Forest said...
The Dude Abides - Exercise is great! As is smart tech. Speaking of that, I try to reduce my EMFs. I have not tried that, but I might have to give it a try. I think I did have a daily meditation for about a month there. Thigns got worse, so I couldn't concentrate at that point. I am worse too, so those treatments are not enough for me, unfortunately.
My "exercise" was pretty mild, since I can't do all the things I used to do. So, it was a 20 minute walk on a pretty flat, paved surface. But, I suppose that's better than nothing. I'd not been out on a walk in about
a month. I really miss being physically fit. C'est la vie, I guess.
Anyway, I've only read a couple of your posts, but I could sense your worry. This is understandable, given all you're trying to manage. My panic/anxiety* started one night, about
20 years ago, out of the blue. I was just sitting in my car at a red light one December evening. At the time, I didn't understand what was happening, as it was fairly mild. However, it was a harbinger of things to come. My first full-blown episode would happen just a few months later. It jolted me from a deep sleep one Sunday morning and I thought I might be having a heart attack. I quickly dressed and drove like a maniac to the nearest emergency room. That's when they told me it must have been a panic attack.
At different times, over the years, I've taken three different medications for my panic/anxiety* -- Ativan, Klonopin, and Xanax. Like many folks on this forum, I don't like taking prescript
ion medications. So, I only took them when absolutely necessary. Otherwise, I suffered through many panic episodes without medication. If I had to do it all over again, I'd likely use the medication more often. However, I did learn to guide myself through non-medicated episodes. Thus, that was a positive outcome of "white knuckling" it. It's been a few years, since I last had a prescript
ion for Klonopin. Even then, I never filled it. Just having it made me feel better. Before that, I had a bottle of Klonopin, but never took any of the tablets. Again, just having it on hand helped. I managed through the panic attacks on my own.
Not everything works for everyone, as you well know. And, what works today may not work tomorrow. The same applies to diet, supplements, herbs, antibiotics, etc. So, in the case of your anxiety, you'll have to tinker with different approaches and find the best combination that works for you. It may be a medication on its own. Or, it may be medication plus a mindfulness practice. Or, medication plus mindfulness plus some technology like Alpha-Stim. So many things affect our mental health -- including diet, sleep, stress-reduction techniques, etc. Those things are mentioned so often that I worry they're not taken seriously by some people. They often seem less seductive.
If you've heard the "Rocks, Pebbles, and Sand" story, then you can apply this to your quest. Start with doing the big things that make the most difference (the rocks), such as sleep, a healthy diet (that's right for you), and any exercise that you're able to do. Then, move on to the smaller things (the pebbles) that are less important but still make a significant contribution when combined. Finally, if desired, you can give any remaining attention to the smallest details (the sand) that may remain.
Admittedly, I have a pr
opensity to get bogged down in minutiae. So, I remind myself: "Don't major in minor things."
I wish you success in finding relief. While it's not always easy, I absolutely believe it's doable.
Dude
_____
*Though the terms are sometimes interchangeably, mine is more panic than anxiety.