Im 35 years old, and this it. This is gonna be for the rest of my life, and i hate it, but i sort of just started to accept it. I think i stayed in bed for, like, six months. I was just totally depressed. I didnti didnt want to live anymore because it was too painful to watch myself just basically fall apart. I became socially phobic. I was uncomfortable staying in other peoples houses. I was uncomfortable traveling in other peoples cars. And i lived in my own little world, and i didnt tell anyone. I would go to bed at night and just lie there and worry that i was gonna become possessed, that i was going to become mentally ill, or that i was gonna die of a terminal illness. Those seemed to be my three fears at about 14. I think one of my biggest symptoms was, i felt kind of dizzy and lightheaded, and i felt like i was gonna pass out. And my biggest fear was, driving with my two young kids in the car . And that scared the heck out of me. And even if i was in a store, i thought, well, what if i pass out right here and then, you know, the ambulance has to come or Something Like that, and then my little daughter os just two years old is standing there wondering whats happening to mommy . What if i never wake up . What if i end up in a Mental Institution . I mean, all those things were going through my mind. After my first incident, where i had to stop driving the fire engine, i probably wenthrough a dozen or more doctors. I was in a shop with a doctor. She was a specialist on balance and innerear problems. And she was having me do a bunch of balance tests, and they had strobe lights going and the whole bit. She finally stopped the whole thing, and she just kind of chuckled, and she said, why are we doing this . She says, i know whats wrong with you. She says, youre having panic attacks. I can remember i looked at her, and i went, youre kidding, right . I said, do you know what i do for a living . Im a fireman, so im not afraid of anything. I said, do you know where ive been and what ive seen in my career and in my life . And she said, well, its real common with motor officers, with firefighters, with soldiers. She says, its the stress that youre under that you dont realize. I work with couples and families and individuals, people who have problems in their relationships, people who have problems with anxiety and depression, addictions. I myself had anxiety disorder when i was in my 20s, and it kind of came on me very suddenly, and it was very debilitating. So i know the terrible feeling of anxiety disorder, the horrors of a panic attack. Ive experienced that myself. The thing that alcohol did for me is, it numbed the depression. The depression was 247. I was able to work a job and really excel with it, because i had learned to be a hard worker. And once i got home, i had nowhere to turn. My mom was a nurse. Pills were everywhere. In fact, when i started the program, my mom says, why dont you just take a pill . Anxiety and depression are two of the main reasons people miss work, visit the family doctor, and take prescription medication. Take control of your anxiety and depression, and youll take control of your life. Youll think more clearly, have more energy, sleep better, and be happier. Take the first step right now. There is hope. There are options. Call for a wonderful free cd that will show you how. It was unbelievable to me that you can do and you can achievwhatever you want. Its motivated me to do many Different Things that ive always wanted to do but was just so scared to do. Im feeling physically better. You know, suddenly i could sleep. Suddenly i was able to take my kids to disneyland. I could do all these things and not be afraid that i was gonna have to leave. Before i found the attacking anxiety and Depression Program, there wasnt a single therapy that helped me. Thank god for this. I am so blessed. Y want help for your anxiety and depression. You want to feel better. You just dont know what to do. Let the Midwest Center help you take the first step. I think the program was wonderful. It didwas a miracle to me. These are life skills that really, really do stay with you. I cleared out my attic. Then i found me. And i found out i like me. Like, i never get anxious, and ill never have a panic attack for the rest of my life. And i know i wont, cause ill never allow that to happen. It was just so freeing to feel that heaviness come off myself. Theres hope. There is a way out of this. Right now theres someone waiting to talk to you who understands what youre going through. Call now for this wonderful free cd. I was on medication after medication. I think every six weeks for a couple of years, i was being switched to a different medication and going through the side effects and weight loss and weight gain and nausea and irritability. It was horrible, and i was doing it to self. I was on this quest for something that would make me feel better immediately. And im getting angrier because theres nobody helping me medically. All the doctors are saying is take, you know, prescriptions and try another antidepressant and try this anti you know, they just kept switching the drugs around. And i said, but thats its not helping. None of its helping. So i finally went into therapy, and i just didnt find it helpful at all. I was just frustrated with them. I said, but i need to understand what im going through and why im going through and how i can fix this. I remember there was no safe place anymore. I couldnt talk to my mother on the phone. That made me anxious. I couldnt drive to my Favorite Grocery store. That made me anxious. I just was living in this little shell wondering how much worse it was gonna get, and i prayed to god, and i said, please, show me one person thats gone through this and lived and thrived, and ill help you for the rest of my life. And the next morning, i woke up and turned a show on, and it was a woman talking about panic attacks. When youre dealing with anxiety and depression, you know, you go tough so many different physical symptoms, and one of them is insomnia. And so anyway, one morning at 4 00 in the morning, i get up, and i said, im gonna switch on