New here

[amaranth]

Hi all, I am new. Have been diagnosed with anxiety issues for many years. Started having symptoms bad enough to go see the free counselor many, many years ago in college. It affects me in a mukltitude of ways and I am just tired from it all. Tried the medications and they were a godsend but so horrible addictive and that led to more trouble eventually. Hoping to find a way to deal with it naturally.

[tailspin]

Hi amaranth, Welcome to the site! There is a lot of good information here about many aspects of anxiety and anxiety treatment, including medication questions and natural options. There are many friendly people here too! I hope it helps you to spend some time here!

[Angie 91]

Hello and welcome to this site :)

[amaranth]

Thanks people, I hope I can learn a few things :)

[PanicPhobia]

Hi all, I am new. Have been diagnosed with anxiety issues for many years. Started having symptoms bad enough to go see the free counselor many, many years ago in college. It affects me in a mukltitude of ways and I am just tired from it all. Tried the medications and they were a godsend but so horrible addictive and that led to more trouble eventually. Hoping to find a way to deal with it naturally.

Yes, it is strange how that works. The most effective meds have the worst side-effects. There is no question, that for me, ativan knocks my anxiety completely out, but none of the docs I see will prescribe a benzo to me (I have only gotten ativan shots when I go to the ER in a panic). I think more and more doctors are becoming more reluctant to prescribe benzos for any reason. Indeed the last time I went to the ER, the nurse said "let me see if I can get you some ativan." She came back and said "sorry, the doctor wont do it."

I was even accused, years ago, by the ER staff of being a "drug seeker." It is pretty insulting, but such is life. Even medical professionals still have a stigma about mental illness and refuse to believe that anxiety can be bad enough to disrupt someone's life. No, instead they believe we are drug addicts looking for a fix. Sorry, I had to get that out of my system as it still irks me to this day. I'm not saying all doctors are like this, but even in 2013 I have ran across it. Of course, I am sure that the ER staff does run across addicts feigning illness to get a fix. It sucks for the rest of us with legitimate illnesses that we have to suffer because of what people with substance abuse problems do.

I recommend seeing a psychiatrist (if you haven't already). Don't rely on a general physician for this as most of them are pretty clueless when it comes to mental health issues. You may find out that you have a dual-diagnosis. Studies have shown that panic disorder is VERY prevalent in people with Bi-polar disorder. Not saying you have that (I do), but if you see a good psychiatrist he/she can rule everything out and hopefully get to the root of the problem. Oh and if you have private insurance (BC/BS, etc) try to find a psychiatrist in private practice. I am forced to see a shrink at a public clinic, and while he is good, he is always booked months in advance and it is VERY difficult to see him in an emergency. If you find a shrink in private practice, you typically have a lot more access to them, but that will depend on your insurance and financial situation.

And finally, if you are looking for a medication option, try out an SSRI. They aren't addictive, but do take 4-6 weeks to work. And some of them might not work for you, which means you and your doc will have to experiment until you find one that does. I personally take Zoloft and it has worked well for me in the past.

Good luck to you, and I am sure many of us can relate to your situation.

[amaranth]

I have been living in poverty for several years due to job loss. WHen I had access to meds it was under a state funded program. I actually had the best therapist I'd ever had- having money or insurance does not guarantee a good therapist. I'd had therapists say some of the most damaging things to me ever back when I was insured. Anxiety drove me to attempt suicide after job loss, loss of my apartment and living in poverty in a violent neighborhood. It was then I found the really good therapist. But now I am interested in drug free ways of dealing with it. I've been through a lot these past few years. I also have a neurological disorder that is aggravated by SSRI's- I tried that and found out the hard way.