My T advocates for this as well. Tolerating the discomfort. What I've taken from that is to allow yourself to feel the anxiety and try to understand what your body is trying to tell you. Most times, when I have anxiety, it leads to a panic attack or an increase in anxiety - and it's because I'm trying to distract myself or run away from the anxiety. T wants me to try to sit with the anxiety - to tolerate the discomfort - to give it a chance to communicate....basically, allowing the body to communicate with my brain, to tell me what's going on, what's being stirred up.

My session with T today was about this very thing. I was anxious when I walked in his office....and we talked and talked....but I was still feeling the anxiety. Then, at one point, it overwhelmed me, and I was having trouble breathing and started welling up with tears. T became quiet and told me to try to see what my body is trying to tell me....But I didn't know.

So frustrating. Sometimes, we are able to get to the root of it...and by working through it, that particular anxiety would lessen or go away...or at least I would understand it more when it happened again. Not today, though. I don't know what the deal is today.

Anyway, hope this helps....