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Anxiety Community
This patient support community is for discussions relating to generalized anxiety, anxiety and eating, anxiety and sleeping, mood swings, and phobias.
Any idea of a drugless treatment of health anxiety?
by MOTAH, May 07, 2007 12:00AM
Hi all,
I talked to my dr this morning who told me that my anxiety was due to the long time it took him & other specialists to finalise all the tests required to ensure that I have no clinical problem & that its a "partly" normal to have existed but not to last for longer. He also refused to refer me to a psych. as yet saying that I just need to know that its my stress is the problem & I need to relax, he told me to stop all meds.
He told me to excerise daily for 20 - 30 minutes by walking, jogging,etc.... & try to divert my attention from pain to something else.
My question is: is that it? just exercise & don't think about it? is that how to treat all these funny symptoms & specially my eyes blurreness? Did anyone go down that road before? how long does it take of "relaxing" before you should expect to feel better?
I'm almost convinced that its my stress that is making me suffer that much after I talked to my dr, but I find his words of just relax & excerise daily is just not a logical treatment as my symptoms are actually very physical & persistent.
is there something I should do? face my fear? not talk about my fears?
any ideas anyone? does pain really go away if you try to relax?
I talked to my dr this morning who told me that my anxiety was due to the long time it took him & other specialists to finalise all the tests required to ensure that I have no clinical problem & that its a "partly" normal to have existed but not to last for longer. He also refused to refer me to a psych. as yet saying that I just need to know that its my stress is the problem & I need to relax, he told me to stop all meds.
He told me to excerise daily for 20 - 30 minutes by walking, jogging,etc.... & try to divert my attention from pain to something else.
My question is: is that it? just exercise & don't think about it? is that how to treat all these funny symptoms & specially my eyes blurreness? Did anyone go down that road before? how long does it take of "relaxing" before you should expect to feel better?
I'm almost convinced that its my stress that is making me suffer that much after I talked to my dr, but I find his words of just relax & excerise daily is just not a logical treatment as my symptoms are actually very physical & persistent.
is there something I should do? face my fear? not talk about my fears?
any ideas anyone? does pain really go away if you try to relax?
Post Comment
I DID try Lexapro for about nine and it didn't work for me. I think the craziness of what I am feeling subsided slightly but the chest discomfort never did. It is possible that it wasn't the right drug for me. I don't like any kinds of medications, never have. I am way sensitive to them and have always chose to do without. That being said, two of my doctors have thought that some kind of drug was needed. Something to take the "edge" off so that you can settle down and not be in a constant heightened state of awareness. In my case, heart awareness. My 1st cardio likened it to an alarm. He said that an alarm was going off in my body and I needed to shut it off to think, like if your house alarm was going off and you were trying to study for an exam. You'd need to shut it off to concentrate.
I have tried daily exercise, changed my multi to a liquid multi (which is suppose to be absorbed better and more efficiently) and added some supplements. I honestly don't know if I feel much better. I have had more okay days than not until recently. All of the sudden I fight these feelings everyday. My doctor is calling this "breakthrough", and to work through it (he doesn't know I've stopped the Lexapro) so apparently "breakthroughs" can happen on medication too.
As far as natural remedies go, I'm at a loss. I would LOVE to have something but I've really found nothing I am comfortable with. At this point I am seeking a therapist. I don't KNOW of anything I need to talk about but hopefully they can teach me how to handle what is happening to my body and maybe explain it better.
Anxiety is a very hard diagnosis to take for me too, my physical symptoms are so real and so scary it is very, very hard to think it isn't my heart.
You are not alone, it is almost reassuring that others have this too, unfortunately for us all....it just plain stinks.
I wish you the best.
There are many options for dealing with anxiety:
there is therapy where you "talk" to a psychiatrist or psychologist to get to the underlying problem
there are relaxation techniques that can be given to you by professionals
There is behavioral therapy where you change your reactions to situations through desensitation
There is medication...either alone or in conjunction with therapy
There are many books on the subject for the do-it-yourself-ers.
Whatever you chose, I do NOT appreciate your doctor's GET OVER IT attitude at all. You need to go to a psychiatrist who is schooled and educated in anxiety and/or depression disorders. Only a professional in this area can help you decide which will be the best course for you for overcoming your anxiety...
My best to you.