how to overcome depression and anxiety without meds?

Question

i have had these for years. however i took myself off my meds about 2 months ago and do not feel depressed anymore i think the damn meds were doing it. i may have a spurt of depression here and there but not nearly as bad as i was however my anxiety is overwhelming. i cant enjoy life! i constantly worry that every move my kids make will result in them getting badly hurt. i feel i am stopping them from being normal kids that rought around. also my car anxiety omg its sooooo bad. to the point i dont want to go anywhere anymore because im scared. storms are another big one. if it looks like a storm coming i wont leave . if we are out and i see lightening we have to pull over and go in somewhere. no smart *** answers please i am being sincere. i considered counseling but with my husbands work schedule and moving to a new city i have no one to watch my kids while i go.

Answer 1

It is certainly possible that psychotherapy may be helpful for you. Unfortunately, in some studies, 85% of psychotherapists admitted that they practice without any specific model or theory in mind. Personally, if I saw a psychotherapist, I'd like to make sure they weren't just "winging it," but unless you have an understanding of specific models of therapy, this would be obviously difficult to judge.

One thing you may try before seeing a psychotherapist (especially if it is inconvenient or too expensive right now) is to consider self-help psychotherapy. Presently, the only psychotherapy model that fits a self-help model is Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT), which is a standardized psychotherapy (meaning no psychobabble) for treating depression and anxiety. Please do avoid fringe or mainstream self-help books--any self-help should be designed around CBT specifically. One that I know of is called "Mind over Mood" by D Greenberger:

http://www.amazon.com/Mind-Over-Mood-Change-Changing/dp/0898621283/ref=pd_bbs_sr_1/102-2383797-9184942?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1192862947&sr=8-1

Many people get a response equivalent or perhaps better than medications with psychotherapy alone, so it is not unreasonable to try this first. HOWEVER...

Please do consider an evaluation with a psychiatrist at least once to get their opinion on medications. The questions you need to know for yourself are:

- how likely is a medication to work for you?
- if it works, how much of a difference will it make?
- what should you expect if you do NOT take the medication?

You should have the answer to these questions before you make any decision on (or off) medications in general.

As always, discuss these and any questions with your doctor.

Answer 2

you need to take a break from your current lifestyle as the alchol isnt doing you any good. and in the media last week there was alot of fuss about studys that show that anti depressant arnt actully that efective on most people( only seems to be the servely depressed) they did some studies where partisapants were given plasibeos or a drug and the people on the drugs didnt have more of an effect then the people on the plasibo... just the fact of being told that it would make them feel better made them feel a little better... also in alot of cases people are being put on these drugs for life and often they have to increase the doseage to keep the effect the same, but if your a manic depressive.. takeing pills seem the only way to keep the moods stable your diet though does have n effect on your moods so does exersise however i do know that if your feeling depressed its hard to get motivated to do exxersise but i can honestly say that once you get going you do feel better... it has something to do with the endorphins which are relised due to the exercise or somthing. sorry for all the spelling errors

Answer 3

Common and expected tips would be.........splashing cold water on your face(triggers the diver reflex), any kind of distraction, talking to yourself(quietly or loudly, no joke), listening to LOUD music--anything that will get your mind off of things.
If your like me, these things aren't going to work. Not many people understand that these things that are worrying you are attached to your mind until you find a way to solve the problem that is consuming all of your energy.
Descriptively plan a specific day where you'll be alone. Make sure that you have plenty of time for yourself and think, think, think, and think some more. Let your dark thoughts consume your mind and find ways to enlighten them.
I might be crossing the line with this, but Mary Jane never hurt anyone. Believe it or not, it is used as a medication, to treat pain, for cancer patients, and excedera. I don't know about you, but depression and anxiety are both straight walks through hell. Who has the right to say that people who suffer and struggle with these diseases aren't entitled to the "drug" when cancer patients are???
This is coming from a Clinical Psychologist rummaging through the dark corners and fighting to make the key to happiness legal.

Answer 4

Read your question/statement again.

Your anxiety is overwhelming.

You can't enjoy life.

You worry about the kids.

You're afraid of going anywhere.

You're afraid of weather.

You seriously need to go back to your doctor and get back on the medications. Tell him that you were depressed, but you are now full of anxieties. He can adjust your meds and maybe reduce the depression but get rid of the anxiety.

Taking yourself off these medications without his knowledge or assent can be dangerous. If you don't go to the doctor for your own sake, do it for your kids.

Answer 5

There are natural herbs and vitamins and minerals for you to take. These are from the advice of Janet Maccaro, PhD:

-take 5-HTP. You can buy from pharmacy.
-take GABA. It is an amino acid you can buy from the pharmacy. it restores the tired and anxious feelings you have.
-take multivitamin and especially vitamin B and C.
You can also try Siberian ginseng, Valerian, Passionflower, St John's wort and Kava and Omega 3,6 pills.
Eliminate sugar and caffeine from your diet. Take low fat, high fibre.
You may need to see a counsellor to deal with your thought patterns. When an anxious thought comes, replace it with a positive thought.
Exercise, go under the sun each day.
Do something to distract yourself.
Have enough sleep, more than 7-8 hours of sleep per night.

God bless

Answer 6

dont listen to anyone else here...they are nuts. i have had the same problem for years...meds do help but you dont want to be doing that all your life. so many of the meds end up in lawsuits! the best thing for you to do is get into fitness. exercise everyday, vigorously. the anxiety will mostly go away and that will alleviate your depression. start weight lifting. body building. a better body will bring you more stares and compliments and you will start eating it up. also...exercise regulates your chemicals in your brain...which is what the problem is...a chemical imbalance. im serious...exercise really works!!

Answer 7

See anxiety treatments, at http://www.ezy-build.net.nz/~shaneris on page 6. Set yourself a fixed limit for worrying about any particular subject, (say; 15 minutes) after which, resolve firmly to refuse to even consider that subject again on that day: realise and accept that to do otherwise would be counterproductive to your mental health, and enjoyment of life. Use the technique for reprogramming negative thoughts, on page 2, to help you in this, and consider carrying a wide rubber band in your pocket, as a means of reinforcing it. Practise one of the relaxation methods on pages 2, 2i, 11, or 2C, daily, and read page 2L. Read the whole section.