Fate strikes a second time
At the same time I was undergoing my transformation, I also changed insurance companies and had to find a new physician. I scheduled an appointment with a man who had an excellent reputation. Phillip Fisher, M.D. I feel so strongly that it was fate. We hit it off right away.

During the course of my visit, I mentioned to Dr. Fisher that I had suffered from anxiety and panic attacks. He was very sympathetic. He was also curious, wanting to explore all the details that lead to my dramatic recovery.

I told him about my experience, all of my research and how much better I was feeling. I explained how I attacked my anxiety head-on, stopped running from it and learned how to cope through these periods of fear and physical symptoms. I described some of the coping techniques I was using, even demonstrated my breathing exercise right there in his office.

I must have made quite an impression. Dr. Fisher explained he had dozens of people in his practice suffering with the same symptoms. He was frustrated that all he could do was medicate them - he knew they needed more. He then shocked me by asking if I would consider assisting him with therapy groups. This was in 1984, the beginning of The Midwest Center for Stress and Anxiety, Inc.

A whole new beginning: sharing what I had learned
To help build public awareness about anxiety, depression and our therapy groups, I began doing local newspaper and television interviews about my condition. Opening up and talking about my pain and fear was very difficult. I worried about what people would think of me. But as I continued to talk about my experience with anxiety and depression, not only did I gain more strength and control, I was AMAZED at the numbers of people I touched who were suffering with the same problems.

Our weekly groups at The Midwest Center in Toledo, Ohio grew rapidly, but we learned that meeting once a week was not enough. While participants were making fabulous progress, they really needed more practice using the new skills they were learning.

Then, as it happens many times with groundbreaking innovations, Dr. Fisher made a simple suggestion that profoundly changed the course of our future. Dr. Fisher suggested we begin taping our group participants as they recovered through our groups. He believed that tapes could be offered in addition to the weekly sessions to strengthen and enhance group member skills, as participants would be listening and practicing their educational tools and techniques on their own throughout the week. The tapes could offer support, guidance, and instruction twenty-four hours a day, seven days a week.