On today’s podcast I spoke with an Anxietyguru.net reader named Peter. Peter is from Sudbury, Massachusetts and has lived with bipolar disorder and anxiety for the better part of his life.

I think this episode is particularly interesting given that Peter has taken medication for his condition for the past thirty plus years. There is something to be said about experience, and Peter has a great deal of insights to provide as a result.

Today I want to explore a basic question: Is there such a thing as a test for a brain-based chemical imbalance?  Sounds simple enough but as you’ll soon see there is nothing simple about the question.  And this is mainly because there is currently a debate raging about the matter, and there seems to be no clear cut answer.

As if anxiety sufferers didn’t already have enough to worry about, there is now growing evidence to suggest that people with anxiety disorders also have higher rates of sexual problems.

We are all familiar with the more common anxiety symptoms like palpitations, racing thoughts, perfuse sweating, but now you can add sexual aversion, sexual dysfunction, and a lower libido to the already long list of things you already hate about having an anxiety disorder.

Relax, relax, that’s what people are probably always telling you to do. And more to the point I’m sure that’s what you wish you could do on demand, but anxiety has a way of cramping this aspiration. But do you really want instant relaxation? A boneless body on tap?

A 28 year old women details her troubles with love and anxiety. (Click image)

As part of my never ending quest to bring you information about anxiety disorders I’m seeking a volunteer. I’m in search of one person that has had experience with anxiety medications.

I will be interviewing this brave soul via telephone and then airing the interview on my podcast the Anxiety Guru Show. This will provide great insight into the reality of anxiety medication, their effectiveness, and other related topics.

Over the years I’ve heard the phrase, "women suffer from anxiety disorder twice as much as men" many times. However, there was never an explanation attached to such statements, so today I wanted to present a few ideas about the possible reasons for this.

To be honest with you I feel like I’m going to die suddenly sometimes. I’m not ashamed of this fact, its just the way it is. Interestingly I have developed a rather deep sense of acceptance when it comes to feeling fear and anxiety symptoms. I accept the feelings and thoughts without much commotion, but I still think that instant death is likely at least every other Thursday or so.

Let’s face it, no matter how many pills we pop or tricks we try we will still be anxious from time to time. However practicing the art of desensitization can ensure that we can relax our attitude toward fear and handle anxiety symptoms just a little bit better than we do now.

First lets define what it means to be sensitized. When a person becomes sensitized they have essentially conditioned their body and mind to react to certain physical and psychological stimuli with extreme hypersensitivity.