missymiss
03-10-2008, 04:18 AM
Hello All
I used to suffer from acute anxiety. After a lot of trial and error I have found some ways to make a real difference, and thought I would share it in case it would help someone else.
I am 32 yrs old and started to get panic attacks while on holiday in Thailand five years ago. My view, is that it depends on how bad that experience is for a person, if its really really bad as it was for me, making big changes is a small ask.
I gave up smoking straight away and caffine. I reduced my alcohol.
I started swiming regulary. All this reduced my anxiety to the point that I only ever got it when I had a drink, yet I only needed one or two and it was back !, or had a stressful event...(ie) flying. which is bonkers as I used to be an air stewardess.
And that was how I continued up until about a year ago. I always felt as though I was "managing" my anxiety. I had three months of CBT, which while reasuring, didnt actually reduce the attacks. It made me feel less weird about having them.
The one thing that also didn't sit well for me, was how my body had changed from this first attack. There was a distant line in the sand of before and after, in the way in which my body processed alcohol.
Completely different. And it wasnt a psycological response...it was chemical.
I asked many doctors about this, without an explaination. I was offered anti anxiety pills, beta blockers etc... yet after reaading how there was a small chance that the symtoms could be made worse in the first few weeks, I resisted. It also felt for me, that it was another step away from me controling my own feelings and sensations. Which anxiety is really...
Then a year ago, a friend of mine who is a nurticianist, suggested I take magnesuim. Around this time I also started taking high grade fish oil.
I got this from mind 1st (google it !).The magnesium is from the nutri centre.
It seems that the combination of these two daily tablets, swiming regulary and taking additional milk thistle before I drink has done the trick. I even have a banana and a soluable magnesuim tablet before an eveing of drinks. Now I can drink normally with friends, and no anxiety !
I also sleep deeper, and genrally feel much more emotionally strong and together.
I feel that I must have been deficient in these two things. I would definately suggest for someone else to try this. Set a target of three months, magnesuim, fish oil and swiming. See what happens. There is also additional evidence, that this kind of excercise can heal the brain. (see healing without freud or prozac..a book)
To take the pressure off, I swim for 30 minutes most days. I dont count laps. Sometimes I swim non stop, sometimes I lark about. The point is to switch off my brain, to regulate my heart, to rid tension and to release endorphines for thirty minutes. I cannot descirbe how good I feel 95% of the time after my swim. It sets you up for the day and I feel fantastic.
Also in my experience, anxiety ruled me. It took control. By doing the above, I made a choice to take control back. I was scared of the dark, of driving, of the supermarket...I had weird thoughts racing through my brain, my whole body would shake, the full monty. It was really really bad. I called nhs direct several times...had valium...felt insane..truly insane...
Because of that, I wanted to share this with other people. Had someone said to me I may be deficent in magnesium, my recovery could have much been quicker. The hale clinic in london offers tests for nutient and hormone imbalances.
I hope this helps someone. Plse feel free to mail me.
Wishing everyone who suffers, all the best.
Helen
I used to suffer from acute anxiety. After a lot of trial and error I have found some ways to make a real difference, and thought I would share it in case it would help someone else.
I am 32 yrs old and started to get panic attacks while on holiday in Thailand five years ago. My view, is that it depends on how bad that experience is for a person, if its really really bad as it was for me, making big changes is a small ask.
I gave up smoking straight away and caffine. I reduced my alcohol.
I started swiming regulary. All this reduced my anxiety to the point that I only ever got it when I had a drink, yet I only needed one or two and it was back !, or had a stressful event...(ie) flying. which is bonkers as I used to be an air stewardess.
And that was how I continued up until about a year ago. I always felt as though I was "managing" my anxiety. I had three months of CBT, which while reasuring, didnt actually reduce the attacks. It made me feel less weird about having them.
The one thing that also didn't sit well for me, was how my body had changed from this first attack. There was a distant line in the sand of before and after, in the way in which my body processed alcohol.
Completely different. And it wasnt a psycological response...it was chemical.
I asked many doctors about this, without an explaination. I was offered anti anxiety pills, beta blockers etc... yet after reaading how there was a small chance that the symtoms could be made worse in the first few weeks, I resisted. It also felt for me, that it was another step away from me controling my own feelings and sensations. Which anxiety is really...
Then a year ago, a friend of mine who is a nurticianist, suggested I take magnesuim. Around this time I also started taking high grade fish oil.
I got this from mind 1st (google it !).The magnesium is from the nutri centre.
It seems that the combination of these two daily tablets, swiming regulary and taking additional milk thistle before I drink has done the trick. I even have a banana and a soluable magnesuim tablet before an eveing of drinks. Now I can drink normally with friends, and no anxiety !
I also sleep deeper, and genrally feel much more emotionally strong and together.
I feel that I must have been deficient in these two things. I would definately suggest for someone else to try this. Set a target of three months, magnesuim, fish oil and swiming. See what happens. There is also additional evidence, that this kind of excercise can heal the brain. (see healing without freud or prozac..a book)
To take the pressure off, I swim for 30 minutes most days. I dont count laps. Sometimes I swim non stop, sometimes I lark about. The point is to switch off my brain, to regulate my heart, to rid tension and to release endorphines for thirty minutes. I cannot descirbe how good I feel 95% of the time after my swim. It sets you up for the day and I feel fantastic.
Also in my experience, anxiety ruled me. It took control. By doing the above, I made a choice to take control back. I was scared of the dark, of driving, of the supermarket...I had weird thoughts racing through my brain, my whole body would shake, the full monty. It was really really bad. I called nhs direct several times...had valium...felt insane..truly insane...
Because of that, I wanted to share this with other people. Had someone said to me I may be deficent in magnesium, my recovery could have much been quicker. The hale clinic in london offers tests for nutient and hormone imbalances.
I hope this helps someone. Plse feel free to mail me.
Wishing everyone who suffers, all the best.
Helen