Has anyone beat anxiety for good?

[bally2]

Hi there,

i dont post often on MN but i am going through an awful time with anxiety. I dont want to take medication. I want to beat this through councelling/ hypnotherepy etc..Has anyone beat it naturally and completly cured themselves?

Before discounting medication completely, go to your GP to see if there is a hormonal cause. My anxiety was caused by early menopause and slightly underactive thyroid. Taking HRT and thyroxine have utterly transformed my life. This is not the same as taking taking anti-depressants. I have also refused anti-depressants, and rightly so - they would not have resolved the underlying hormonal conditions.

Once my anxiety was under control I was able to benefit from CBT - which does not, of course, involve drugs.

Thanks Prettycandles,

Is this done by bloods? I have been to GP and she didnt mention anything about hormonal imbalance, she just thinks i am suffering with anxiety since having ds2. I do think i had a bit of pnd after having him. Im not feeling depressed anymore, just anxious.

Are you having other symptoms? Eg hot flushes, irregular cycles, memory problems, mood swings, exhaustion (new baby blurrs the picture!), poor sleep, weight gain despite sensible diet/unable to lose weight, dry skin, joints aching for no apparent reason. I cantthink of any more, but I'm sure you get the picture.

When I reported these symptoms the GP was fairly sure but sent me off for blood tests to rule out anything else.

Has your GP mentioned CBT? It's very good for treating depression, though I don't know about anxiety. I have had a very helpful course of CBT.

No not really..have been tired but have two young kids! Im only 26 so hope im note going through menopause!

I will ask GP to check bloods next time im there. She did recommend CBT, she gave me a number for a woman she had heard was good. I keep meaning to ring and make an appointment but have been putting it off. I go through good and bad patches but it is always lingering. When im in a good patch, i think i can get over it myself then ill hit a bad patch and i avoid making the call for some reason..i have promised dp i will ring this week. It is really stating to affect both of our lives. I have a really bad fear of death and when i am in a bad patch, everything scares me. I dont like being out my comfort zone..I really hope i can solve this, i just want to be back to my normal self...

Hi Bally 2,I have been on medication for nearly 5 weeks and feel much better now its not for long a 4 to 6 month course and its a chemical thing and needs to be addressed go and speak to your GP and have a chat as we are all individual and with different needs ?also I am getting 6 free sessions for thearapy and councelling and if needs must get the meds now and be rid do not suffer as its not like years ago they have different meds on the market and they will help you if needed see your GP and take care hope this helps you x

Bally, I suffer from anxiety too. The one single thing which helps me is very simple, so simple I rubbished the idea when first told it. But for me, it really helps. I think it's called 'circular breathing' technique, and the theory is that it forces your body to calm down. Breathe in slowly to the count of 4, hold for the count of 4, breathe out slowly to the count of 4, hold for the count of 4.... and repeat.

Counselling also helped me several years ago.

It's true, breathing really does help. Singing is also helpful because it forces you to regulate your breathing.

When we get anxious or stressed we tend to breathe shallowly, or in uneven gasps, which affects the balance of chemicals in our blood, which increases the physical symptoms of anxiety, which increases our perception of our anxiety, which makes our breathing even more shallow and uneven, which...

But, like CBT, it is something you have to make the effort to to do. You have to heal yourself - tho not alone, with the guidance of the therapist who guides you along the techniques.

"When im in a good patch, i think i can get over it myself then ill hit a bad patch and i avoid making the call for some reason"

Classic . It takes many of us a long time to make that call. Go ahead and do it.

Hi BALLY2 - think you are getting good advice on here so not much to add. As others are saying everyone's anxiety is different and it can only be diagnosed by symptoms really. I think I would agree with others who are saying - go see a GP (a good one if you can) and tell him/her how you are feeling. I would keep an open mind and not rule out meds or counselling, and maybe you will need a combination of both. Anti-depressants can also treat anxiety as they are closely linked and there are good drugs available now that you may only need for a short time.

Oh and I agree about the breathing - helped me a lot when I was suffering. Hi Weesudders- glad to hear you are feeling better - I too have been on an even keel for 3 weeks but can't yet trust I am really blip free and fully recovered!

