Make Yourself Feel Better from Anxiety!

Listen....
I want you to know that just about a year and a half ago I was constantly on the forum looking for advice as to how I could stop this horrible anxiety that was plaguing my life. Endlessly, I searched this forum and others looking for answers - looking for people to reassure me that my depression and anxiety attacks would end.

A year and some-odd months later I am here to tell you that all of the terrible anxiety has left me. IT CAN FOR YOU, TOO!

#0 - Quit going to a multitude of doctors looking for someone to tell you that you have something wrong with your brain. I went to five in the span of three months. Had brain scans. It was all the same result. ANXIETY. Generalized anxiety disorder. You have anxiety. You may also have depression. Moving on...

#1 - Lexapro was a big help for me. The first two months were a real adjustment process. Fuzzy head. Felt super hot often. Panicky at times. I was on 10MG for about 6 months. Quite honestly, while it did well, the dose was affecting the way I was sleeping. Weird dreams. My doctor allowed me to cut it down to 5MG. I am still taking that amount and am doing very well!
If you are just starting Lexapro, my personal advice is to not take it in the morning. It made me sleepy and groggy. It sometimes made my head feel like it was spinning, too. It does not make you a weird person in any way - you are always yourself....it just may make you feel a bit out of it. I took my Lexapro at about 7PM - 10PM. I always liked to give it about two hours to get into my system before bed time, so I could rest well. This is just my advice. I am not a doctor. Consult your doctor.

#2 - Piece of advice.....don't be afraid of your Xanax (or other benzo). I was so very afraid that I was going to become addicted. My advice is to start small and, if needed, work up. Personally, if I ever felt panicky or "weird", I would take a half of a .25MG Xanax. That was often enough to calm me down. Sometimes I would need to do this for a few days in a row in the evening. I DID NOT BECOME ADDICTED. Keep in mind, though, I would always make myself go days without using any benzo so to clear my body. Still today I take the occasional half pill of Xanax when I feel I just need a really good sleep and to have that mental refresher. People starting an antidepressant often times do very well using something like Xanax during the start up time frame (first month or so). Again, consult the doctor.

#3 - Sleep really helps! Get lots and lots of rest!

#4 - Quit that coffee and quit that alcohol for a while. For a good 6-8 months I quit all drinks that were stimulating or mind altering. I wanted *NOTHING* affecting the way my body naturally worked. I drank LOTS and LOTS of water. Constant water. Fresh water helps so much inside your body and mind.

#5 - Get to that gym! I made myself jump into the gym 3-4 days a week. 30 minutes...that's it. I made it a point to really push myself with cardio. Running. Walking up hill on the treadmill. Lifting some weights. Swimming. Anything that would get blood pumping and that would make my body work and get natural endorphines

#6 - Blueberries, turkey, grape juice, and green vegetables. Eat them. Drink them. Healthy mind food. Also, give your body good lean foods. Chicken and turkey and vegetables. This, along with exercise and lots of water will REALLY help. Why you ask...??? Your gut! Your stomach has a direct line to your brain. They interact. If your gut is feeling crappy, your head will feel crappy, too.

#7 - Stop being scared of yourself. This one is harder to make suggestions on, because everyone has to realize and live this on their own. YOU YOU YOU are the reason your anxiety fuels up. Calm it down. Instead of getting worried about things, change it up and get busy with something instead. Don't sit around that house and feel sorry.....go jog! Don't dwell on the medicine making you feel loopy.....go watch a funny movie and laugh! Get busy doing things that take your mind away from panic.
When panic DOES come on talk yourself through it and say "NO!" , "HELL NO!". Take a glance around you and realize that you are safe and in control. Tell yourself that you have a strong mind and a happy heart. Smile. Perhaps you may even need to take a moment to lay down and take some really deep stomach type breaths. Realize you are a healthy person and that you control how you feel.

These are lots of suggestions, but DO NOT look at them as impossible steps to take.
They are all quite simple to put into play. Most of these things you can start doing RIGHT NOW! Tomorrow can be your first day toward a new, anxiety free life.

Most importantly....realize that this is temporary. Understand that this is a unique hurdle that you were given in life because someone upstairs believed you were strong enough to endure it. Aniexty, depression and panic absolutely do not have to rule you!! In fact, they can become nearly nothing in your existence.

The entire reason I came back on this forum tonight after so many months away was to tell YOU that you can recover. Have you been looking for a *SIGN* of some sort? Well this is it. You are not going crazy. You are not defective. You are beautifully flawed and totally normal. You are going to be JUST FINE. :)

Lovely post!!! Thank you for taking the time to share your experience! It Gives so much hope!! Take care and be well!

This post had me in tears. Pooldrops5, everything you just wrote is exactly what I/we need to hear.

Your advice is unbeatable, thank you thank you thank you.

xxx

  TY P.D....great share.

May your progress continue!

S.C.

Thank you for a wonderful inspiring post.

I'm so glad that many of you are finding this information helpful and relieving.

When I was dealing with such anxiety I remember being at a point of life where I was so hard on myself and constantly aggravated with not being good enough and feeling lost. I was in between jobs and single. I did find a job that I liked with a great company but still single. However, I started dating and playing the field A LOT! Being found desirable by multiple people really made me start feeling good inside. Just a thought for you...(if you're single of course lol)

To be frank, I stopped over stressing a lot in life. Bills and money used to really mess with my mind. I began to think of these things differently. They are going to come and keep coming regardless if I am stressed out or not. It's just money. It's going to burn up either way. Just will keep working hard and making more of it!

Give yourself a break and have fun with the life you are living. You have only one shot in a lifetime.

Thank you very much for your support and encouragement <3

Pooldrops, I have mentioned you in my latest post. You are a hero in my eyes:

https://www.healingwell.com/community/default.aspx?f=9&m=3492166