Ways to battle anxiety without drugs?

Anxiety
#1

Hi, I have gone over around and through the drug circus with medications for anxiety, depression, and bipolar. I do not want to go down that road again.

I really don’t know if there is any other “in the moment” possibility to try other than popping a pill when I feel my heart starting to race and everything start to spin and then my throat close up. Usually it doesn’t get that serious, but even the more mild heart racing dread is really detremental to my success in any undertaking at all.

I am on the verge of a very important life changing decision that is very tough, but I’m afraid is very necessary and every time I think about it I actually begin to have a panic attack. It makes it very hard to concentrate on the task at hand.

I feel like the only way to avoid the attack is to completely avert my attention elsewhere, and not think about it, but it is nearly impossible to get anything done that way.

#2

im not sure i understand your point.

#3

I am sorry sometimes my thoughts get so jumbled when I am upset. I guess I was just frustrated that the doctors always want to put me on medication for it, but the reaction to the medication was so horrible before. I don’t know if there are other ways to combat anxiety than with precription meds.

I’ve tried to drink herbal teas and breath through it, but sometimes its still inevitable.

#4

anna, i always find starting a new anti depressant med difficult. i didn’t think there was an ideal one for me - as everyone is different and meds work differently for each person - until i took sertraline last year. well, that one wore off, didn’t seem to be working anymore so i stopped taking it a month ago. maybe seeing your doc about getting something just to get you through this very stressful period might be beneficial to you…? hugs x

#5

thank you for the input. I’ve been considering it. Just the last anxiety drug i was on-klonopin made me plummet so far into depression that i had a suicide attempt. it is bizarre that i livedd through it. I am so scared of those meds now. ill at least try to talk to the doc about it.

#6

yes I know sometimes they do that to people try to find one that you can slowly go on as for anxiety there is buspar and xanax and a couple other ones that are not antidepressants

#7

I do know that some people that have bipolar disorder do not fare well on anti-depressants. They do better on anti-psychotic medications. It would be best to talk this over with your doctor, Anna.

#8

While I no longer suffer from chest/back pains, I do notice my heart racing, especially in the evening when really my hectic day has long been over, I’ve eaten, spent quality time with my son. There shouldnt be anxiety for me at that point. The only explanation I have is my last year of vivid nightmares with graphic violence (although I havent had those since August) perhaps has created some anxiousness about heading to bedtime. I’m not sure about that though.

What I wanted to say though, is that I am, for myself, anti-pharmaceutical. I keep in my awareness that my brain may be my most precious part, and I’m a little scared about washing it with chemicals that might have lasting effects or damage, or at the very least keep it from being what it needs to be.

I havent ever looked at my periods of depression, grief, guilt, anger, hatred or any other overly intense emotion as something bad in need of erradication – but as something Nature(or God) -given. There must be a purpose for it. What I do want to change about it though is its impact on my life.

I’ve posted before about making a calm, almost humorous mental note “oh look, I’m having anxiety right now”, and timing them

EMDR has helped me keep my painful memories, my life history intact, honoured and “part of the story of who I am”, but it has greatly reduced the amount of energy and intensity and IMPACT each memory and its subsequent emotional reaction/baggage has on my ability to live my life in the manner I want for myself and my son.

Also I’ve acepted the fact my heart, and nervous system want me to MOVE, take ACTION when I feel anxiety. So I dont lie there and try to suppress it. If I’m awake enough I do the stairs in my condo building, or I walk up and down the halls or outside around the building as fast as I can, or things I’m sure might look silly to my neighbours if they can see me, jump up and down on the spot, punching in the air…any number of things. If I’m almost asleep when I notice it happening in bed, then I purposely try to envision myself running in a sprint, or the Boston Marathon so my brain at last can have the satisfaction of having taken action.

I dont know if that will make sense to you.

I also have been doing other peripheral things, like

  • taking the stress complex of B vitamins which has all through my life helped when my mood has gotten dark

  • seeing an RMT (my particular one specializes in the Feldenkrais Method)

  • this one makes me cry - I gave up all chocolate and cocoa products because unlike coffee for some reason it imemdiately affects my heart rate

I came across a website yesterday that talked about changing the pattern of your thinking with relation to depression and anxiety, I’ll see if I can find it and post it to you.

#9

Also, I want to add

AnnaB big life decisions are anxious times for just about everyone, but especially so when theyre responses to very bad situations. I think your anxiety may be perfectly appropriate given your circumstances.

I dont know how the Bipolar factors into everything, your doctor may be the best person to give you advice on how to keep the anxiety from creating a larger emotional problem for you

but I would imagine that finding coping mechanisms to feel your anxiousness and STILL get the job done you need to do might be something to consider.

#10

Interesting read, the tactics are near the end.