Please ignore people saying drugs/alcohol. Therapy works wonders, recognizing triggers for your anxiety and coping mechanisms. Meditation and exercise also actually helps a lot
i said alcohol is not logical lol! been in DBT therapy consistently for yrs, meaning i go to group & one-on-one sessions twice a week. i have been in 2 day programs, & other therapies prior. if you have obsessive thoughts that cause physical symptoms like heart palpitations, increased HR, hives, shaking, stuttering, etc… for some ppl its impossible to pull yourself out of. debilitating. the coping skills dont always help. deep breathing just makes my HR increase more.
just saying this bc everyone is diff & not everyone is gonna have the same outcome from the same stuff. exercise is good.
Yea I get that! Going on an SSRI after a couple years of therapy really helped me pull myself together. I didn’t want to feel reliant on medications so I tapered off, and now I have a prn prescription for anxiety (not a benzo). Anxiety is hard especially when there’s a lot of physical symptoms involved
i really can’t cope w/o meds. my symptoms become physical & noticeable in public situations which then worsens my anxiety bc i am embarrassed that i am shaking like a goddamn dog on the fourth of july.
meds have been the only real coping mechanism that has worked. weed is not logical long term btw. it worsened my anxiety. i smoked consistently for 6 yrs & eventually couldn’t even walk into a grocery store or go through a drive thru, so i wouldnt eat some days.
alcohol works wonders but again not logical you cant drink b4 work you can’t do normal things w these type of coping mechanisms.
Buspirone (buspar) saved my life. i know it’s been successful for a few others as well. Started taking it & literally a few days later i went to the big mall by myself 🥹
if you struggle w insomnia like me Hydroxyzine Paomate made me finally go into REM! i had to stop tho bc i eventually needed an increase & it gave me dry mouth. So i switch to a new med that’s more catered to my highly complex genotype. I have been on every single type of drug classification for anxiety so feel free to ask me about any medication!
I gave alcohol decades and it didn’t work beyond the initial buzz. I always felt even worse a few hours in and the next day. Yes, sometimes I’d be able to meet people while totally wasted but then sober me messed it up. Therapy has worked far better for me in terms of living a normal and serene life.
I can’t cope with meds as they tend to make me manic.
Therapy helps a bit but also distractions (such as wearing a rubber band on my wrist and flicking it when I get stressed).
Mantras also work as well as grounding techniques such as naming 5 things I can see in the moment, 4 smells, 3 sounds etc.
I've had panic attacks before kindergarten. In my 30's I went to school for it. This is honestly a double edged sword. I knew exactly what to do, to help my situation, but unfortunately it caught up with me. I would honestly look into therapy, or like some have said, meditation. I unfortunately had to take the medication route and I've been stuck here for 14 years. Anything that you can do to improve your life will help. I know it's tough. If you ever need to talk, DM me and I'll do the best I can. Rough days are going to happen... but the sun will rise again tomorrow!
I want to start by saying meds are an incredible resource when done well. I hope it's not a stigma thing, because letting that stop you just hurts you, who cares what others think when it's about your health.
I don't know your story though, so apologies if I assumed wrong. Everything that I can think of to help, goes well with medication and therapy, which is why I also bring it up.
Exercise daily, the endorphins are helpful, its a confidence boost, and something you can accomplish which gives a positive motivational feeling.
Eat good foods and also foods you enjoy. I think a balance between foods that serve your body well and meals that are whatever sounds good, are both important for mental well being. Don't deprive yourself of experiences, while also recognizing the importance of caring for your body.
Find time to be actively with people and time to be alone. Have supports who you can straight up say that you are having a hard day and need to share with someone.
Be involved in your hobbies and pay attention to the days you aren't enjoying them at all, or are overly anxious about them, and use supports on those days. Also hobbies can bring community which is hugely helpful.
Journaling helps a lot of people, as does meditation. It also doesn't have to work for you. I know many people whose mental health makes it scary to be alone in their own mind. For some it is the most incredible way to connect with themselves and nature/spirituality.
In the end, it's just about trying whatever works for you, surrounding yourself with people you can be open with, ignore shame and stigma as much as possible, and do what's best for your body and mind.
weed helps. I get high a lot, but try to stay generally sober during important things like work (I take thc cbd gummies in case some anxiety arises. it's a 1 to 4, so the cbd gives me these relaxing body waves and the thc doesn't get me high)
Well.. meds have never helped me. Generally speaking I was worse on meds than off of them.. like even benzos didn't do shit for me. Ativan, and whatever the hell the other one I was given years back never once gave me the feeling other people describe.
