I belong to a group on Facebook which has a core membership of frequent contributors. What has become clear over the months has been how many people are plagued by anxiety across the whole spectrum from mild to out and out panic attacks. Clearly, too, many are coping or attempting to cope by avoidance behaviour, if lifts are a problem they will find a reason to use the stairs instead; if it's flying, go by ferry or holiday in the UK; being sick, avoiding certain foods. All of these strategies work up to a point, but it would be so much better if sufferers could learn to put the anxiety behind them.
I'm retired now, but I trained as a psychologist and worked for many years in the field of therapy, where the two main reasons people consulted me were related to anxiety and depression. Over the years I built up a valuable understanding of what anxiety is, how it operates, and what people can do themselves to take back control.
So the answer to the question is that through this blog I hope to share what I have learned so that it may benefit people now and in the future.
I welcome comment and feedback, so I hope we can develop a virtual community here.
