Any Tips On Controlling Anxiety And Depression?

[HumanDecency]

I've been having morbid thoughts lately and a lot of anxiety. Trying to stay in front of it... How do you guys control this? Medicine? Ride it out? Hot bathes? Any guidance is appreciated.

[whitepine]

I've dealt with anxiety and depression for much of my life and I can say in my case that medication hasn't helped but only caused further problems especially with Selective serotonin re-uptake inhibitors (SSRI's) and SNRIs. A lot of medications have really bad withdrawal symptoms and it can be very had to get off these medications, brain shivers are probably the worst feeling. In the case of taking medication for depression an anxiety, it only really covers up the symptoms rather than getting to the root of the problem.

I find the only medication that has helped me from time to time are benzodiazepines but they are addictive to many people, can be easily overdosed, and many doctors refuse to prescribe them. They also help very well with  interstitial cystitis, often taking half a normal dose can result in immediate relief for weeks afterwards as well as a heightened mood. But again, Benzo's are something that you cannot mess around with, they interact with just about any medication and the potential for a lethal accidental dose is high.

I have found that seeking out professional help has provided me with a better stepping stone to understanding why I feel the way I do. But also taking steps in changing my diet and adding in supplements where I need them. Low iron causes me to have severe panic attacks for example. Reducing the amount of caffeine in my diet has also alleviated some of my anxiety.

I cope by trying to prevent myself from sitting down and thinking bad or morbid thoughts. I try and keep myself occupied and force myself as hard as it may be sometime to just do something. If you allow yourself to sit and think, it gets overwhelming.


I find that valerian root can do wonders for anxiety but you can't take it all the time because it looses it's ability to calm you down. I never had success with st.johns wort but some people have luck. Again, these will interact with other medications so you have to really do your reading and be careful.

If it really comes down to requiring medication for anxiety and depression its best to really find a professional because there are many many medications and if you are on the wrong one it can spell disaster. I was on Effexor (SSRI) and it increased my morbidity emotions in my head but they lacked any real emotion. IN all honesty, I could have killed myself without even knowing what I was doing. It can be scary to discover this so I caution you when it comes to medication, they can do the opposite of what they are supposed to do.
 

I find that having a pet or an animal in my life alleviates anxiety and depression but it really all depends on if you are an animal person or not.


Finding what triggers my anxiety also helps too, for example a certain situation might cause me a lot of anxiety. I try to deal with things as best as I can but I have to remind myself that it is okay to remove myself from these situations if it becomes too much. I've had to force myself to be more positive throughout my life and to just accept life as it is. I can't plan for everything and stuff just happens so I have to accept it rather then worry about it all the time. There is no way I can control everything that's going to  happen in my future so the best thing to do is to put on your seat belt and prepare the best you can but accept that what happens , happens.



Hope this helps.


 

[Renegade]

Before i had celiac symptoms, i would answer with; exercise,coffee,weed,music and just though it how, now that i cant do any of it, simple though it out. Yup it can be a hard thing.

[Renegade]

Oh and dark chocolate, has antidepressant effect, cant have it no more either(milk intolerance) so im going with the powder form

[JediMindTricks]

I've had anxiety for the past 10-12 years. I've not left my house for 4 years except for when I must do food shopping. Even then I have to go at stupid o'clock in the morning when it is less busy.

 

I've tried most meds and nothing worked. Living in the UK it was very difficult to get my doctor to put me on benzo's (clonazepam). I had to resort to making threats that I'd kill myself and even tried ordering them online which was a scam. I got ripped off for £170. I thought benzo's would be some magic solution and nothing or noone would have convinced me not to take them. Massive mistake . Benzo's are the single most evil thing created by man and I seriously advise everyone to stay away. The withdrawal has been the single most traumatic experience of my life. I had a few weeks where my anxiety wasn't so bad, still bad enough for me not to want to leave my house. I only took them for ~14 months. It took a further 6 months to wean myself off them, It's been ~8 months since I completely stopped and I'm still having bad ringing in my ears (Tinnitus). The paranoid delusions were awful, almost hallucinations where my mind would jump to conclusions, mostly about aliens coming to abduct me, scary stuff.    

