Introduction

If you’re reading this, you’ve probably discovered Dr. Claire Weekes. Maybe her books gave you hope. Perhaps “face, accept, float, let time pass” helped you through panic attacks. And if it did—that’s wonderful. Truly.

But if you’re like many people, you might also be wondering: Why am I still stuck?

You’ve been practicing acceptance for months, maybe years. You can float through panic attacks now. You understand they won’t kill you. But something feels… incomplete. You’re managing symptoms, but you’re not really growing. Your world might still feel small. You might struggle to understand or express what you’re feeling beyond “anxious” or “not anxious.”

If this resonates, you’re not alone—and you’re not failing. The problem isn’t you. The problem is that acceptance, while valuable, is only the first step of a much longer journey.

The Gift—and Limitation—of Dr. Weekes’ Method

Dr. Claire Weekes was a pioneer. In the 1960s, when anxiety sufferers were being told their problems stemmed from childhood trauma or character flaws, she offered something revolutionary: a simple, physiological explanation and a practical technique.

Her four-step method (face, accept, float, let time pass) works brilliantly for what it was designed to do—provide immediate relief during acute anxiety episodes. When your heart is racing and you’re convinced you’re dying, learning to float through the sensations rather than fighting them can be life-changing.

But here’s what many people don’t realize: Dr. Weekes’ method was designed as an acute intervention, not a complete developmental framework for emotional maturity.

Think of it like learning to tread water when you’re drowning. Essential? Absolutely. But is treading water the same as learning to swim, dive, or navigate across a lake? No.

What Happens When You Stay in “Acceptance Mode” Too Long?

Recent research in developmental psychology reveals something concerning: when acceptance-without-elaboration becomes your only tool, it can actually prevent emotional development and may even contribute to a condition called alexithymia—difficulty identifying, understanding, and expressing emotions.

Here’s why:

1. You’re not building emotional vocabulary

The Weekes method tells you to notice physical sensations but explicitly discourages analyzing or labeling your emotional states in detail. “Don’t ask why you feel this way,” she advises.

But research shows that developing rich, nuanced emotional vocabulary (called “emotional granularity”) is crucial for emotional regulation and psychological health. When you can distinguish between “I’m anxious because I’m worried about disappointing someone” versus “I’m anxious because I feel unsafe” versus “I’m anxious because I’m excited and scared,” you gain power over your emotional life.

2. You’re not understanding causes and patterns

Weekes discourages causal analysis—understanding what triggers your anxiety and why. But identifying patterns is essential for growth. Without it, every anxiety episode remains a mysterious force to be endured rather than understood.

3. You’re not testing or changing beliefs

The method tells you to float through anxiety without engaging with the thoughts behind it. But research on cognitive-behavioral therapy shows that examining and testing anxious thoughts—”Is this thought true? What evidence do I have?”—produces more lasting change than acceptance alone.

4. You may be strengthening alexithymia

By focusing exclusively on physical sensations while avoiding emotional elaboration, you may be training yourself to experience emotions only as bodily sensations—which is precisely the pattern seen in alexithymia. People with alexithymia feel emotions physically but can’t identify or express them psychologically.

Studies show that alexithymia is associated with:

• Poorer physical health
• More somatic symptoms
• Greater psychological distress
• Worse treatment outcomes
• Difficulty in relationships

The Four Stages of Emotional Development

Developmental psychology research (building on Piaget’s work) shows that emotional maturity develops through distinct stages—and you can’t skip stages:

Stage 1: Management (Where Weekes Lives)

• Goal: Physiological stabilization
• Skills: Recognizing that anxiety won’t kill you; floating through panic; sensory grounding
• Weekes’ method fits here perfectly
• Limitation: Staying here means you’re endlessly managing symptoms without understanding or transforming them

Stage 2: Stabilization

• Goal: Symbolic representation—putting feelings into words
• Skills: Developing emotional vocabulary; making simple cause-effect connections (“When X happens, I feel Y”); beginning to understand your patterns
• What this looks like: “I notice I feel panicky when I’m about to be judged” or “This tightness in my chest is worry about letting people down”

Stage 3: Integration

• Goal: Concrete operational thinking about emotions
• Skills: Classifying types of emotions; collecting evidence about your anxious predictions; identifying thinking patterns; testing and modifying beliefs
• What this looks like: “I predicted I’d humiliate myself in that meeting, but actually people were supportive. My prediction was wrong. Maybe my social anxiety exaggerates the danger.”

