Anxiety, experienced by most people on occasion, is considered an important emotion for its role in evoking a fight or flight response when danger is imminent and for its contribution to our ability to remain focused and motivated. Certain situations—such as job interviews, first dates, or public speaking—may lead to the development of temporary feelings of anxiety, but some individuals experience overwhelming, persistent anxiety in response to everyday situations.
Uncontrollable and unrelenting anxiety may indicate a diagnosable type of anxiety such as panic, generalized anxiety, agoraphobia and other phobias, or social anxiety, to name a few. Without treatment, this level of anxiety may increase in severity and have a negative impact on a person’s daily function. Depression often co-occurs with anxiety: nearly half of all individuals diagnosed with depression are also diagnosed with a form of anxiety.
Anxiety, which affects 18% percent of the population, is currently the most common mental health condition in America. Though the condition is highly treatable, only about a third of those who have a form of anxiety receive treatment. As serious anxiety can have lasting effects on physical and mental health, the support of a mental health professional is recommended to individuals coping with the condition. Online resources can often also provide information and support to those experiencing anxiety. We have compiled a list of 10 of the best online resources—excluding GoodTherapy.org—for anxiety support in 2015. Some of the websites chosen were suggested by GoodTherapy.org readers, and we finalized our selections based on site quality, content, and functionality.
- Calm Clinic: Ryan Rivera, the founder and publisher of Calm Clinic, experienced several forms of anxiety for over 7 years before he was able to successfully treat the condition. He created the website in order to provide supportive information to those facing similar challenges and also facilitate a greater awareness of anxiety and what those who cope with severe anxiety experience on a daily or near-daily basis. Visitors to the site can read a number of articles on anxiety and its symptoms and causes, take a test to determine the range of their anxiety, and learn about support and treatment options.
- Social Anxiety Association: This nonprofit was formed to provide better information and support to those with social anxiety. Though social anxiety is the third most prevalent mental health concern in America, it is less widely recognized than many other conditions. The SAA hopes to further awareness of the condition, increase the number of social anxiety support groups, and help those with the condition learn more about it. Those visiting the site can join a free mailing list, access information and news about social anxiety, get information about therapy groups, and learn how to start and run a therapy group of their own.
- WorryWiseKids.org: The founder and director of WorryWiseKids recognized the importance of addressing anxiety in children, a condition that, despite its prevalence, often goes unseen and untreated. Children experiencing high levels of stress and anxiety may come to experience health, social, and academic concerns. Visitors to the site can access information about anxiety in children—including indicators of serious or excessive anxiety—and learn about types and causes of anxiety and ways to treat the condition. The website also includes tips for parents and educators and a list of media resources.
- AnxietyBC®: A Canadian nonprofit dedicated to the development of online anxiety resources, AnxietyBC® works to promote greater public understanding and awareness of anxiety. Site visitors will find a number of articles and links to media resources, anxiety self-help information for all ages, information on treatment types, and a link to download the app MindShift, a collaboration between AnxietyBC® and BC Children’s Hospital that is described as a “portable coach” designed to help young adults cope with anxiety.
- The Reality of Anxiety: A personal blog developed in order to share the author’s strategies for coping with extreme anxiety, panic attacks, and stress, The Reality of Anxiety offers readers a number of personal essays, detailed infographics, and do-it-yourself projects meant to provide stress relief and anxiety support. This blog has appeared in a number of Best Psychology and Mental Health Blog resource lists.
- Band Back Together: This nonprofit community blog is not exclusively an anxiety resource, but the website offers comprehensive information on all forms of anxiety. Visitors to the website can read about anxiety (as well as other mental health concerns), share their own stories, access information on a number of resources, including hotlines, and find information and support for emotional trauma. The blog hopes to reduce the stigma surrounding mental illness, abuse, and other trauma in order to facilitate greater healing and help survivors find comfort. Teen visitors to the site can access stories from other teens with anxiety here.
- Time to Change: This UK-based campaign is a social movement currently working to end stigma against mental health conditions. Site visitors can read general information about the different types of anxiety and view blog posts and personal stories from other users coping with anxiety. In addition to providing anxiety resources and information, the site also encourages readers to share their own stories and get involved with their efforts to reduce discrimination affecting those with anxiety and other mental health concerns.
- Diary of a Social Phobic: The author of Diary of a Social Phobic created the blog in order to document her experience with social anxiety and depression. Over three years of entries address the impact of these conditions on her life in order to help others challenged by the same conditions obtain information and feel less isolated and alone.
- The Girl with GAD: This blog was created both from knowledge acquired through the author’s personal research and from wisdom gained in therapy. Under the pseudonym M, the author of The Girl with GAD writes about life after the generalized anxiety disorder diagnosis she received in 2008. In addition to everyday accounts of what panic attacks and life with generalized anxiety can feel like, Megan sprinkles links to helpful resources throughout her posts.
- Anxiety.org: According to this organization, only about a third of the 40 million Americans who experience an anxiety-related mental health issue receive treatment. To help eliminate barriers to treatment faced by many of those with anxiety, this website gathers and presents the most current anxiety research, treatment information, and resources. The site also works to help reduce the effects of the isolating nature of anxiety by presenting information in an easy-to-understand format and offering pathways for visitors to research and access treatment anonymously.
Do you know of a website you would like to see in our Top 10? Recommend it here.
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