Going through anxiety without medication

[shelly1816]

Hi,

I'm joining the conversation a bit late but just wanted to say this thread has made me feel loads better! Thank you guys!

I've always been anxious, but 3.5yrs ago I had a major melt down and lived in a constant panic attack for several months. It was the most horrendous time of my life. I have since worked tirelessly to beat it, determined never to take meds. I've faced my challenges, volunteered myself to do things, pushed myself all the way (not jumping out of a plane or anything extreme just living life! - completing courses at work, signing up for Uni, making myself more social, talking the kids into London - on my own!). I was still living with my anxiety everyday but kicking its butt!

However, it had been a extremely stressful year. Major house renovation on the go, I increased my Uni hours to go full time instead of part time and I already have 4 kids and a job! I suppose it was expected but just before xmas, out of nowhere I had a panic attack. It was the run up to xmas so pretty stressful, I work in a school and Dec is carnage. I was pretty pleased with myself that id held it together, pulled of a class nativity and prepared for xmas. Then... day after boxing day I get flu, not just any flu, the mother of all flus... I was officially dying.
My anxiety went through the roof, I stopped sleeping and didn't feel like eating much of anything.

I now feel like I'm crawling through life. I'm a bit down on myself, majorly lacking positivity right now and when I'm feeling low and un-positive I struggle to deal with my anxiety and panic. But reading your threads has reminded me where I was 6 months ago, how far I had come. I know I feel cruddy right now but I've gotten through it before and I'll do it again.

Any tips for bringing back the positivity and good moods greatly appreciated!!!


Sending good luck to you all on your journey. We've got this!

[biscuitlover]

Hi

Just wondered how everyone was doing ? AnxietyJoe? Shelly ?

I had moved forward since my last post, even went to the theatre last Monday . Then night before last didn’t sleep and got it in my head that I was relapsing and then i worried and it happened.

All day yesterday constant anxiety , can’t eat , took a sedative to sleep. Obsessed about getting worse and crying over where I got to vs here.

I’ve noticed anxiety can make me very selfish (I’m not when I’m not anxious) and feel I am I only one suffering (which I know I am not) strange thing is I can’t remember how I got myself out of this a few weeks back so panicking I’ve forgotten and can’t do it !

[ankietyjoe]

Hi

Just wondered how everyone was doing ? AnxietyJoe? Shelly ?

I had moved forward since my last post, even went to the theatre last Monday . Then night before last didn’t sleep and got it in my head that I was relapsing and then i worried and it happened.

All day yesterday constant anxiety , can’t eat , took a sedative to sleep. Obsessed about getting worse and crying over where I got to vs here.

I’ve noticed anxiety can make me very selfish (I’m not when I’m not anxious) and feel I am I only one suffering (which I know I am not) strange thing is I can’t remember how I got myself out of this a few weeks back so panicking I’ve forgotten and can’t do it !

This just goes to show that your own thought patterns can really effect the way you feel, and actually having a bad nights sleep can compound negative thinking.

I'm actually going through a bit of a relapse at the moment, but it's fine. Christmas meant I ate badly and then continued that trend into the New Year. I fell off the exercise wagon a bit and for various other reasons stress levels have spiked during the last couple of weeks too. I'm therefore sleeping badly and I can feel adrenaline spikes and the odd sensation of anxiety. But...I'm just letting it ride. I know it'll pass, and yours will too. In essence, just don't think about it, it requires no thought. It's you worrying about that WILL make it worse, and you already have evidence that it can and will go away. Focus on that if you have to focus on something.

[Peru83]

Hi Biscuitlover,

I’ve noticed anxiety can make me very selfish (I’m not when I’m not anxious) and feel I am I only one suffering (which I know I am not) strange thing is I can’t remember how I got myself out of this a few weeks back so panicking I’ve forgotten and can’t do it !

Firstly, you're not selfish. I promise you're not. You are just someone who is going through some sh*t, and who needs to focus on themselves for a bit. That is definitely not selfish, it's just the way it is for us. Please don't convince yourself you're selfish, as this will only lead to you being overly self-focused and self loathing. Remind yourself how utterly badass you are, as you have gotten up today, despite the panic, despite the perpetual worrying, and you're doing everything you can to try and feel better within yourself, but still lead a 'normal' life. All these 'normal' people out there, the non-worrying folk, don't realise how easy they have it

Unfortunately, there is no way to eradicate the anxious feeling entirely, because we need it to keep us safe. Our issue is we have an anxiety disorder, so a lot of the time our anxiety is very much disproportionate to the situation in hand. Plus, I'm sure everyone who suffers from anxiety of any kind can agree, we are all very much acutely self-aware, and we're over thinkers. Terrible combination lol

The best way to manage our anxiety for the long term, is to find coping mechanisms and better ways of thinking. Medication is a good crutch, but not a long term fix, and that is just my honest and humble opinion.

I have been through counselling and therapy over the years. Some of it helpful, some of it not so much. I guess we take from these things what suits us best, and each one of us is different. So what works to help me, may not work for you.

You're sounding pretty well grounded to me, and I'd say (as much as you may feel like it's not the case all of the time) that you're doing really well! Especially given that you were able to gear yourself up to head out to the theatre and try to distract yourself! That's fab Take the victories where you can, however small. It's too easy to be fixated on what we can't do, what we perceive we're not doing right, the blips etc, and we never take the time to celebrate the stuff we do each day that scares us, or we find hard!


I hope you're starting to feel a bit better