Getting help for crippling anxiety

hi @MissA

I'm suffering anxiety, too. Most days I wake up in knots. Tense. Trembling. Nauseus. Sometimes sweating. Crying and afraid. I can identify a lot of issues in my life that may be causing this but I can not seem to do anything that addresses them directly. So that sux.

There is a generic medication I take...I don't feel it's working, no matter how much my gp increases the dose.

Meanwhile I am left with tiny distraction measures (which are fast losing potency) but no solutions yet.

That's my story.

@MissA

Have you heard of dr Joe dispenza?

He might be an interesting resource...

There are hundreds of talks and interviews with him on YouTube. 🙏

Hi @MissA

Welcome to the Sane forums.

I can resonate with the anxiety and depression and with taking time out of the work force. It is hard to switch our brains of at times.

Unfortunately there is not a magic pill or support that will make us better. I wish there was! I think it is something that we have to live with and try to manage in a positive way. However, even with managing it, we are still going to have those times where the depression and anxiety take over. Knowing I cannot control everything that happens, has helped me realise that I am only human.

I try and keep myself busy, whether that's just doing things around the house or going for a walk. Another thing that people do is write themselves a goal list for things to achieve during the day. They don't have to be big goals. One goal I have is getting out of bed!

Journaling helps me a lot too. Just being able to write my thoughts and fears down and getting them out of my head seems to make them not as powerful.

I think the main thing is to find what works for you. What things we can do to help ourselves.

I'm sure other member will have a lot more suggestions for you too.

@MissA

Sorry to hear that you are finding it really difficult at this time. I still use butterfly hugs, breath work, and tapping at times, but I tend towards depression more just now. You can do self EMDR as well but normally only if you have already done some with a therapist. I don’t drink coffee and limit anything that causes me anxiety. I am off work and rarely go out, so maybe my advice isn’t that great. Have you thought about making a self soothing box. Mine has some nice crystals, lavender oil, a perfume I like, something to draw on, a book of affirmations and some mints. Some cards with all my self soothing ideas. The idea is to reconnect with your senses to bring you to the hear and now. Hope you feel better soon.

@Flotsam what are butterfly hugs, please?

@Kyle1 It is a bilateral stimulation grounding exercise, cross your arms, hands near your collar bones and tap alternatively.
Like the link below. If it doesn’t work search it on YouTube.

https://www.google.com.au/url?sa=t&rct=j&q=&esrc=s&source=web&cd=&ved=2ahUKEwj7wMu5p4aBAxXmmlYBHatpCi8QwqsBegQIChAF&url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.youtube.com%2Fwatch%3Fv%3DiGGJrqscvtU&usg=AOvVaw0YdRS4pp6dm7OgJIk5lDI7&opi=89978449

@MissA certain medications completely melt anxiety for me too, but as much as they help in the short term I have stopped taking them. They have a “rebound” effect, that is that you feel worse and have more anxiety than you did originally when you stop taking them. If you keep taking them you develop a tolerance and they become less effective, so you’re damned if you do and damned if you don’t. I have no idea how people in the USA stay on them for years but it sounds dicey.

The “good” news is that rebound is temporary and you’ll go back to your baseline levels. That may still be too high but look to long term solutions for that.

I’ve also felt like I needed rewiring. Psychotherapy and CBT is one tool we do have, but it takes time and practice. Meditation and breathing exercises also help me but it took me a long time before I figured out how to make meditation work for me.

Some SSRIs are indicated for anxiety, they have their own downsides so chat to your doctor. I’m going back on one to try and help treat my anxiety but the number one rule of SSRIs seems to be “what works for one person doesn’t work for another”.

Hey @nervouswreck,

Thanks for your message. The medications can be so hard, I have been put on several anti-anxiety meds that didn't even touch me. I don't know if they were SSRIs but I am on an anti-depressant that is a tricyclic, and I have definitely been looking into options to talk to my GP about. The only thing that worked was a very high dose of a strong benzo and/or alcohol, sadly... 😞 BUT with help of detox facility and medical supervision/medications I have come off both of them as of 8th August. I am waiting for the anxiety to rise up at any moment, but I have not been as bad as I thought I might be - plus I have started exercising daily, which is something I neglected as an addict. Make that one of the things I neglected during that time!! I have tried meditation and breathing exercises, and whilst they are helpful if I have mild anxiety, it does nothing in the grips of a crippling bout of it.

Anyway, thanks again for your message and have a great weekend 🙂

Hi @MissA you’re welcome and glad it was helpful.

Low dose benzo was what “worked” for me, but having read about the depedency/tolerance/rebound factors I was really careful to take it only occasionally. That is until work stress ramped up and then I was taking it regularly, I definitely noticed dependency taking hold quickly because anxiety would skyrocket if I tried to cut back. Kinda scary.

Alcohol is the other one, it makes me feel relaxed for a few hours but I notice the poor night’s sleep (even after only 2 or 3 drinks) and the next couple of days my mood is worse. Particularly stringing together a few days of that, it’s a downward spiral. It’s not worth it, so I drink much less now.

Well done for detoxing off both, I bet it was difficult.

SSRIs are the first line antidepressants so I’m sure you’ve tried them already. Tricyclic are 2nd or 3rd line.

Agree that meditating and breathing exercises don’t work as well if you’re having a severe attack already. I was able to get relief by doing my favourite one a few times in a row - after 3 or 4 cycles of meditation and breathing I finally started to feel relief. But it took almost an hour. Done regularly it helps bring your average anxiety level down and so has a protective effect.

Physical exercise is also great. I have been anxious about something and moving your body helps deal with the “fight or flight” aspect. Also has a protective/preventative effect otherwise.

Ultimately you can think of your brain’s wiring like a path through the forest. The more times you take a path, the clearer and easier that path becomes until it’s automatic. The maladaptive anxious path and the calm rational path are the main choices here and choosing to take the better path requires a lot of effort at first but it eventually gets easier. Antidepressants just give me a bit of headspace to choose a better path.

Hope you have a great weekend as well! 👍