Let's talk about anxiety, and the related meds. Shall we?

It is interesting that some of you brought up nutrition being related. I have several food allergies and intolerances. I find that I get pretty depressed when I eat wheat.

Other than that, my son who is almost 5, has anxiety issues. I have been blaming myself thinking I some how caused this. However, he also has intolerances to foods, including wheat. We cannot digest any dairy and wheat seems to mess with our moods and behaviors.

I have changed my parenting style in hopes to calm him down a little. He is a worrier...just like my husband.

MoonLightStars
It is interesting that some of you brought up nutrition being related. I have several food allergies and intolerances. I find that I get pretty depressed when I eat wheat.

Other than that, my son who is almost 5, has anxiety issues. I have been blaming myself thinking I some how caused this. However, he also has intolerances to foods, including wheat. We cannot digest any dairy and wheat seems to mess with our moods and behaviors.

I have changed my parenting style in hopes to calm him down a little. He is a worrier...just like my husband.

Holy cow...i remember hearing somewhere that the introduction of flour/wheat flour was the downfall of our diet!

I think it's wrong for everybody.

I try to eat as little flour of any kind as possible.

Though I do know it's largely integrated into our food supply, and very difficult to avoid....

But I think ancient grains like quinoa are awesome!

Its ok to worry! I do like crazy. But there are healthy alternatives to everything.

Maj2836
Back in High School I was prescribed Prozac for Depression/Anxiety. They started me at 10mg. Seemed great at first....until I started to feel numb to life. Then, they decided to bump me up to 15mg. More symptoms. Next thing I knew I was up to 20mg. Then 30mg. At that point I started getting those "unwanted" feelings where you start to second guess life. I had NEVER in my life felt SO NUMB to reality. How does upping dosage help???????

Then one day (about a year into the drug) I decided to quit taking it cold turkey-although they say NOT to do it that way, but to wean yourself off. I did just fine and those "unwanted" feelings went away quickly. However, I truly believe that the Prozac has permanently damaged me. I still have that "lack of emotion" feeling I felt on the Prozac. It wasn't to that extent before I ever took the drug.

Does anyone else feel this way after being off the meds?

Yes! It took at Least a year for me to feel like I was finally balanced out.

These drugs really mess with your brain chemicals, Big time...

And ya, upping the dosage does not help! Been there....

So please don't think your permanently damaged. It just takes a long time, and a Lot of healthy nutrition and activity.

Bronco nailed it on the head .. I used to have anxiety in my younger years , then I stopped caring so much about what everyone else thought about me and and it went away .

We managed we tens of thousands of years without it( pills) ,not really sure why we cannot cope with everyday things now without taking drugs . Drugs are the easy way out than dealing with the problems in everyday life . However people can be lazy and just want a quick fix that requires no effort on their part while the root problem is never dealt with .

Here's another alternative to medicines that I just recently discovered and so far the methods recommended are working for me

Have any of y'all ever heard of the vagus nerve that runs from the brainstem down the length of our body? It junctions with a couple other of our nerve systems and causes all kinds of havoc if it is out of whack. Here is a very basic article about the vagus nerve and anxiety but I suggest y'all read up on ALL the ways this nerve effects us, just give it a google, you'll be surprised about our second brain and the serotonin effects……

www.psychologytoday.com...

STM

Halt any caffeine use for a month and see how you feel.

reply to post by seentoomuch


Thank you so much for this link!

www.psychologytoday.com...

I have never heard of the vagus nerve.

I cant wait to read up on this because my anxiety and panic attacks were pretty much completely focused on my heart.

I became obsessed with checking my pulse, this would cause my heart to do all kinds of weird stuff, and than I would be convinced I had some sort of scary heart condition...my vagus nerve was not toned at all....

I'm so glad to be past that, and it all makes even more sense now!

thanks again.

Sorry to hear you've had a tough time with anxiety.

I've never taken any medication for my anxiety. I never felt it was the way to go.... don't ask me why, it just didn't feel right. I didn't want to be "one of those people" when, in reality, those people are probably doing the right thing in many ways. You don't understand what it's like to be on edge until it happens to you.

Mine was/is health anxiety (maybe different from GAD?) . It started 10 years ago (age 12) after my father passed away. It was pretty much a non-entity until a few years ago after a health scare. I went through the lot with my anxiety after that.. and i know how hard it is to feel SO trapped. I think people often don't truly understand what that feeling of being trapped is like. It's truly petrifying.

I sit here today in a much better state than a couple of years ago. I'm no longer constantly depersonalized/derealized. I no longer have panic attacks or any weird brain weirdness hahaha... But i still get the odd hiccup.. I was depressed for a while because of it too, but that wore off without any meds. Also, OCD... still tackling that! Lol.

