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What has worked to lessen your anxiety?
    #7541576 -

Hello! First time I've been through this forum.

I've had "mental illnesses" for as long as I can remember. I can't really recall when it "showed up," but I didn't recognize it as a problem until my later high school years. When I went to the doctor then, I was prescribed the SSRI Paxil (paroxetine). I was told it could take up to 2 weeks to notice a difference, but I took it for almost two months with the only noticeable difference being that I could sleep much easier and was constantly drowsy. I was in counseling as well, but stopped going after a few sessions. I thought the prescription would allow me to feel more comfortable with people and "be open," but it didn't change my mood at all and I hated the idea of talking to a stranger about my problems.

I quit counseling and the prescription, and went back to my regular life. It's now about 5 years later and the depression, anxiety, and insomnia continues. I realize it's something that builds upon itself. The social anxiety prevents me from meeting new people, and I'm only comfortable when I'm at home (agoraphobia?) or one of my friends. Because of this, my life stays pretty bland, which in turn keeps my depression fueled. When I try to sleep, my mind constantly races, worrying about shit, and just not able to shut up! I never get calm enough to feel tired, and even when I'm exhausted I have a hard time drinking.

I used to just smoke weed to calm down, and go to sleep. Now when I smoke it just seems to increase my anxiety and overall shitty mood, so I don't frequently smoke anymore. Sometimes I'll go a month or more without even thinking about reefer. It also doesn't help me sleep. Blah.

I used alcohol to sleep for a while. That's just a bad idea though. So I went to a doctor and was prescribed Xanax after telling him that I used Paxil in the past and it didn't help at all. Xanax definitely seemed to calm the anxiety and help me sleep, but I'm not too thrilled about being on a benzo. I don't understand why they're prescribed if it's only recommended to be used for short term prescriptions. I don't believe they would make the anxiety magically disappear? Anyway I'm getting a 3 month refill for it this week. I work with a war vet who was prescribed it to sleep. Recently he told me he has been eating double his dose a night because it doesn't work like it used to and he was going to try to get the dose increased. He takes 2mg ones already and I can tell when he runs out...they seem to get addictive after a while.

So anyway, what have you guys used to overcome anxiety?


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5 shroom me!

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Re: What has worked to lessen your anxiety? [Re: Jorsher]
    #7541635 -

I can't say I've ever experienced the type of long-term anxiety that you describe. Intuitively I could say that you already know that the drugs are not a satisfactory option and that 'councilors' can't be as ruthless as yourself in tracking down the cause. Perhaps a lifestyle change; take stock of your situation and see where you might prefer a different crowd of friends or different goals and outlook from those instilled in you from birth.

I'm wondering if anxiety sometimes can be caused by being a square peg in a round hole (not that this is your scenario)

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Re: What has worked to lessen your anxiety? [Re: Jorsher]
    #7542211 -

I know how you feel, man. mine is probably not as serious, but I do consider myself to have social anxiety. I barely leave my house.

at times, meditation does help but sometimes I just want to get to that relaxed state of mind and I try too hard. I want to have no worries, so I hope to get so good at meditation that I don't even have to think about it. do breathing exercises. it won't change your life but can definitely help. a week ago, for example, I was riding with a friend of mine and he had other friends and I was extremely uncomfortable. I was experiencing that "gasping for air" feeling. I started to belly breath in the back of the car we were riding in for a couple minutes and I really chilled out.

also, I'm ordering some Kava as i've heard it helps lessen anxiety and depression. I'm crossing my fingers that I find a relatively safe drug that does this.

good luck facing the evil that is in all of us.

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Re: What has worked to lessen your anxiety? [Re: Limerick]
    #7542684 -

I sympathise bud, what helped me was reducing my caffeine and refined sugar intake (no soda or coffee!). That helped a bit, excercise helped a lot, chamomile tea and valerian root also helped a bit. B vitamin complex (sometimes called stress complex) was a fucking god send (but only take whilst really anxious). These are all just bandaids though, I think if you take care of your body properly eventually your mind will calm down on its own (mine seemed to).

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Re: What has worked to lessen your anxiety? [Re: Andy21]
    #7542743 -

Meditation, journal writing, less sugar (basically, just a better diet)


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Re: What has worked to lessen your anxiety? [Re: Jorsher]
    #7542870 -

I've been self-medicating my anxiety for three or four years now, I've tried tons of different herbs, and lots of them work to varying degrees. Right now I'm using a combination of reishi, gotu kola, and theanine, it is working very well. Exercise helps a ton, a combination of strength building and aerobic exercise is best in my experience. Breathing exercises and meditation, yoga, and such are all effective. Listening to relaxing music for an hour a day has helped me also. Attack the anxiety from all sides, using many different techniques, for best results.

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Re: What has worked to lessen your anxiety? [Re: Neon]
    #7543184 -

As far as eating properly, I've considered that being one of the factors.  I stay so busy (usually 15+ hours of work a day) that I don't make much time for eating.  I do stay away from soda though :smile:  About a year ago I drank only water for a few days, and my body just seemed to feel better and cleaner.

I suppose I could change my lifestyle and friends, but I'm not sure if they're the problem.  I keep myself busy to not have time to worry about things, and the few people I consider my friends are all dependable people.  I will check into meditation!

Thanks for your suggestions, will be looking into all of them.  Has anyone had success with 5-HTP?  I looked up serotonin on wiki and I easily fit into some of the symptoms for low serotonin, but then again the SSRI didn't seem to do much for me.  The biggest thing I want to change is how I overthink and overanalyze everything, but it's pretty hard to after doing it for practically my whole life.


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5 shroom me!

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Re: What has worked to lessen your anxiety? [Re: Jorsher]
    #7543464 -

being in a drum circle, with some bud, or having a cuddle.