 

I'm a firm believer that depression and anxiety are symptoms of something. Finding the cause and correcting/fixing it is the only real way of controlling anxiety.

 

Best of luck,

JMT.

[twe0708]

I had anxiety before being diagnosed with Celiac but have been fine since going gluten free.  Maybe take a look at what you are eating and go from there.  You may need to pick 5 foods and eat those for a week and then introduce another food item each week.  

[NateJ]

This is a tough one as I fight this every day still.

What helps me, avoiding stressfull situations as much as possible. Like eating out, social gatherings based around food, and always trying to take snacks of some sort when i know i'll be out for a long time.  Taking some 'meds' with you too can help. Like pepto, imodium, or whatever works for you. Just knowing you have it there tends to calm me down somewhat.

And if your not feeling good, don't beat yourself up about just staying in. There is no rule that says you have to go out everyday (unless for work i assume). If people don't understand then so be it.

[HumanDecency]

I definitely want to stray away from the medication. I don't even like taking the lanoprazole and daily multi for my acid reflux and deficiencies. This is just one of the most frustrating periods of my life. It's hard to articulate. I've attempted the elimination diets, but my doctors tell me to stray away from them for now. Luckily, I have a 6 month check up coming up with a new GI. I hope to get some kind of results from this visit. I'm pretty sure I am gluten free now and not contaminating myself. I don't really eat out. And if I do I only go one place with an owner who is very sensitive towards my needs. I think I"ve only done this twice. I changed all my pots and pans. Changed my dog's food, etc. 

 

Sometimes I just get so doomy and gloomy. Like this is the end. I lay in bed at night and wonder if this disease is going to kill me. I read about how symptoms are supposed to subside after gluten free. I also realize it's different for everyone. I hope to have some kind of answers after my new GI. This has just interrupted my entire life. I'm only 33 years old and I have no social life now because I always feel miserable. No one wants to hang out anymore. My girlfriend tries but even she gets frustrated. 

 

Still, I keep trudging along. But the never ending symptoms and new symptoms popping up all the time are so discouraged. The sinus issues, the fatigue, the nausea. the gas, the belching, the chest pain which has put me in the ER several times to check for heart/lung problems. It seems like I can't win. The anxiety, if it is anxiety, is there all of the time and always making me jittery and nervous. 

 

Can't a Celiac catch a break?

[Renegade]

If drugs rather recreational or medicinal allow you to catch a break then I suggest you use them.

[JediMindTricks]

If drugs rather recreational or medicinal allow you to catch a break then I suggest you use them.

 

I think this is terrible advice without any thought to the outcome or consequences that taking drugs can have. Only take drugs if it's the final resort imo.  

[notme]

have your doc check your vitamin levels and your thyroid, as well.  

 

what cheers me up?  CARTOONS!!!    tivo some venture brothers or some good old bugs bunny.  music cheers me up, gardening cheers me up, crashing through the woods on a 4-wheeler cheers me up - and here's the dumbest thing i would have NEVER thought:  volunteering (ikr?!!!) i stay involved with the church, mostly with the kids programs.  i was in a PARADE (YEHHHHHH!) <hey.  don't knock it til ya tried it    helped teach the vacation bible school, i make the youth lunch schedule and supervise fundraisers.  car washes and the like.  no drugs involved.  although i usually come home and have a beer, lolz      and say "whew.  can you believe we did that"  i just got an invitation to join the lions club international.  right after i had my sister-in-law put a turquiose streak in my hair.  nobody is gonna pick me for their dodge ball team LOLZ   

[Renegade]

I think this is terrible advice without any thought to the outcome or consequences that taking drugs can have. Only take drugs if it's the final resort imo.  

Not everyone suffer from the same weakness as you, what may affect you negatively can affect someone else positively. It's why different drugs are prescribed for different things and some people prefer a coffee over a soda.

[JediMindTricks]

Not everyone suffer from the same weakness as you, what may affect you negatively can affect someone else positively. It's why different drugs are prescribed for different things and some people prefer a coffee over a soda.