Stage 4: Transformation

• Goal: Abstract reflection and meta-awareness
• Skills: Thinking about your thinking; holding multiple perspectives simultaneously; understanding your emotional patterns in context of your life story
• What this looks like: “I notice I have anxiety about anxiety. I can observe these thoughts without being controlled by them. My worth isn’t determined by how I feel.”

Signs You’re Stuck at Stage 1

• You can float through panic attacks, but you can’t explain why you had one
• You have trouble describing your emotions beyond “good” or “anxious”
• You know anxiety “is just adrenaline,” but you still can’t identify what triggered it
• You’re managing symptoms but not expanding your life
• You feel like you’re constantly in crisis management mode
• You’ve been practicing Weekes’ method for 6+ months but don’t feel fundamentally different
• People ask “how are you feeling?” and you describe physical sensations rather than emotions
• You avoid situations “just in case” rather than understanding what specifically worries you

What to Do Instead

Keep using Weekes’ techniques when you need them. They’re excellent for acute anxiety management. But recognize them as Stage 1 tools, not the complete picture.

Then, add developmental work:

For Stage 2:

• Start naming emotions with specificity: not just “anxious” but “worried,” “apprehensive,” “dread,” “nervous anticipation”
• Notice simple patterns: “I feel X when Y happens”
• Keep an emotion journal—write about feelings, not just sensations
• Ask yourself “What story is my anxiety telling right now?”

For Stage 3:

• Collect evidence: When you’re anxious, write down your prediction. Then write down what actually happened
• Categorize your anxiety: social anxiety, health anxiety, uncertainty anxiety—different types need different approaches
• Test your beliefs: “I believe people will judge me. Let me check if that’s actually true.”
• Work with a therapist trained in CBT to actively modify unhelpful thought patterns

For Stage 4:

• Practice metacognition: “I’m having the thought that I’m having a thought about being anxious”
• Explore values: What matters to you beyond feeling calm? What kind of life do you want?
• Develop perspective: Can you observe your anxiety without being defined by it?
• Consider therapies like ACT (Acceptance and Commitment Therapy) or metacognitive therapy that integrate acceptance with active cognitive work

A Balanced Approach

Dr. Weekes gave millions of people hope and relief. Her insight that fighting anxiety makes it worse was revolutionary and remains true. But we now know more about emotional development than we did in 1962.

The goal isn’t to stop accepting anxiety—it’s to accept it while also building understanding, testing beliefs, and expanding your emotional range.

Think of it this way:

• Weekes taught you to survive the storm (essential)
• Developmental work teaches you to understand weather patterns, build a sturdier house, and maybe even learn to dance in the rain (transformation)

You deserve both.

Moving Forward

If you’ve been using Weekes’ method and feel stuck:

1. Acknowledge what it gave you: Acute symptom management skills are real and valuable
2. Recognize the limitation: Acceptance alone doesn’t build emotional understanding
3. Consider assessment: If you have difficulty identifying or describing emotions, look into alexithymia assessments
4. Seek developmental therapy: Look for therapists who understand stage-based emotional development (frameworks like PFAA/EIT, or evidence-based approaches like CBT, ACT, or emotion-focused therapy)
5. Be patient with yourself: Emotional development takes time. You’re not “failing” if acceptance hasn’t cured everything

The Bottom Line

Acceptance is the beginning of recovery, not the end. If you’ve learned to float, you’ve accomplished something important. Now it might be time to learn to swim.

Your anxiety is trying to tell you something. Stage 1 teaches you not to be afraid of the message. Stages 2-4 teach you to read it, understand it, and respond wisely.

You don’t have to stay stuck in survival mode forever. There’s a path forward—and it builds on, rather than rejects, what Weekes taught you.

Note: The Piagetian-Filion Alexithymia Assessment (PFAA) and Emotional Integrative Therapy (EIT) framework mentioned in this article are currently being validated through pilot studies. If you’re interested in comprehensive developmental approaches to anxiety, consider working with a licensed therapist trained in evidence-based methods like CBT, ACT, DBT, or emotion-focused therapy.

I suggest one of the highly qualified therapists at The Anxiety Centre: www.AnxietyCentre.com.