Anyone suffering from anxiety?

Question

Has anyone been diagnosed with anxiety? I was diagnosed with stress induced anxiety and depression about a year ago and it seems to be getting alot worse. I actually think i've developed ocd. I don't have medical insurance on myself and it is extremely expensive to see a doctor about this. What should I do? Any home fixes for this crap? I'm driving myself crazy so i know the people around me are suffering too.

okay the smart butt that said sex, i do get plenty of it!! that is no real solution to mental health problems but thanks anyway. I have considered going to my family doctor but alot of times they try and treat a problem that doesn't exist. What would be something to tell my doctor to actually get them to listen without them recomending that i see a pyschiatrist. This is getting to the point where i just want to through in the towell but i have two small children and i don't like the sound of that. Any doctors or nurses have any idea of what I should bring to the doctors attention?

Answer 1

It is extremely expensive to see a doctor, but would be well worth the money to make one appointment with a family physician and explain your situation. Some depression is caused by hormonal and other imbalances in the body. You can try homeopathic treatments, but if you're getting worse you may need one of the newer anti-depressants. You can't put a price on good mental health, and it would be worth your while to make an appointment and start treatment that can help you gain better control of your life.

In the meantime, cut out ALL caffeine; that means coffee, caffeinated tea, chocolate, caffeinated sodas. People who are prone to high anxiety are often extremely sensitive to caffeine. Watch your intake of white sugars and foods. They can throw your blood glucose levels off, which only adds to your anxiety. Be sure you're eating enough protein and enough B vitamins. Looks up nutritional sites and find out good Vit B foods; they are essential for good nerve health.

At this time of year, depression can increase because of the lack of daylight. Try to get out in the sunshine as much as you can. Some people find waking up to an ultraviolet light, and spending 15-30 minutes under that light first thing in the morning helps their depression.

Although it may cost you money, my first suggestion is to see a family doctor. You don't need to see a psychiatrist if your doctor, or the NP in the office, will listen and prescribe something for you. Give it a try so you can build up your mental strength and be able to better cope with this challenge. Good luck!!

Answer 2

I've never been diagnosed with anxiety, but I have had periods in my life where I was overwhelmed by it, and by 'ocd-like' symptoms. Here's what worked for me.

Exercise like crazy. I'm serious, the more the better. If you get up early and go for a long run, you get a feeling of calm the rest of the day (I do, at least).

Take some time to do something meditative everyday; write in a journal, write a poem/short story, paint, listen to music, whatever. Even just 20 minutes of quiet, doing nothing other than thinking about your life, may help a lot.

Join some support groups. I believe there are support groups for people with anxiety and depression; I know there are some online, and maybe that's all you need.

If all else isn't enough, and you really can't afford a therapist or a doctor, there are some over the counter medications you can try. One that has worked for me is Kava. It is sold online as herbal supplements, or as a tea you can make. The supplements are better for regular use, as the tea tastes awful and wears off fast. Other people have found valerian root and magnolia bark to help as well for anxiety, and St. John's wort for depression. You may want to cut back on caffeine intake as well.

Answer 3

The problem with anxiety is that it is usually a symptom of another problem-- most of the time it's physical! Anxiety can come from hypoglycemia, hypothyroid, a hormone imbalance, adrenal problems, low progesterone, etc.

If you're getting terrible fear, heart palpitations, mood swings, crying spells, and are feeling both sad and very anxious, you can take steps to unravel the problem.

The first thing I'd check is diet: if you eat a lot of sugar, or are sugar sensitive, you could be hypoglycemic. A change of diet will make a huge improvement, and as your body heals, you'll feel better each week. You can balance your serotonin and endorphin levels (brain chemicals) by what you eat (or don't eat). This takes longer to get right than drugs and it does take some effort on your part, but once you get it, you have total control over how you feel-- drug free!
http://hypoglycemia.org/hypo_test.asp is a good place to start.

Depression can be lifted by changing your brain chemistry, which can be done by choosing different activities.
http://www.recoverfromdepression.com/betaendorphins.htm Again, this isn't an overnight thing, but if you start small, and make a conscious effort to reduce the negative activities while adding more positive ones, you can feel better. Repetitive obsessive compulsive behaviors (OCD) is your brain's way of trying to raise your endorphins! Help it by replacing OCD behaviors with healthy ones.

While you're working towards healing, there are some inexpensive natural herbs and supplements you can try- some work for some people, others work for other people. SAM-e, Valerian (relaxing), passionflower, chamomile, Omega oils, or any combination that supports mood.

Another thing is to try some all-natural progesterone cream which you can get for about $20 at most health food or drug stores. This works well if you also suffer from PMS. For more info on progesterone and anxiety, this is a good place to start: http://www.womentowomen.com/SYManxiety.asp

Take care of yourself. Believe me, you can feel better.