 

I think you will find that all people who go through benzo withdrawal (or any drug withdrawal) will give you the same advice including many medical professionals. There is a huge problem in today's society where often the first line of defence is to prescribe drugs instead of trying to find the root cause of the problem. I have yet to see any evidence that drugs can give you positive effects without any negative consequences. Often these drugs cause more harm than good.  You offer advice without any real basis other that your opinion which I feel could be detrimental to someone who is less informed or desperate to find a 'quick fix' for their problem. It's not my opinion but fact that the majority of drugs will cause more harm than good to most people. There is a massive difference between coffee and soda, and the drugs that are prescribed for anxiety. I strongly recommend that people research benzo withdrawal before starting to take them.

 

Here is a video from someone going through benzo withdrawal :- www.youtube.com/watch?v=MlA-qMeyJFw

 

If you want to offer drug advice then I suggest you back your opinion up with evidence that suggests that drugs can affect someone positively without any detrimental effects. Please think before posting any drug advice or I will have to resort to reporting your posts.          

[whitepine]

I didn't suggest benzos in my previous post as a cure all pill. I should say with my expereince of using them I did not use them on a regular basis because they are highly addictive. I only used them when the anxiety was severe, they are something to be taken on a case to case basis and not as a long term medication. They aren't a preventative long term solution to anxiety or depression but if you have suffered from severe anxiety attacks, the resulting limitation of the attack that a benzo has is very reliving.

The withdrawls are minimumal when they are used this way, if you do happen to suffer withdrawl symptoms from one or two doses at a time. Not only that, the half life of some is quite long for such a medication and the effects can be felt for days afterwards. I can imagine how horrible it would be to take this medication everyday without researching how it works. The more you use benzos, the more you build up a tolerance for it and the higher your chance of becoming addicted.

In any case, if you can find other ways that don't involve medications then you are better off unless you find a doctor that is willing to do their research to help you find something that suits you very well. It can be a difficult task when they are confident and pushing of one medication that obviously isn't providing you and relief.
I still choose to opt out of medication because of this reason and try to resolve my anxiety through therapy, diet, etc.

 

[1desperateladysaved]

Scripture and songs about God taking care of me have kept me going through many very hard times.  It isn't unusual to be sad when circumstances are sad.  I have promises that help carry me through.

[kareng]

I think you will find that all people who go through benzo withdrawal (or any drug withdrawal) will give you the same advice including many medical professionals. There is a huge problem in today's society where often the first line of defence is to prescribe drugs instead of trying to find the root cause of the problem. I have yet to see any evidence that drugs can give you positive effects without any negative consequences. Often these drugs cause more harm than good.  You offer advice without any real basis other that your opinion which I feel could be detrimental to someone who is less informed or desperate to find a 'quick fix' for their problem. It's not my opinion but fact that the majority of drugs will cause more harm than good to most people. There is a massive difference between coffee and soda, and the drugs that are prescribed for anxiety. I strongly recommend that people research benzo withdrawal before starting to take them.

 

Here is a video from someone going through benzo withdrawal :- www.youtube.com/watch?v=MlA-qMeyJFw

 

If you want to offer drug advice then I suggest you back your opinion up with evidence that suggests that drugs can affect someone positively without any detrimental effects. Please think before posting any drug advice or I will have to resort to reporting your posts.

He is expressing his opinion. I think its obvious its his opinion. You are expressing your opinion. Is it not dangerous for you to tell someone who may need medication -" I have yet to see any evidence that drugs can give you positive effects without any negative consequences." You aren't backing your opinions up with scientific evidence.

You seem to be trying to intimidate people to your opinion by " threatening" them. That is not what the " Report" function is for.

[kareng]

Now....back to HD's question

How about ,taking that lovely dog for a walk? Even just down the street and back? A change of scenery, a bit of movement, a happy dog - all helpful. While you are walking or petting your dog or taking a hot bath - force yourself to think of something nice. It can be as simple as what you would like to make for dinner or a way to organize your closet or an alternative ending to Harry Potter. See what I'm saying? Something else to think about that requires some thinking. That way, there is no place for the bad thoughts for 10 minutes.

