I want to deal with anxiety naturally.

[midnightvirtuoso]

Here's the story, I first dealt with anxiety and panic attacks when I was 18..... I think the cause was drugs, at the time I was messing with marijuana and cocaine. I was a kid who really just didn't care and loved to be high. I had gotten my first panic attack while I was high, I thought I was having a heart attack I went to the doctor and they told me it was psychological and I just couldn't accept the idea of me being mentally ill, I thought they were telling me I was sick. anyway, I went home and stayed awake all night and I had several panic attacks every single day after that for about 2 weeks. I wouldn't sleep for more than a few minutes at a time. Finally, I went to the doctor and they gave me some ativan, I finally had a break and was able to get some decent sleep but I woke up and all I could think about was the panic attacks and I just kept having them and having them they would not stop unless I was on ativan. I then went to the doctor again and they prescribed me some prozac, at first it felt good and then as time went on and the dosage was upped I started having suicidal thoughts and thoughts of hurting people..... not that I wanted to, the thoughts just popped in there into my head, I hated it. I thought of doing something to myself before I could do it to someone else, it was really bad. I also was having these massive pains in my head like a sharp stabbing in my brain. I went back to the doctor and they took me off and just stuck with the ativan, about 3 months later I stopped having panic attacks but I never felt the same after taking it. It's taken a couple years to even feel halfway normal, I always felt like I wasn't me or that I was unreal and not who I used to be.. My thinking has been cloudy and I lose focus of things, I hate feeling this way I feel like I'm damaged or something. I don't know how to deal with that part but anyways... this is now a few years later, just recently in march I started having panic attacks, massive ones. These panic attacks I have now are worse than the ones I had before... I still feel like I'm having a heart attack but now I can't move my hands, they buckle up and cant move it scares the hell out of me. I get tingling in my arms and face and nose, just total terror. It's starting to really bring me down, I feel like I am doomed. I'm terrified of taking medication, I take an ativan when I get like this but I hate taking them and I hate feeling like I'm dependent on them, I'm only 24 years old and I feel like a wimp or something. I was given a prescription for celexa but since my experience with prozac I'm scared of taking it. I'm scared of drugs and I just don't know how to deal with this. I want to deal with it naturally through diet exercise or vitamins or something. The doctors don't tell me anything about that they just tell me about the medications and I don't want no medicine. The doctor said there's a chemical imbalance in my brain but how the hell does he know that? He doesn't know what the level of chemicals in my brain are. I don't want to go altering the natural chemistry or working of my brain, I want to change my logic. I want to know how to do this natural, I know I will find away but I'd like your help on any ideas of ways to do this.... so far I've been doing exercise, brain exercise and games on lumosity.com, I've been trying to go out and meet people and do things.... girls make me feel like I'm about to have a panic attack LOL it never stops me but man it sure does get my heart pumping just saying hello. I never really had that problem before but lately it's been happening. also, have any of you taken klonopin and if you have how would you compare it to ativan? My doctor switched me because I was having trouble with my memory on ativan, I was only taking about 1 mg a day on ativan, as needed when I have an attack...... ultimately, I just want to know how can I fix this problem without drugs?

[Julie359]

Your welcome, I do hope you read them books as they will help you immensely.  Its great that your talking to someone professional but if you feel life counseling isn't getting you far or they can only go so far with you them request a referral to a pyschologist as they tend to be more equipped to deal with mental health issues and illnesses.

And yeah I would be freaked out by what they said as well... Just pass out.. Erm no thank you.  That's dangerous advice actually as someone could get very hurt.  

Anyway good-luck to u and take care... If you need us we are all here.  

[midnightvirtuoso]

Thanks guys, I will look into all of this. I don't really like to talk about all of this stuff to people but I feel a little more comfortable doing it here on the internet. So far all you've guys have told me seems to make sense, a lot better than what paramedics have told me... They told me just to go ahead and pass out that it'd probably be the best thing for my body to do and reset itself. When I heard that it made me even more scared because I'm worried I'll pass out and not wake up again. And yeah, I've been going to see a counselor every few weeks and we've talked about some pretty violent things in my past that he said might have made me think the way I do. I don't know what else to say guys but thank you for reading and thank you for sharing. I hope I can get through all of this stuff and never have to deal with it again.

