constant panic and anxiety

[franceslee]

i struggle with constant panic/anxiety!  I constantly think something is medically wrong with me and im terrified to take perscriptions.  Are there any herbal meds i could take to help?? inositol??   I really need help....its getting worse.  I start therapy Tuesday

[franceslee]

I am sorry to hear that, I will keep u in my prayers!  Hoe did u find out u had it??  I have been to two different doctoral and had different test ran which con back normal so I don't know what else to do....my insurance won't allow me to keep changing doctors.  Its like I'm a rock in a hard place........

[allmymarbles]

Whenever I think something is medically wrong with me, I assume something is medically wrong. Trust your instincts. I recently spent four days at a very prestigious teaching hospital for tests. They found nothing wrong with me and discharged me with a diagnosis of "anxiety." "Anxiety" usually means that they don't know what is wrong with you. But I knew they were wrong and tried this, that, and everything else. It turned out I had a severe case of systemic candidiasis. No joke. Coupled with my lung condition the mortality, if untreated, is 50 per cent.

[franceslee]

Thanks for the help!!  

[Paxiled]

First thing is to eliminate any physiological causes, such as thyroid or other hormonal problems, blood sugar imbalances, etc.  Once you're satisfied it's not a physiological ailment, then therapy is the place to go.  For natural remedies, there are a lot of different ones that are usually used in combination to try to bring some balance to the nervous system.  This would involve relaxants, such as the amino acid taurine (a precursor to GABA, the body's natural relaxant), B6 (but you don't want too much), 5-HTP (precursor to serotonin), and then the more direct relaxants kava, valerian, passionflower, and many more.  You'd also want to balance your adrenals, using herbs such as ashwagandha and eleuthero.  The natural approach would also work on your sleep patterns, diet (eliminating caffeine and other stimulants, for example, and even cutting down on sugar and simple carbs), and then adding in exercise and meditation.  It's a complex package.  There are books you can probably find, and sometimes a good naturopath can be helpful.  You might want to go on the anxiety forum and look up some of my former posts on the subject in the archives, and that forum might offer you some support, although pretty much everyone on there is on medication.  Good luck.