[notme]

I think you will find that all people who go through benzo withdrawal (or any drug withdrawal) will give you the same advice including many medical professionals. There is a huge problem in today's society where often the first line of defence is to prescribe drugs instead of trying to find the root cause of the problem. I have yet to see any evidence that drugs can give you positive effects without any negative consequences. Often these drugs cause more harm than good.  You offer advice without any real basis other that your opinion which I feel could be detrimental to someone who is less informed or desperate to find a 'quick fix' for their problem. It's not my opinion but fact that the majority of drugs will cause more harm than good to most people. There is a massive difference between coffee and soda, and the drugs that are prescribed for anxiety. I strongly recommend that people research benzo withdrawal before starting to take them.

 

Here is a video from someone going through benzo withdrawal :- www.youtube.com/watch?v=MlA-qMeyJFw

 

If you want to offer drug advice then I suggest you back your opinion up with evidence that suggests that drugs can affect someone positively without any detrimental effects. Please think before posting any drug advice or I will have to resort to reporting your posts.          

ok.  your video is about xanax.  i take xanax, not every day, just when i have anxiety (usually caused by outside sources ie:  my daughter had a car wreck, i am going on an airplane, etc)  it helps me so much, especially since i am still underweight and it helps not turn my insides to goo when i get stressed.  i have no trouble functioning and it doesn't make me 'dopey' -  i don't take a whole dose, i break it into pieces and take just 'enough' - as a person who had to kick a heroin addiction cold turkey a very very long time ago, i never wanted to take any kind of pill/dope again and take the chance of being addicted.  but this stuff helps me immensely.  trust me, i was scared to death to even take it, but my grandfather was on his deathbed and i didn't have time to drive 12 hours to get to him, so i had to take a plane.  i had an anxiety attack the last time i had flown - my friend is a nurse and told me that's what she takes to enable her to fly and my doctor also suggested it.   fast fwd to my celiac dx, and my GI suggested that i take it for when i get stressed out and it affects my guts.  NOTE:  the longer i am gluten-free, the less my anxiety has become.  so, that's something too!

 

 years ago, i was prescribed welbutrin to try to quit smoking and i had suicidal thoughts, which is NOT me.  not even in a million years - so i called my doc and he said STOP taking them right now!  i had just gotten up to full dose but i had no withdrawal symptoms.  my sister took welbutrin and it helped her very much.  i guess it depends on the person being matched with the right drug.  some people just need a little adjustment and maybe one won't work/be the wrong match so try something different?  

 

i am a fan of both schools of thought, i guess, because every person is different.  what works for me maybe the opposite will work for you.  

 

but the cartoons?  should work for e'erybody lolz  

[NateJ]

i"ve often wondered if any anxiety pill would help my condition. It seems to amplify when i have something planned to do like a trip.

I took xanax once but I noticed no effects at all. good or bad.

I'm terrified of medication for no reason other than the side effects listed usually freak me out. The only bad reaction i've ever had was to vicodin (twice) given in the hospital and Dilaudid once.

The only time i will allow that needle or pill near me with a narcotic was after surgery and when i had kidney stones.

I am an anxious mess though and would prefer a natural alternative to a pill. Still searching though.

I get so worked up sometimes my friend calls me a natealope. Because they are all twitchy and nervous and like to jump up and run away when they hear a noise or smell something.

[JediMindTricks]

He is expressing his opinion. I think its obvious its his opinion. You are expressing your opinion. Is it not dangerous for you to tell someone who may need medication -" I have yet to see any evidence that drugs can give you positive effects without any negative consequences." You aren't backing your opinions up with scientific evidence.

You seem to be trying to intimidate people to your opinion by " threatening" them. That is not what the " Report" function is for.

 

If Johnny Q seen posts promoting drug use without any knowledge or warning of the negative consequences that they can have and then ended up committing suicide; I wonder if you would have the same opinion?

