If you want to take this further, 'The Mind Works' is available on the 'Get Book/Ebook' page (293 pages in length). The paperback price is £12.50/Ebook £5 (both same price as Chipmunka). Aside from costs, £2.55 from each paperback sale goes to the 'Chipmunka Foundation', a charity aimed at 'lifting the lid' on all mental health issues. Average UK delivery time is 1-2 working days.

As a brief summary of the book (see 'Book Contents', for a more detailed breakdown) - The introduction immediately outlines my solution with set examples and shows sufferers how 'easy' this is to apply, once you understand 'how' the mind works. This is then followed by Chapters 1-4, which explain how this 'breakthrough in understanding' has changed my own/others lives, whereas the latter chapters take on the next step of realising we CAN get control by letting the positives overtake the negatives. There are contributions from a well-known Hypnotherapist as well as further simplifications detailed by my own 'Set Situations' and 'Self-Do' tests and diagrams.

Chapter 5 particularly focuses on 3 people's journey through recovery - two fighters/one flighter. As we may have a mixture of 'fight or flight' tendencies, there are many sufferers who have the completely opposite reaction of 'taking flight', more akin to 'panic attacks' - this is also detailed in the section below and Chapters 2, 3, 4, 5, 7 and 8 (Conclusion - 'The 'Not Do' Challenge).

Chapter 6 - Included in the 'Advice Column' section is Nick Watt's '3 point plan'. Here, Nick has written a summary of what he sees as the 'key stages' in his journey towards recovery. 

Chapter 7 - 'Uncovering the Mind's Mystery' - 'The COPAST Diagram' clearly outlines the 'difference' between those thoughts 'coming to us' and us then 'going to them'. As I am always trying to 'give out this message' as simply as possible - you should find this a very useful tool in understanding 'how' we move into that 'MIND RACE' of 'secondary' thinking.

Finally, Chapter 8 'The Not Do Challenge' gives my conclusions as to 'how' this turned out to be more than just one person's recovery from destructive anxiety - I think it is a 'golden rule', which we all must live by - if we are to establish our very own 'foothold' in life and achieve that self-confidence - as us. This is further shown by recoverers' entries in the 'Advice Column' section.

...Indeed, I believe this concept is the 'standard bearer' for all of us - the truth if you like - where we all can achieve 'flow' in our lives and 'flourish' - as us - as long as we can allow what comes naturally to take effect. 

As stated, the first thing to recognise is that we react to very normal feelings by trying to over-control/take flight from them. If we learned to 'trust' ourselves, we would realise that we do have natural 'cut-offs', which happen without us 'thinking' about them.

Take the example of when we daydream. Do you know the time when we suddenly 'snap out' of this daydream? Well, this is a perfect example of how our natural cut-offs work - we don't have to consciously think about them - they just automatically happen to bring us 'out' of thoughts. **Take the 'Cut-Off Test' in Chapter 6 to see how this works with all of us.

So when we naturally come out of our thoughts – this is a very crucial time. We can either 'accept' this and move on or try to fight or fly from them. The main point here is that, because of our desire to 'understand everything/put things right/not face our thoughts', we are not always ready to accept this subtle cut-off process is 'enough' to rely on. This is mainly due to a lack of understanding – that we think we have to 'consciously and deliberately' react to our thoughts, which isn’t actually the case.

For me, I used to 'fight' any threatening thoughts 'just' as I was actually at the point of coming out of them. As this was happening subconsciously - I wasn't in conscious control and didn’t feel this was enough to deal with the threat. I say 'fight', because this is the most accurate description of my reaction. It is both compulsive and soul-destroying, as once the fight begins, there is no clear way out.

In essence, my recovery has been based on the simple fact that any threat to me being in complete control would lead to this compulsive fight to question/explain. This, as you will have read, is both secondary and unnecessary (see also ‘It’s Easier Not to Step Into the Ring’ – Chapter 2).

Indeed, those of us who are 'intense' can be especially vulnerable to feeling very low/confused/stressed etc. and whilst certain behaviour therapies may help us understand our 'primary' thoughts/feelings are 'fine', they don't take the 'most important step giving the exact solution to our 'panic reacting'. This is why I stress it's so important to 'understand' the problem of our 'repetitive panic reacting', before we can operate normally ('primary'). As you will see from my COPAST Diagram (Chap 7), it's our secondary 'follow-up' to perfectly 'normal' negative AND positive thoughts/feelings that really causes the damage. 

Whilst fighters tend to 'internalise' their panic, flighters may 'externalise' theirs. This may then 'lead' to 'comfort-taking' i.e. other methods of 'escape', like over/under-eating, alcohol abuse, vomiting, aggression etc etc etc as a means of gaining some relief from the perceived 'threat'. Nevertheless, as you will see from my simple analogy - the 'answer' to panic recovery is really very simple - and does NOT depend on medication. 

So How Do We Achieve This?     

Many sufferers 'go back' into 'repetitive' coping strategies by 'consciously' telling themselves they 'have' to let go, but this just re-invents the illness itself (see also 'Repetitive Coping' - Chap 6) - as you are still 'consciously' reacting (see Paul David's www.anxietynomore.co.uk analogy on my book review page).

Solution - It's not a 'do', but a 'not do'

As you will see from my MORD ('Method of Recovery Diagram' - 1st Chapter), this will then ensure we 'keep the flow' of the natural negatives and positives, without making an 'unnecessary issue' of either.

We 'have' to understand - there is NOTHING wrong with ANY of our thinking - negative OR positive - we ARE intense and may not feel we can ACCEPT who we are - but as time goes by (see 'Habitualisation' - Chap 6/7), we will recognise that we can 'flow' with ALL of our thoughts - even the positive ones that can help us to control our intensity. The 'reaction' of our 'compulsive' flight/fight is our 'only' problem. This is due to the 'confusion' this illness brings. Hence, why, very importantly, the 'solution' is a 'not do' rather than a 'do' (see 'Crux of Recovery/Advice Column' sections in book for more situation examples of that 'simple reminder' - all we need).