If you were successfully treated for/recovered from anxiety - how?

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I've had anxiety since my son was born 3 years ago. I function fine but it's hard work constantly worrying about something and Id like to be done with it now.

If you had anxiety, and it's gone - can you tell me what worked for you?

Not me but my husband.

He ended up undergoing in-patient treatment in a psychiatric hospital for several months. Lots of very intensive therapy combined with a lot of exercises to help him get past the panic and stabilise his thinking pattern. They pretty much broke him down and built him back up again.

For him, it’s not “gone”, he’s just able to rationalise his thoughts more and deal with the panic before it spiraled out of control.

18 month treatment with a psychologist - changed my life
Medication which I can't see myself ever coming off
All the usual stuff like exercise, good sleep habits, cut down on alcohol, good diet.

I still have days that aren't great but I'm like a different person. Suffered from anxiety my whole life. Worst in my 20s. Only looking back I realise how unwell I was. It wasn't really picked up on properly until I had my children and I got proper treatment.

Fluoxetine worked for me.

Yep me. Therapy. Got to the root cause of it.

Thanks everyone

@Changingmyname1234 what medication is it? I'm interested in what meds are working best for people too

I would love to know peoples suggestions also as I suffer from crippling anxiety, currently on citralopram, have tried several different pills, counselling also but feel like the older I'm getting the worse my anxiety is getting.

Acupuncture helps me deal with all my symptoms. It does things that western medicine can’t, and no side effects. I can go in a stress ball and come out relaxed like I’ve had a massage and the calm feeling stays with me.
Can’t get it just now unfortunately but I’m doing ok. Looking forward to when it opens again!

CBT and Escitalopram. I'd started having panic attacks after years of anxiety.

Ironically, no longer hoping that it would go away at some point also helped. I'd always thought that "one day" it would get better, but when I accepted that it was a disease that wasn't going to go away and sought help through medication and therapy, things started to improve.

Think of it like any other illness/ailment and ask for help.

Therapy, lots of it, overhaul of diet and regular exercise. I have to stay on top of the last two. It hasn't gone away but I can recognise it from what it is and am mostly able to stop it spiraling. Work in progress still

Sertraline

Nothing has worked for me so far. CBT didn't help. I have propranolol but that doesn't change your thoughts. I paid for therapy but could only afford 5 sessions. I'd love more.

Vit d. 2000iu a day
Talking things through (sometimes just talking through your fears really helps, obvious.but true)
Outdoors. Less driving more walking

Sertraline. Took about 2 weeks to adjust but then it changed my life. I would seriously consider medication as an option along with therapy.

Fluoxetine has worked for DD.

Duloxetine for me. Less ‘numbing’ than fluoxetine for me. Have you had your thyroid checked? It can often go crazy after giving birth.

I'm really appreciating the replies

Just googled symptoms of thyroid problems and I don't seem to have any of them. Thank you though

Therapy for a couple of months
Mindfulness a couple of times a week
Fluoxetine every day

I am so calm and happy now, anxiety is a bastard but it can be treated.
Good luck OP

Counselling. Not CBT, that does nothing for me. Person centred and open conversation. Getting into the habit of accepting anxiety - it sounds weird and I was really against it to start with but my counsellor was good and once I’d accepted it I learnt to manage it. Once I was managing it well, it started to diminish. I don’t think I’ll ever be free of it at all, but I can manage it pretty well now.

I can’t take SSRIs so I’ve had to do it without. I really needed a lot of time and support from DH, especially when I was having panic attacks.

CBT for panic/phobia really worked and continues to work for me. You do however need to be able to commit to the process and fluoxetine got me to a place where I was able to make the most of CBT. My first sessions were about 6/7 years ago but it was after a refresher about 3/4 years ago that it massively clicked and I still use the techniques now. Anxieties never truly 'gone' but it certainly doesn't affect my day to day life at all.

Setraline for me. I have/had ocd (with cbt to manage) depression and anxiety for all my life that I can remember. I had pnd after my DTs were born and they’re the reason I started ads.

For the most part, my life is anxiety free. It’s glorious, and I regret having wasted my 20’s suffering with my own mind.

💐💐 for you op

I don't have any answers as I'm in the same position.

Anxiety is an absolute bitch

Good luck

Sertraline, CBT, healthier diet, no caffeine, alcohol. Exercise, running helped, did c25k. Headspace app, controlling breathing. Learning that you are in control of you, nobody else. Finally, removing the source of the anxiety.

CBT worked well for me. Also drinking less alcohol. I still find if I drink I feel anxious the next day, but am otherwise fine most of the time.

Magnesium, exercise, and I gave up alcohol two years ago - that was the biggest one for me.

Gave up alcohol entirely- this made the biggest difference although was very hard because I used it as a crutch- I felt that I only really relaxed when I had a glass of wine in hand.

Also running, yoga, cbt.