Anxiety Tip #2: Support

Support is something else that has helped me manage my anxiety. This support can come from obvious sources such as family and friends. Or the support can be created through interaction with a community or through visiting a psychotherapist, counselor, or psychiatrist. A community can be a church group, support group, special interest group, hobby club, sports club, school organization, or online community. It’s also a good idea to have more than one source of support in case one source is not available. If you have social anxiety, you may want to start with one small group or person. If your anxiety gets too high, don’t give up trying to join a group or talking with someone. Retreat if you have to until your anxiety goes down and try again. Ask for help from a psychotherapist or counselor if it is difficult for you. They can help you set up a schedule to slowly approach the social situation. If the anxiety is still too high, you may need medication from a psychiatrist. Remember quiet alone time is good, but when you isolate yourself too much you risk losing perspective and seeing your world as being worse than it really is.