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Beat anxiety without pills?

I've been having anxiety for the past month or so and it's crippling my life. I want to get rid of this and go back to my normal self but I definitely don't want to take pills because I don't want to alter my mind or have any of the side effects. My doctor gave me pills to help me sleep which were a mild antidepressant and they just made me feel worse and gave me bad nightmares. Is there anyway out of this without pills?

Written by GoldenHornet Category: Anxiety 9 years ago

Asked 9 years ago

GoldenHornet

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The answer is 'it depends.' Without knowing more about your situation, it is hard to say and on top of that I'm not medically qualified to say whether you need pills or not. I strongly recommend you avoid the benzodiazepenes (e.g., xanax). I was given those for insomnia and developed a physical dependency which I am now finally breaking - weaning off in .25 mg every two weeks. The practical kinds of things you can do are the usual: exercise, improve diet, good sleep hygiene, and learn some Cognitive Behavioral Therapy techniques. David Burns has popularized CBT for anxiety and depression. I used the 'Feeling Good' book and 'When Panic Attacks' to ward off the anxiety producing feelings. Putting your thoughts down on paper and finding the cognitive errors in them can be really helpful. Also, try this website for getting started with CBT: http://www.getselfhelp.co.uk/ Perhaps, it is time to seek out a therapist as well. Also, I found this book on get.gg for sleep problems: Overcoming Insomnia and Sleep Problems: A self-help guide using Cognitive Behavioral Techniques. You'll find it on Amazon.com.

Answered 9 years ago

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Hi there, If you are anything like I was then it is the panic attacks at night that are the hardest to fight (the mind is wandering, everything seems a little less real) but the good news is, yes - there is a way to get by without pills. For me, I would never worry about whether I could sleep or not - sometimes I would read until 3am but I'd never try to force sleep to come. Or I'd listen to audio books on headphones until I'd drift off. Anxiety robbed me of a few years of my life but I feel the best I've ever done now and it just happened gradually so just give it time and keep it in perspective...it doesn't define who you are :-) The other thing I would say is, don't be too dismissive of pills. Perhaps ask your dr if you can swap to ordinary sleeping pills. I found they got me through some tough nights early on but the anti-deppressants made me a bit too foggy. Good luck - I wish you the best!

Answered 9 years ago

Lymond

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This sound so stupid but when you start feeling the anxiety coming on, go take a shower and/or have a cup of tea. The warmth centers you body or something like that. Haha :) That's what I do when I have panic attacks. AND TV helps too. Comedies though. Not anything too deep or that will make it worse. And if that doesn't help after a week or two try going to a therapist. (NOT a talk therapist! They're useless.) A CBT therapist. Mine has taught me to "talk back" to the crazy in me when I get into panic attacks. Now I have a bunch of weird strategies that actually help! If you ever need any other strategies on what to do when a panic attack comes on, message me! :) I hope your anxiety decreases soon!

Answered 9 years ago

poggofry

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xanax has helped me with the intensity of them.

Answered 8 years ago

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Beat anxiety without pills?

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