Someone To Talk To - Critical To Recovery ??

About.com used to have an anxiety web site for anxiety pen pals and phone pals. They lost their sponsor and closed. At one point there were over 2,000 postings on people wanting to connect directly and not just read posts.

Much of my rapid 2004 recovery was due to anxiety phone friends. If you read one of my recent posts the limbic system that causes anxiety and panic is calmed by way of the human voice and not by the written word. Words and language can entertain the cortex for very brief calming - it never reaches the limbic system -but the limbic system does not respond to language. Voice is converted to electrical impulses that reach the limbic system and can rapidly calm it.

When a baby is born the limbic system is fully developed but hardly has any working cortex. When the parents speak in soothing tones or sing to the child the limbic system calms. Human voices express emotions in a auditory wave that speaks the language the limbic system understands.

There is so much research on how computers and electronic communications are damaging the human psyche - children sit in the same room and text each other and people send an email rather than picking up the phone.

Humans are pack animals and we need direct human contact as much as food and water. I certainly  share the desire to talk to anyone who wants to do mutual support. With anxiety support and friends to talk to are more healing than anything medicine offers!!

I was involved with the cancer community though supporting a friend. The local cancer society gave new members who were just diagnosed a sheet with hundreds of support names and number to call. No one can understand like a person who has been there. My friend spent most of the day on the phone after her diagnosis getting support and alleviating her fears. People she never met came and cooked for her - went shopping and took care of the children when she was too sick to do it herself.

Knowing there is a connection only a phone call away give a sense of safety and this rapidly calms the whole anxiety system.

I am always open to talking if anyone in interested

[MysticSoul9]

bp