how do you deal with high anxiety minus meds?

I posted on this thread, page 5 http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/584410-depression?error_user_id=12093827&error_username=dhakiyya&page=5 about dealing with PTSD without meds (I don't have the option because there's no mental health services where I live) I've had huge amounts of anxiety/panic because of this, what I wrote works although I still have bad days. Exercise helps a lot on bad days. And a punch bag. Sorry for the link didn't want to type it all out again

I run a lot.

I've been on regular medication (sort of helped but I didn't like the side effects), been to several different therapists (didn't help at all), used Xanax for rare occasions as necessary (but I haven't used it in years).

I still have some trouble sometimes but running really does help me.

I have been battling anxiety and depression for a good part of my life. My first step to success was a program, and it was well worth the money. http://www.midwestcenter.com/whatyouget.html ... if you want to check it out , have not had a panic attack since and have been doing a lot more in my life then I ever could before. O yeah quitting smoking, eating healty, and working out have had so buisy I completely forgotten what anxiety was until i seen your post. best of luck to you, your not alone with your fight against anxiety, ever need anything add me as a friend.

I am on a low dose of anti depressants which also help with anxiety disorder. The anxiety is unfortunatley part of my personality and seems to run in my family, but it is not as bad as it used to be, I've had these problems for most of my life. I used to drink Camomile tea at night, it's important to cut every stimulant out of your diet, decaf coffee, tea, no energy drinks, no diet pills (even the natural ones seem to raise your heart rate and cause the jitters)
Spend some time every day just being still, calm and quiet, meditating or reading. I don't find Rescue Remedy works at all at staving off panic attacks..but I guess it's not for everyone. Natural remedies can be great but sometimes meds are better.

I have suffered panic disorder and post traumatic stress disorder basically my whole life. If you exercise enough( not too much where you suffer calorie deficiency) and eat right (It is okay to go out sometimes of course) it will decrease. Got on meds when I was 20 finally, and within a month, I was off again. I have been off for 5 years now. I drink often enough, but also play alot of ddr lol.

face it , deal with it , find a plan of attack and eleminate what stresses you. some things you cant change . accept, some things you cant change right now . wait and work towards the change . some things you can change now . do it !~shocks
:flowerforyou:

Exercise and meditation.

Yup, has worked better than meds for me.

therapy doesnt work for me because their isnt a reason i have it. anxiety can be caused over a completely irrational thought, and even though you know it doesnt make sense it still bothers you. there isnt "something i need to work through" i dont have situational anxiety. it will just be there for no reason. one day im fine and the next im not. its a physical thing for me as well.

there is a difference between psychoanalysis & CBT - CBT focuses on dealing with the anxiety when it comes on: the thoughts, feelings & behaviours

therapy doesnt work for me because their isnt a reason i have it. anxiety can be caused over a completely irrational thought, and even though you know it doesnt make sense it still bothers you. there isnt "something i need to work through" i dont have situational anxiety. it will just be there for no reason. one day im fine and the next im not. its a physical thing for me as well.

there is a difference between psychoanalysis & CBT - CBT focuses on dealing with the anxiety when it comes on: the thoughts, feelings & behaviours

yeah, psychoanalysis is barely necessary in managing anxiety unless there was a definite triggering event. finding someone who practices cognitive behavioural therapy and mindfullness training REALLY helped me. i needed practical skills to cut into the anxiety cycle at each of the levels that can further the cycle - thought, emotion/physiology, behaviour. because i seem to display ocd traits alongside anxiety it is not enough to sort out just thoughts and physiology - i have to be able to break behaviours too or the loop will re-trigger the thought, etc.

also, often with anxiety, our thoughts and behaviours become very separated from a triggering event. so, for example, for me, i was always anxious, but my major trigger was a surgery that went wrong. from then onwards, every time i felt anything slightly strange happen to me physically, i started to 'check' whether it could be something dangerous. getting anxious was one of the feelings that would trigger this 'checking', which obviously made me more anxious. then i started checking other things... if my car felt a bit strange.........then i started to feel VERY uncomfortable at the sign of any form of problem, felt uncomfortable until it was solved. it just spiralled into something totally separate from the original event, to the point that identifying the original event was interesting but not very meaningful.

so, yeah, even when there is 'no reason' for the anxiety, psychological help can be beneficial.

therapy doesnt work for me because their isnt a reason i have it. anxiety can be caused over a completely irrational thought, and even though you know it doesnt make sense it still bothers you. there isnt "something i need to work through" i dont have situational anxiety. it will just be there for no reason. one day im fine and the next im not. its a physical thing for me as well.

there is a difference between psychoanalysis & CBT - CBT focuses on dealing with the anxiety when it comes on: the thoughts, feelings & behaviours

yeah, psychoanalysis is barely necessary in managing anxiety unless there was a definite triggering event. finding someone who practices cognitive behavioural therapy and mindfullness training REALLY helped me. i needed practical skills to cut into the anxiety cycle at each of the levels that can further the cycle - thought, emotion/physiology, behaviour. because i seem to display ocd traits alongside anxiety it is not enough to sort out just thoughts and physiology - i have to be able to break behaviours too or the loop will re-trigger the thought, etc.

also, often with anxiety, our thoughts and behaviours become very separated from a triggering event. so, for example, for me, i was always anxious, but my major trigger was a surgery that went wrong. from then onwards, every time i felt anything slightly strange happen to me physically, i started to 'check' whether it could be something dangerous. getting anxious was one of the feelings that would trigger this 'checking', which obviously made me more anxious. then i started checking other things... if my car felt a bit strange.........then i started to feel VERY uncomfortable at the sign of any form of problem, felt uncomfortable until it was solved. it just spiralled into something totally separate from the original event, to the point that identifying the original event was interesting but not very meaningful.

so, yeah, even when there is 'no reason' for the anxiety, psychological help can be beneficial.

i suppose thats true. just im my case i dont think it would help too much. but, i do think i might do well in a meditation class or a "overcoming anxiety" class or something. i do start a anxiety cycle but what starts it is never a constant thing. i dont think i have a trigger. i also think this because my mom and my sister have high anxiety. my moms is just like mine.

Honestly, unless you've done some form of therapy and it hasn't helped, there's no way to tell.

I will repeat the formula of meditation and exercise for emphasis, and throw in a recommendation of talking to a therapist Even simple deep breathing for 5-10 mins while focusing on your breath coming in and out really helps.

I've successfully managed to get on top of my stress triggered anxiety issues. My doctor's only remedy was anti-depressants, which I personally thought were overkill, so I told her no and went about it my own way with her monitoring and support. Turns out Doctor's do like the idea of their patients doing meditation and exercise, at least the good doctors do

Do a lot of exercise - get too knackered to care about anything else. Helps with sleep also.

That and breathe deeply a lot.

^pretty much that aha and lots of green tea

Yoga, meditation or just a relaxing walk seems to release a lot of anxiety for me when I have it...I also clean alot to get the pent up energy out I guess...

uiim curious about the rescue remedy. where can i buy it? and how is it to be taken? everyday, or only when needed?

Endorphins from exercise fantastic, but since you eventually have to work or get tired and can't exercise all the time, try some fish oil (or capsules) or other omega 3 variants. Hear it helps with lot of things including depression, which is probably somehow connected. I take fish oil and plant based omega 3's daily. Haven't felt so good since I was very young, which I am no longer. Good wishes with this. Keep trying for what works for you. It's a journey not a destination.