Let's hope 2011 is a better year for all of us suffers of anx/dep.

I had a panic disorder for several years. I tried CBT and it didn't really work for me, not least because I failed to manage to leave the house to get to half the appointments

I resisted drugs for a long time, but my life was becoming unmanageable so eventually I gave in and started taking propranolol. It was a wonder drug for me!

Once the panic attacks were more or less under control I started to wean myself off the propranolol and I'm now down to 4mg a day, and I started on 40. People with high blood pressure can take up to 200mg a day (I think?) so what I take is a minimal amount and is probably not much more than a placebo tbh.

I found that the beginning of the end of the attacks was when I accepted that they were part of who I was, that I had to accept them and know my boundaries. I learned my triggers (lack of sleep, hangovers and surprise social occasions) and kept them to a minimum, and from that moment on they subsided dramatically. I haven't had a full blown panic attack for years now, and it's a massive relief.

The things that used to freak me out, I started to do them on good days more and more often until they became commonplace (going to the cinema or a restaurant were my two longest lasting problems, but at its worst I couldn't stand in a queue in a shop) and although I still need to sit on the end of a row in the cinema (for a quick escape if necessary) I haven't actually had the need to leave for quite a few years.

I also always carry rescue remedy and cough sweets with me. Unfortunately one of my symptoms of an attack is coughing which I simply cannot stop which starts a cycle of panic/cough/panic/cough which is not only annoying to me but others around me. If I'm feeling a bit nervous of a situation I suck on a cough sweet which has the duel effect of stopping the cough and giving me a quick blood sugar top up which also helps.

Anxiety can be crippling, I wish you lots of luck for a recovery. If you had a headache, you'd probably take a paracetamol, try not to be too worried about taking meds for anxiety.

nearly, but the prozac helped.

now when I feel anxious about silly things, I reality check myself.

ie

"I have a pain in my shoulder. I am a reasonably healthy 30 year old woman. The likelihood of this being a heart attack is slim. It's probably because I flipped ds2's mattress the opther night when he wet the bed."

I found popping the pills made it worse (a lot worse, pills stoped me from sleeping, shakey etc). The trouble with GPs they dont have time to assess they just want to write a prescription. Most GPs have no understanding of mental problems and IMO you can spend years popping more pills without anyhelp. Yes CBT worked wonders for me.

First of all you have to understand what triggers these attacks. Once you understand that then you can learn to overcome them.

If you think its mild then I would see a CBT councellor as it may simply be the way you feel about coping with your busy, stressful lifestyle.

Sorry if I'm being thick but what is a CBT councellor?

Thank you so much for all this advice.

Shannaratiger, CBT is Cognitive Behavior Therapy.

I dont actually have trouble with my breathing when im having a panic attack. I have health anxiety, when i panic, my head goes all twitchy and i feel dizzy and my forehead goes numb. I have a major fear of being sick which started after ds2 was born.

Its horrible. I heard about a website on another thread on here (nomorepanic.co.uk)its really helping me as im realising that most people that suffer with anxiety have these symptoms and they are not symptoms of a brain tumour.

I wasnt that bad until recently. It is getting worse and i am starting to dread going on nights out. I dont know what i am afraid of..I think im scared something will happen me when im out and if i am sick i woul prefer to be at hoem rather than out in a crowd, it sounds silly when i write it out..

I have told dp it is my new years resolution to fight this.

Bally2 - I totally understand - I had/have (now rarely) very similar. It works in a vicious circle - You feel stressed, stress causes headaches, dizziness - all symptoms of health issues you're worried about. This makes you more stressed, which makes you dizzy, makes your heart beat faster, giving you 'tingling' sensations which makes you worry.... ad infinitum. It's a massive pain in the ar*e and I hate it.

I would definately speak to your GP - especially if it's getting worse. I did, and luckily had a wonderful lady who really put my mind at rest and explained I was under pressure and my body was reacting to it. If it's gotten to a point where it's dictating your life (i.e. reluctance to go out) then get some professional advice. Just think what it'll be like after you've been, the relief that everythings OK and that you've started to take control of it.