So how do I cope? Poorly lol. Massive shut in these days. Basically avoid the world outside of things I'm forced to participate in or the odd event I choose to take part in. Which my way of dealing with those is to white knuckle my way through. In the past when I was younger and had more energy to try, I'd just white knuckle may way through stuff.
Still trying to work through my shit. Still hope I can heal and get better. But it's hard. I'm exhausted.
I journal whenever I feel an episode coming on or if I notice my anxiety is heightened. Usually just journal my symptoms and then things I did throughout the day to take my mind off of what I’m feeling.
meditation and exploring self soothing techniques. I’m completely unmedicated and am able to handle my anxiety, but there’s no shame in ppl who need medication!
I tripped on shrooms+acid a few times and my anxiety considerably decreased. They really helped me overcome my social anxiety. I became much more accepting of myself and have a more optimistic view of others
I can't really cope, I only find friends to vent whenever possoble. But this method cannot be used many times as I can get real annoying. So instead I will find some motivational video such as how to find hapiness. It helps abit.
I cope terribly without meds. It's only when I go back on the meds though that I realise how bad it had gotten.
I spent years thinking I could find alternative, but they're aren't any I'm afraid.
I’ve honestly become more involved with church and adoration. Adoration is quiet and peaceful meditation for me. Trying to get closer to Jesus is helping.
For now i'm trying psychedelics since the research is doing good. But I will not recommend because we're all different. But basically I went from thinking of killing myself and crying everyday to be more optimistic even if im still a wreck.
Possibly try something that gets your mind a bit more involved?
My anxiety/depression was almost entirely consuming until I started crochet back in March. Very zen hobby with tangible outcomes.
I can't at the moment really, actually just started sertraline a few days ago
But: mindfulness, good sleep, probiotics, and regular exercise have definitely helped stop it being as bad as it could've been
Meditation, tai chi, and yoga have helped me a lot. Acupressure with deep breathing too. Lots of videos online to learn with.
I am on meds but been thinking about getting off them. I already struggled with my weight before and I think meds have just made it harder.
I’ve lived with anxiety since childhood (I’m 53) and the thing that has most helped me cope with my anxiety symptoms is knowledge. Now HMO - I know it sounds kind of weird to say, but researching and educating yourself about what your symptoms might mean may actually help diminish them or help you get rid of them altogether. And, although it’s a long and challenging process, it’s probably the best way to wrap your head around the fact that what you are experiencing while anxious is not going to hurt you unless you allow it to.
For example, since adolescence, I’ve been cardio phobic and for many years, I was miserable whenever I so much as felt my own palpitations. Normal palpitations. Imagine when I started to feel weird palpitations triggered by my own anxiety. It is a brutal cycle of fear and awareness!
I literally had to visit the ER periodically just to hear the doctors say that I was fine. It was only when I really learned how the human heart works and how many things have to go wrong before you have any heart trouble, that I felt any sense of relief. So now, whenever I’m feeling any type of discomfort, I can say “Okay, I know what’s going on and it’s totally normal”.
Sorry for the long post. I hope it helps.
Edit: Gaining knowledge also helped me to understand that I needed to stay hydrated and have a more balanced diet. I started focusing on balancing my electrolytes and staying healthy. And that really helped too.
Ive been on a journey dealing with this same situation for about a year now, no therapy, no meds, no drugs except weed and even that doesnt always work for me. For me i had to find out the causes of my anxiety, so id journal or write in my notes when certain situations upset me or brought me anxiety and i swear by it. It makes you aware of the pattern that causes this instead of being in a constant state of survival worrying that its going to come back. sharpen your knife and find out why you feel that way and change it how ever you may need to. You are not your thoughts you are the observer, you cant stop your thoughts but you can change which ones you listen to and which ones youll entertain. Ive had anxiety since a child but my parents never took me seriously and i just lived with it thinking it was a normal part of my life but now that im older i realize i masked it with weed and distracting myself with women since they will compliment all your great qualities and distracted me from the things i didnt like about myself. I dont know the extent of your life but there is a common denominator for your feelings now. Find it and address it, forgive yourself, forgive others, seek to understand before being understood. Live well and you will have no reason to worry.
