Do you suffer from chronic anxiety? Temporary use of anti-anxiety

Do you suffer from chronic anxiety? Temporary use of anti-anxiety meds, coupled with an anxiety support group, may be the answer

For certain, life today is faster paced than in the 'good old days' of many decades past. Anxiety used to be a condition limited to a small group of people. Today, there are tens of millions of us who suffer chronic anxiety.

In fact, anxiety is one of the most common complaints doctors hear from their patients. Any person still above ground is subject to this debilitating condition. What makes us anxious? All you really need to do is read the newspaper, watch the news or even just have a bad hair day at work. Using these sources as your information 'talking points' is certainly not the be-all and end-all, but it's surely TMI, enough to get you started on an anxiety roller coaster.

If you make an appointment with your doctor to see what you might do to curb this constant anxiety, you may be sorely disappointed. The doc may be quick to prescribe an anti-anxiety medicine, or even an anti-depressant. While these pharmaceuticals may provide temporary relief from your anxiety, this is really not the answer. These pharmaceutical treatments for anxiety are simply a stop-gap measure, treating the symptoms, but not the root cause. There are also addictive qualities attached to such medications, used over a long period of time. So it's best to consider these meds a short term solution. In the meantime, one solution, which works well for many people, is to join an anxiety support group, where you can bounce off others with the same problem and perhaps gain more insight into what causes your own anxiety.

For this reason, a savvy physician may prescribe an anti-anxiety medicine, along with a recommendation to seek the services of an anxiety support group. People who suffer from anxiety, who are somewhat reclusive and frequently stressed out, are not generally good candidates for face-to-face encounters with other anxious people. So, before you rule out the anxiety support group as an option, know that there are groups that meet in person, as well as those who meet online. There's no reason to shy away from this solution. No matter the degree of anxiety, or the personal foibles you may have, anxiety support groups can be a lasting solution to your anxiety.

In the face-to-face setting, you'll be meeting other people who have many of the same problems you do and a common objective to be rid of the anxiety and the host of social and health problems that may develop as a result. You're all on common ground, so there's no need to feel that you're the odd man (or woman) out. These anxiety support groups are coordinated by a mediator, typically someone trained in psychology and the social services fields. The purpose of the mediator is to get the ball rolling amongst the participants.

You'll find that, before long, everyone is talking about various situations and experiences which feed into their anxious condition. Once people begin to settle in to the group, a sense of trust develops people start opening up. As often as not, humor ('laughter is good medicine') starts to creep into the conversation. You begin to learn from one another just how much you have in common. Let's say you find there are four other individuals in the anxiety support group whose anxiety triggers are virtually the same as yours. The mediator will zero in on those triggers and get some conversation going on how each of you tends to deal with the anxiety produced by that trigger. You may get four different answers, or four quite similar answers. In any case, what works for one may not work for you. At the same time, another person may have a solution that's perfect for you. For example, the woman who goes out in the garden and weeds like crazy finds relief from her anxiety. This strikes you as a 'Hey, why didn't I think of that?'.

Online, anxiety support groups are equally effective. Lacking the face-to-face element, mediators are trained to use techniques which inspire camaraderie and trust among participants in the online forum.

If you suffer from chronic anxiety, you really don't need to live this way. Simply realizing you're not alone with this condition is a huge step forward in regaining your once upon a time mellow state, able to deal with stresses in a new, proactive and productive way. The amount of time you spend participating in an anxiety support group is entirely up to you. However, when you see the benefits and the reduction in anxiety within yourself, you might be loathe to abandon this venue. You may not only be able to manage your anxiety without medication, but you'll have made some good friends as well. Pass it on!