Can you overcome anxiety?

[Afternooninthepark]

I’m 45, I’ve suffered from anxiety most of my life. I’ve had really bad times with it and had much better times. However, over the last year or so, it has really become troublesome and is starting to take over my life. I’ve had a few stresses over the last year which haven’t helped but it’s really getting too much at times.
I hate the feeling of the actual anxiety but it’s the physical symptoms which I really struggle with (IBS, aura migraines, general feeliings of malaise etc).
I’ve just completed a 12 week CBT course which helped to a degree but I feel I neeed something more. Something longer lasting.
I do wonder if my age and increasing anxiety is perimenopause related but I’m not getting very far with my gp on that one.
My New Years resolution is to really try to kick this anxiety in the butt, I’ve had enough of it.
So what I’m asking I suppose is, is it possible to overcome anxiety?
I’ve never taken antidepressants, although I’m always being offered them. Maybe it’s the only way to overcome anxiety for some, maybe for me?
Has anyone controlled their anxiety through whatever means?
I’d love to know as I genuinely have had a gut full of living like this!

applepants by the time I sought help I was in a real state. Got the sertraline straight away. Wish I had done it years before

Thank you for starting this thread OP. And thank you to everyone who has contributed to it.

I explored loads and loads of other options before sertraline - diet, hypnotherapy, meditation, breathing techniques, counselling.
Now I think of anxiety as a chemical inbalance in my brain and sertraline sorted that out. It was a huge relief to feel that I was no longer responsible for having to try and find the solution or change myself somehow... if that makes sense?

Looks like Sertraline is a popular anti d.

Sertraline. First two weeks bloody awful but then the relief was massive as it’s been a complete game changer. I sleep better and things that upset me before I deal with much much easier. Getting a prescription was easy. I’d tried other non medical things (yoga, walking) and was still anxious so was offered various options.

I was offered sertraline straight way by a very astute G.P. I was terrified of taking anti-depressants and didn't want to be "one of those people" who needed them. I was then offered diazepam and zoplicone . I didn't want to take either of these because at the time I was a mum to a very young child and I hated the thought of not waking up in the night if he called to me. In desperation I tried the zoplicone but it actually didn't work - I was still waking in cold sweats due to anxiety. I finally relented and took the sertraline - best thing I ever did. Now five years on I no longer need to take any medication but understand my mental health and if I needed to in the future I would have no qualms.