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panic disorder

Does anyone know how to heal anxiety/ panic disorder without medication? I'm on mirtazapine and xanax as needed. I hate it. Tired of feeling like a zombie. Thank you
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973741 tn?1342342773
All good information above.  It is so hard when someone has clinical anxiety.  Therapy is so very helpful so make sure you have that in the mix.  Talk therapy can really make a huge difference.  Good ideas regarding medications as well.  Regular exercise is really important as it helps modulate mood and works to decrease tension/stress.  Yoga and meditation are also good things to add into the mix if you are so inclined.  Yoga will help you with breathing exercises.  Square breathing is one that I really like.  Breathe in for 4, hold 4, breathe out for 4, hold 4, repeat.  I think it really helps to journal and look for triggers and patterns.  Awareness makes a huge difference to offsetting what has been the routine outcome.  When you know what triggers the anxiety/panic attack, you can problem solve.  Best of luck and peace.  
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Avatar universal
The natural methods of dealing with anxiety are pretty complicated, as several remedies are used in formula to strengthen what is weak.  If you wish to go that route I would recommend seeing a psychiatrist who specializes in integrated medicine, or a naturopath or if you like Chinese medicine a practitioner of Traditional Chinese Medicine -- in other words, someone with the experience to deal with you and know which herbs and amino acids to combine.  A good primer on this is Natural Highs by Hyla Cass, a psychiatrist at UCLA who uses natural medicine in her practice.  Therapy also can work without meds or with them, but if you can do it without meds it's better because meds do alter the way the brain works naturally and when you come off them they can create temporarily a difficult situation that can undo the therapy.  But as they say, whatever works is key.
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Avatar universal
Thank you all, I'm supposed to go see my doctor in may, but trying to get in earlier. I just want to feel like myself minus the anxiety of course.  The tight chest feeling and feeling like something is wrong with me constantly are extremely annoying :( the mirtazapine helps with the anxiety but also makes me feel more depressed and foggy. Hopefully he will help me, or I'm going to have to switch doctors.
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4341904 tn?1365695144
Look up Panic Away it is a program that really works.
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4190741 tn?1370177832
I would suggest that you talk to your doctor and tell him/her that you feel like a zombie and maybe an adjustment to your meds is needed.

There are also many avenues you might like to explore with
alternative medicine or even Eastern Medicine.  These are
usually freely accessed with your google browser just by typing
in "alternative medicine for depression" or "Eastern Medicine for
Depression"  I was really surprised by all the links that are very
informative.

I am also a big YouTube fan.  I have about 8 folders on my YouTube
Channel filled with motivational videos and meditative sounds and music.
There are also videos there with guided meditations for the depressed person where they actually give you the steps and work through them with you....

I am also wondering if you are under a therapists care or in a
group therapy setting.  Your peers who are going through the
same things you are going through can be the most helpful
when dealing and recovering from depression.

Good luck to you and if you run into any info on the internet
that makes you feel suspicious or uncomfortable or unsafe
don't be afraid to just delete that web page and move on to another
that is more positive and helpful

M

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Avatar universal
Cognitive behavioral therapy with medication works better than either alone.  I know one of the suggestions is to try to make yourself feel MORE anxious, since this usually paradoxically reduces anxiety.  Another trick is to write out cards with affirmations like, "Even though I'm really anxious, the world will keep on going and I will be less anxious later" or "people are more concerned with themselves than with me and won't notice I'm anxious"--it kind of depends on what your anxiety centers around.  You can also identify beliefs that make you anxious, like, "If I go out, I'll have a terrible time/panic attack", and then write down the evidence for it (the last time I went out, I had a horrible time) and the evidence against it (I don't have a panic attack every time I go out, I could have a fun time if I go out).  This helps get a conscious handle on the thoughts that make you anxious.  A therapist who does cognitive behavioral therapy will be able to explain the process a lot better than I can, those are just some examples.


I think SSRIs are more recommended than TCAs (like mirtazapine) for the treatment of anxiety, and TCAs can be really sedating.  Switching to an SSRI might make you feel like less of a zombie, especially if the xanax is just PRN.  You should talk to your doctor about it before switching anything though.
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Business woman2
Freeb_irdExternal User
If you have a smartphone, there are free applications for hypnosis that helps with panic attacks and anxiety. I have tried them, and they have worked very well for me. Make sure you read the description on each one, so you get the one that sounds right for you. Good luck!!
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