How The Linden Method Changed My Life

by Daniel Kennedy-King

"I just felt it necessary to write down some words of gratitude to The Linden Centre and Charles Linden. In June 2004 I experienced a total mental breakdown which meant I was unable to work. I was working as an attorney in a large multinational oil company, working long hours, attending events and spending most of my time on flights, in taxis or on my cell.

My wife and kids never saw me and I suspected my wife was seeing another man. I woke at 4 am, my heart racing and I knew something was wrong. I reached for my cell phone and dialled 911 convinced that I was having a heart attack. I was 29 years old back then but my father had had heart issues for years so I presumed that I was a prime candidate for similar problems. The ambulance came and took me directly to the ER where doctors took bloods, blood pressure and connected me up to machines but they found nothing.

I knew the chest pains and breathlessness, sweating and shaking weren't nothing but after a night in the hospital, I was released; diagnosis… panic attacks.

I returned to my hotel to collect my case; I had missed my connecting flight that morning so had to wait in the airport for the next seat, which was 12 hours later. I felt tired and shaky but otherwise not ill in any way, but I couldn't shake the fear I felt the night before. I decided to go to the airport bar for a beer, which is unusual for me because I tend to avoid alcohol when travelling but I thought it might settle my nerves. I had 5 hours left to wait and the airport was empty.

After the first beer I ordered a second but as the bar tender placed the glass in front of me I felt the familiar surge as my breathing quickened, my chest felt tight and the room began to spin. The bartender saw my fear and leapt over the bar to help me but I pushed him away and walked through the bar to the bathroom where I sat on the floor as panic took over my body. I felt dizzy, scared beyond belief and my limbs recoiled as electric shock sensations bolted down them. I thought I would die but over around 2 hours as I sat on the floor, the intense panic started to subside and I returned to the bar.

The barman had come to check on me a number of times and was glad to see me walk out of the bathroom in one piece. He had called the airport security and nurse but they had both recognized the signs of panic and left me to recover.

That evening I had another attack in the airport and two more during the 2 hour flight home. From that night all hell broke loose in my mind and after a trip to my doctor the following Monday, I was signed off work for two weeks with stress.

Those two weeks got worse and worse and my wife was getting scared. The children were starting to react to how I was behaving and although I knew it was wrong, I didn't care somehow. All I could think about was myself, how I was feeling and the intense sense of doom.

Fast forward 4 months and I was spending every day in bed. I lost 35 Lbs in weight, I looked ill and frail and had grown a beard. My wife was spending much of her time at her parents with the children and my life had disintegrated to nothing. My boss was trying to preserve my position in the company but it was wearing thin with his superiors.

I was desperate and yet felt nothing. I didn't know who I was half the time and when I did, I didn't care any more.

The turning point came in month seven when my wife arrived at the house with her sister and divorce papers. We talked for four hours as she and her sister tried to convince me to get out of the house and get back to being the man I was previously.

They left, leaving the divorce papers on the TV. I sat and stared at them for three days and then decided that I had to do something about the situation. I went to my PC and punched ‘panic attacks' into Google as I had done many times before, hoping to get some inspiration from what I read.

I always ignored the advertising banners because I presumed that they were dominated by ‘get rich quick' con men but one ad caught my eye – the mention of a money back guarantee made me click the ad.

As I read Charles Linden's story, I likened it to my own and soon realized that this guy had been in and out of his panic disorder and could probably teach me a thing or two. I decided to call The Linden Centre, just to be sure that it existed. I spoke to Janice who gave me some more information and took down my order which arrived two days later.

The rest is history. One opening the manual I realized that Charles had endured pretty much what I had and I read the whole manual in one sitting. It makes so much sense and the truth that Charles talks about – the fact that there is only one way to overcome anxiety disorder, is absolutely true. It makes absolute sense and was so simple to do. I asked myself why I had allowed this to go on for so long.

On day two I shaved, got dressed and rove to my wife's parent's house where my father-in-law was shocked to see me stood on the porch. I handed him the divorce papers and asked him to fetch my wife. We stood on the porch in each others arms for nearly an hour before the kids came home from kindergarten and in that time I vowed to be well again quickly. Two weeks later I was flying to Miami to a conference. OK, the anxiety wasn't completely gone at that stage but three weeks later it was.

What had started it? I have no idea but I know what finished it! The Linden Method is a godsend to anyone suffering from an anxiety condition. I have recommended it to dozens of people over the last 6 years and every one of those people finds me and thanks me.

Charles' work is amazing and his team are angels. You guys really saved my life, I may not have died, but I would certainly have ended up alone and broken.

Thank you all, from the bottom of my heart."

Daniel Kennedy-King