Poison ivy is a plant thatproduces a strong skin irritant. Most people avoid touching the plant because they know what they'll get: a nasty, red, blistering rash that itches like hell. If you've been unlucky enough to have been exposed, then you know what this is like. You got the stong urge to scratch. And when you do that, you make matters worse. You end up with open sores on your skin. And if you haven't washed the plants oil from your hands and exposed areas, you may spread the allergic reaction to other parts of your body, No amount of scratching will cure the inflamation. You need to stop scratching and alow the body to heal itself.

The anxiety itch is like this to. The discomfort rages through your head and body, and you have a strong urge to get relief. So you avoid. You struggle. The problem is that you can't avoid exposure to anxiety in the same way you can avoid poison ivy plant. Anxiety can show upanytime or anywhere. When you ''scatch your anxiety'' itch with avoidance or struggle, it makes the anxiety worse-the anxiety grows and spreads to infect most of your life. And all that avoidance scratching pulls you out of your life to.

Taken from The Mindfullness & Acceptance Workbook for Anxiety

by John P. Forsyth, PHD

Georg H. Eifert, PHD

Good metaphor

Suffolk