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Re: What has worked to lessen your anxiety? [Re: Jorsher]
    #7543578 -

Fasting, exercise, yoga and mantra are the only things which have helped me, in addition to a compete reconditioning of my thought processes. 

Four years ago I was such a nervous wreck that I couldn't even leave the house without having panic attacks and suicidal thoughts.  If someone was five minutes late coming home, I would panic and start calling ER's and morgues to make sure they hadn't been hurt or dying.  Every reaction I threw out into the atmosphere was riveted with absolute fear and paranoia.  I couldn't do anything.  I was too afraid to do anything.  That's no way to live. 

Hope you find what works for you.  I don't think drugs will help in the long run though.  You must change your thoughts.  :heart:

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Re: What has worked to lessen your anxiety? [Re: MOTH]
    #7543766 -

MOTH said:
You must change your thoughts.  :heart:


Any tips on that?


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5 shroom me!

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Re: What has worked to lessen your anxiety? [Re: Jorsher]
    #7543838 -

It starts with awareness and ends with redirection. If you are aware when your thoughts/feelings are making you feel bad or anxious, if you know what you're experiencing, then you can begin to switch channels and experience something else. Obviously I'm making this sound easier then it is, but actually what I'm describing is a process. You can start the process anytime, but it may take time before the process is able to reach a point of recognizable improvment. I don't know what your mental state is like, but whenever I get caught up in negative thought loops, I can redirect the energy generated from those thoughts into something else and change the thought. Sometimes it can take an immense and overwelming EFFORT to swing your thoughts another direction, and a part of you will doubt and disdain and say "it's too hard" and that "I'm just this way, fuck it I'm gonna stay unhappy and reliant on other things" but those are just pre-conditioned blockages you have formed with thoughts to stay within the mental paradigm you are comfortable with.

To escape them, you can direct your focus into other activities besides thinking and it will loosen their hold on you. Say something happens and you're freaking out, thoughts are going crazy, you're wrecked with anxiety...instead of trusting and going with your primary reaction, which is to freak out, you can do the opposite; letting the thoughts/emotions pass right through you as you focus your mind on something like your breath, or perhaps a physical activity you enjoy. Being grounded in the physical is key to settling the mind. Going for a walk or a jog can help, yoga can help, lifting weights, doing pushups...you are focusing all that negative thought energy into a physical activity that is releasing it before you even have to deal with it. It just goes right through you and you are learning how to recondition yourself to respond to situations by changing not only your thoughts, but the power they hold over you.

Just my experiences...

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Re: What has worked to lessen your anxiety? [Re: Jorsher]
    #7543857 -

Jorsher said:
MOTH said:
You must change your thoughts.  :heart:


Any tips on that?


Meditate man. the whole thing is CONTROLLING your thoughts. i'd recommend a teacher, but try this every day.

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Re: What has worked to lessen your anxiety? [Re: Limerick]
    #7545467 -

look up chi kung(qigong)..learn tai chi(yang style preferably as it's supposed to be one of the softest styles)..whoever said change your diet is right on also..

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Re: What has worked to lessen your anxiety? [Re: Jorsher]
    #7545549 -

Cigarettes

Reading

Writing

Running


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There is no valid reason you should be reading this

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Re: What has worked to lessen your anxiety? [Re: Jorsher]
    #7545870 -

heroin. it works wonders.


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need that cash to feed them jones.

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Re: What has worked to lessen your anxiety? [Re: Teragon]
    #7546572 -

Teragon said:
heroin. it works wonders.


lol, I just got 650 oxys.  I am looking for ways other than drugs to help relieve it until I get my mindset changed for permanent relief :smile:


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5 shroom me!

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Re: What has worked to lessen your anxiety? [Re: Jorsher]
    #7546853 -

Quote:
So anyway, what have you guys used to overcome anxiety?


The things that have helped me:

-Challenging myself to to things that intimidate me, everyday. I laugh about it now, but I used to be afraid to order a goddamn pizza over the phone! Nothing get easier until you start doing it even though it's tough. Start conversations with clerks, busdrivers, friends of friends, etc.. every day. It doesn't matter what happens with the conversation at all, just get used to being the one that initiates the conversation. Soon you'll see that everybody is insecure.

-Mindfulness meditation. Google it, there are tons of resources out there.

-Strength training.

-Not smoking weed all the time.


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Welcome evermore to gods and men is the self-helping man.  For him all doors are flung wide: him all tongues greet, all honors crown, all eyes follow with desire.  Our love goes out to him and embraces him, because he did not need it.

~ R.W. Emerson, "Self-Reliance"

:heartpump:

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Re: What has worked to lessen your anxiety? [Re: WhiskeyClone]
    #7547504 -

Things that have helped me...

Cut back on the pot.
Exercise
Removing stressful people from my life.
And mostly rebuilding my social life that I had lost, having people to go hang out with any time is a big help.

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Re: What has worked to lessen your anxiety? [Re: Jorsher]
    #7547596 -

not given a'shit
seriously, go outside and run around your town
and if someone looks at you funny tell fuck and weird shit and cuss and spit
worked for me


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I have considered such matters.

SIKE

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Re: What has worked to lessen your anxiety? [Re: Cherk]
    #7547915 -

Although great diet and exercise helped my anxiety a bit, the only thing I've had that's completely eliminated it is effexor. I've been on it since early August and I love it. For the first time in my life I'm open with people. I can just randomly talk to anyone with ease. For the first time ever I've made a bunch of new friends at school. Not to mention that I finally have a girlfriend :smile:

Or if anti-depressants like that aren't your style then take cherokee's advice. When it comes down to it, no one gives a fuck what people say or do, and neither should you. :smile: Anyways, I hope you find a way to get over it. It feels great when you do. Take care peace

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