 

All my statements are backed up by fact. It's a fact that benzos are highly addictive, It's a fact that the longer you take them, the less effective they become, It's a fact that the longer you take them, the more likely you are to experience withdrawal, It's a fact that the withdrawal is often many times worse than the original condition the person started taking them for, It's a fact that many, if not most medical professionals offer drugs as a first line solution rather than spending the time to find the root cause of the problem.

 

I offer all these facts together with my own experience. I was that person who did not know or did not care to find out the facts before I started taking benzos. The only thing I have said that is my opinion, which is an opinion that is shared by many people, including medical professionals that I have spoken too, is that benzos are the most evil thing made by man and that drugs should be a last resort.

 

As for ''trying to intimidate people'' you are very far off the mark, which makes me question your ability as a moderator.

 

If people find that short term benzo use is helping them then that is great. I would advise them to be careful that benzos do not become a crutch for them to participate in life events. As long as everyone enters the situation aware of all the facts, then I am happy. From there, it is the individual's choice whether they take drugs or not.

 

Kareng, please do not misconstrued my posts as trying to force my opinion on people. If you are telling me that the report button is not for the purpose of making the people that run this site, aware of posts that I feel could be potentially dangerous to someone, then I will seriously consider whether I want to be a part of this community.       

[IrishHeart]

H D

 

I do not know how long you have been strictly gluten free, but time is your ally.

 

I also suffered from anxiety and depressive thinking when I was very ill for 3 years before diagnosis.

This is NOT my personality at all and it was very bizarre to have such dismal thinking, feeling out of control, sick, racy in the heart, mind

and body and suffering from insomnia for years. I had to stop driving. I was fretful, fearful and held onto to my husband's arm when I had to go to yet another useless doctor appt. My life came to a standstill because I was mysteriously sick and had this "anxiety thing" going on too. I used to teach in front of lecture halls, dance and perform in plays ---so I have never been  shy, quiet or anxious EVER in my life, but I was then.

WHY? No one could tell me what was going on,

 

And I tried all the drugs they make for anxiety and insomnia (believe me, the list is very long--benzos included) and,

she even went off-script and gave me some drugs I can't mention and

I trialed  the SSRIs (big mistake for people like us with a seratonin imbalance already from gut malabsorption--it's why so many of us have the opposite outcome when we take anti-depressants) ;

 

I tried herbals and supplements like 5-HTP and St. John's wort--that are thought to help; 

I was prayed over, prayed for and prayed enough myself for 3 years; 

I even made myself go to a psychologist because the primary care doctor said I was just grieving about my father who had just died (I know the difference between grief and what this new thing was, but I played the game in case I was wrong and I told her how I felt and she told me --you do not have a psychological issues.... thanks, I knew that  so what the hell is making me feel this way?)

She said: Do you have any food intolerances??

 

I finally figured it out. And it turned out, yup, I have celiac and that is why I was sick, lost 90 lbs. and had turned into a nervous ball of frenetic energy.

 

All those meds, etc. just made the anxiety/depression/insomnia worse!!! We can't always absorb the med correctly, that's why. My GI doc told me this as well.

 

And in the end, only one thing made it all go away:

Being gluten free, resolving all the anemias (B-12, folate, iron)  the vit deficiencies (C, B6,) and having my thyroid  and adrenal gland and other hormones start functioning normally once more.

And Time.

 

If you have been down this med route already and none of those things are working--check to be sure you are strictly G F, then go outside, get some air, get exercise, do yoga (it is awesome for stress reduction and controlling your breathing and your anxiety) or take up a new hobby--do something to reaffirm that you are getting well and that each day is a step in the right direction.

 

Smoking pot is not the answer because it can ---in some people---create anxiety instead of making you relaxed.Same for alcohol.

Until your gut is functioning normally, and your body can handle anything other than food, you may well have an adverse reaction to

it.  Drink water, eat good food. Take a class. Do something and stop thinking about being sick. Because you are not sick anymore, you're healing.

 

Just my thoughts, based on my experience and IMHO

 

If you are seriously depressed, you may well need medications and therapy, but only you can decide if that is the case.

