Anxiety relief

[cmac21]

Hello all,

I've been dealing with Panic disorder for about 4 and a half years. I was on SSRIs for about 2 years, but decided to come off. I am having issues with my anxiety again and would like to use medication as a last resort. I am wondering what other alternatives are out there. I have been thinking about trying a negative ion bracelet and acupuncture.

[lea_cattel]

Hey

I can relate, when I suffered from anxiety, I barely took any medications. It has many side effects that it makes more damage than cure. Luckily there are numerous alternatives out there.

There are nutritional supplements like fish oil, 5-HTP, magnesium, vitamin b 12, and Endoca hemp products that can help alleviate anxiety. These are really good supplements that can calm you down.

You can also try herbal teas and essential oils. Lavender and chamomile are very recommended. The essential oils you can use for aromatherapy and massage therapy.

Some exercises to can be beneficial, yoga and breathing techniques can be helpful whenever a panic attack occurs. It can also act as a distraction so you wouldn't think about your worries.

Lastly is CBT, this probably is the better choice but it would be best if you can utilize all the suggestions mentioned. Talk with your clinician for your options and create a treatment regimen and include some of the tips written here.

[lea_cattel]

Hey

I can relate, when I suffered from anxiety, I barely took any medications. It has many side effects that it makes more damage than cure. Luckily there are numerous alternatives out there.

There are nutritional supplements like fish oil, 5-HTP, magnesium, vitamin b 12, and Endoca hemp products that can help alleviate anxiety. These are really good supplements that can calm you down.

You can also try herbal teas and essential oils. Lavender and chamomile are very recommended. The essential oils you can use for aromatherapy and massage therapy.

Some exercises to can be beneficial, yoga and breathing techniques can be helpful whenever a panic attack occurs. It can also act as a distraction so you wouldn't think about your worries.

Lastly is CBT, this probably is the better choice but it would be best if you can utilize all the suggestions mentioned. Talk with your clinician for your options and create a treatment regimen and include some of the tips written here.

[ScalpMassager]

It's been several months -- how's your progress?

[IE921]

I have dealt with panic attacks along with a lot of other health concerns including thyroid and suspected autoimmune issues. I gave up on the meds as well and tried supplements for several years before going solely with metaphysics. I particularly like Eckhart Tolle -he's very soothing to me.  More recently, I have worked with a good Journal listed Christian Science practitioner and have been reading Science and Health and have found the cure for all of it.

[Paxiled]

Acupuncture is worth trying.  The bracelet is probably bogus.  But this won't be easy as taking a pill.  It's an integrated approach, which will require you to do CBT, meditation, exercise, and use certain supplements that target different areas of the body.  Different cultural traditions use different remedies.  Relora is probably bogus -- it's more of a hormonal balancer if it's anything at all.  Fish oil has been tied to some improvement if some depressed people, but it certainly hasn't helped me -- I've had panic disorder for around 30 years now.  Valerian might help, but it might make you drowsy.  Kava is more effective, but don't use it if you have liver problems.  You can avoid this problem if you avoid the standardized kava preparations.  But passionflower might be better in the long-term, as it's systemic.  Taurine and B6 produce GABA in the brain, so they can be helpful.  You also want to target the adrenals -- the best things for this are probably aswagandha and holy basil.  The current theory of anxiety is something amiss in the amygdyla in the primitive brain, which sends signals to the adrenals to release cortisol, the fight or flight substance.  Adrenal balancers balance cortisol.  Here's the approach I'd recommend:  first, find a good practitioner of integrated medicine and get a thorough work-up to make sure there's nothing physiological behind this, such as thyroid or blood sugar problems.  This will be expensive, as they don't take insurance.  Next, find a CBT therapist.  Third, learn to meditate and breathe properly.  The point is to learn to change the way you think, which is hard to do and there's no guarantee but is the only thing out there that will cure you.  Don't be discouraged by failure.  And get a book called Natural Highs by Hyla Cass, a psychiatrist at UCLA who uses natural remedies in her practice.  It's a good overview of how to do this.  Good luck.

[cmac21]

Thank you. I will give these a try.

