severe anxiety

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katcunock
katcunock Posts: 664 Member
edited November 2021 in Sleep, Mindfulness and Overall Wellness
booked an appointment with my doctor to sort out my anxiety. I get anxious with no apparant reason, 90% of the hours I am awake i experience palpations, acute panic, and struggling to feel like I can breathe. I recently moved to a totally new area, and anxiety is now so bad it is affecting my college work. My tutor is understanding, but there is only so much she can do.

The problem is that other than yoga, breathing and cardio as stress management, they can only perscribe happy pills or beta blockers and i'm not mad keen on medication. I already do all the non medication stuff, so not sure what is next. Is it worth pills to feel normal? Any thoughts?
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Replies

  • ChristiSykes
    ChristiSykes Posts: 186 Member
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    Have you ever considered going on a gluten free diet? The reason I ask that is because I was having extreme anxiety, depression, feeling tired, dizzy....I was ready to see a doctor, but did some experimenting and went off gluten. I haven't had any health problems since, except for the occasional, accidental consumption of gluten....about 1 hour after eating it I get anxiety to the point I can't breathe. Just a thought. Hope you get to the bottom without meds.
  • katcunock
    katcunock Posts: 664 Member
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    Have you ever considered go on a gluten free diet? The reason I ask that is because I was have extreme anxiety, depression, feeling tired, dizzy....I was ready to see a doctor, but did so experimenting and went off gluten. I haven't had any health problems since, except for the occasional, accidental consumption of gluten....about 1 hour after eating it I get anxiety to the point I can't breathe. Just a thought. Hope you get to the bottom without meds.

    that's interesting thanks! I have been using diet more recently and consuming foods i know help with anxiety, such as zinc and iron, but that's something i'll have to look into
  • derbygirl_11
    derbygirl_11 Posts: 21
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    Have you heard of dialectical behavioral therapy? I'm currently in it myself for my bipolar symptoms, which include anxiety. You might want to look into it, or regular therapy?

    Remember it's totally okay to have anxiety, but don't let it control your life. You have control over your life, your anxiety doesn't.
  • TavistockToad
    TavistockToad Posts: 35,719 Member
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    you don thave to take pills, there are lots of different talking therapies that may be able to help you.
  • NaomiJFoster
    NaomiJFoster Posts: 1,450 Member
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    Carbs in general are tightly linked with mood disorders, migraines,and seizures. They trigger a release of seratonin in the brain. That's why their called 'comfort foods'. But...if your brain is already not managing the seratonin levels well, then a surge of carb-induced seratonin is going to be too much to handle. And it will trigger a drastic mood shift. Avoid those types of foods and the brain is able to remain more even, more stable.

    My sister is severely bi-polar. She is medicated for it. But she's also not allowed to eat starchy carbs, only in very small quantities. She rarely, if at all, eats potatoes, rice, bread, pasta, cereal, etc. And she's only allowed 1/2 a banana every other day.

    I have friends with migraines who were given similar restriction and noticed a difference.

    All of those conditions live in the same part of the brain, it really does make sense. Maybe try a coupld of months of limiting your starchy carb intake and see where that gets you?
  • katcunock
    katcunock Posts: 664 Member
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    Have you heard of dialectical behavioral therapy? I'm currently in it myself for my bipolar symptoms, which include anxiety. You might want to look into it, or regular therapy?

    Remember it's totally okay to have anxiety, but don't let it control your life. You have control over your life, your anxiety doesn't.

    thanks :) i used to go to therapy when i was suffering anxiety relating to post traumatic stress disorder, but that got miles better, and this has only really picked up since i relocated, with no conscious reason to be anxious. I'd be willing to try therapy but i don't have much money or know how much good it would do without a reason to be anxious? (if that makes sense!)
  • katcunock
    katcunock Posts: 664 Member
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    Carbs in general are tightly linked with mood disorders, migraines,and seizures. They trigger a release of seratonin in the brain. That's why their called 'comfort foods'. But...if your brain is already not managing the seratonin levels well, then a surge of carb-induced seratonin is going to be too much to handle. And it will trigger a drastic mood shift. Avoid those types of foods and the brain is able to remain more even, more stable.

    My sister is severely bi-polar. She is medicated for it. But she's also not allowed to eat starchy carbs, only in very small quantities. She rarely, if at all, eats potatoes, rice, bread, pasta, cereal, etc. And she's only allowed 1/2 a banana every other day.

