Anxiety treatment without medication

Common Questions and Answers about Anxiety treatment without medication

anxiety

1669548 tn?1318788734 Hi All, I'm curious to hear from anyone else who practices Cognitive Behavioral Therapy for their anxiety, and how effective it may be long-term without medication- I've been using CBT for about 2 years, and it's been a godsend as far as reducing the severity and frequency of debilitating anxious moments, but I still feel that my baseline anxiety level is higher than it could be.
1086863 tn?1278630315 Some of us have mental issues that require medication. I practice many techniques to reduce anxiety, but know medication is a base I must work from. When my son was murdered by his father four months ago, I was recovering from anal cancer, I had brief grief-induced negative thoughts, which I've resolved with the help of a therapist I can see at no charge at the cancer hospital. I am glad to hear you have an answer to your anxiety.
1458891 tn?1285644238 s condition has worsened, but I can tell you that without treatment, our son has become a dangerous stranger to us.
3183328 tn?1351183517 I agree with the above poster that the decision to use medication as one tool in the treatment of anxiety, is a unique and personal one. Peronally, for ME, anti-anxiety medication gave me the "courage" if you will, to face a lot of my fears. When the anxiety would get severe, I just couldn't do certain things (like drive, or go far from my home, etc). I took Ativan "as needed" and would often take one before an anxiety-producing situation. It helped a LOT.
Avatar f tn Im afraid of becoming addicted to them, and from what I hear most anxiety medication is highly addictive so I have put off any sort of treatment for my anxiety.
Avatar n tn Right now I feel I can manage my anxiety without taking anything extra. When my anxiety becomes bothersome I drink Kava tea and take a hot bath. When I was suffering from debilitating panic disorder years ago, I took the lorezapam once or twice a day until the Paxil kicked in. My panic attacks this time around were benign compared to those of years ago. The 12.5mg of PaxilCR has done wonders for me.
1679320 tn?1306382914 is it possible that anxiety doest come back after taking medication for it or is it a guaranteed to hit you again after stopping?
Avatar n tn Also my psychiatrist told me alot of people who suffer from anxiety/depression will think the medication is making them worse because the are already struggling with anxiety/depression. However, some medications just don't work for people, or cause side effects such as fatigue. I was on lexapro 10mg for a year, then stopped, and started to take it again for a little over a month and it no longer worked for my anxiety. So I slowly weaned off the lexapro and switched to cymbalta.
Avatar f tn Ive been prescribed somas and vicoden for 2 years just recently found out in pregnant but i can go without something to relax me i was on effexor and xanax as well i dont kno what to ask my dr thats safer i have bad anxiety and panic attacks as well as bad back pain due to car accident .
Avatar n tn No, counseling is not the answer for anxiety. The correct treatment involves intervention, therapy and possibly medication. The first person you should contact is your family doctor for advice and a diagnosis. If he/she is unable or unwilling to assist your son, then ask for a referral to a medical person with experience in anxiety disorders (I'm assuming anxiety is the issue and from your description it is highly suspect).
1694901 tn?1317005964 batmanjoey is so right! Therapy is very beneficial but sometimes we have to accept that we need medication....and that's okay. Anxiety is like any other medical condition requiring daily medication to control the symptoms. If you were told you had diabetes, you wouldn't think twice about taking medication for that.....anxiety is no different. Anxiety is robbing you of so much and therapy and/or medication is how we fight back.
Avatar f tn Hi Busyb, Welcome to MedHelp's Pain Management Forum. I am glad you found us and took the time to post. I assume your Physician has prescribed these medications for you. How long have you been on this combination of meds? The responses to your question will vary. Many ppl are concerned about taking Acetaminophen (Tylenol) on a daily basis. Your current level is 2,600mg daily.
Avatar f tn Hello and welcome! Besides taking the Ativan, what else did you do to address the anxiety? If you only took the Ativan, you likely didn't work on learning proper ways to cope, or explore possible reasons for your anxiety. Medications can have their place in anxiety treatment, but they don't "cure" us of anxiety.
Avatar m tn My cardiologist suggested that I take a very low dose of Atenolol to help with the anxiety attacks since my main complaint is my fast heart rates. Is this a wise choice for anxiety, or is there another medication or method to help me get better?
864211 tn?1239265299 ok don't believe in the ADD thing about your son. kids that young are hard to diagnose and you DO NOT want to label him and make him feel like he can't do things. make him feel like he's smart and better, and able to do whatever he sets his mind to. about your husband. a lot of people here has been or are on antidepressants during treatment for hepatitis c. if your husband isn't on treatment for hepc, then there might be a lower correlation between the 2.
Avatar n tn I have worked with and through my anxiety all my life. I try to never let it stop me. I have had medication for probably at least six years now, most of the time on zoloft. I take 150mg of zoloft everyday. I still have off days but for the most part life is good. Could I have a life like I do now without med? Will I ever stop feeling the pains from my anxiety. Can SAD just go away? My brother suffered from add but he is in highschool now, off all meds, and doing fine.
Avatar f tn Many times it is difficult to identify a likely cause and, in either case, you might benefit greatly from medication treatment for your anxiety.
Avatar f tn A good psychologist who specializes in the treatment of anxiety is the place to start, and if the therapist thinks you need medication he or she will tell you. A regular doc isn't the best person to do this with -- if you do decide medication is necessary, a psychiatrist would be a better choice. As for side effects, they come before any effects. It will take 4-6 weeks most likely to see if the med works for you, but side effects start immediately.
Avatar f tn I'm planning on going back onto medication for depression and anxiety as it's got much worse since being pregnant. I think after your first trimester any defects people claim pills can cause are massively decreased because your baby is developed much more. Just go through all options with your doctor first and any cons of pills you may take. Ask to see a counsellor as well as that may help as well.
2064754 tn?1333375663 Of course, make sure you talk to your psychiatrist and determine if you really need medication or if you can go without it. Many people medicate without a second opinion. Most don't even need the medication, they can go through other forms of therapy. Best of luck!
Avatar m tn I have recently been prescribed Ativan for a social anxiety disorder but I am concerned that this medication will cause me to gain weight and seems to have much more side effects than Wellbutrin, so should I request to be changed to Wellbutrin which does not have as many side effects - mainly causing weight gain.
Avatar n tn m not sure you really have unusual cortisol levels -- you can suffer anxiety without having high cortisol, but with panic attacks the levels do go up. Successful treatment would lower that experience.
Avatar f tn I have been experiencing anxiety for quite sometimes and have severe physical symptoms along with it such as nausea, weight loss, tingling, shortness of breath, and loss of appetite. I have been experiencing it for almost a year now and have tried to talk to my parents about it many times. My parents do not believe anxiety is a real problem and that it's all in my head and I need to stop being so stressed out.
Avatar m tn No matter what kind of treatment you try for anxiety, it takes time, patience and some work on your part to allow for success. Therapy is an important component of anxiety treatment, even IF a person has decided to take meds, or herbal supplements. Therapy helps to teach us how to break the cycle of anxious thinking, which is what keeps us on the anxiety rollercoaster. I also agree that you need to exercise caution when trying a "natural" or "herbal" remedy.
Avatar f tn can then recommend a treatment plan for your anxiety - which might involve talk therapy, diet/exercise, medication (anti-anxiety meds / antidepressants), or a combination of all three. I had severe irritable bowel symptoms associated with panic / anxiety, that are now under control with my current treatment (lexapro, xanax, therapy, and exercise). Hope this helps..