Anxiety Support Groups: Join a Support Group Today!
One of the most debilitating effects of anxiety disorders is
that they can force you into isolation. Whether from you suffer
from fear that you will have a panic attack when others are
present, or from the crippling shyness that accompanies social
anxiety disorder, or from the agoraphobia which anxiety disorder
sufferers can develop over time, you may find yourself paralyzed
at the thought of sharing your condition with the world.
That emotional paralysis can keep you from getting the very help
which will let you overcome your anxiety disorder and get your
life back on track.
And with anxiety now the most prevalent mental health disorder
in the U.S., the need for anxiety support groups is greater than
ever. While such anxiety support groups are not yet available in
every community, there are individuals and organizations trying
to rectify the situation.
The ADAA, or Anxiety Disorders Association of America, is
dedicated to establishing anxiety support groups for individuals
who either suffer from anxiety disorder or have people in their
lives who do. The ADAA recognizes that anxiety sufferers are
people who would be highly tempted to try and solve their
problems on their own, but without anxiety support groups, that
approach may be ineffective. They encourage the creation of
local anxiety support groups which will allow anxiety sufferers
to interact with others while learning to depend on themselves.
Anxiety support groups help in two ways: they give their members
a safe place among others who have shared similar anxiety
attacks, and they provide information about the latest research
and treatments for anxiety. By steering their members in the
right direction about their condition and its treatment, they
can remove some of the stigma that has been attached to anxiety
sufferers.
Anxiety support groups, however, should only be one part of your
program to overcome your disorder. They should be used as an
adjunct to the therapy recommended by a doctor familiar with
panic and anxiety treatment. You will gain very little by
attending anxiety support group meetings--if your untreated
disorder allows you to--if you are not also under a doctor's
care.
The ADAA will even, if there are no existing anxiety support
groups in your community, provide you with guidance on how to
begin and maintain your own. But you need to be honest about
your ability to organize and lead such an anxiety support group,
and whether your life has room for that kind of commitment.
You can find a list of some current self-help anxiety support
groups both in and out of the U.S. at the ADAA website http://www.adaa.org/GettingHelp/SupportGroups.asp.
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