the tv. Im not sleeping anyway. And then i see lucinda. Im listening to her, and im going, oh, my gosh. That sounds just like me. I was so incredibly excited when i found the Midwest Center for stress and anxiety. I knew that i was on to something. I had found something that was gonna work for me. Nobody ever told me that its about changing the way that you think, and that was when i found this attacking anxiety and Depression Program, that was the major, major thing. And its something so simple. I wish would have learned before then. The first thing that was so helpful was, i understood exactly what anxiety was. She described it, she explained it, and she told you why it is and what it does to you physically and emotionally and the whole chemistry imbalance in your body. And im thinking, why couldnt a doctor tell me that . I really enjoy working with peoplen therapy who are using the program, because it is a great complement to the therapy. Its just great to have people kind of in that therapeutic environment for the entire week other than whenthe hour that theyre with me. If people dont have access to therapy or dont particularly need therapy but have the program, they can do a really god job by working with this program and with the Midwest Center to recover from anxiety and depression. There is a lot of support from the Midwest Center, phone support. Theres coaching support. I could take a negative thought and run with it, and i could catastrophize the worstcase scenarios. And talking with other coaches, i find out that this is probably one of the biggest obstacles for everyone, and certainly, the clients that ive coached, thats the main focus that i work on. My days started to change. My thoughts started to change, and it changed my life. It gave me the freedom to live my life, because before, i didnt. I was too scared. I had to give up my security blanket, and my security blanket was fear. My security blanket was, do not go there. My security blanket was, dont do that. Dont trust the world. Because i was brought up in believing that it was a bad ple. It was a shock, cause it was like, oh, my gosh. Its been me all along . Like, im the one thats causing this . But then when you find out that it is under your control and you can solve it, that in itself just gives you that oomph. Oh, okay. Ive just got to follow this program. You dont want to listen to the fact that, you know, youve been victimizing yourself all this time, because youre very angry at the fact that youve allowed yourself to do that. You know, it was a whole different way of thinking, because for a long time, people believed that people who were anxious and depressed were deficient or that they were sick or unstable or incapable of helping themselves. And the different twist that i saw to the whole thing is th, no, wait a minute. People with anxiety and depression are creative and intuitive and futuristic thinkers, and they have a vivid imagination. And if you could take all that Creative Energy that theyre turning inward and making themselves sick with and turn it outward where it belongs, these people could conquer the world. I learned what i was missing, and it lit a fire under me that i dont know anybody could ever put out. My world opened up, and my life opened up, and my heart opened up, and my mind opened up. And the things that i probably should have been doing or could have been doing for the first 30 years started happening. I was not living. And im living now. The program is utilizing cognitive behavioral therapy. It helps you to learn to identify how your own thinking is impacting your feelings and that your body is responding to your thinking and creating this panic and anxiety. Medication can relieve the symptoms of e anxiety disorder, but the medication really doesnt do anything at all to correct the negative selftalk thats going on. Yes, you can take medication. Yes, you can selfmedicate with alcohol, but thats not gonna help you in the long term. And thats not the kind of message you want your children to see. You want to be selfempowered. You want to know that no matter what, you can pick yourself up, dust yourself off, and get your energy and your confidence back no matter whats going on around you. And thats what this program does. The macho image its hard for people to open up. Its hard for men topen up, to get them to admit their weaknesses, to show their emotions, to really come up with a plan of action, to take control of their life, and just admit their fears. In fact, ive been told that, by a psychiatrist, that my defense mechanism is always on. [laughs] im always denying that theres a problem and that its the way that it is. Same thing with pain is, thats the way that i get through my life day to day i deny that im hurt. I think one of the hugest breakthroughs that encouraged me to start the program was the information, and something i had never heard from one of my doctors is that i wasnt sick, i didnt have a disease, that it was a condition that basically i had developed throughout my life and that i didnt have to be cured from it, that i could teach myself and use the tools that were provided through the program to get over it. I like the way that it made me realize that i was causing the problem, and i think thats one of the things that took me a long time to get into my head, but as it went on and on, i think i finally realized that nothing outside is making this happen. It is me thats causing it. Life for me now is amazing. I can seriously say that im justim blessed, and im so happy. I could have never been on a plane, you know, before and fly for six hours by myself, but im just my own safe person now. I dont rely on others to cheer me up all the time. I can do that for me now. You cannot put a price on what it gives you. It gave me my life back. It made me find me. The attacking anxiety and Depression Program is something that i keep in my car, i keep on my ipod. I go back to it all the time. Its like having a good friend thats sitting in my car with me. If im worried, ill put in the worry cd, and i remember that that doesnt do me any good. It doesnt do me any good to