If it starts to happen now I have a technique to divert my thoughts away from whatever I'm feeling anxious about. All I do it dart my eyes around objects where ever I am, and label them in my mind as quick as I can. (It's a technique I also use to sharpen up before meetings/work.) Although this doesn't solve the root cause of the axiety, it can certainly help manage it. HTH

"I dont actually have trouble with my breathing when im having a panic attack. I have health anxiety, when i panic, my head goes all twitchy and i feel dizzy and my forehead goes numb. I have a major fear of being sick which started after ds2 was born."

Twitchiness, dizziness, numbness and a feeling that you might be sick are all symptoms of the imballance in blood chemistry caused by rapid shallow or irregular breathing.

Think back to your ante-natal classes, and the importance placed on correct breathing.

We are rarely aware of our breathing, yet it has such an enormous influence on our well-being. Which is why developing awareness and practicing conscious breathing can help us so dramatically.

Thanks Guys.

Its os good to hear from other people whp are going through or have been through this. DP trys to understand but really you cant unless youve been through it yourself.

Kpee, I was told of that technique before from a friend who had CBT. I must start using it. Thank you.

Pretty candles, your right about the breathing. I suppose because i dont have the feeling that i cant breath when im having an attack i didnt think i had an issue with breathing. Your right though, i need to work on my breathing. I was actually thinking of joining yoga. this may help me with it.

ITs great to offload on here!

Im going out tonight. Im nervous but kpee i will defo try that technique and the breathing exercises if i get panicy. im sure i will be grand after a couple of glasses of wine!

Hi all glad everyone seems to be happy and all the best for 2011 to you all thanks NannaNina your a lovely lady bless you all and those of us on the medication do not over enduldge or we will suffer tomorrow for me no wine tomorrow 2 glasses best to feel good as awful as we all know how that feels have a lovely time xxx (smile)

yes. And I had it bad. rally bad. I wouldn't even say i was a particularly strong person (wahtever that means - I mean, I'm a worrier, not very good at being on my own, unsupported, think far too much, overactive imagination - all the ingrediants, which when coupled with stressful life crate anxiety) Anxiety can be beaten. I never took medication. At its worst, I couldn't leave the house. I probably wouldn't even be able to write on this as there may be key words which would create panic attacks. i could write 20 pages on how anxiety affected my life and some of the things I did to try and cope with it!

have hope - you can beat anxiety. I went from not leaving the house, and all the other phobias that can develop, (again, I could write forever - when i did begein to travel, i used to make routes to go via hospitals in case I had a panic attack ("stroke")-used to have maps in my pocket to ensure I was never mroe thatn 5 minutes away etc etc etc etc. ALl the time, keeping ti to myself. What a stressful life!

From that, can you believe I have travelled and lived abroad. And, done it with peace. Considering the very very dark palce I was in, I didn't even thnink about anxiety. And, when it does come back, I apply my cure. my sure is down to an inspirational woman - please ge hold of the book my Dr Claire Weekes - and apply it. APPLY IT. if you rad it and don't apply it, it won't work. FAFL is the process - get the book it will explain. This Dr will blow you away with her ability to understand you. I also studied medicisne and let me tell you to all those who applied it = 100% cure. I have lived with frustration of NHS dealing out drugs when really the answer is in calming your body down - do breathing exercise or body scan every morning but this alone is notenough - do the Dr Weekes cure. When I discovered this book, i took different highlighters. Highlighter reassuring facts/ sentences in one colour and in another colour thihgs I needed to remember.

i have to go. please answer if you want me to explain anything.

I am not an expert although i have some study in the feild. i am writing this as an ex-suffered of anxiety.

I agree that trying to distract your mind can help. but, it is usually not enough - it's always the way, sin't it, when you try not to think abotu something, it comes back. Dr CW calls this fighting - instead you need to accept the thoughts and then througha process of FAFL (its very similar to training a toddler - behaviourism), the thoughts no longer have power. Read the book, it will explain. it's 100 % effective.

wow - my spellings are terrible but I ahve a toddler pulling at my leg constantly! Also,after re-reading it, i'm really not on commission for the book! I could explain instead if i had more time but it is just easier to direct you to that book.

Im not sure where to start and this may be a bit disjointed - sorry.

