Has anyone managed anxiety without meds?

[nalongo_liz]

I had been on meds in 2002 for anxiety and panic. I was on meds for about a year and then went off because I did Congitive reading that really helped. I then went back on in 2004 through the summer of 2006 for postpartum reasons. I have been off another year and have done great!. Then we started having alot of stress....and my husband was going to go to Uganda to visit his parents and suddenly I had a few night of trouble sleeping and anxiety for a few days. I tried Zoloft and Celexa anmad they both made me feel worse...and depressed. So now that I'm off the meds for a week, I am feeling more like me,but if I don't keep my mind busy with work etc, the worrying is there. I know which thoughts are realistic and which aren't....and my psych thinks with work, I'll be able to work through it without meds. Its just real hard. I worry about being at home with my 1 and 2 year old in the evening because I fear I'll have anxiety. It bothers me to worry about that because I adore my kids and love every second I spend with them. I know that alot of what I am going through right now is what the meds have made worse, because I didn't feel this way until the screwed me up. I know it will get through it ...and probably will go see a counselor. I just can't believe how the meds made my anxiety so much worse! Its crazy! Has anyone else got through this?

[Worriedmummy]

Nalongo,
I actually don't have a choice but to go through this without meds right now because I don't have insurance for myself. I'm a stay at home mom and my husband makes enough to buy groceries and get the bills paid an thats it. I do know a lot of what you are going through though. I have a 2 and 4 year old. The first time i took meds was after I had my first daughter. I didn't realize I was going through postpartum till I witnessed my husband go over a cliff in his car(I was in the car behind him, fortunantly everyone was ok) I started panicking and was realling depressed and finally saw my doctor and got on lexapro.I needed it after my second daughter also. But since we've moved I can't go to a doctor anymore and its not going away this time so here I am going through this without anything but these boards. I don't even have the support of any of my family. Ways i'm getting though this are like you keeping busy, I play online games(they make me forget about my issues) like Sims2 and World of Warcraft, and breathing excercises really help when i'm having an attack. If you need someone to talk to i'm here

[The Pedro]

yes I think you can I have minor episodes at the moment every 3 or 6 months. Sometimes you have to go through it for a bit so that you almost become a practised master at fending it off. I found meds good to give me a start but my control of my mind or lack of it has the biggest effect on my symtoms but hey we are all different. If you can, read a bit about how panic attacks work and anxiety this can help you to understand and rationalisewhat is happening to you I found this to help me a great deal but its hard at first cause reading about stuff can make you nervous in itself but stick with it.

[R8DRN8SHN]

I tried smoking marijuana and the first and second time I smoked, I started laughing like I've never laughed before. It made me happy. I also had history class the next day and for some reason, none of the anxiety was kickin in. It was weird. I think Im gonna get through it through smokin pot.