anxiety

[serena143]

i am feeling very anxious.  what helps you get through the day when your in anxiety.

[serena143]

Thankyou all for your kindness in responding to my post.  It means so much to me.  Take care.

[therese83]

Sadly I never get the god thing!!

Relaxation tape in darkened room, earphones on, try it.

Walk in fresh air,

Running, beating it out through the ground.

Be kind to yourself + try to remember what you really like and do it, force yourself to do it.

I hope you feel better soon

[ComputerGeek]

What Bon-Bon said.  Plus support from my family, church family and other friends who are rooting for me.

But I would say that the biggest coping tool has been a medicine called Lexapro and also weekly counseling from a great psychologist.

I tried Wellbutrin first and I totally came out of the shell i had drawn into and became my old self.  Bright and happy and out-going.  But then I was told that I was being laid off and my world came crashing down around my ears.  The Wellbutrin stopped working after just three weeks but was also keeping me awake at night, so my general pratictioner ("family doctor") switched me to Lexapro - especially since Wellbutrin isn't indicated at all for anxiety.

It took about three weeks for the anti-depression to kick in from the Lexapro and six weeks for the anti-anxiety effect to kick in (all of which my doctor told me to expect).  But I stuck with it and have been extremely happy with it - once both the anti-depression AND the anti-anxiety effects kicked in gear.

With the support of all the afore-mentioned people (and God) I hope to come off Lexapro in a while and see how I am do without it.  As Hensly (on another thread) wisely suggested, how well I do will be dependant on if my depression and anxiety were "situational" or "biological/chemical" (i.e. - a chemical imbalance in my brain or just through inheriting it from forebears).

I am pretty sure it was all situational - which is now far removed from me (and with starting a great new job).  But the psychologist was GREAT at helping me to rebuild my completely shattered self-esteem - which I have had issues with from childhood, thanks to an over-bearing and verbally abusive step father.

I would highly recomend both a medicine AND counseling if you are REALLY suffering from anxiety - although there may be other meds than Lexapro more focused on just anxiety.  Lexapro is for depression AND anxiety.  

If you are just a little anxious, I would consider trying just counseling - hopefully from a licensed psychologist.  They REALLY know how the mind works.  Plus I was lucky to find one that I really got along with from the start.  He sort of became a cross between an older brother/father figure and a confessor (since everything said behind the door is completely confidential).  I was able to spill my guts out to him on everything in my life that I felt had gone wrong from early childhood.  (Well - MOSTLY about my early childhood AND the job I was being laid off from that was sooo depressing anyhow and sucking the life out of me.  I am happy to be done with that place for good and starting a new career!)

[Bon-Bon]

I pray.  

I think about God.

I talk to my savior Christ Jesus; just as if, he's sitting right there beside me.  
(No eloquent speeches - just me and Him.)

I praise Him.

And I thank Him.

Who better knows what I am experiencing and going through?

[HelpinUtah]

My doctor has prescribed me Xanax prn for anxiety.  But, you can take other herbal remedies as well.  Xanax can be addictive as well and so you have to be very careful.  You could try Kava Kava or Valarian Root (it tastes horrible, but relaxes you). Are you anxious from withdrawals?  

I hope you find relief soon!!