worst that is when I engage in the addictions- food, comics, compulsive activities to try to block it out. What are some tips and techniques to break that cycle? In my experience, it is VERY hard to do so, even when you are able to observe yourself spiraling out of control. Thanks!

I have the same feeling- a sort of "distance" that comes up and gets bigger the further I go. I am not sure if this is due to my changing value and beliefs-- it is very hard to find anyone around me who "gets it" or has any similar goals and that makes it hard to connect on a social level. I also worry, because I don't know if this is progress, or maybe a new symptom of the depression that I thought was nearly banished...like a very deep dissociation....? I can't tell if I am getting rid of some emotional attachment (good) or becoming apathetic and anti-social (uh-oh!)

I struggle with this too!!! It really hurts, and at times I feel like it pulls me back into old and unhealthy patterns and ways of thinking. I can't spend very long with my family before I slide into their negativity and neurosis. And when my spouse is being negative and self-defeating, I want to shake him, but I can't MAKE him come along with me on this journey. At times like this I feel my depression and anxiety, which have been vastly improving, start to creep up. I don't want to play the victim an blame others for this- I know part of the issue is working on my own core values and my "reserves" so to speak. But I get frustrated because there is no one near me who shares my views or is in the same place that I am, and a lot of the advice says that you should step away from relationships with people who are a negative influence--but this just isn't realistic. I love my family and I won't just abandon them. I just wish we could all go on the journey together As far as how to find a tribe... the closest I've come is joining this forum, so at least I can read about others' experiences and get some solid advice and feedback from people who ARE like-minded (or different-minded? like-minded makes it sound like a herd :))

Hello- I was wondering if anyone has any insight for me. I began a journey of growth about a 1-2 years ago, and I feel that I've made a lot of progress in terms of my inner and outer health, and changing a lot of my self-destructive behavior and bad psychology. I suffered chronic depression and anxiety (which is much improved), health issues (also almost completely resolved) and was just frankly in a terrible place...for a very long time. I feel that with the help of resources like Leo and others, I have come so far, so fast. But sometimes I struggle with this, particularly as it pertains to relationships. I find that sometimes I have a hard time connecting to others because I have this sense- and not in a judgmental or negative way!- that when with my friends, family, and acquaintances, that I've lost some of what used to connect us. Sometimes I feel the things they think about, the things they consider important, their worries and goals (or sometimes lack thereof) seem so... unimportant to me. I can see how I used to live and think the same way, but no longer do. And yet, you cannot reach out and change that in someone until they are ready to do so themselves. A couple of examples, because I don't know if I'm explaining this right: Friends- some of our friends, while great people, are in to "things"- they work, they buy expensive toys, they play with expensive toys. It seems to shallow to me- not that they are shallow, I love them! But that their interests are shallow. Another example is with my husband- when I was in my worst state, he always seemed to calm, stable, and like he had it all together. But I feel like that was only relative to MY state at the time. That now I am doing better and growing more conscious, I see that he isn't driven, has no life goals, and is actually quite apathetic....(that sounds terrible, but he has other strengths ) I know others must have run into something similar to this...? But how do you cope when you change, and the others around you are staying the same? I love my family and friends, and I wouldn't necessarily say they are "toxic"- it's not like they need to be gotten rid of. I also do NOT want to start looking down on anyone and being egotistical about it all. But how do I maintain my growth (or even increase it) while also continuing to be able to connect with others who do not share that goal or that level of awareness?? Any thoughts or pointers would be greatly appreciated!!! Thanks