I can't tell you how i overcame it, maybe i got lucky. But all i can say to those who have anxiety is stay strong, and have HOPE. If i didn't have hope that i would get better... i don't know where i'd be. And if you have family and friends, utilize them. My family were and still are my rock.

Still anxious from time to time - but moving forward! Medication free.

Maj2836
Back in High School I was prescribed Prozac for Depression/Anxiety. They started me at 10mg. Seemed great at first....until I started to feel numb to life. Then, they decided to bump me up to 15mg. More symptoms. Next thing I knew I was up to 20mg. Then 30mg. At that point I started getting those "unwanted" feelings where you start to second guess life. I had NEVER in my life felt SO NUMB to reality. How does upping dosage help???????

Then one day (about a year into the drug) I decided to quit taking it cold turkey-although they say NOT to do it that way, but to wean yourself off. I did just fine and those "unwanted" feelings went away quickly. However, I truly believe that the Prozac has permanently damaged me. I still have that "lack of emotion" feeling I felt on the Prozac. It wasn't to that extent before I ever took the drug.

Does anyone else feel this way after being off the meds?

I quit cold turkey too from Xanax and .addarol, never have been so sick in my life. After a month i no longer felt like a zombie.... but the damage was done i believe all the medicine i was taking was part of the problem. I still have anxiety and low concentration but it is not as bad as when i was on Xanax and adderal. (Are they even allow to prescribed those to meds together?)

I seriously suggest that everyone keep a food journal and document how you feel throughout the day and everyday. Changing your diets can help tremendously!

For what it is worth, I began experiencing severe anxiety and depression when I was about 17 years old. I went through my twenties and thirties battling my brain, and self-medicating with what was available. On a whim and a rainy day, I decided to pay a visit to a local martial-arts dojo, as I always secretly wanted to be like that girl in Karate Kid 3, but couldn't muster the time and confidence to ever go out and actually experience what happens behind the doors of a Dojo, as I was a pimply fat-chick, and had no self esteem (or kisses). It was a 'first lesson free' kind of thing, so I thought, "What the Hell?"

Long story, short - in the years since I walked through that door, my life has changed for the better, and drastically! I am fit (fat chick no more!), I exercise and train daily, I go to tournaments around the States, and I've never felt better in my entire life. It has something to do with endorphin and dopamine production, along with being familiar with that 'inner strength' in knowing that you can battle, not only physically, but mentally as well, any obstacles that may come one's way. I am a non-violent person, and my study of martial arts has only made me more relaxed, assertive (as opposed to passive/aggressive), and confident. I am unafraid of meeting new people, I don't fidget, and am no longer plagued by those restless nights of panic-attacks and anxiety. My sleep is much deeper too. Sure, I have those moments, just like everybody, but I see it as nothing I can't deal with.

I could go on, but I only wanted to share that I've long since abandoned the medications, the daily drinking, and holding myself up in my apartment with my nose in books, fretting on how I'm going to present lectures to students, in favor of tempering my personality and my body through the application of ancient techniques for self-development.

xox,
-kissy

I have really bad anxiety

The worst is when i hear loud banging usually from the bakery next door..

as a teenager i was staying in a flatshare where we were burgled when i was in the place (was in a rough end of town)

and now whenever i hear loud banging or loud knocking on a door.. it makes my anxiety/ heart beat go through the roof...

horrible experience and i think im stuck with it for life

I don't think this thread could have come at a better time for me! I've been suffering with adjustment disorder, depression and anxiety for nearly a year now. It has been the worst year of my life which led me to nearly take my own life. I have a very good job that pays well but it is the job itself which has caused much of my illnesses along with social and personal factors. I'm on two lots of medication at the moment, 4 tablets a day and despite them being helpful I haven't had a good sleep for a while. A psychologist today recommended I try out Headspace and Take10 which are apparently smartphone apps to help me deal with my illnesses - apparently they are very good so I will try them at some point.

reply to post by ProfessorT


That sounds awful, sorry to hear that!

I never came close to taking my own life. But it made me understand how people can come to that point. It's a very dark place to be.

Find the positive in your life.. family? friends? hobbies? Use the things you have to be your rock, you'll get there. It's so easy to say this, i know. But i've been on the other side, and this is what helped me.

I wish you all the best.. and please, don't take your own life.

Diet is a big majority of it, as the saying goes: Let thy food be thy medicine! Hippocrates

I actually supplement with vitamin D, vitamin A, vitamin K, zinc, boron, calcium and magnesium to combat anxiety as well as a multitude of other symptoms such as vertigo or twitches.

I hope to some day get the majority of vitamins and minerals from food, but for now I know I can't so I supplement or suffer.

I apply magnesium lotion 2 to 3 times a day, with the one before bedtime it really helps to get to sleep and to sleep the whole night through. Magnesium may not work for everyone, as it is a cofactor of the ones mentioned above, so you need all of these for even one to work well.

