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PTampanensis
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Registered: 05/02/23
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A N X I E T Y (Good GAD!)
#28428592 - 08/10/23 03:09 PM (5 months, 15 days ago) |
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I've been trying to get off my SSRI / SNRIs for a while and seem to have finally done it. I'd been on them for many, many years so I consider this a great accomplishment.
I do, though, still have GAD--though upon meeting myself post-medication it doesn't seem as bad as I recall. But of course I've been substituting in other, more natural things that increase serotonin until (when and if) I can get things back to normal.
Any suggestions on more natural things that have worked for others? I got some GABA supplements but am not sure they do much--the jury is still out on that. I'm looking at Kava and a few other things too right now too.
What works for you?
-PT
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CookieCrumbs
Fucked off to the pub


Registered: 12/10/11
Posts: 14,146
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I think those gaba supplements are mostly placebo. Very little if anything can cross the blood brain barrier.
The biggest thing that's helped me is just recognizing that I only have so much energy to worry about so much crap and it's usually not worth it. Alot of things do not matter. It's about catching the dumb thoughts and feelings and rationalizing them out and giving myself time and space if I need it. I don't force myself into anxiety inducing situations if I'm not in a headspace to deal with it. Or if I have to I set up time to get a breather after.
Alot of "calming" supplements including cannabis have actually made my anxiety worse.
A friend told me it's because I'm trying to force myself to be calm when I'm not actually calm. And that's been good general advice too. Sometimes the answer is to aggressively let the anxiety out rather than try to restore calm.
I get myself involved in alot of landscaping projects for that. Hacking at things is great. Practicing any skill is great. I used to do alot of painting.
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Free time is the only time
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PTampanensis
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Registered: 05/02/23
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Good stuff thanks.
-PT
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feevers



Registered: 12/28/10
Posts: 8,546
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Yeah, for long term anxiety relief I'd leave your GABA system alone. I believe even many natural supplements like kava, valerian, lemon balm, l-theanine etc are thought to act on gaba receptors. The straight GABA supplements don't work in the same way that taking L-dopa or 5-htp won't get you high, these neurotransmitters are used for a lot of processes in the body and simply creating a surplus of them doesn't make them more likely to bind to the desired receptors
GAD never goes away, its just how you're wired and there are some benefits to it, but it can also ruin your life and your health if you let it get out of hand. For me the basics like daily meditation, strenuous exercise, staying away from booze and caffeine, and CBT/therapy really help keep things in check. The hardest part is staying consistent with all those things
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pugster
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Registered: 08/02/20
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Re: A N X I E T Y (Good GAD!) [Re: feevers]
#28430563 - 08/12/23 06:06 AM (5 months, 14 days ago) |
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one of the best self help books ive read is the chimp paradox by steve peters.
* if you are taking pharma apart from the usual benzos (a minefield in itself) the next best pharma i took for anxiety was pregabalin (though these are habit forming to some degree they are alot easier to get off than benzos) - antidepressants of all classes did nothing for my GAD.
as said above , the GAD never really goes away though the above book was a great help to me in learning to manage it.
Edited by pugster (08/12/23 06:11 AM)
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PTampanensis
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Re: A N X I E T Y (Good GAD!) [Re: pugster]
#28430961 - 08/12/23 01:07 PM (5 months, 14 days ago) |
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Agreed. I can tell I'm off the SSNIs and that I need something else boosting the serotonin for a bit. I do need to get back into meditation, and at least back into the garden for exercise (despite the insane humidity down here at the moment). The Physical & Mental Well Being community seems to rightly lead with this kind of wisdom.
That said anything additional and natural that I could supplement with would be great. (Agreed GABA seems to do nothing.) Passionflower? Ashwaghanda? Kanna?
Thanks!
-PT
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feevers