I hope you feel better soon. Hang in there. I promise you, it gets better in time---if it is indeed a result of malabsorption/gluten.

[notme]

If Johnny Q seen posts promoting drug use without any knowledge or warning of the negative consequences that they can have and then ended up committing suicide; I wonder if you would have the same opinion?

 

All my statements are backed up by fact. It's a fact that benzos are highly addictive, It's a fact that the longer you take them, the less effective they become, It's a fact that the longer you take them, the more likely you are to experience withdrawal, It's a fact that the withdrawal is often many times worse than the original condition the person started taking them for, It's a fact that many, if not most medical professionals offer drugs as a first line solution rather than spending the time to find the root cause of the problem.

 

I offer all these facts together with my own experience. I was that person who did not know or did not care to find out the facts before I started taking benzos. The only thing I have said that is my opinion, which is an opinion that is shared by many people, including medical professionals that I have spoken too, is that benzos are the most evil thing made by man.

 

As for ''trying to intimidate people'' you are very far off the mark, which makes me question your ability as a moderator.

 

If people find that short term benzo use is helping them then that is great. I would advise them to be careful that benzos do not become a crutch for them to participate in life events. As long as everyone enters the situation aware of all the facts, then I am happy. From there, it is the individual's choice whether they take drugs or not.

 

Kareng, please do not misconstrued my posts as trying to force my opinion on people. If you are telling me that the report button is not for the purpose of making the people that run this site, aware of posts that I feel could be potentially dangerous to someone, then I will seriously consider whether I want to be a part of this community.       

what if johnny q commits suicide because he freaked out with no drug options to possibly help him?  your argument  easily has 2 sides and that is the other.  

 

i think 10 1 mg pills per year qualifies as not addicted or using as a crutch.  there are more people that use this drug responsibly than you think.  is it abused?  absolutely.  should someone who would benefit from this drug be denied because other people have an addiction/have been addicted to them?   is that really fair?  

[IrishHeart]

From what I have read (and my limited experience) , benzos can be extremely addictive and are difficult to stop cold turkey--please, do not do that!--but if they are used sparingly, as in before a plane ride or a dental procedure or a test in the hospital for example, as Arlene describes....they can help reduce what is called situational anxiety. I wish I had a few laying around for when I have to go to the dentist. I have dental-phobia.

 

They become less effective if taken daily and in increasing doses. So, in the end, you are back to square one.

I've got a friend who pops them like skittles and she still has agoraphobia. Now, if she dumped the gluten, maybe those pills would work

or maybe she just would not need them because the gluten is the underlying catalyst for the anxiety/panic--

but the pills haven't worked so far---in 30 years of taking them.

 

IMHO

[tarnalberry]

I've been having morbid thoughts lately and a lot of anxiety. Trying to stay in front of it... How do you guys control this? Medicine? Ride it out? Hot bathes? Any guidance is appreciated.

 

Exercise (walking), getting outdoors (anything - walking, gardening - something with sunlight and greenery), yoga (go to a class, not just home practice), eating well, and saying "no" to anything that would make me terribly busy.  But I've also do a number of years of talk therapy (cognitive modification and behavior modification).  I've been on antidepressants, technically for fibromyalgia but the two go together often, as well.

[JediMindTricks]

what if johnny q commits suicide because he freaked out with no drug options to possibly help him?  your argument  easily has 2 sides and that is the other.  

 

i think 10 1 mg pills per year qualifies as not addicted or using as a crutch.  there are more people that use this drug responsibly than you think.  is it abused?  absolutely.  should someone who would benefit from this drug be denied because other people have an addiction/have been addicted to them?   is that really fair?  

 

I think you are completely missing the point. I too question your ability as a moderator and furthermore, whether you are a responsible adult. You seem to be putting words into my mouth, In fact, I am extremely disheartened by your argument towards me.  

 

I have not said 'do not take drugs'. I have however said, that they should be a last resort. If Johnny Q is freaked out and contemplating suicide; drug use is an option. You seem to be missing the fact that these drugs often make things worse, fact.

 

I hope that some people can see the value in my posts.