Same Old Anxiety

What are some of the things you're doing to alleviate anxiety?

You say you are bipolar, I am, also. I take Mirtazapine (anti-depressant) and Lithium (stabilizer, so that the anti-depressant doesn't send my depression into mania.)

Are you taking anything for the depression and for the mania?

As for anxiety, my medicine seems to handle that. I have a driving test to get my driver's
license. I'm not anxious about it. My medicine has it under control. Does your medicine help with your anxiety?

Are you still trying to do as little as possible because the job you held was disagreeable?

I just recently got to where I could drive and go to the grocery store, doctor's, etc., for the first time in 28 years. It does me a world of good. At the grocery, I see all kind of people, just seeing them is theraputic. Sometimes I interact with them, including the cashier or bagboy, etc.

Grocery shopping also gives me exercise, sometimes more than I can handle with the size of the stores. Do you buy your own groceries?

Is there a neighbor you can help who has trouble getting around? Do you like to get out or do you dread it?

What do you think you can do to get out and reduce your anxiety? Are you sleeping OK?

Rich, you said in your first post:

"I have some things I can do to alleviate anxiety, but I sure am frustrated with anxiety greeting me each day."

So, anxiety is at the top of the list now that the mania and the depression are under control.
I've had anxiety before and I could hardly function. I felt kind of paranoid. I got on the right medicine and I didn't feel like that anymore. For my bipolar, Iam taking Mirtazapine (for the depression) and Lithium (for the mania).

Why don't I have anxiety and you do? I might be the medicine we're taking.

For instance, for my bipolar, I'm taking 1. Mirtazapine, an anti-depressant which meridian.allenpress.com says about how it handles anxiety:

"Upon review of the literature, mirtazapine was found to perform significantly better than placebo at controlling symptoms of anxiety with comorbid depression, post-traumatic stress disorder, generalized anxiety disorder, panic disorder, and social anxiety disorder; and with comparable efficacy...." Nov 1, 2015.

I'm also taking Lithuim which calmclinic.com says:

"Norepinephrine is usually responsible for increasing the heart rate and sending blood enriched with sugar energy or glucose to tensing muscles during the fight or flight response that can occur when you are afraid of something, sometimes resulting in panic attacks. Lithium limits the amount of norepinephrine that the body can process, which decreases the severity of the anxiety symptoms caused by the body’s fear response.
• Serotonin The more serotonin is present in your brain, the more relaxed you are. Research has discovered that men have more serotonin receptors in their brains than women, which is part of the reason why women are more prone to anxiety disorders than men. Lithium improves the body’s ability to synthesize serotonin. This simply means that the body’s levels of serotonin increase in response to lithium, which has the effect of improving mood and reducing feelings of anxiousness."

The net, meanwhile, says about how your medicines help with anxiety:

1. Duloxetine is an antidepressant medicine. It's used to treat depression and anxiety. NHS.uk.com.
2. Lamotrigine is used alone or with other medications to treat epileptic seizures in adults and children. Lamotrigine is also used to delay mood episodes in adults with bipolar disorder (manic depression). Drugs.com
3. Olanzapine is an antipsychotic medication that is used to treat psychotic conditions such as schizophrenia and bipolar disorder (manic depression) in adults and children at least 13 years old. Drugs.com

The reasons I am calmer than you, I think, is because I'm taking 2 meds that not only treat my bipolar, but also treat my anxiety:

You're taking 1 med that also helps with anxiety: Deloxetine.

Again, in your first post you said, "I have some things I can do to alleviate anxiety, but I sure am frustrated with anxiety greeting me each day."

What do you think?

Mirtazapine has only a small anti anxiety component.
Lamotrigine does not delay moods, it stabilises moods.
And yes better as a non stand alone, as it is a foundation medication.
What a site says does not dictate what a doctor prescribes, and some meds have other uses,
like mirtazapine as a sleep aide.
Just being mindful regarding what a medication is and what it is prescribed for. HT