Second Chance to Live

Sharing Hope in the Face of Adversity — One Piece at a Time

Posts Tagged ‘overcoming anxiety’

Second Chance to Live – Overcoming Anxiety — Part 2 of 2

Posted by Second Chance to Live on June 29, 2008

For sake of context please read Part 1. Thank you.

After receiving the computer’s message, I decided to defragment the hard drive to free up space so that I could load my programs and files on to the hard drive. After starting the deframentation process I discovered that the files — that I thought my friend would have removed before he loaded the operating system — were still on the hard drive. To my chagrin the files and folders that had been left on the computer’s hard drive could not be defragmented.

I then realized that I had no idea what might be in those files and folders, nor would I want to be held responsible for what was contained in those files and folders. At this point in time I felt like a deer caught in the head lights. As you might imagine I began to experience some anxiety – give my 3 previous nightmarish experiences with having to reload operating systems — as the obvious was becoming apparent. I was going to have to reformat and reload the operating system by myself.

Initially, I was a bit frustrated by my anxiety, but after I refocused my energy, I realized that I was going to have to reformat and reload the operating system.

When I accepted that I was going to have to reformat and then reload the operating system I took the next step. Consequently, several nights ago — around 10 pm — I put the Windows XP Professional disc into the DVD tray and rebooted my newer computer. As was suggested by my friends I followed the on screen promptings and my computer’s hard drive was reformatted. Once the hard drive was reformatted I began the process of loading the Windows XP operating system onto my hard drive.

The process was tedious and time consuming, but very satisfying — because after 7-8 hours I experienced the joy in knowing that I succeeded in overcoming my anxiety.

Since the time I have successfully loaded programs and files on to the computer’s hard drive and the computer is running marvelously. I am so glad that I took the risk to confront my anxiety. My experience has taught me that I can in fact successfully reformat and reload an operating system. Consequently I am no longer subject to the anxiety that once limited me.

My experience has empowered me to address other areas in my life that presently may seem to loom so large.

All material presented on Second Chance to Live is copyright and cannot be copied, reproduced, or distributed in any way without the express, written consent of Craig J. Phillips, MRC, BA

Posted in Acquired Brain Injury, Adult Children of Alcoholics, Caregivers, celebrities with brain injuries, cerebral vascular accident, characteristics of traumatic brain injury, Children of Trauma, Closed Head Injury, Codependency, Desert Storm Veterans, family, Friends, Invisible Disability, Iraq veterans, Iraq War Veterans, learning disabilities, Limitations, Living with a Disability, Living with an Invisible Disability, living with meaning and purpose, Mild Traumatic Brain Injury, Ophra Winfrey, Parents of children with Acquired brain injuries, relationships, spinal cord injury, stroke, toxic shame, Traumatic Brain Injury, Traumatic Brain Injury in children, traumatic brain injury in schools, traumatic brain injury Iraq, Traumatic Brain Injury Support Groups / Meetings, traumatic brain injury treatment, Veterans of the Iraq War, Vietnam Veterans, visual impairment | Tagged: , , , , , | Leave a Comment »

 
Follow

Get every new post delivered to your Inbox.

Join 233 other followers