Spinnella

Close Anxiety

I have had anxiety all my life and recently realized/accepted it and am taking steps to learn how to control it. There are many good books, meds, exercises, and people on this site with suggestions that help a ton. This disorder is easy to work on, and the relief is worth the work!

Treatments

Breathing Exercises Working / Worked

Square breathing sometimes helps if you are able to clear your mind enough to allow yourself this luxury! Or, when you begin to have an attack and concentrate on other things like squeezing your hand for a count to five on and off, your mind is able to forget the feeling of anxiety and focus on the hand or whatever else you may choose to focus on. Distractions are one of the best therapies!

Breathwork Somewhat Helpful

sometimes deep breaths help to calm my shallow breathing during an attack

Positive Thinking Working / Worked

affirmations reminding myself that all is well in my world and that I have a lot of love around me has helped bring me out of negative reactions, also happy music helps a lot like oldies and reggae

Xanax Working / Worked

Helped to calm me in situations where I was unable to talk myself out of an attack, but sometimes made me a bit sleepy, definitely evened me out in extreme circumstances

Close Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder

Treatments

Art Somewhat Helpful

Helped to keep my mind off of things, my body motivated, and my heart to feel fulfilled after finishing my creations. But, creativity comes and goes, so I am not able to create art any time...only when the urge really hits me.

Cognitive Behavioral Therapy Working / Worked

Helped a lot. Gets to the root of the problem and your reaction to it...and helps you to train yourself to think with better thought patterns and breaks you of a lifelong disorder.

Music Working / Worked

Happy music only. I was lucky enough to have Sirius radio and choose which type of genre was playing on my radio, so I stuck to happy music that lacked memory - such as the oldies (40's, 50's, and 60's, dance music, and reggae.

Psychotherapy Working / Worked

I have had the same psychologist for many years, and he knows me very well. He knows me as a child, and now sees me as an adult...so he knows where I came from and where all the deep rooted things are and how to get to them. He has recommended books, breathing exercises, and visualizations. He has also spoken with me to help me figure out what I couldnt define on my own.

Reading Working / Worked

Louise Hay writes amazing books about mental and physical well-being and positive affirmations, along with alternative methods of healing ourselves. Recently, my psychologist suggested this book: The Anxiety & Phobia Workbook by Edmund J. Bourne, PH. D. - and this workbook has helped me and my husband both in tremendous ways. It is very way to read, understand, and is highly interactive. Dr. Wayne Dyer is also an amazing author whose methods of speaking and writing are quite effective.

Talking Working / Worked

Made me more aware of what was going on inside my hear that I wasnt aware of. The more I talked, the more I was able to get to the deep down part of myself that caused the PTSD.

Celexa Working / Worked

Citalopram is a generic antidepressant. When I initially began taking it I felt worse. It is commonly stated that meds of this type will make you feel slightly worse before they make you feel better during the first few weeks of taking them. This type of medicine is meant to build up in your system before it will become 100 effective. After about 5 weeks It began to help in huge ways and I havent noticed any side effects from it.

Xanax Working / Worked

Calms your nerves when you are having an attack and is meant to be taken as needed during the first few weeks after beginning an antidepressantanxiety med. Provides immediate calm from anxiety.