My mother - I now realise - has always had behavioural issues. She has always been pretty toxic - mostly to me (only child) and my dad. She has always been either crying hysterically, screaming and name calling, vile and rude or clingy and childlike - never just 'normal'.

A few months ago a minor illness seemed to tip her over the edge. Her short term memory has deteriorated rapidly in e space of six months to the point where she can't recall a conversation had five minutes previously, goes to shop but can't remember what for, bought my DD the same item for Christmas x 4 and then cried when she realised etc. She is also even more aggressive than usual and has been vile to me over Christmas - calling me awful things in front of my DCs and walking out on Christmas day in a foul
temper for no reason.

I have attended four GP appointments with her and the GP believes that she is depressed and this is causing the memory loss and mood swings. The chemist supplies her medication in a weekly chart sheet with the days in bister packs but she can't seem to follow the course. My DH has been driving to her house several times a week to check her medcation and it's always in a muddle. W can't leave it to my Dad as he (like me) is regarded as the enemy and she won't let him near her or her tablets and screams at him, lies and hides them.

My DH cannot sustain this responsibility and i am struggling with the 6 or 7 phone calls a day whe we just talk round in circles. She calls, we talk, she says I'm lying and there is nothing wrong, I remind her that we love her and want to help and that we've had the conversation twice already that day, she tells me we haven't spoken, she calls me names and slams the phone down, she forgets we've spoken and an hour later we do it all again.

I now have her best (and only remaining) friend calling me everyday to tell me how 'mad' mum is and that she keeps forgetting plans they've made or things they've agreed - even though they spoke an hour earlier.

I did call the GP and tell her i was concerned things were getting worse and she referred mum to s specialist who agreed with the deprerssion diagnosis but she still seems to be getting worse not better.

On top of this my DH who has been fab, is very stressed at work and also has a a lot of childhood issues. Like my mum he is too stubborn (and selfish actually) to get professional help so he drinks every night and becomes very verbally abusive and unpleasant. It's like living with Jekyll and Hyde.

I know they are both ill in their own ways. Both refuse to 'talk' to a professional about the issues that have brought them here and chose instead to use me as a kind of therapy (my mum is always telling me how she hates my father, should never have married him etc, and when DH drinks he rants similar things about me :(. In the day (sober) he apologises, but it still hurts.

I am tired. I want them to get better but don't know what else i can do. I feel my DCs are starting to suffer by witnessing such volatile mood swings and hearing me be insulted by my mum and DH - I just don't feel equipped to cope. Any advice would be welcome and sorry this post is so long and full of typos.

Me, my dad, my DH and her best friend have all told here that she must believe that we

Sorry (blush) don't know how this landed here

Bally, my personal opinion is that I think you're scared of the fear itself. Phobophobia, if you like (not sure that's a real word ) This is why panic is a self perpetuating cycle, and why I think that accepting can be the beginning of the end. If you stop fighting it you, in time, get stronger and more used to the situations that are currently doing your head in until they become every day to you again and not a big deal.

ilovenewpjs - your post was so positive and inspiring.

Just wanted to share with the op that I "beat" anxiety too. (incidentally I am a mental health nurse now, I was at my "worst" with the anxiety when a student nurse)

I beat it in several ways. I had a traumatic childhood and I saw a counsellor when I was a student who was broadly cbt based. I learnt how not to be scared of the physical symptoms. For the last 10 years or so I have learnt that it is "normal" to have the early feelings of anxiety but I am now able to stop it escalating.

Practical things are very important for me, I try to eat and drink regularly and get enough sleep. Also I physically need time on my own/own space and have to prioritise this despite having young dcs.

At my worst I suffered with a churning tummy and terribly high pulse. Once in a lecture it was around 160 but I stuck it out and stayed in the lecture and that was a bit of a turning point too. I also convinced myself I had "food allergies" which was creating the stomach pain and churning. I don't, it was pure anxiety. For a few months I ate a very restricted diet (rice krispies, cream crackers, soya milk and a few other things)

I feel that surviving anxiety has made me able to empathise more as a nurse. I don't tell my patients that I suffered in the past, but I imagine that I am more understanding as a result.