TRANSCRIPT OF A PRESENTATION, BY ALAN BADMINGTON, TO ...

In addition, I regularly attended support groups that had been set up and run
by graduates of the programme. Here again, I expanded my comfort zones
and reinforced the speaking technique. Perhaps more importantly, I also
reinforced my belief that my recovery was not temporary or fragile (as had
been the case on previous occasions).
Each day, I would spend lengthy periods on the telephone – speaking to
businesses that I had selected from the Yellow Pages directory - making the
most outrageous enquiries. All had free phone numbers – so that I did not
incur any expenditure.
With each telephone call, the fear was reduced. I had demonstrated to
myself that I could speak authoritatively during a lengthy telephone
conversation to complete strangers. Of course I experienced fear, but I
kept uppermost in my mind the words of American psychologist, Susan
Jeffers – “Feel the fear and do it anyway”.
Throughout our marriage, my wife had always undertaken the task of
making my appointments with the doctor, dentist etc – but now this was to
change. A few days after my first course, I boldly marched into the
doctors’ surgery. In front of a waiting crowd, I projected my voice and
said, “Please may I have the prescription for Alan Badmington”.
On previous occasions, my wife would have collected it, or I would have
produced my National Health card (or shown a piece of paper) that
conspicuously bore my name. I am not saying that I wasn’t nervous, but I
faced the fear, told myself that I could do it and reaped the reward. I have
since repeated it on many occasions, thus reinforcing my positive beliefs.
Returning to the practice of writing my name on a piece of paper, I well
recall the day (many years ago) when I took an item of clothing to the dry
cleaners. I had omitted to carry my usual written note and when the
assistant requested my name, I panicked and said, “Adrian Adams”. (I
never had problems with vowels). This was all very well until my landlady
kindly decided to do me a favour and collect that item a few days later. She