Do You Freeze?
We Anxiety Sisters are all too familiar with the “fight or flight” response that gets activated by our sympathetic nervous systems when we perceive a threat (real or imagined). You know what I mean—the surge of adrenaline that runs through
Does Self-Care Make You Anxious?
Lately, I've been noticing a bit of a social media rebellion over the term "self-care" (especially in relation to dealing with anxiety or depression). Like other trendy “buzzwords,” I have often thought that the term "self-care" is used so much
Agoraphobia
We know traveling can be anxiety-provoking, but come with us to a faraway land—just for a minute. The Agora, in Ancient Greece, was the center of the action. It hosted political and civic events, the arts, and sports. Eventually, it also
Making Sense of Depression: 9 Ways to Manage
We have had an inordinate number of Anxiety Sisters write to us lately about feeling depressed—really depressed. Not being able to get out of bed depressed. Not washing their hair or brushing their teeth depressed. Not able to eat depressed.
Strategies for Managing Holiday Anxiety
One of the worst things about this time of year are all the articles I see about how to deal with anxiety during the holidays. Somehow these authors presume that I usually eat really well and exercise diligently, and they
Anger and Anxiety
Anxiety often shows itself in unexpected ways. Contrary to popular belief, most Anxiety Sisters don’t feel “anxious;” instead, we have stomach distress or we feel our hearts beating fast or we may even feel like we are not fully in our
Cancer and Anxiety (Guest Blogger Susan)
I’m one of those people that has always been hypervigilant about my breasts--getting yearly mammograms and ultrasounds, checking myself constantly, and getting felt up (by my doctor) as often as my health insurance would allow. I’m also one of those
Parenting Anxiety
As most Anxiety Sisters know, anxiety is contagious. This is quite evident when anxious parents receive unhappy calls from anxious kids spending time away from home over the summer. If you are anything like us, you want to reach into
PCOS & Anxiety (with special guest blogger Anne Poirier)
Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome (PCOS) is the most commonly diagnosed endocrine issue in women of childbearing age (15-44)—between seven and ten percent of women develop this condition, which is an imbalance of reproductive hormones (e.g., estrogen and progesterone). Because of this
Your Thyroid & Anxiety
My thyroid has been causing me grief since I was a child, when my neck first starting looking puffy—like I had been stung by bees on both sides. My swollen glands protruded so much that doctors used to stop my