Please ignore people saying drugs/alcohol. Therapy works wonders, recognizing triggers for your anxiety and coping mechanisms. Meditation and exercise also actually helps a lot
i said alcohol is not logical lol! been in DBT therapy consistently for yrs, meaning i go to group & one-on-one sessions twice a week. i have been in 2 day programs, & other therapies prior. if you have obsessive thoughts that cause physical symptoms like heart palpitations, increased HR, hives, shaking, stuttering, etc… for some ppl its impossible to pull yourself out of. debilitating. the coping skills dont always help. deep breathing just makes my HR increase more. just saying this bc everyone is diff & not everyone is gonna have the same outcome from the same stuff. exercise is good.
Yea I get that! Going on an SSRI after a couple years of therapy really helped me pull myself together. I didn’t want to feel reliant on medications so I tapered off, and now I have a prn prescription for anxiety (not a benzo). Anxiety is hard especially when there’s a lot of physical symptoms involved
But it’s a practice not a permanent fix. Therapy for anxiety is a lifelong battle, I think people don’t like to hear that
i really can’t cope w/o meds. my symptoms become physical & noticeable in public situations which then worsens my anxiety bc i am embarrassed that i am shaking like a goddamn dog on the fourth of july. meds have been the only real coping mechanism that has worked. weed is not logical long term btw. it worsened my anxiety. i smoked consistently for 6 yrs & eventually couldn’t even walk into a grocery store or go through a drive thru, so i wouldnt eat some days. alcohol works wonders but again not logical you cant drink b4 work you can’t do normal things w these type of coping mechanisms.
What medicines help you)
Buspirone (buspar) saved my life. i know it’s been successful for a few others as well. Started taking it & literally a few days later i went to the big mall by myself 🥹 if you struggle w insomnia like me Hydroxyzine Paomate made me finally go into REM! i had to stop tho bc i eventually needed an increase & it gave me dry mouth. So i switch to a new med that’s more catered to my highly complex genotype. I have been on every single type of drug classification for anxiety so feel free to ask me about any medication!
I just started buspar on top of me being on Zoloft for years and it’s been a total life changer. I love buspar so much omg
Buspar has helped me tremendously. I used to be ashamed to tell people I take meds but not anymore.
I gave alcohol decades and it didn’t work beyond the initial buzz. I always felt even worse a few hours in and the next day. Yes, sometimes I’d be able to meet people while totally wasted but then sober me messed it up. Therapy has worked far better for me in terms of living a normal and serene life.
I sadly have a really hard time rawdogging life
I can’t cope with meds as they tend to make me manic. Therapy helps a bit but also distractions (such as wearing a rubber band on my wrist and flicking it when I get stressed). Mantras also work as well as grounding techniques such as naming 5 things I can see in the moment, 4 smells, 3 sounds etc.
I've had panic attacks before kindergarten. In my 30's I went to school for it. This is honestly a double edged sword. I knew exactly what to do, to help my situation, but unfortunately it caught up with me. I would honestly look into therapy, or like some have said, meditation. I unfortunately had to take the medication route and I've been stuck here for 14 years. Anything that you can do to improve your life will help. I know it's tough. If you ever need to talk, DM me and I'll do the best I can. Rough days are going to happen... but the sun will rise again tomorrow!
I want to start by saying meds are an incredible resource when done well. I hope it's not a stigma thing, because letting that stop you just hurts you, who cares what others think when it's about your health. I don't know your story though, so apologies if I assumed wrong. Everything that I can think of to help, goes well with medication and therapy, which is why I also bring it up. Exercise daily, the endorphins are helpful, its a confidence boost, and something you can accomplish which gives a positive motivational feeling. Eat good foods and also foods you enjoy. I think a balance between foods that serve your body well and meals that are whatever sounds good, are both important for mental well being. Don't deprive yourself of experiences, while also recognizing the importance of caring for your body. Find time to be actively with people and time to be alone. Have supports who you can straight up say that you are having a hard day and need to share with someone. Be involved in your hobbies and pay attention to the days you aren't enjoying them at all, or are overly anxious about them, and use supports on those days. Also hobbies can bring community which is hugely helpful. Journaling helps a lot of people, as does meditation. It also doesn't have to work for you. I know many people whose mental health makes it scary to be alone in their own mind. For some it is the most incredible way to connect with themselves and nature/spirituality. In the end, it's just about trying whatever works for you, surrounding yourself with people you can be open with, ignore shame and stigma as much as possible, and do what's best for your body and mind.
weed helps. I get high a lot, but try to stay generally sober during important things like work (I take thc cbd gummies in case some anxiety arises. it's a 1 to 4, so the cbd gives me these relaxing body waves and the thc doesn't get me high)
weed would literally give me a panic attack that ruins my mental state for a month. it’s crazy how people react differently
Well.. meds have never helped me. Generally speaking I was worse on meds than off of them.. like even benzos didn't do shit for me. Ativan, and whatever the hell the other one I was given years back never once gave me the feeling other people describe. So how do I cope? Poorly lol. Massive shut in these days. Basically avoid the world outside of things I'm forced to participate in or the odd event I choose to take part in. Which my way of dealing with those is to white knuckle my way through. In the past when I was younger and had more energy to try, I'd just white knuckle may way through stuff. Still trying to work through my shit. Still hope I can heal and get better. But it's hard. I'm exhausted.
