I trod a well-worn path into psychotherapy - as a client.
I had been one of those people who "thrived" on stress, who relished problems and who was prepared to endure conflict with others in order to see my plans come into being.
This appeared to work well for me; at least until my career hit a series of serious obstacles and I became unhappy and disillusioned in my work.
I wasn't fighting to win anymore, I was fighting to survive on a daily basis and by the time I made my first appointment with a counsellor I was suffering from heartburn, IBS and an awful, persistent, nagging anxiety.
Every day felt as if I were about to sit the biggest exam of my life and was destined to fail.
I knew that things needed to change before I slumped into depression.
So now, when I sit with my own clients, I know two things.
I know how it feels to be affected by chronic anxiety and I know that it's possible to resolve the problem - often within a surprisingly short period of time.
This article can't hope to replace the therapeutic potential of a warm, constructive and open relationship with a suitably qualified psychotherapist; but if you're reading this and feel able to make some changes to your life, if you're ready to ask yourself some difficult questions and to give yourself some honest answers then you might find it helpful in nipping your anxiety in the bud.
My clients are all unique individuals but they all share at least one thing - anxiety.
I teach them all, therefore, one simple relaxation technique in the very first session.
Finish the next paragraph and then try it yourself.
If you push your stomach out to a slow count of three then you will find yourself inhaling.
Try it again and inhale through the mouth.
The next step is to hold that breath for a comfortable count of three.
Finally, you guessed it, exhale through the nose to the count of six.
Once you find a comfortable rate at which to count, continue the cycle of breaths until you've completed ten cycles.
It's so simple that it seems ridiculously banal.
My clients are commonly impressed, however, by both its effectiveness and ease of use.
When we're stressed we breathe more rapidly and the brain tries to help you out by triggering the production of adrenaline and cortisol.
Stress is supposed to be temporary, however, and long term exposure to adrenaline and cortisol is harmful to the body.
Breathing in this manner convinces the brain that there's no threat.
The brain relaxes and a relaxed brain fills you full of feel-good endorphins and other chemical goodies.
Turn this simple technique into a regular part of your fight against anxiety.
You have to breathe anyway so what's to lose? In reality there is no divide between the mind and the body, this is why stress can have such serious effects upon our physical health.
Conversely, learning to relax physically benefits the mind.
So take the time to look after yourself.
Eat healthily, get some sleep, don't self-medicate with alcohol or drugs, and pamper yourself in whichever way suits you best.
My tutor, when I trained, said we should "never under-estimate the power of simple relaxation.
" How right she was! Anxious people may also find themselves trapped within the vicious circle of their own negative thoughts.
These thoughts create anxiety and anxiety breeds yet more negative thoughts.
How can we learn to break this circle? Firstly, accept that you have programmed yourself into a negative thinking pattern.
Those thoughts of "I can't" or "I'm useless" took some time to drill into your brain, to become automatic, and they'll take some effort to shift.
Make a little mental note of your strengths.
Take the time and make an effort to praise yourself for successes.
Notice the negative thoughts and don't let them pass unanswered.
Counter each negative thought with two positives.
It will seem hard work at first but will become easier with time.
Stick with it! Secondly, learn to shift outside of your thought processes.
When you notice that you've become engrossed in your thoughts, shift your attention to how you are feeling emotionally.
Don't think about how you are feeling, just observe and explore.
Alternatively, consider how your left foot feels at that moment.
Again, don't intellectualise it but rather notice how your sock or shoe presses against the toes.
Transfer your attention to other parts of your body and explore your physical being.
Lastly, switch attention to the world around you - the colour of the leaves on trees, the temperature of the air, the taste and feel of your food and so on.
Again, this will seem contrived and laboured at first but the goal is to shift you away from dwelling on thoughts which can turn negative.
You'll be surprised how soon you find yourself switching between these different zones of awareness without even realising that you're doing so.
Master these techniques and you may well find that you can learn to beat anxiety away if and when it appears.
Focusing on the here and now, learning to be aware of the world around you and developing the ability to step outside of your own negative thought patterns can all bear fruit.
They don't, however, go all the way in addressing the longer term issues which brought anxiety into your life.
Most of what we worry over is never going to happen.
Much of what we fear is beyond our control in any case.
What we can do, however, is to ensure that we act to take control of our lives wherever possible.
Anxiety can paralyse us into indecision and inaction.
Begin with the small things which could give you quick and easy wins.
This will serve to increase your confidence when tackling the bigger issues.
Eventually, if the worst does happen, you'll meet it with courage and confidence, able to cope.
After all, even when disaster strikes its effects are temporary and usually less dramatic than feared.
Some of us may have a long-term history of worrying and anxiety.
If our anxieties are a symptom of some more deep-seated malaise then psychotherapy could prove useful in resolving it all for good.
You've already decided that things can't continue how they are, which is why you're reading this article, and so why not begin a journey which will leave you feeling better than you have for years.
Hypnotherapy or other forms of psychotherapy can have startling results in a surprisingly short period of time.
You have all the strengths necessary to resolve your problems and you deserve to be rid of them.
Why not begin by finding a reputable local therapist, today?