Natural Anxiety Relief
I always read the Whole Living Challenge of the Day email that I wake up to in my inbox every day. I always do my best to follow them. However, today was one of the first days I read the Today’s Takeaways section and it hit home….Less Stress Now. For those of you who have read my responses lately you’ve probably seen that I have complained about stress lately. I’ve been complaining about anxiety and stress for weeks now yet I’ve done nothing at all to fix it.
Well, has it ever taken a breaking point or specific situation for you to realize that something needs to change and that change needs to happen now? For me it took a full blown panic attack and ER trip yesterday to realize something has to change.
I’ve never been the type of person to take a prescription for anything. I’d rather ride it out or try a natural method. So now I’m left here with a bottle of Ativan and a phone number for a Psychiatrist. Sure, I’ll call the Psychiatrist; I think it will do me a world of good to talk to someone about what I’m going through to find ways to conquer my anxiety. As for the prescription, I’ll hang on to it and take it if I feel like a panic attack is coming on but I want another option. I want to deal with this naturally but when I asked the ER nurse for any recommendations she just rambled off different anti-depressants and anti-anxiety medications. Look, I’m not against anything, and I know all those medications help so many people every day. I’m simply looking for advice on other options.
What I would love to hear is some tried and true methods of dealing with anxiety other than pills. Again, I’m not against them and I don’t frown upon anyone that takes them, I’m just looking for some tried and true suggestions for conquering anxiety naturally. Thanks everyone for taking the time to listen.
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Comment by Wazzy22 on October 21, 2011 at 11:20am -
I suffer from Panic Attacks and have found that talk therapy helps with the "deep-rooted" problems, and helps identify stressors in my life that I can deal with and remove. I think that journalling is the number one thing you could do that could help you. I really do. My therapist recommends it, and so does my Primary Care physician. Practicing deep breathing can help you to get through situations that you find difficult, and also can help to center you when you are just feeling a little "off".
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Comment by Catherine Garcia on October 18, 2011 at 8:43am -
Hi Delana, thanks for the tips! I have cut down my caffeine a lot and have noticed a big difference. I've already gone to the Therapist once a few days ago and I can already tell she'll be able to help me a lot. I'm definitely not looking for a band aid and my goal, which I have already made clear to both my Therapist and PCP, is to manage this without medication and both of them think that is a great idea and completely feasible. My next step is do exercise daily and I want to get back into meditation as well. Thanks for the tips and motivation!
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Comment by Delana Baker on October 18, 2011 at 12:08am
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Here are some tips I found to be helpful:
-Cut down on caffeine as previous posters stated. Caffeine can trigger panic attacks.
-Find a therapist/counselor to talk to, not a psychiatrist. A psychiatrist will only prescribe you meds. The Ativan can be great for panic attacks temporarily, but you don't want this to be a band aid. There is a root to your anxiety. The Ativan can help you find that root and begin working on it/talking about it. but the end goal is to cope/manage stress without any medication.
-Most importantly, Meditate. The results really are amazing, and if you meditate regularly your stress/anxiety will be reduced.
I hope this is helpful for you. Don't worry. It will not always be like this, It will get better.
-Delana
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Comment by Catherine Garcia on October 13, 2011 at 7:18pm
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Hi Lindsay, I never heard of Bach's Rescue Remedy before. I just checked out the link and that sounds interesting. I love that you can even give it to a child before a temper tantrum ;-) I'll look for that this weekend. I've also taken other people's advice so far such as cut out caffeine and try some chamomile tea. I'm pretty sure that the lack of caffeine is beginning to help as I am much less jittery. And I've found some great tips through Karen's website as well. I appreciate all the advice I've received through this post and through email, it's very helpful! You are all wonderful!
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Comment by Lindsay K on October 13, 2011 at 6:08pm
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Hi Catherine,
Have you ever tried Bach's Rescue Remedy? It can be found in most Vitamin/Supplement stores. Here's a link on it for you. Hope this helps :)
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Comment by Catherine Garcia on October 12, 2011 at 8:31am
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Thanks for the link Karen, I will definitely check it out!
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Comment by Karen Morse on October 11, 2011 at 8:48pm -
Hi Catherine - sorry to hear that your anxiety has gotten so bad!
I would definitely suggest talk therapy with a psychologist if you aren't sure what is causing your anxiety. I've written a couple of posts about anxiety, stress, and related issues if you want to take a look at my website: http://thewellnessscientist.com/#blog
I worked in drug safety for 12 years, so I completely understand your desire to take a more holistic approach to solving your problem. If I can help you, feel free to email me! Take care
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Comment by Catherine Garcia on October 11, 2011 at 10:29am
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Thanks for the tips Amanda, this is a great help. I wonder how it will be giving up caffeine but I will definitely do it if it helps. I'll give those supplements and the teas a shot...thanks again!
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Comment by Amanda Zamora on October 11, 2011 at 3:26am
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I used st johns wort and chamomile supplements the most. I also occasionally used kava kava. A calcium magnesium supplement is super important. I used the vanilla flavored liquid kind. Do NOT drink caffiene. I believe it was one of the biggest helps for me. Drink relaxing herbal teas instead. Chamomile, lavender, etc. Tulsi tea is a wonderful relaxer. I have lots more tips... Feel free to email me if you'd like!
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