Approximately six years ago, I began attending a weekly therapy group to help cope with struggles related to my anxiety disorder. Signing on to this group was something I was extremely reluctant to do but agreed to try it out for the opportunity to attack my anxiety. After some badgering by my individual therapist I agreed to try out the group.
And I’m very glad I made that decision for it has proven a most rewarding experience for me. Actually, I still show up every week, on Mondays to be exact, and I don’t have any plans to stop attending.
Let me testify here for a moment. If you suffer from anxiety like me, then the I idea of sharing your trials and tribulations openly in front of a group of total strangers every week can seem intimidating. For me that first week was terrifying. But something not unusual happened. The “strangers” didn’t remain that way for long.
As time went by, I learned of their struggles and their their difficulties and, most of all, I felt accepted. Because of this I was able to communicate openly about my issues with anxiety and depression and come to grasp an entirely new vocabulary for interpersonal relationships.
After years of group attendance, I am a much healthier person. Attacking anxiety isn’t easy. In fact, I still struggle with my anxiety, but I’ve made tremendous gains in that area. If you struggle, like I do, with an anxiety disorder, I can’t recommend group therapy highly enough.
