Anxiety Support Group

Anxiety is a physical condition marked by intense and persistent feelings of distress, fear, angst or dread. General anxiety caused by routine day-to-day stresses usually passes quickly and is experienced by almost everyone at one time or another. However, such feelings that linger over time and are very difficult to cope with, and which lack a clear cause, may indicate...

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kendoll 10/06/2016

Hi I recently joined on here so I'm new to the whole support group stuff. I've had a long past of anxiety and a couple years ago started to have what feels like light depression(I say light because I don't feel extremely depressed nor do I know if I have it completely) . I have yet to speak to a doc because I am very shy and have a hard time opening up to strangers so I've been putting it off but from all of my life changes I feel as though I do need help in getting this under control. I've learned that big life changes can set off depression. I've recently moved far away from home and it's only gotten worse and I haven't gotten good sleep in months. Anyway to get to the point, I want to know if anyone has experience with an emotional support dog with their anxiety and or depression and if so how they went about finding out it was a good fit for them. I'd like to try after I speak to a doctor and get things cleared up with what I have and if it's a good idea to try before medication is brought in because medication kind of scares me because I don't want to become reliant on it. Any help will be much appreciated

Gladdmatt 10/06/2016

I love dogs, and having one does indeed help with my depression, PTSD, etc. There have been moments in which owning a dog has been what has kept me going and avoid a suicide attempt. Dogs are wonderful! At the same time, I take medication. MY depression, etc. has to do NOT with my willpower but with having too much or too few of certain brain chemicals. The brain already contains chemicals, and meds can put this chemicals in balance. IMHO, meds are no more of a cop out than if I broke my arm and got a cast put on it. Best of luck with your journey! I'll pray for you.

djchurn 10/06/2016

By all means get a pet. Go to your local shelter and rescue one. I recently saw a bumper sticker that read "who rescued who". It is true.

kendoll 10/06/2016

I love that! Thanks guys. Our apartment has a no pet policy but of course allows service animals so I'll have just a few hoops to jump through. I'd love to rescue. I like hearing good things about medication so I truly like having people saying it really helps because it makes me less afraid if that's the route I need to go as well.

beilkat0 10/06/2016

I do not have a pet but I will soon get one. My family all has dogs and so sometimes I go over just sit with them. They understand you without even having you talk. Getting a dog would a great idea!

Bouwanna 10/06/2016

Pets are great but don't discount meds. If you were a diabetic would you take insulin, an infection antibiotics, high cholesterol statins? Anxiety is a medical condition just like the others mentioned above, and meds have been developed to help people live comfortably with this medical condition period, millions take them for a better life.

bridgie101 10/07/2016

Meds are not perfect - they have side effects. But I was on them for a few years and I really can't recommend them highly enough, for that period of time I managed to learn how people without these disorders are living their lives. I got a quiet mind. I got to relax. I remember thinking 'oh man, is this what life's like for normies? No WONDER they get degrees and go and get jobs and just get life organised. How cruisy is this???' and just loved it.

As I learned a new way of living I was able to slowly SLOWLY wean off the pills. So now I'm not dependent on anything, but I still have this newfound way of thinking. It's great.

Remember that shyness is part of anxiety. So it's the thing you have to overcome in order to overcome the thing... heh. Inception. But you have to climb over that hump of anxiety to go tell a doctor. Once you're over that hump it gets easier. :)

I hope you can get a pet - dogs are gorgeous.

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