    I have friends with migraines who were given similar restriction and noticed a difference.

    All of those conditions live in the same part of the brain, it really does make sense. Maybe try a coupld of months of limiting your starchy carb intake and see where that gets you?

    thanks thats really interesting! I've been making an effort to consume mostly complex carbs (brown rice pasta and bread, veggies etc) would they still count?
  • atb0821
    atb0821 Posts: 458 Member
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    What about natural remedies? My doctor suggested valerian root, inositol, or kava for anxiety. Going to a therapist would also be helpful, so you could learn about deep breathing/visualizations, that type of thing.
  • Elle408
    Elle408 Posts: 500 Member
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    I've recently been going through this, I've always had a bit of anxiety, but it was manageable with breathing techniques and CBT - then I started uni and everything just got so much worse. It finally got to the point where I wouldn't leave the house because I knew I would have a panic attack so started missing lectures and things.

    I went to the doc and she gave me sleeping pills and beta blockers. I was always very against medication, but had to admit defeat, I couldn't cope and needed any help I could get. The beta blockers are fine, they really take away the crushing anxiety that makes me think i'll die if I stay in the situation. They made me feel drowsy and spaced-out at first, but that's starting to go now and I'm able to do some of the things that I couldn't before. I haven't had the sleeping pills as I'm too scared to take them, they're basically Rohypnol and state you can have amnesia the next morning, sleep walk and be drowsy the next day, I'm living in a house share and I don't feel comfortable with those possible side effects around people that I don't know particularly well. I've been scheduled in for more Cognitive Behaviour Therapy, which does help, and like knowing that the beta blockers are there if I need them, sometimes that's enough to take away some of the worst anxiety.
  • katcunock
    katcunock Posts: 664 Member
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    What about natural remedies? My doctor suggested valerian root, inositol, or kava for anxiety. Going to a therapist would also be helpful, so you could learn about deep breathing/visualizations, that type of thing.

    i do deep breathing/yoga as recommended from my last doctor, but the natural remedies i'll have to look into, thanks :)
  • katcunock
    katcunock Posts: 664 Member
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    I've recently been going through this, I've always had a bit of anxiety, but it was manageable with breathing techniques and CBT - then I started uni and everything just got so much worse. It finally got to the point where I wouldn't leave the house because I knew I would have a panic attack so started missing lectures and things.

    I went to the doc and she gave me sleeping pills and beta blockers. I was always very against medication, but had to admit defeat, I couldn't cope and needed any help I could get. The beta blockers are fine, they really take away the crushing anxiety that makes me think i'll die if I stay in the situation. They made me feel drowsy and spaced-out at first, but that's starting to go now and I'm able to do some of the things that I couldn't before. I haven't had the sleeping pills as I'm too scared to take them, they're basically Rohypnol and state you can have amnesia the next morning, sleep walk and be drowsy the next day, I'm living in a house share and I don't feel comfortable with those possible side effects around people that I don't know particularly well. I've been scheduled in for more Cognitive Behaviour Therapy, which does help, and like knowing that the beta blockers are there if I need them, sometimes that's enough to take away some of the worst anxiety.

    I've had betqa blockers and sleeping pills in the past - interestingly, the beta blockers didn't help but the sleeping pills i loved and found a decent sleep made such a difference. Thank you so much for your input, and i hope things resolve for you too :)
  • Duck_Puddle
    Duck_Puddle Posts: 3,224 Member
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    Yes, medication is worth it. I had become so accustomed to feeling anxious (palpitations, high blood pressure, difficulty breathing, etc.) that it felt totally "normal" to feel that way. I have PTSD and anxiety is a huge part of that. I find that regular exercise absolutely makes an enormous impact on how much general anxiety I have on a day to day basis. But medication takes care of the rest. Between exercise & medication, I have not had an anxiety issue (aside from a few highly triggering situations) in about a year.
  • derbygirl_11
    derbygirl_11 Posts: 21
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    Dialectical behavioral therapy has done wonders for me, personally. You don't have to go in there with a "problem" per se, you just learn a lot of skills that you might not have had previously. It's great for borderline personalities, people with bipolar and PTSD, and a number of other mental dysfunctions, but you have to go in with an open mind. A lot of places offer sliding scales, or you can even try looking into some DBT based books if you're into the entire "mindfulness" idea.