Registered: 12/28/10
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My personal experience with ashwahhanda, l-theanine, valerian, chamomile, passionflower, skullcap and a few other was that they felt like they were doing something at first to varying degrees, but tolerance built quickly and when I stopped I had very uncomfortable rebounds in my anxiety. Ashwahhanda gave me a weird depressed and dissociated feeling for like a week after I stopped, and I was only on it for a few weeks
I've tried various mushroom blends and theyve been hit or miss for me, I made a reishi brew with turmeric and black pepper that seemed fairly relaxing.
Mood supplements that actually work do so because they have mildly psychoactive properties. That brings along the same negatives as any other drug (tolerance, withdrawal/rebound), just on a far less noticeable scale. If your goal is long-term well-being then leaving your brain chemistry alone is likely key. If you want something to help you in the short term, I could see a "cycle" of supplenents working out well to give you the benefits with few drawbacks. If I was going to use supplements I'd use reishi, ashwaghanda, l-theanine, valerian, chamomile, skullcap, possibly kava.. and just use a different one each day of the week. Everyone responds to these things differently so it may take some experimentation
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PTampanensis
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Registered: 05/02/23
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Re: A N X I E T Y (Good GAD!) [Re: feevers]
#28431406 - 08/12/23 06:22 PM (5 months, 13 days ago) |
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Yes, in the short term I want to supply the serotonin that I may not be making because I was on SSRIs/SSNIs so long. My brain chemistry also might need a longer-term plan as it might not have been right to begin with, but there perhaps more exercise, diet, meditation are the things to look to.
Thanks!
-PT
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RJ Tubs 202



Registered: 09/20/08
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Regarding GAD, many people (including myself) have experienced significant mental health improvements by eliminating plant-based foods from their diet. I've been very surprised how much it has affected how my brain functions. I was very skeptical but now have to admit the dramatic improvement.
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PTampanensis
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Re: A N X I E T Y (Good GAD!) - Kava & Kratom [Re: RJ Tubs 202]
#28435468 - 08/15/23 08:41 PM (5 months, 10 days ago) |
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I'm going to break some of these down as I go.
KAVA: My instinct is to conclude from research in here and my own experience that kava doesn't work, but that's an overstatement. It does seem to subtly tone down the background murmuring of anxiety, and mildly relax me. There's no euphoria to be had from the doses I can withstand the taste of though.
KRATOM: Well it works, for good or for bad. It relieves pain and there is a bit of euphoria to replace any anxiety in the process. I'd probably barf it all back up if I tossed the powder in my mouth and chased it with water or something, and I can also only take so many capsules, but these realities should keep me from having it more than every 10 days or so, when I'm really in pain from something, which is probably a good thing, all things considered.
More to come.
-PT
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CookieCrumbs
Fucked off to the pub


Registered: 12/10/11
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Re: A N X I E T Y (Good GAD!) [Re: RJ Tubs 202]
#28436693 - 08/17/23 02:47 AM (5 months, 9 days ago) |
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Quote:
RJ Tubs 202 said: Regarding GAD, many people (including myself) have experienced significant mental health improvements by eliminating plant-based foods from their diet. I've been very surprised how much it has affected how my brain functions. I was very skeptical but now have to admit the dramatic improvement.
Diet is a huge factor but everyone has different guts as well as different brain chemistry. I cut way back on fats and sugars and cut out red meats and started eating more oatmeal. As well as eating smaller more frequent meals throughout the day.
Often I notice if I'm feeling tired and irritable I can eat a meal and feel much better. Hanger is a real thing.
But some people notice the opposite and feel better with intermittent fasting.
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Free time is the only time
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CookieCrumbs
Fucked off to the pub


Registered: 12/10/11
Posts: 14,146
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Kava never did shit for me either but my brother swears by it. Drinks a large glass of tea every night before bed and is about the only mild drug that can make his night time anxiety tone down enough to sleep.
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Free time is the only time
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feevers



Registered: 12/28/10
Posts: 8,546
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Kava is really dose dependent in my experience. There's a way to extract it so that it feels almost like a benzo in higher doses.
There's a shot/drink called Feel Free that's a blend of that kava extract and kratom, it causes a huge rush that's nothing like kratom alone. Tons of people got seriously addicted to them to the point their hair was falling out and skin was flaking off, taking like 15+ shots a day. I think they had to change the formula recently
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PTampanensis
Prof.



Registered: 05/02/23
Posts: 28
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I did a low carb type diet, working in probiotic fermenteted foods for maybe a few weeks a bit ago, and did feel pretty good. Though it was tough to maintain, maybe I need to look at that again.
-PT
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