[gymdandee]

Evidence shows that monosodium glutamate (MSG) and other excitotoxins in foods and beverages can induce a panic disorder in experimental animals a reaction that exactly resembles what we are seeing in humans.
low magnesium can dramatically magnify this effect. Studies have shown that the vast majority of Americans are deficient in magnesium, both because of dietary deficiencies and because they drink too many carbonated soft drinks, among other causes. Also, a number of prescription medications deplete  magnesium.
the recent finding that the drug Ritalin can dramatically increase free radical levels in the brain something common to all stress-related disorders.
Most important is to avoid excitotoxins in your food. These include MSG, aspartame, hydrolyzed proteins, vegetable protein, isolated protein, soy products (including soy protein isolates, soy protein and soy milk), natural flavoring, sodium or calcium caseinate and others. All of these food
additives worsen brain excitation and have been shown to specifically target the amygdala nucleus a set of neurons in the brain’s temporal lobe. They are key to the processing of emotions.
Increase your vegetable intake to at least 5 servings a day. Many of the flavonoids in vegetables have been shown to reduce anxiety especially hesperidin, quercetin and curcumin. All three are available as supplements. The dose is 250 mg. of each three times a day. Quercetin comes in a
water-soluble form. Otherwise it must be dissolved in either fish oil or extra-virgin olive oil.
Reduce your intake of fats especially saturated fats and omega-6 fats (vegetable oils, such as corn, safflower, peanut, sunflower,
soybean and canola oils). Studies have shown that animals on high-fat diets release more cortisol and take longer to recover from stress than those on low-fat diets.
Magnesium is the body’s natural calmative agent. It reduces excitotoxicity and when taken at bedtime, it aids sleep. It also reduces the immune
over-reactivity seen with anxiety disorders.
White tea contains a flavonoid called epigallocatechin gallate. This flavonoid has been shown to calm the brain and reduce anxiety. It works by activating the organ’s most protective system against anxiety the gammaaminobutyric acid (GABA) receptor. This aids sleep as well. White tea has a higher level of this flavonoid and much less fluoride than green tea.
The herb valerian has been shown to activate the same calming brain
GABA receptor. It has been used to induce sleep but also calms anxiety during the day. It should not be mixed with medications that act as sedatives or tranquilizers.
Relora, is a blend of two extracts Phellodendron amurense and Magnolia officinalis. In a number of tests, Relora has been shown to reduce excess
cortisol levels associated with stress while improving mood and reducing stress. It acts via the brain’s GABA and serotonin systems, which are both
important in controlling anxiety.
NO caffeine!!
It is important to understand that your diet should supply you with all the antioxidants and building material for antioxidant enzymes. If you're not
getting those, then add some supplements.
Most important are: Vitamin C (as magnesium or calcium
ascorbate): The dose is 500 to 1000 mg. three times a day between meals.
Vitamin E (natural form-Unique E is the purist form): 400 to 800 IU a day
Multivitamin/mineral without iron.
Riboflavin 500 mg. a day for those age 50 and over: This increases brain cell function and reduces free radical formation. It also blocks excitotoxicity.
Curcumin 250 mg. twice to three times a day: Curcumin is being shown to be one of the most powerful brain protectants known. A  study in the journal Experimental Neurology found that curcumin dramatically improved synaptic plasticity (brain healing), mental ability (cognition) and reduced free radicals and lipid peroxidation in animals with severe brain injury. Mix the curcumin with a half of a tablespoon of fish oil.
Quercetin (250 mg.) twice to three times a day: Also a powerful anti-inflammatory and antioxidant for the brain. Mix with the fish oil and curcumin.
Fish oil: One of the better brands is Norwegian fish oil liquid It has been
shown to specifically reduce brain inflammation and improve healing within the organ. The dose is 2 to 4 grams a day. Keep the oil refrigerated.
Relora: As stated above, this reduces cortisol elevation caused by stress. The usual dose is 3 capsules a day with or between meals.
Regular, moderate exercise is important: Studies show that it strengthens the antioxidant systems and releases endorphins (a morphine-like compound) from the brain, which calms the mood and reduces depression.  Also, exercising in the late evening can cause insomnia.