i'm not surprised that drugs didn't work. drugs merely duct tape the symptoms.

try time honored holistic methods:

singing, dancing, exercise, regular routines, biofeedback, self-hypnosis.

we live in a modern world where many of our interests are non-physical. yet, we are homo sapien. our bodies need freedom, exercise, nature and all that. when we sleep and eat, our bodies get energized. if we don't expend that energy, it builds up. sooner or later, we have to expend it.

Join a CBT group that is what worked for me after trying the med route with varying degrees of success.

So I take a lovely mix of one elival at night and buspar as needed in the day time. I just started on meds a few months ago. Some of my other methods of coping are excercising (not right before bed) having music playing when driving, working to take up the background thoughts in my head, making a list of things that I will accomplish each night for the followng day, that way i don't ruminate on them all night. I also try to have one social activity a week, dinner with a friend etc.

Stop the searching for the right one cause after 13 meds and no results in 10 years, I finally figured out, there is no magic pill.
AND...most people that DO find one find that it only works for a very short time and then you're right back at square one...over and over and over again!

I was seeing a psychiatrist for awhile and I ended up taking 100mg Zoloft daily, 30-45mg of BuSpar Daily(10-15mg 3x a day), and Xanax 1mg 2-3 times a week. Works out great because the only drug that gets tolerated is the Xanax but if not taken often no tolerance increase necessary. BuSpar tends to only work with a SSRI ie. Zoloft Celexia Prozac. Buspar is it's own type of anti anxiety med and the only one in it's class. They don't know how it works but did wonders for me. Make sure you have some Xanax or other for initial taking of buspar. Buspar makes it a whole lot worst for the 1st day or 2. But no pain no gain. One month I only to 3mg of xanax. Hope this helps someone.

Been there done that. I have been the route of many a drug (paxil,zoloft,celexa,welbutrin,etc). most of them made my panic worse and some even gave me Halucinations. The only one that helped was xanax. I have found that the best way was to go through theraphy and do a lot of research myself. I have learned exercise,positive thinking, breathing, relaxation techniques, distraction, nutrition, and a lot of other things were more helpful in the long run. Once I learned these things and put them into practice I was able to slowly get off the xanax. This is your best course of action. Nutrition and supplements were a big help along with the rest. I suggest if you can't get into seeing a theraphist or a support group to learn Cog behavior you at least start with this. No caffein, no sugar, a diet of fresh fruits and vegetables and lean meats, no grains. Take a multi B complex vitimin and magnesium and fish oil. Then go to a library and get Lucinda Bassett's books or tapes on attacking anxiety. There are many good books and tapes on anxiety at your local library. I have beaten my anxiety and panic attacks and so can you but I have found (like faithful777) that holistic methods are much better than the drugs, but that is not to say that meds do have their place. I would have not surrived without the xanax but once I was able to get the holistic methods learned the xanax was no longer needed.I would much rather live my life with natural things then be dependent on drugs for the rest of my life. I'm always here on DS and if you need to talk to me you may message me and I'll be glad to help you in any way I can. I wish you well.

Thanks for your advice stich that should work for alot of people. I spent countless hours with psychiatrists and psychologists and due to my extensive crystal meth use and overdose when I was younger has made my anxiety and insomnia permenant. I already caused the damage and now I have to live with my desicions. I would warn people from taking paxil though, that's scary stuff wouldn't touch it with a ten foot pole. I like my buspar and zoloft. Niether is a controled substance. I have gotton down to maybe 5mg a month of Xanax for the really bad days. Hope everyone finds thier way because not to many people understand the feeling of anxiety all the time. They say they do but I've fought with my wife for countless years. Have a great day e1.

One more thing if you can do self hipnosis then you probaly don't have an Anxiety Disorder or it's really mild. Just my opinion!