Answer 4

Hi there...sorry to hear about what you're going through:-( I'm not a doctor, but I do know quite a bit about the causes of anxiety, stress, and depression. Without getting too technical, it boils down to how your brainwaves or thought patterns work. You see, all mental states have certain brainwave patterns...for example all happy people will have a certain kind of brainwave pattern, and all anxious people will have a certain brainwave pattern. Fortunately, we've learned that your brainwave patterns can be "changed" from a "stressed out" pattern to a "happy" pattern, simply by listening to the proper sounds. Not just any sounds, but those that specifically change your thought pattern. Sounds technical, I know, but that's because it's a highly scientific technolody called "brainwave entrainment"...where your brain is actually trained to feel the way you want. In the end, all you may want to know is that it works...and can mean that you feel great and don't need pills anymore. I hope I've given you some hope and some valuable info. Let me know if I can help.

To your success,

Optimizer

Answer 5

Social anxiety can cause these feelings, which can also lead to severe depression,
http://www.socialanxietyinstitute.org/ds...

if not you could be suffering from Generalized Anxiety
Disorder..http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/general_anx...

There is hope; I've been there, and still am there, it is a long, hard struggle. I recommend
Cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT) http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/cognitive_b... worked best for me, with mild anti-anxiety meds. I suffered from social anxiety for over 15 years. I've tried individual therapy, and group therapy and studied psychology for 10 years, as a profession, but also with the hope to cure myself.

Depending on your comfort level, you could go to a psychologist that practices CBT and specializes in anxiety disorders, seek a group therapy, or create one. Usually those that do attend the group therapy are a bit more high functioning because as you know, it can be difficult to speak in a group.

Another idea is to see if there are any local research studies being conducted that you could participate in.

The program that finally worked the best for me is this one: http://www.socialanxiety.us/findinghelp.... and I was lucky enough to have a structured behavioral group to go along with it. Sometimes the people that actually attend this program come back home and form groups.

I recommend a mild anti-anxiety med in addition to CBT therapy.

Any questions, let me know ... I can't tell you how much this has improved my life!

Answer 6

You have a lot of good answers. . . and I would like to add one more that nobody has written about, at least I don't think so. . . and that is exercise. I take a very low dose of med. for anxiety/panic disorder. I'm trying to keep the dose low so I don't become addicted to the med., and so far it's working. To supplement the med I do a lot of cardio exercises at my gym -treadmill, elliptical trainer, and you can do the same by running, biking, etc. for at least 20 minutes a day.

Definitely eliminate all caffeine from your diet.

Depending on your community, there may be a free clinic where you can get some help. Also, do you have a crisis center nearby? Hope this helps.

Answer 7

See if you can get some kind of State Aid insurance. If not there are always clinics with sliding fee scales. I suffer from depression & anxiety, these are serious symptoms. You need to see a Dr. and be treated with medication. I'm not too much on home fixes myself. Breathing exercises help when you are very anxious. But I can't see you to show them to you! Like I said find a Clinic that takes a sliding fee scale. I know here in CA they have them everywhere, Please get some help soon.

Answer 8

Natural remedy for anxiety is valerian. You can put a few drops of the liquid in a cup of water. St. John's Wort tablets are a natural anti-depressant. Check your local drugstore or a health store like GNC. I've been diagnosed with both for many years but I take prescribed meds through a paid prescription plan. I understand how you feel. Its very expensive to receive prescribed treatment.

Answer 9

Have you explored state-funded options for medical insurance? There may be medicare programs to help you.

Contact your state's Medicare or welfare office to find out about healthcare options. Medical insurance is worth the investment and if you can't afford it - most states have programs to help or low-cost clinic care available.

I have sought help for my anxiety and depression through my physician and it has done wonders for me. Some medication and counseling has helped me bring these feelings under control, have improved my quality of life and really have made me a much happier, productive person.

Start with your state's health department to find out what your options are for basic medical care. This is a medical issue that you can't find a cheap fix for on the internet. Once you can get access to a primary care physician, talk to your doctor about your options.

There are also good resources at www.depression.com and www.webmd.com

Good luck.

Answer 10

You may find relief from your anxiety -- as well as other symptoms -- from flower essences. They are a natural remedy that has been proven over time to help people with these and other complaints.

As a flower essence therapist, many of my clients have been very pleased with their results. You can learn more about how flower essences work, and whether you think they might help you, at my web site below.

One of the best things about flower essences is that they are not expensive, have no side effects, and are safe for everyone. For many people, within one to two weeks you can begin to notice relief.

I will give you some links below if you'd like to learn more.