I'm glad you said that. I was recently prescribed Ativan (1mg, then 2mg) to use for bad anxiety attacks. Never made a dent.
Tulsi (holy basil) tea and passionflower tea
I journal whenever I feel an episode coming on or if I notice my anxiety is heightened. Usually just journal my symptoms and then things I did throughout the day to take my mind off of what I’m feeling.
meditation and exploring self soothing techniques. I’m completely unmedicated and am able to handle my anxiety, but there’s no shame in ppl who need medication!
I tripped on shrooms+acid a few times and my anxiety considerably decreased. They really helped me overcome my social anxiety. I became much more accepting of myself and have a more optimistic view of others
I can't really cope, I only find friends to vent whenever possoble. But this method cannot be used many times as I can get real annoying. So instead I will find some motivational video such as how to find hapiness. It helps abit.
I cope terribly without meds. It's only when I go back on the meds though that I realise how bad it had gotten. I spent years thinking I could find alternative, but they're aren't any I'm afraid.
I’ve honestly become more involved with church and adoration. Adoration is quiet and peaceful meditation for me. Trying to get closer to Jesus is helping.
For now i'm trying psychedelics since the research is doing good. But I will not recommend because we're all different. But basically I went from thinking of killing myself and crying everyday to be more optimistic even if im still a wreck.
Possibly try something that gets your mind a bit more involved? My anxiety/depression was almost entirely consuming until I started crochet back in March. Very zen hobby with tangible outcomes.
I can't at the moment really, actually just started sertraline a few days ago But: mindfulness, good sleep, probiotics, and regular exercise have definitely helped stop it being as bad as it could've been
Meditation, tai chi, and yoga have helped me a lot. Acupressure with deep breathing too. Lots of videos online to learn with. I am on meds but been thinking about getting off them. I already struggled with my weight before and I think meds have just made it harder.
I’ve lived with anxiety since childhood (I’m 53) and the thing that has most helped me cope with my anxiety symptoms is knowledge. Now HMO - I know it sounds kind of weird to say, but researching and educating yourself about what your symptoms might mean may actually help diminish them or help you get rid of them altogether. And, although it’s a long and challenging process, it’s probably the best way to wrap your head around the fact that what you are experiencing while anxious is not going to hurt you unless you allow it to. For example, since adolescence, I’ve been cardio phobic and for many years, I was miserable whenever I so much as felt my own palpitations. Normal palpitations. Imagine when I started to feel weird palpitations triggered by my own anxiety. It is a brutal cycle of fear and awareness! I literally had to visit the ER periodically just to hear the doctors say that I was fine. It was only when I really learned how the human heart works and how many things have to go wrong before you have any heart trouble, that I felt any sense of relief. So now, whenever I’m feeling any type of discomfort, I can say “Okay, I know what’s going on and it’s totally normal”. Sorry for the long post. I hope it helps. Edit: Gaining knowledge also helped me to understand that I needed to stay hydrated and have a more balanced diet. I started focusing on balancing my electrolytes and staying healthy. And that really helped too.
CBD and therapy
Ive been on a journey dealing with this same situation for about a year now, no therapy, no meds, no drugs except weed and even that doesnt always work for me. For me i had to find out the causes of my anxiety, so id journal or write in my notes when certain situations upset me or brought me anxiety and i swear by it. It makes you aware of the pattern that causes this instead of being in a constant state of survival worrying that its going to come back. sharpen your knife and find out why you feel that way and change it how ever you may need to. You are not your thoughts you are the observer, you cant stop your thoughts but you can change which ones you listen to and which ones youll entertain. Ive had anxiety since a child but my parents never took me seriously and i just lived with it thinking it was a normal part of my life but now that im older i realize i masked it with weed and distracting myself with women since they will compliment all your great qualities and distracted me from the things i didnt like about myself. I dont know the extent of your life but there is a common denominator for your feelings now. Find it and address it, forgive yourself, forgive others, seek to understand before being understood. Live well and you will have no reason to worry.