worry. What can i do to change that . And you know what . Sometimes we need that friend. We need that, you know, you can do this. You might have forgotten that you can do this, but you can do this. Ive seen you get through worse things. And thats what it is for me. Its time to take control of your worry, anxiety, and depression. Its time to put an end to the fear and what if thinking it creates. Please, pick up the phone and call right now for a wonderful free cd that will show you how to finally free yourself from the obsessive worry, fear, and exhaustion thats caused by anxiety and depression. You can get your life back. You can feel good again. Call now for your free cd to learn how. Just to get that freedom and be able to appreciate the things i had really, reallyit was more than help. It was a dream come true. Every day in my prayers i thank god for that blessing. I think the program gave me a new way of looking at things and looking at life, and it made me feel like i can do anything. Keep practicing the skills, and it will work. And im proof that it works. We want to help you help yourself. You can control your anxiety, stress, and depression, and we can show you how. Call now. It hit home. There were people that had exactly what i had. Life now is much, much, much better. I feel like i can handle my life now. Its amazing. Sometimes i have to step back and say, oh, my god. I used to do that. I used to worry all the time. I used to make myself sick. I just am so happy with where i am in my life. The Midwest Center saved me in so many different ways that i could honestly say that im no longer scared to death. I feel like im a part of something now. This program really works. You have a right to be happy. You have a right to not feel anxious and depressed. Life is supposed to feel good. Call now for this motivating free cd and take control of your life. There is a changing your life. You have to commit to it. You have to believe that youre worth it. And you just keep going. But if you dont use it, its not gonna do you any good. I go back to it every day. I live it. Its a way of life. Im a totally different person. I am so in control of my life. Im so happy. I have confidence. My selfesteem is just fantastic, and i cant even believe that i put myself through that. I feel like i had to probably go through it to get to where i am in my li. Its given me my independence back, and its totally empowered me to know that i can succeed and do and work at anything i want to do. Its literally allowed me to get my life back in order; whereas before, it was just chaotic. I definitely feel like the Program Saved my life. I mean, i dont know what i would have done without it, because you are your own parachute, and i was the only one who could save myself. Its actually one of my proudest accomplishments. Its something i definitely could have used years earlier, and i think it would have helped me even before i had panic attacks. It was a life changer for me, a real life changer. Ive changed. Its not the world around me that has changed. Its still the same world that i grew up in, but it doesnt scare me like it used to, because i know who i am now. And i know that no matter what happens, good or bad, i will land on my feet and im gonna get through it, and good and bad things happen to us all, and its about choosing whether or not you want to be a victim or you want to be a victor. I think this program could help everybody in the way they think about life. Its full of wisdom about how to live your life in a successful way and in a healthy way, and most of us didnt get that blueprint. So, you know, this program has kind of gathered up thinking from just a huge range of places and made it accessible in one place. I mean, life is life, and stress is stress, but the incredible thing about it is, you know when its coming on and you see that youre gonna be in a stressful situation. You just have the skills to deal with it. You just live in the moment, and thats a definite youll have to do. Dont go sweating about the past and beating yourself up about the past. Dont get too far into the future, because you really have no control over the future. And its to stay in the present moment, and thats where ive been for the last year and a halfstaying in the present moment. And my life has been fantastic. It was so simple, because knowledge is power. And getting the education and having someone explain to me what was happening with my body and that i wasnt the only one going through it and that other people have been successful at it theres a recipe for success right there. Because of the attacking anxiety and Depression Program, i am more confident than ever, any time in my entire life, that i can decide for myself. I can live with my choices. Its like youre unleashing the side of you thats nice, thats normal. It empowers you in such a way that you never even thought possible. It makes you prouder of yourself than ever before. This program is for any Single Person living in this day and age. Our lives are so stressful. Its life skills that you need to learn. Whether you have problems with anxiety, stress, worry, depression, it certainly helps. And it helps you keep on the straight and narrow. I still pull out the cds and listen to em when im frazzled or i notice myself going back into some negative phrases and things like that. I have grown backwards. I think i was 80 when i was about 8. [laughs] then in my 30s, im starting to play. This is the first time ive ever had a childhood, and im gonna have it. Im gonna experience every single thing about it that i can and i wasnt able to before. And i can now. I wanted to illustrate what i was like before the program. Basically, i was hunched over, basically like the hunchback of notre dame basically. Thiss how id be walking. Just like that. But after the program, check it out. The skys the limits. Whoo it just worked. You get control of yourself and control of your mind and your life. And i took control, and ive been traveling ever since, and ive got total independence. I went to stay in new zealand for fi or six weeks. Then i went up to australia for a