how do I get rid of my anxiety for good without meds?

[mare92]

How do I get rid of anxiety for good without the use of medication???

[Paxiled]

The only cure, if there is one, is talk therapy and you.  Meds just treat symptoms.  There are also natural modalities you can try.  A book on that is Natural Highs by Hyla Cass, a psychiatrist at UCLA.  This would be combined with meditation, exercise, and talk therapy.  Once you're on meds, however, the natural route is difficult to do since so many of the remedies overlap what the meds do so you can't take them safely.  If nothing works out, then you do meds -- if you need them, you need them.

[cnote]

I totally agree with frue13 on this one.

You are in control... everyone is here trying to figure out how to get rid of their anxiety... with or without medication.

I didnt want to take medication at first... but I did... and I'm glad I did. I use paxil right now... but will only be on it short term... i dont even think its doing anything to me... my ativan helps GREAT! It's a mild benzo... that helps with a rough day.

But I'm also seeing a therapist... so my combo should be great!

Just keep record of what causes your anxiety... keep records of your thoughts... fears... and write them down... and look how irrational they are... and put a rational response next to them... this can help.

other than that... exercise... having fun... (even though that can be hard to do when your having anxiety) but just try... you'll be amazed how good you can feel... even if its a short term feel good... it can lead to a long term feel good. =)

You will find your way out of this... with or without meds... whichever way you choose... it may take time... and be hard... but you can do it. But nobody has YOUR answer... or cure... YOU can only TRULY change YOU. =)

Good luck to you. You can do it. =)

[frue13]

Claire weeks.  Passing through panic and fear.   Go to itunes and download the audio book.  Realize that #1 you have anxiety and except it.  It is nothing more than anxiety,  Its not cancer, not a heart attack, and its not whatever else anxiety tells you it is.  It is anxiety.  Once you stop chasing the symptoms of anxiety you will be on your way to health and healing.  

My opinion of meds are they only make it worse.  Now let me explain.  one does want to be on meds the rest of ones life. when you try to get off the medsyou end up with  withdraw or side effects that horrible.  This in turns gives you a rebound effect of the anxiety.   Sometimes the rebound effect or the side effects is worse then the original anxiety, one starts with.  As the doctors keep prescribing med after med, trying this one, and that one to compensate for the side effects, one falls deeper and deeper into a stuper, wondering why I cannot be normal. This in fact adds to the anxiety, thus bringing on more anxiety.

I do not suggest any meds except for short term Benzoes, only to be used when anxiety flares up in a situation that one cannot deal with it properly, say work and missed sleep.  I wrote a post about a month ago on olay this explains in detail what anxiety trully is.   Anxiety is a tough little bugger but with the right help it is beatable.  The one thing I will say the longer it goes on the harder it is to beat so deal with it now and start today.

Finally Anxiety does not go away in a day or a week it took me 4- 6 months for it to disapear.  Now I believe it was kept alive for 2 of those months because I played the docs game with meds.  I took ativan for 4 months during this 6 month stretch. Then I tapered off it.  I only took it when anxiety was out of control either at work or when it was 1 in the morning and I still did not fall asleep.   When paic attacks would come I would sit and let it come and do nothing.  I did not get up and clean the house. I just let it do its thing.  See I found that if I tried to keep busy it would rare its ugly head when I was done being busy.  So I figured, mise well let it happen now since its coming any way.