Anxiety Support Group

Anxiety is a physical condition marked by intense and persistent feelings of distress, fear, angst or dread. General anxiety caused by routine day-to-day stresses usually passes quickly and is experienced by almost everyone at one time or another. However, such feelings that linger over time and are very difficult to cope with, and which lack a clear cause, may indicate...

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Anxiety Disorders
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Ways to stop/relieve anxiety w/out medication.

Peanut1327
Peanut1327
Hello-I have always suffered from anxiety, and was medicated for a while. I eventually did not like how the medications were making me feel, and my doctor was not taking me seriously with how I was feeling. I took myself off all meds a few years ago, and although I still had anxiety, it was bearable. Lately, I am having so much anxiety, and because I keep repeating the stresses in my head, am only getting worse due to the anxious thoughts & lack of sleep on top of it. I have no time to focus on anything because i'm so focused on obsessing over my anxieties. I am hoping someone can offer some advice on ways to curb stresses/anxieties (different practices, ways of thinking, etc.) before they become worse-I really do not want to go on more medication to calm me down since I had such a bad experience before. Any thoughts are very greatly appreciated, I feel like i'm losing my mind lately.
Thanks!
mellowamethyst
mellowamethyst
I do cognitive behavioral therapy instead of taking medication. It works exceptionally well, I've made more progress with therapy than I ever made with medication.
deleted_user
deleted_user
If you enjoy a hobby you can see if spending time doing something you are interested in and enjoy helps. Or start a new hobby, something you might be interested in. Another idea may be to try relaxing listening to some gentle music or spending time with a friend.
Sissy3059
Sissy3059
I was on meds for 11 years but have been off for almost a year. One thing is, if you stopped too quick it can trigger more anxiety. That being said, I use deep breathing for panic attacks. Breathe in through your nose, slowly, hold for a bit, them breathe out through your mouth. Do this a few times. For long term help, "Finding Serenity in an Age of Anxiety" by Robert Gezxon. is a book that really helped me. another is "Feeling Good" by David D. Burns, M.D. Changing your thoughts will change how you feel.
deleted_user
deleted_user
Once I checked out a CD from the library and found it useful for a while. It was called "You - On a Walk" by Michael Roizen and Mehmet Oz. It gave me focus to work on walking for a while. The newness did wear off eventually, but it was a nice kick-start to getting exercise going.

Recently I had some EMDR therapy and that was helpful and something I'm interested in trying again. I recommend looking for a therapist that is certified in EMDR. I was comfortable and found it easier to discuss some issues than I had expected.