I have suffered from severe anxiety for almost a year now.

[skeith0721]

I have anxiety at some point every day. Sometimes I can't function. I can not describe it to anyone so they can understand how I feel. My best friend today told me just to always look for the positive in everything. He does not get it. I am so alone in my suffering. My general doctor gave me zanex, but it puts me to sleep. I do break them in half and I don't get quite as sleepy. I find this almost unbearable and don't know what to do about it. I have no health insurance so I really am not in any treatment. I do see a therapist and have to pay her $100.00 for an appt. That adds up. I could be in therapy everyday. Is there anyone out there that has worked through this themselves and can tell me what to do.

Sometimes any noise makes me very nervous. I have to turn my cell phone off at times. Most of the time I would love to be just completely alone.

Sherri

[yargo]

hello Sherri, sorry for the the situation you're in. Having no health insurance with a disorder like this is tough. I've had it for 15+ years and just FINALLY found the right combination of meds that so far seem to be working.

Xanax no question will work and should stop any on coming panic attack in its tracks however xanax usually isn't a long term medication.


I'd try to scrape up a $100 and see psychiatrist and tell them the situation you're in. Many doctors have free starter sample kits of various meds but it's up the doctor what type of medication you should be on.

Not to mention from what I was told, xanax only stays in your system for 4 hours and you're back to square one again. You need something additional to the xanax I would think.

Good luck and when the doctor is talking about the possible meds you should be on, ask him/her if they have any free samples or even vouchers you can use so you can get the meds at no charge.

John

[TigerShot]

Hi, Sherri,

I've had unexplained fatigue and shakiness in my arms and legs for around 2 years due to a burnt out college semester. I felt lonely too because I felt that no one (not even my family) understood what I was going through. My behavior changed from bright and positive (yes, note your best friend's advice) to serious and irritable. I actually thought to myself at certain times what the hell I was doing on this planet and thought I might be better off dead. My general doctor thought I was depressed. Maybe, but I thought that was bologne. I gave up on my doctor. I've tried so many things to "cure" my problem. Celexa, red ginseng, astragalus, and herbal supplements from Native Remedies. Strangely, none of them worked, but what's stranger is my fatigue seemed to be getting better starting a few months ago. I'm not sure why, but I do believe my problem was due to anxiety. I think I just got sick and tired of worrying what kind of problems I might be having and decided not to worry about them. The mind plays awful tricks. :(

I still get shaky, but I'm going to give swimming a try since I read that swimming can be good to reduce anxiety (or other forms of exercise such as running, yoga, tai chi, etc.). I think I know what you mean with the cell phone. This one guy I've known from a few months back had begun to call or text me a lot recently to play tennis. He's a good guy, but for some reason annoys me. I think turning off the phone is the best thing to do, especially for anxiety. Best to take it slowly.

From my experiences of working out with anxiety myself for 4 months, I tried to rid the stressors in my life. Meditate 15 to 30 minutes before sleeping, getting adequate exercise (walking is great), not worrying about other people's actions, etc. I don't know if you experience general anxiety or anxiety attacks, but belly breathing works pretty well for both. Make time for just yourself and not involving anyone else. I find watching comedy is great for battling anxiety (gets the good hormones going). If you're wondering, I am kind of like a hermit :lol: and mostly watch the comedies by myself so might work for you. Don't underestimate watching comedy movies with a friend or 2 at a theater though. I could be wrong, but it sounds like some of your nervousness may be due to social anxiety. I like to go to the movies with friends I'm most comfortable with and the feeling of watching a comedy with them is just great. Don't stay cooped up in your house for too long because you'll feel like crap. Trust me, I've done this for around more than a month and I regretted it.

Just remember, the "cure" for anxiety is different for everyone. Medications and supplements didn't do squat for me, but I found that by changing my mindset I got to get rid of some of my stress and am working on it daily. I don't hope but know I will get rid of most of my stress eventually. I've also found that I haven't been motivated at all and this can be a key factor to eliminating my anxiety so trying to find something motivating to do may help you. Yes, it can be difficult to find motivation, but it may be something to talk about with your therapist if you decide to go to the therapist again. Also, try and identify the problems associated with your anxiety. This will help you think about what is causing your anxiety. Your therapist can help you with this too and offer you strategies or solutions. I hope for your success and the very best.

Sincerely,

Sean

P.S. Sorry this was a long post. I also have to mention if you plan to take medications to make sure they're helping you eliminate your anxiety. It just infuriates me that doctors with Western knowledge prescribe medications that only mask the symptoms, not cure the underlying problem and anxiety can be the caused by so many things which is why it's important for you to discover what's causing your anxiety.