People living with anxiety disorders often want to try alternative anxiety self help techniques along with their traditional modes of therapy. In this search, they often turn to online anxiety forums and anxiety groups, on different websites related to anxiety disorders. While some of these forums and groups may indeed be helpful, with regard to anxiety self help tips, you should be aware that there are also some risks involved in consulting or becoming a member of such forums. But don't worry, as we have listed a few things to check below; if you keep these in mind, you are sure to find suitable anxiety forums and anxiety groups.

1. If you talk to a good professional therapist about your wish to try anxiety self help tips (and you should talk to a therapist beforehand), he or she will probably encourage you, as taking charge of your wellbeing is an important part of the healing process. However, your therapist will also definitely caution you against stopping your regular therapy sessions, whether psychological or medicinal. In the same way, good anxiety forums and groups will not claim to provide you ‘the' cure for your anxiety disorder. In fact, they will display a disclaimer to that effect.

1. Good anxiety forums and groups will typically keep commercial concerns apart from therapeutic concerns. That does not mean that they will not advertise anything. For many free to join websites, that is the only way of earning revenue. But you will never find any ‘hidden' ads in comments generated by supposedly ‘genuine' users in reliable anxiety groups and forums. Good websites on anxiety disorders will clearly demarcate ads and real member generated content.

1. Make sure that any anxiety forum and support group you are thinking of joining restricts access to only genuine members; otherwise, you could be subjected to online abuse from ignorant and malicious people, because of your anxiety disorder. This will also ensure that you are not given misleading information about anxiety self help by complete strangers.

1. You should also check the authenticity of the forum's or group's members by getting in touch with them personally through e-mail if possible. Otherwise, you could also check out the testimonials given on the host website about these forums and groups. And to be doubly sure that the self help tips given on the website are not potentially harmful, always discuss them with a qualified therapist before you actually apply them in practice. 

So keep these points in mind and start looking for trustworthy online anxiety groups and forums; you are sure to get a lot of good anxiety self helptips and methods. And who knows, you too may be able to help someone, just by being there.