In August of 1999 I had my first panic attack.  Since that time I’ve had a life filled with anxiety, worry, fear, and general apprehension.  The fact that I have anxiety is not really surprising when you think about it.  My great grandmother, grandmother and mother all had or have the condition.

As long as this blog has existed I have always encouraged my readers to exercise because whether it’s running, biking, swimming, or whatever it’s a well known fact that exercise can relieve stress and anxiety.  I’ve worked out myself off and on for some time but always in my home.  I’ve always been too self conscious to run down the street or worst yet join a gym.

Weed, marijuana, pot, hash, dope – it has a million names but I guess the most universal is cannabis so that’s the one I’ll stick with here. After alcohol, nicotine and caffeine it is the most commonly used drug. Indeed over one hundred million Americans have tried it and twenty five million in the past year. And why not? It’s not physically addictive, it can relax you and can cause euphoria. It can turn you into the world’s greatest philosopher!

Many anxiety sufferers really do suffer because of a potential chemical imbalance, heredity, excessive stress, substance abuse, or other mental ailments.  However, there is a group of people that have an anxiety disorder caused by an actual medical condition.  In some people there really is a phyiscal basis for their anxious suffering and this is why regular medical screenings are important.

It’s often said that the anxiety sufferer is his own worst enemy and in a sense that’s true. If you’ve ever just listened to what the voice in your head is saying to you, without you even realizing, you’d be pretty amazed.