NOTHING gets rid of my anxiety...

[freemysoul]

and I'm really really sick of it.

I've been waiting for a week to hear back from a job interview and my heart palpitations have been out of control. This job is all I think about and I can't seem to distract myself with anything. All this stress and anxiety is affecting my physical health and I don't know what to do. I replay the interview over and over in my mind. I overanalyze every word that came out of my mouth and I beat myself up for not doing a better job. I try to tell myself that I can always find another job if this one doesn't work out but if it's not this job I'm worrying about, it's something else. I've always been an extremely anxious person and I'm constantly worrying about something--sometimes nothing!  I just worry so damn much. I can't sleep at night because my heart is beating really fast. I'm really sick of living this way. I can't seem to just relax my mind so that my heart will calm down.

I want to control this without the reliance of pills. Do you have any advice? Anything helps... Thanks in advance.

[freedomwanted]

i use Kava-Kava n it really helps me. i get it at my local health n herb store. it helps slow down all the rambling thghts n helps wth that sinking feeling i get in mystomach. also Gaba-Gaba is a good herb. i take both at night to help shut down my thghts n get sum rest. itdoesn'thurt to try. hope it works for.goodluck

[SMcGregor]

Anxiety is the negative effect of imagination and can occur spontaneously, and against our will. We can all experience different fears in many different ways, yet there is a common factor behind most of our fears  and anxieties- the way they are formed. Anxiety can be resolved.

Three skills must be learnt to overcome anxiety:

Firstly, a method of releasing or handling the subconscious "hurt memories" which have been stored.
Secondly, developing self-confidence to deal with the actual situation which triggers the anxiety.
Thirdly, developing new responses to express the emotions that are felt when the situation recurs.

[birdie0907]

Your first post said you replay things over and over in your mind. I have done that in the past, in a somewhat different form (but I got similar negative results as you) where I would replay unhappy events and think about and make up phrases that I should have said - basically beating myself up while wasting time since the past is not going to come back to live differently.

I suggest since the replaying consumes so much time (and does not relieve your anxiety), that you take the time to write down what happened in the interview including all the details that you just think about over and over now - purpose being so you don't have to go through the entire time consuming thoughts-loop next time you think about it because it will be written down and you can just quickly read it. That could free up lots of time - so in advance perhaps you can make a deal with yourself to use that earned free time for a happiness break.
Perhaps you should list right now some things you want or like to do so if you are successful in freeing up time you can take action rather than waste it by thinking of another anxiety event to worry about. I am not trying to insult you with my comments, just trying to help because I know how going through endless worry-loops creates anxiety .
Anxiety is not easy for everyone to deal with and some people can't stop being anxious, however many have found solutions so keep a positive attitude in your quest for solutions,

[freemysoul]

I haven't tried CBT but I will definitely look into that. Thank you so much.

I just don't feel comfortable with prescription medicine. I'm Asian American and I grew up with Eastern medicine so that is what I prefer to use. Also, it's a personal preference. I don't consume anything processed, genetically modified, or artificial so you can see why my options are kind of limited!

I love how positive you sound, even though you suffer from anxiety as well. That's very inspirational to me. If you don't mind, can you share what method you use (or used) for your anxiety?

Again, thank you for help. I am definitely going to keep trying to battle this because it's kind of ruining my life. I'm turning 26 soon and I missed out on my twenties so far because of my anxiety. I would love to enjoy them while I still can. I got 4 more years and I don't want to waste anymore time.

[nursegirl6572]

Thanks for the info, your story sounds a LOT like mine.  I was a horribly anxious child all my life, and at age 18, I finally had the "mother" of all panic attacks that led me to my diagnosis of panic disorder.

Have you tried any kind of therapy?  How about CBT?  That can be very helpful for anxiety sufferers, but of course it takes some time, especially if you're trying to retrain YEARS (decades really) of those anxious thought patterns.  It absolutely can be done though.

May I ask why you prefer not to use medications?  That's certainly a personal decision for everyone, I'm just curious.  You are not obligated to share that if you're not comfortable.

When you tried the natural remedy route, did you give it a go on your own, or did you get any guidance from people who know their way around that modality?  Just like Western/mainstream medicine, the natural therapy approach is best tried with the help and guidance of an expert.  

Hopefully Paxiled will chime in, as I consider him our guru of this topic.  He certainly knows FAR more than me.  I know pretty much zilch.  He will probably advise you to consult with a naturopath, if you haven't already.  Perhaps that route WOULD end up being effective for you, just maybe you need to do it the "right" way?  Something to keep in mind anyway!  

Please keep in touch.  While we can't wave a magic wand to make you feel better, we certainly can commiserate.  You're among people who really understand what a tough thing anxiety is to live with.  It's terrible.  You DO have options though and it's totally possible for you to turn this around for yourself, even though you're fed up, which is understandable.  The great thing is, you're still reaching out, which means you're still willing to try things and keep fighting the good fight.  I"m glad you found us!

Hang in there!!

[freemysoul]

Hi, thanks for responding! I live with my parents and sister. I'm 25 and I've always had anxiety since I was a child. In the past few years, it has seeped into my social life and now I suffer from social anxiety as well. I've tried many natural remedies; I haven't tried prescription meds for personal reasons. I've tried exercise, talking about it, tea, replacing negative thoughts with positive thoughts... Just nothing works. It's always been a demon I had to live with. I've lived with anxiety my whole life so I don't know what normal feels like. What does it feel like to not have a thousand things in your mind at once? I started getting heart palpitations a couple years ago. I'm sad I don't remember my life without it.

[nursegirl6572]

Hello there!  It sounds like you're definitely having a rough time, I'm sorry to hear that!

Before we get into things that help anxiety, can you share with us any approaches you have tried to manage your anxiety?  Have you tried any kind of therapy?  Lifestyle changes?  A more natural approach (with herbal type supplements)?  Prescription meds?

It would be great if we could get a little bit better of a picture of what you've done up until now, and a little more background about you, like your age, living situation, etc.