MrConspiracy
reply to post by ProfessorT

 

That sounds awful, sorry to hear that!

I never came close to taking my own life. But it made me understand how people can come to that point. It's a very dark place to be.

Find the positive in your life.. family? friends? hobbies? Use the things you have to be your rock, you'll get there. It's so easy to say this, i know. But i've been on the other side, and this is what helped me.

I wish you all the best.. and please, don't take your own life.

Thank you!

I am on the road to recovery and will be returning back to work soon when we have sorted out a phased reintroduction. It's just awful when you don't feel in control, your thoughts and feelings are all over the place and it's a horrible place to be. I think it's my anxiety which is going to be a big hurdle to overcome as well as my adjustment disorder but I will get there!

I think exercising every day is important, and I also think I am addicted to sugar (most people are). It's important to drink a lot of water and eat well.

Good luck guys!

reply to post by GoShredAK


Man, I have those exact symptoms. I feel like I cannot get a good breath, and sometimes that becomes worse to where I go into a full panic. I have been struggling with anxiety off and on for 18 years. Sometimes I will go for a long time before the anxiety comes back. I have been prescribed Prozac in the past. I took it for a little over 3 years. I weaned myself off slowly. I did have some zaps and some other hard to describe symptoms, but it wasn't too bad. I have been prescribed klonopin off and on for years as well. I have to say that it works great for me. I try not to take it unless I absolutely have to because I don't want to become addicted. I am prescribed 1 mg, but I can take .5 mg and that seems to help a whole lot.If I take more it still works but I will become pretty tired. So far I have been able to do it this way and not become addicted. Just knowing that I can reach for the klonopin when I feel the anxiety coming on strong helps keep me from going into full panic. I know this method will not work for everyone, and I have probably been lucky not to become addicted to it yet. My new doctor just prescribed me Lexapro 10mg, and it is sitting at the pharmacy. I just don't want to get started on another med. Sorry about rambling on, but What I am really interested in is how I can change my diet and other natural things I can start doing to see how it might help. I don't want to be dependent on any meds and if changing my diet and doing other activities can fix my anxiety patterns , I would be so happy. If anybody can share some of the specific things that have helped them that would be great! Whatever I learn, and whatever works for me I will most definitely share with others.
Having these anxiety disorders and panic attacks are no way to live. Thanks so much for sharing. It means so much. I am going to start with cutting sugars back.
Has anyone had an experience of panic after exercising hard? I have had some times when I felt I couldn't catch my breath and that was frightening, and it keeps me a little worried about exercising too vigorously. I know it sounds like an excuse not to exercise, but I am going to try to build up my stamina slowly this time and see how it goes.

Any other tips?

I have massive anxiety attacks if I take medication, like I become convinced I'm going to straight up die. It once was so bad that I'd have panic attacks from even taking simple aspirin and such.

I'm really not sure what would happen if I took anxiety medicine. I have a feeling I'd turn into a paradox and reality would unravel.

reply to post by GoShredAK

I am fairly certain that I was born with my terrible anxiety disorder; my mother remembers me having my first panic attack when I was about 3 years old. I didn't recognize my symptoms as those of an anxiety disorder until I was nearly 20 years old. It made for a tumultuous experience, going through my teens without truly understanding the disorder...it influenced so much of my life and my decisions, and still does, to be honest. I have always been terrified of prescription drugs-- not too scared of them to not take a narcotic for a toothache-- but too scared of them to be on any daily medication that requires long term use. I think the big turning point in my life with anxiety was going to therapy-- it wasn't that the therapist necessarily said or suggested anything that outright helped, it was more the revelation that there was a name for what I had always experienced, and coming to understand that all of the emotional and physical symptoms were not abnormal or unique to me. That alone was a tremendous weight off of my shoulders. My primary doctor tried pretty hard to get me on antidepressants, but I said no each and every time and refused to take a daily med. To her dismay, the only thing that I agreed to was a prescription for xanax to be taken as needed. It may not be the appropriate course of treatment for everybody, but for me, knowing that I had an "emergency pill" for when my panic attacks became unbearable (numb and tingling limbs, shortness of breath, chest pain) was almost a treatment in and of itself. Knowing I had that, in the back of my head, kept a lot of my attacks at bay, without ever taking the pill. I would never ever judge anybody for taking any medication for their anxiety, but for me, the fear of disrupting the chemicals in my brain further is what kept me from starting that sort of treatment. I was too fearful that it would become a slippery slope and perhaps trigger depression or undue elation. I do use some herbal treatments in addition to having my "emergency xanax" (which I have only taken a handful of times in the past two years.) I find that magnesium, melatonin, and valerian root all help me with my disorder. I'm curious about trying hops for anxiety, but have stayed away due to it being known to aggravate depression (which I am not sure I do or do not have.)