I have been loking around the area I lived since I started having a problem with anxiety, for supoprt groups, but although I found supoprt groups for cancer patients, sex addicts, etc., I could never find one for those with what I was experiencing…anxiety.  When on those many occasions I was spinning downward in negative and obsessive thoughts, stomach tight with fear, when it get\'s really bad, sleepless nights, barely struggling through the day, can\'t feel good about anything, loss of appetite, feeling like your on the edge of a black hole, dreading another sleepless night and unable to stop the thoughts that I know don\'t make any sense to keep thinking about, I know the fear isn\'t even real, but can\'t stop them, or with limited success….That\'s the times when I wished that I just could talk to someone who had gone through what I was going through.

For the last seven years I\'ve been on and off Paxil.  It makes me more reasonable, and able to sleep at night.  It takes away the panic attacks and obbsessive thoughts to a degree.   

But I was so against medication that at first I only stayed on for six months (I was told that was the minimum time I should stay on it-I was ungergoing counseling through some of these times-which helped) and somehow managed to stay off it for a year.  Then back on for another 9 months, then off for about three.  Then back on for a year, then off for another three months, and back on, then attempts to taper down to , but have to go back up.  So that now I can\'t even tell you but I think I\'ve been on it about two years, and I\'m really beginning to think this might be a life thing for me. 

So that\'s my struggle.

I\'m here because I want to connect with people who have had similar struggles. 

That\'s a bit of what it\'s been to me, and I woudl love to hear from you.

Sincerely,

PaxilMan