    Good luck!
  • dontgobacktosleep
    dontgobacktosleep Posts: 144 Member
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    This seems silly but drink your water. I suffered for years before finding out I was chronically dehydrated and misinterpreting what my body was telling me.

    My anxieties completely bottomed out when I focused intensely on nutrients and saw the missing pieces. Potassium is like a drug now lol.

    So much of your serotonin is generated in the gut, happy belly happy mind. Lots of great published info out there.
    Add me if you like :-)
  • KatM2014
    KatM2014 Posts: 263 Member
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    For me, the medication was SO worth it. I was completely anti medication until my doctor made the very good point that if I really didn't like it, I could stop taking it. I've been on medication for almost four months now and it has already made the world of difference, the biggest thing is that it makes it easier for me to do other things. But I also appreciate that everyone is different.

    I hope you find something that is right for you, feel free to PM me if you have any questions, I know how it feels not knowing what to do :)
  • NaomiJFoster
    NaomiJFoster Posts: 1,450 Member
    Options
    Carbs in general are tightly linked with mood disorders, migraines,and seizures. They trigger a release of seratonin in the brain. That's why their called 'comfort foods'. But...if your brain is already not managing the seratonin levels well, then a surge of carb-induced seratonin is going to be too much to handle. And it will trigger a drastic mood shift. Avoid those types of foods and the brain is able to remain more even, more stable.

    My sister is severely bi-polar. She is medicated for it. But she's also not allowed to eat starchy carbs, only in very small quantities. She rarely, if at all, eats potatoes, rice, bread, pasta, cereal, etc. And she's only allowed 1/2 a banana every other day.

    I have friends with migraines who were given similar restriction and noticed a difference.

    All of those conditions live in the same part of the brain, it really does make sense. Maybe try a coupld of months of limiting your starchy carb intake and see where that gets you?

    thanks thats really interesting! I've been making an effort to consume mostly complex carbs (brown rice pasta and bread, veggies etc) would they still count?


    The veggies are good. But the whole grain breads and brown rice, even though they are much better than white or processed products, they are still starchy carbs. I think. Play around with it a little bit, try eating them just once a day or every other day. If you feel a difference, that's something that effects you. If you don't notice anything, maybe that's not the way to go.
  • diddyk
    diddyk Posts: 269 Member
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    Medication is absolutely worth it. I have had anxiety for years. For the longest time I tried to "be tough" and ignore it. Eventually my grades, performance at work, and friendships started to deteriorate because I was falling apart. I would have episodes of panic, hyperventilate and pass out. Finally after a trip to the ER for passing out on the train, I was talked into medication.

    I felt extremely stupid for not trying it sooner. It wasn't a cure, but it helped me function normally, and I was able to sort out my problems with therapy. Medication won't cure you, but it can definitely help you cope with the symptoms and sort out the issues.

    After years of medications, I am weaning off of them and I finally feel normal.
  • danger_kitteh
    danger_kitteh Posts: 301 Member
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    I was suffering from crushing anxiety last spring. It was making me house bound, I was exhibiting irrational behavior towards my family - it was bad. I did some counseling sessions (which I thought was hokey, I didn't like my counselor but I did get some stuff worked out) but also with my dr. did a blood work and my B12 was incredibly low. I take a daily supplement now for it and my anxiety is greatly reduced. I wouldn't say it's gone away completely, but it's manageable now to where my coping skills take care of the rest.
  • atb0821
    atb0821 Posts: 458 Member
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    Ooh I forgot. My therapist recommended I take an Omega 3/fish oil supplement every day and I really think it's helped. My mood was absolutely horrific about a week ago and I've seen an improvement. I'm also taking valerian root. Just be warned if you try it that it reeks like stinky feet :)
  • jess7386
    jess7386 Posts: 477 Member
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    OP I sent you a private message, but I did want to share this link for anyone else suffering from anxiety:

    http://www.amazon.com/Panic-Attacks-Workbook-Program-Beating/dp/1569754152

    I'm not super into the touchy-feely, but this book absolutely helps you recognize the symptomology of anxiety & panic attacks, and helps you figure out how to identify the feelings for what they are & ultimately overcome it. It's definitely helped me a lot & I absolutely suggest buying it.

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