Often it is tempting to rush to Google with any symptoms you have, or any doubts you have. It seems to be an integral part of the psyche of the anxiety sufferer that “the worst will happen”. And Google puts the worst possible at out fingertips in words and images. Have you ever caught yourself googling plane crashes before taking a flight about which you are suffering terrible nervousness or anxiety? Have you ever googled the name of a drug to see all the possible dire side effects they are going to have on you? Have you ever Googled a SSRI like Prozac or Celexa? My word, the list of side effects are endless….From nausea to suicide!
But when googling you should remember this. Very few people go to forums and report that the medication the doctor gave them is really working, they have much better things to do like getting on with their lives! No one goes on Google to say how smoothly there flight was, they Go to complain! Most of the information you find on the internet regarding anxiety, panic attacks and phobias is Bad News. I am not saying you should avoid it, just remember that you are unique and the extreme bad things which happened to them are not going to happen to you!
Look for good news, see how hard it is! But remember, anxiety, phobias, and depression and panic attacks are eminently treatable!
Thank you for this post. I have been googling like crazy ever since I had my first panic attack a month ago. I can see how I always get worse when I start obsessing over cures and quick fixes which might exist on the internet. But usually I stumble on some bad things that happend to people with panic attacks. Good to know that there are more people out there that have gotten over their fears and don’t need to write about it
Best wishes Villi