month, and then i went over to thailand for 2 1 2 months, and i did all of this by myself. Trains, planes, and automobiles. Life now is fantastic. I appreciate each day. Ive learned how to slow down. Ive learned how to relax. Ive learned how to actually do nothing and feel good about it and know that its healthy to do nothing. I used to have a belief that you had to be doing something productive at every minute or youre wasting your time. And thats not the case at all. Thats not being healthy. Im enjoying life. Dont let anyone ever tell you that you have to live with anxiety and depression the rest of your life or that you have to take medication for the rest of your life, because its not true. What you need to do is believe in yourself and go deep inside of yourself and take a look at who you really are. And you need the skills to know how to get your confidence back and be selfempowered so that you can live in the moment and help yourself. I know what it feels like to live on that edge and hoping beyond hope that somebody would just go ahead and push me over and get it over with. I also know what it feels like to have somebody come up and take my hand and walk me away and show me the beauty that, you know, was beyond that cliff. And im no better than anybody else. I dontim no smarter. Its taking the program, the attacking anxiety and Depression Program, and it is attacking all of those bad things that youve been telling yourself, all of those horrible things that you may have learned, and it is putting your foot down and refusing to live the way that youve been living any longer. You just have to say no. [uplifting music] how long are you gonna let anxiety and depression be your excuse for not feeling good . How long are you going to depend on medications with side effects . How long are you going to suffer needlessly . Stop it all with real proven selfhelp that could last a litime. Call now for a wonderful free cd that will show you how. Its your life. Take it back. Call now. Announcer the following is a paid presentation for Richard Simmons project h. O. P. E. , brought to you by gaiam. We all know as adults what its like to feel overextended. [ echoing ] overextended. My day is so busy, i have no time to work out. More American Families struggle to deal with the chronic illnesses such as diabetes and hypertension. I come from the if its on your plate, you eat it club. 165 Million People will be obese. Americans are not winning their battle against obesity. Hope for e ture wasnt something i had a lot of. Announcer over the past 38 years, millions of pounds lost, bodies literally transformed, lives truly changed, and its all because of one man. Reach higher. Reach for your goals announcer Richard Simmons is the nations most revered and beloved fitness expert. Using his unique wit, passion, and enthusiasm, richard continues his crusade to reach out to the masses, encouraging them ttakeontrol of their fitness destiny. Delivering a serious message with his trademark humor, richard has helped millions of overweight people worldwide achieve unparalleled results like these. And now, get ready for Richard Simmons like youve never seen him before. Introducing Richard Simmons project h. O. P. E. For the first time ever, richard is introducing his new, 90day progressive workout system, featuring his unique triple training method, along with his complete 90day meal program. Whether youre active right now, or you havent broken a sweat in years, your goal for a better, slimmer, healthier you is just 90 days away. Richards progressive workouts and food program are fun and doable for where you are right now. The secret to richards workout results . His triple training method. Richards triple training method is a combination of lowimpact cardio and toning, arranged in a safe and effective progression thats sequenced to maximize weight loss. As your fitness level builds, richard changes up the moves, the reps, and the intensity to make the workouts more challenging, so you never get bored, and youever plateau. And richards triple training method can help you burn up to three times more fat, compared to traditional cardio alone. And best of all, every workout is just 30 minutes or less. Plus, with richards complete 90day meal program, the power to choose delicious foods and perfect portions has never been easier. The combination of workouts and the meal program will help turn your body into a lean, mean, fatmelting machine. Youll also get the encouragement you need with richard by your side every step of the way, motivating you to succeed. One im proud of you. Just say, i can do it announcer now join tv journalist and host Kinga Philipps as she talks to the legend himself, Richard Simmons, about how you can reclaim your health in a fun, safe, and effective way and finally become the person youve always wanted to be with the new Richard Simmons project h. O. P. E. Hi, everyone, and thank you for being with us today, as we take a deeper look at Richard Simmons, an american icon. 38 years and 3 Million Pounds later, Richard Simmons continues his crusade to reach out to the masses, encouraging them to take control of their fitness destiny. Even if you dont believe in yourself, richard Still Believes in you, and that is why im so honored to have joining me today the one and only Richard Simmons. Thank you, kinga, for your kind words. Well, lets start with the bigger picture. Why is it that your programs are so effective for so many different people . Ive never lied about how to exercise. Ive never lied about how to lose weight. Ive been consistent for all these years not only with them, but with myself. Everybody pretty much knows my story. I was obese. I became a compulsive eater, and i had to turn that around, and i opened my little exercise studio 38 years ago called slimmons. And i make it safe and fun, because i believe if youre happy when you exercise, i think youll stick to it. What has become your numberone mission . My numberone mission is the name of my new Program Project h. O. P. E. Hope health, optimism, passion, and energy. Project h. O. P. E. Gives you support, and a lot of people