[j17c27]

Hello,
Ive had anxiety for 15 years (im 17) so Im just going to list off some of the things Ive researched/found to help:

-Excersize (scientifically proven to help)
-Healthy eating
-Reading (helps get your mind off things and makes you focus in on someone elses life and issues other than dwelling on your own)
-taking up a hobby (such as photography, playing an instrument, painting, writing, drawing, wood carving, mechanics, surfing, biking, hiking, etc)...it gives you a goal and something to look forward to gives you a chance to "own" something and have control over it (unlike the lack of control you have with anxiety)
-Buy some red or rose tinted sunglasses...the color red is supposed to ease anxiety...I bought myself a pair and I love them,...it makes everything look soo beautiful and it su[pposibly helps anxiety. I really reccomend this...i love my rose-tinted sunglasses.
-For your stomach, when it starts to feel weird...drink chamomile-pepperment tea...the pepperment will ease your stomach and the chamomile will ease the anxiety.
-Stay away from caffeine!!!!
-Therapy...it helps get to the root of your issues and helps to build you up to be a stronger and happier person.  Maybe you do have something in your life that triggered this other than drugs.  There are things I discovered about myself in therapy that make perfect sense, but I would have never have found out by myself.  Its something I really recommend!

Good luck with things...my last tip is to stay with this site! It is full of really helpful, friendly people who are here to help and guide you! I have found it really encouraging,.,.its also nice to be able to respond to other peoples posts and add your insight.

[Julie359]

I forgot to say start eating a diet that is very high in protein, protein is the building blocks of the body, proteins contain amino acids and it is these aminos that the body is made up of.  Start cutting down on carbs and cut out sugary drinks, foods.. Cut oiut caffine, alcohol and start drinking protein shakes that are low in sugar.  Eat lots of eggs, dairy, fish, meat, pulses and legumes such as lentils and kidney beans, black eyed beans... Drink plenty of water to hydrate the body, less than a 2% dehydration can cause anxiety, concentration diffcuilties.  In the 'Mood Cure' there is a whole section on proteins and also covers drug addicition and how it depletes the brain of amino acids.. Which is why u started having panic attacks.  You developed a chemical imbalance.  If you start eating high protein foods the neurotransmitters in the brain will start to balance out.  Omega 3 fish oil, B-vitamins and zinc, magesium are all componants of a healthy brain.  

[Julie359]

Hiya.  I'm so sorry to hear you have been going through such a hard time. I can appreciate how hellish your experience has been, ive also been there.

There is a lot that you can do for yourself naturally, so that is the good news.  Anxiety and panic attacks is one of the conditions that allows for great flexibitity in the way it is treated.

The first thing i would say to you is to start reading up about anxiety and panic.  Go to your local library or bookstore (if you can afford it) and get books on anxiety/panic attacks, look for books that both explain how anxiety works, effects your body and also gives you techniques on how to control them.  Find books about CBT for anxiety also, CBT is Cognitive behavioural Therapy and will expalin numerous ways of how to change your behaviour when anxious and panicking. Some good books that i have that have really helped are 'The Mood Cure' by Julia Ross, M.A.... It is a four step program to changing your emotional state.  She covers imbalances within the body and how to rebalance using vitamins/minerals and other supplements such as herbal.  She covers the diet and what foods to eat to help anxiety.  She also uses techniques to help panic attacks etc.... so this book is def one to get your hands on.  Another is a 3 book program called 'Overcoming Panic and Agoraphobia Self Help Course' by Derrick Silcove & Vijaya Manicasagar.  Part 1 expalins what anxiety is and how it effects the body, Part two then goes into techniques on how to overcome panic attacks and part three also.  Another very good sorce.

So the first book covers panic from more of a nutritional point of view and the second, self help series looks more from an active, doing exercises such as breathing exercises, distracton etc..... it also makes you look at to why you suffer panic attacks.... it makes you take a look at yourself.  If you dont have these at your local library you can find them for a very reasonable price on amazon.  

Also have you ever considered having therapy?  I actually think it would be a great idea to use both the books with a professional psychologist, the two combined would make an excellent therapy base.  The psychologist may be able to advise you also on supplements to use.  

For now, you could use herbal supplements such as valerian, hops, camomile, passionflower that come as a combined supplement or as individual in tea or capsule form that will help you with the panic attacks.  valerian is a wonderful herb that will help with sleep as well as anxiety adn panic.  You can choose to have valerian as a tea, but be warned it smells like stinky socks..lol however tastes nothing like them..thank goodness.  A couple of cups before bed will help you drift off like a baby.  But experiement, try different forms and see what works for you.  I would recommend going to your local health food shop and having a chat with a member of staff, they will be able to put you on the right road.

Anyway i think that is enough for now, there is a lot there to get you started.

Hope it has been of help.  Good-luck