Monday, November 10, 2008

Today #2

See, once I get started on blogging, I just can't stop!! Second blog today!!

I just thought of a couple things I really wanted to share. They are two websites I've been using a lot recently.

First of all, most people who know me well know that I suffer from generalized anxiety disorder (GAD). (A good description of what I go through on a semi-daily basis can be found here: GAD.) I also have panic disorder, which sort of goes hand-in-hand with GAD. Essentially, it means that I have regular panic attacks. (Here's a good description of those: panic disorder.) This is not something I normally speak about with people I do not know well. However, I'm starting to realize that this is just a part of who I am, and that if I'm open and honest about it maybe I will find that there are others who will be incredibly greatful to find that someone else is experiencing the same things they are. So...this is my first somewhat "coming out of the closet" with my anxiety.

Anyways, somewhat recently I was feeling pretty frustrated with my illnesses, and I decided to search online for a support group. And what I found was better than anything I could have hoped for. It's called DailyStrength.



It's a massive support website. Every person has an anonymous online profile, then he/she can go and join support groups for just about any ailment you can think of. (I'm not going to go into detail here with all my physical and emotional problems, but if you know me well, you can figure I'm in quite a few.) The website is just great. It's helped remind me that I'm not alone. I've even made contact with quite a few Christians, which is very exciting to me. If you have ANY issues you have diffulty dealing with, mild to incredibly severe...whether it be stress, troublesome children, depression, insomnia, ADD, or suicidal thoughts...there is a support group for you where you can talk with tons of other people going through the same things you are. It's really really neat. I strongly encourage everyone to check it out. http://www.dailystrength.com/

Second, I wanted to share another website I found. It's called SparkPeople.



This is a website dedicated to helping people stay healthy and at their appropriate weight. It's very similar to DailyStrength, only focused on diet, exercise, goals, motivation, and drinking lots of water. You again have a profile, you track your goals and progress, and you chat with other people. To top it all off, you tell the website your age, gender, weight, height, and how much weight you want to lose by when, and it plans out an entire weight loss plan for you. It gives you exercises, the number of calories to eat, and even your meals if you want it to. It's absolutely phenomenol. Oh, and you get points for participating in the website, and then as your points build up you get "trophies" displayed on your page. I'm a big fan of rewards. :) So...check it out!! http://www.sparkpeople.com/

(And just for inquiring minds, because I can already hear the remarks I'm going to get from friends...I am not saying that I think I am fat. I simply, after getting married, got a little excited about cookie dough and I don't fit in my pants as well as I'd like to. I'd rather lose a few pounds now than end up buying an entirely new lower-body wardrobe. Plus...it's just a daily struggle to maintain weight anyways. Hence my participation in the site. AND, actually, they even have a support group for 20-somethings trying to lose less than 10 lbs. I was pretty excited to find that one. :) )

Alright that's all for now. Hope this information is helpful to someone!

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