Hi,

I've suffered from anxiety for a long time. I've been on medication many years ago (Lexapro, and Benzodiazepines) but have been off the pills completely for a long time (and not intending to go back). Over time I've learned to separate the mental level of anxiety from the biological. The mental level basically controls how you are affected by anxiety in the decisions you take.

For me, I can certainly say I've gained control over the mental level. Anxiety doesn't hold me back from doing anything nowadays. I own my own business and have been moderately successful at that. Going through the process has taught me how to prevent anxiety from controlling the decisions I take.

Now, when I say it doesn't hold me back, I don't mean that I don't feel anxiety. I do feel anxiety, and my anxiety response is stronger & more sensitive than for most people.

So that's the biological level. The anxiety is generated & transmitted by my body's nervous system to the brain. My brain has developed the capacity to ignore these anxiety signals - but my nervous system still sends them.

Now why is this a problem you may ask? Well, I didn't think it was a problem until recently when I realised that the biological symptoms of anxiety can cause other health problems long-term.

For example -
1. Hyperhidrosis
2. Raynaud's Syndrome
3. Hypertension (well, towards the high values, a bit less than 140/90).
4. And just the long-level stress on the nervous system - that most certainly can't be good.

Apart from the discomfort of having really sweaty hands in an important meeting, always having very cold hands, and other such things which I've basically learned to ignore, these things are obviously not good long-term. In addition, it seems that on a biological level I am anxious even when I don't consciously perceive any anxiety. The reason I say this is because I would often catch myself just doing stuff because I'm restless for example, without any reason. Or right now my hands are really cold, despite the fact that I don't perceive any conscious anxiety.

So I would like some help, if anyone has any useful information to provide, about how I could try to deal with anxiety on a biological level, without medication (without chemical ones - I'm ok with natural supplements). I'm open to any suggestions or listening to your experience if you've had any success in this direction. Not even sure if this is in the right category, but if not, please move it.

Thank you very much.