Lived Experience Forum

[Flower88]

I have been suffering from anxiety since early this year and have managed it with natural meds and magnesium. Can I ask what kind of meds that have given you the least side effects? After a massive panic attack today I'm going to look into meds from doctor

[suzanne]

Hi @Flower88, interesting to hear that you were coping with the natural treatments for a while.  If it seems that the panic attacks are increasing then it sounds sensible to look at what else is available.  In this forum we ask members to avoid mentioning specific medication as we feel that these conversations are best had with treating professionals.  So, responses will need to be simply about the type of meds, such as anti-anxiety or anti-depressants, rather than the actual medication name which you were perhaps hoping for.

It's interesting that the anxiety has just come on this year.  Is there something driving it that you're able to work on? 

[Grim]

I suffer from anxiety but mine is brought on when i try and ring my partner and she doesn't answer. My question is what are some helpful hints to help me overcome my anxiety

[Heart]

Hello @Grim, @Flower88, I have found mindful techniques help me. 

If you are unsure of what they are, it is bringing you mind back to your breathing, looking around and observing the things around you: what can you hear, what can you smell, what can you taste in your mouth, etc.

I am not on any medication and find this helpful to me. There is a website called Mindful.org and you can sign up for newsletters. They have suppestions on different ways to settle the mind and body in differet way.

Hope this helps. Take care

[Sahara]

Hi @Flower88,

when I first sought help for anxiety and depression, years ago, my main problem was also severe panic attacks. I found that anti-depressants effectively prevented the panic attacks. Antidepressants are frequently prescribed for panic disorder and anxiety and are approved for this use in Australia. 

As well as antidepressants, I took minor tranquilizers for anxiety, when I needed to. These didn't seem to have any side effects for me personally, but they can be addictive.

The antidepressants had some side-effects for me, but the side-effects were no-where near as bad as suffering severe panic attacks multiple times per day. I would take side effects any day over panic disorder- which nearly drove me to despair. I can't even really remember what the side effects were- some kind of muscle twitching and a kind of weird 'whooshing' noise occasionally heard inside my ears are the only two I can recall. 

Honestly, even if these drugs had caused all my hair to fall out (which they don't!!), I still would have taken them, becuase I couldn't bare the panic any longer.

[Sahara]

Hi @Grim,

the kind of specific anxiety that you describe might be something you would like to talk over with a trained, experienced paychologist. I just wanted to say that I, too, had the same anxiety problem as you, amongst many other anxieties as well... plus depression, plus panic disorder. 

For me, anxiety when my partner didn't answer my calls was due to fear of rejection and abandonment issues. While a healthy person might find it mildly annoying when their partner doesn't answer their calls... they would just say something to themselves like "Oh, she must be really busy right now. I'll call her tonight." Then they would cease to think much about it.

For me, being massively anxious already, I would spin into an emotional crisis and fear that either something terrible had happened to my partner or else he didn't love me anymore. Then I would look like an idiot by calling his phone and leaving messages all afternoon! 

In most cases, I find that people can't really relate to this type of anxiety and I would end up being thought of as completely over-the-top and possessive. Which I'm not, really. I'm just anxious.

However, with 10+ years of counselling, I have improved a lot - and now I'm happily married and don't seem to have much relationship anxiety at all.

I still have anxiety about other stuff, though.

[Magic68]

Hi Flower88

That's really inspiring that you have managed with natural therapies till now, i am also looking into natural therapies for my conditions. I am going to try and find a GP I once had who was also a registered Homeopath who I am hoping will be able to give me some advice.  

It might be helpful to find a GP who is comfortable with your natural therapies if your current GP is not.

In the sense that although you may be prescribed medication for your panic attacks you dont need a GP who may overlook your success thus far.

looking forward to hearing how you go.

[jamesle2015]

how much magnesium do you take?

I took some magnesium and I felt strange so I stopped taking it.

[jamesle2015]

I had a problem with feeling 'stuck' one morning...

I'm not sure if you have experienced it....standing in one place and feeling uncomfortable and not wanting to move...

I was staring at the ground for a while

[Former-Member]

@jamesle2015 I get stuck a lot too.
I get paralysed and I can't get out of the house - is that like the kind of thing that happens to you?