Posted by Melanie-00 on January 12, 2011, at 23:36:08
I'm not sure if I should be posting on this board or the 'psychology' board ...
Anyway, I've been posting here for a few weeks, mainly about my hope to find an alternative/herbal/over-the-counter therapy to help with anxiety that is impairing my ability to function and get things done and damaging the quality of my life. I would say it's a definite problem ...
So far, I haven't had a huge amount of success with medication/supplements. Taking a calcium glycinate/magnesium glycinate supplement on an as-needed basis does seem to give me a bit more of a feeling of relaxation. I don't know if it's the magnesium, the glycine, or the combo that has the effect.
I'm also taking inositol (for trichotillomania -- so far it has helped with trich but only with trich), and I recently started taking N-acetyl-cysteine (NAC) and rhodiola rosea and am still waiting to see if they do much to help. I use ambien and occasionally benadryl to help with insomnia (or waking too early). I also have about 15 clonazepam pills available from an old prescription that I can take when really desperate, but since I don't have access to a doctor at the moment, I won't be able to get a new prescription when those run out.
Anyway, I'm skeptical that benzos are really the answer for me ... since my problem is chronic and has been affecting me (to lesser or greater extents) since adolescence. It's not new, it's just that the stressors in my life have gotten particularly bad lately, and consequently, my anxiety, while often an irritating problem, has become a huge problem!
But I do think I have a pretty clear understanding of what would make it better. Like many anxiety sufferers, I suffer a lot from anticipatory anxiety. I end up avoiding situations that make me feel anxious (many related to my career -- social anxiety is secondary to this). Of course, the more I avoid what makes me anxious, the worse it gets. It's really a no-brainer. Stress --> avoidance --> anxiety --> worse stress --> increased anxiety
Needless to say, I have low self-esteem, low confidence, frequent feelings of shame and inadequacy, and don't get much enjoyment out of life. Blah! I so very much want to be a different sort of person and have my life be going differently. But when it comes to simple things that make me anxious, I freeze up. It is SO hard to overcome! I tell myself to just deal with it, face up to it, no matter how bad, but then my heart starts racing, and I feel like I can't cope, ...Probably something like CBT or acceptance therapy would really help me. But I don't have the access, life-situation or money to allow for that right now.
But maybe a support group would help? I've never been part of a support group, either online or face-to-face. If I were to be a member of a support group now, it would almost certainly have to be an online group.
So my question is:
Does anyone have any experience with online support groups for anxiety? How was your experience? Would you recommend it? And if so, where to start?Thanks!
poster:Melanie-00
thread:976661
URL: http://www.dr-bob.org/babble/alter/20101202/msgs/976661.html