![[dr. bob]](/dr-bob-sm.gif)
Dr. Bob is Robert Hsiung, MD,
bob@dr-bob.orgShown: posts 1 to 9 of 9. This is the beginning of the thread.
Posted by Alara on October 24, 2002, at 22:03:05
Has anybody here succeeded in beating anxiety the natural way? I am feeling optimistic about the possiblity of doing this and would like to hear from anybody who has done this. What was your plan of attack? How successful was it? Were there some techniques and lifestyle changes that were more successful than others?
I suffer from anxiety but my doctor agrees that I ought to be able to remain depression-free as long as I keep my anxiety at bay. (When I have an anxiety drama, it's always a BIGGIE!!) We both concur that I don't need antidepressants and I'd like to be completely medication-free once the recent changes that I've made to my lifestyle have kicked in. I currently take 0.5mcg of Xanax every second day.
I've taken the first step towards re-establishing my baseline biochemistry. (Withdrew from Effexor 2 months ago and have meanwhile cut my alcohol consumption down to 2 glasses of wine, 5 days a week.) I have started taking St John's Wort (for anxiety) and a vitamin B complex and my energy levels have already increased slightly.
This is what I plan to do until the lifestyle changes kick in:
1. Walk every day for 45-50 minutes.
2. Continue spending a lot of time with the cat. (The purring is really therapeutic!)
3. Avoid alcohol completely on extremely stressful days and take a Xanax instead. (I don't see a problem with this as long as I'm not taking Xanax every day. I'll only drink too much alcohol if I drink while stressed anyway.)
4. Drink 2 glasses of wine on mildly stressful days OR drink cammomile tea and have a warm shower before bed (less effective). Alternatively, I can take a Phenergan (sedating antihistamine) to promote sleep.
5. Do 10 mins of cognitive behavioural self-therapy on low stress days. (Low stress days will be completely alcohol/medication free. I can only realistically aim to have 2 of these days every week considering that I looking for a full-time job. BIG STRESS!!!)
I am also considering meditation. Has anyone persisted with this? I am open to any feedback on this plan of attack (positive or negative) and would particularly like to read about other people's experiences with similar approaches.
Thanks for reading my long post.
Posted by Roman on October 24, 2002, at 22:31:58
In reply to Natural Anti-Anxiety Regime, posted by Alara on October 24, 2002, at 22:03:05
Hi Alara,
Your plan sounds great and should definitely help. I tried a bunch of things. Here's a few I found helpful:
1) Aroma therapy. I have a little oil lamp and put a few drops of lavender and sandlewood in the water--works great.
2) Breathing exercises. There are several ranging from taking a few deep breaths every so often to "square breathing" which is: inhale for 4 seconds, hold for 4 seconds, exhale for 4 seconds, and hold for 4 seconds.
3) Stretching. Ahhhhhh....
4) Massage. More Ahhh.......
5) Meditation/yoga work very well. When I was cracking-up a few months ago, they saved me from spontaneously combusting.
6) Listening to soft music. Classical, light jazz or folk can be soothing. My favorite is classical Indian music--goes well with meditation and yoga.
7) Watching comedy films. After laughing for an hour or so, I feel quite relaxed.
I think your ideas are terrific, good luck!
Posted by Alara on October 25, 2002, at 21:28:49
In reply to Re: Natural Anti-Anxiety Regime, posted by Roman on October 24, 2002, at 22:31:58
Thank you for all of those ideas, Roman. I have spent so much time being serious about classical singing and music that I almost forgot to see breathing and music as forms of relaxation.
I definitely need some comedy in my life too...I'm glad that saved yourself from spontaneously combusting. :-)
Alara
Posted by Franz on October 25, 2002, at 22:05:03
In reply to Natural Anti-Anxiety Regime, posted by Alara on October 24, 2002, at 22:03:05
> I currently take 0.5mcg of Xanax every second day.
what is the explanation to take the med every second day?
thanks
Posted by Roman on October 25, 2002, at 22:23:22
In reply to Re: Natural Anti-Anxiety Regime » Roman, posted by Alara on October 25, 2002, at 21:28:49
> I have spent so much time being serious about classical singing and music that I almost forgot to see breathing and music as forms of relaxation.
Are you an opera singer? I really admire serious vocalists--I've been attempting to sing for years--not too pleased with my progress. I did notice something odd though: since I started the AD, my ability to sing on pitch has improved--is that possible?
How's that for a side-effect?
Nausea, headache, dry-mouth, and the ability to carry a tune :)
Posted by NikkiT2 on October 25, 2002, at 23:05:11
In reply to Natural Anti-Anxiety Regime, posted by Alara on October 24, 2002, at 22:03:05
I'm finding Cognitive behavior Therapy really good at the moment for my anxiety and panic. I sued to fall into panic at least once a day, and 9 week sinto my CBT I haven't had a full blown panic for 3 weeks now!!!
Nikki x
Posted by Alara on October 26, 2002, at 0:57:32
In reply to Re: Natural Anti-Anxiety Regime » Alara, posted by Franz on October 25, 2002, at 22:05:03
> > I currently take 0.5mcg of Xanax every second day.
>
> what is the explanation to take the med every second day?
>
> thanksFranz, I don't want to develop a dependence on benzodiazapines. I figure that I can avoid this if I keep the dosage low and take the Xanax every second day.
Posted by Alara on October 26, 2002, at 1:13:05
In reply to Re: Natural Anti-Anxiety Regime » Alara, posted by Roman on October 25, 2002, at 22:23:22
>
> How's that for a side-effect?
Nausea, headache, dry-mouth, and the ability to carry a tune :)
Sounds like a great side effect. :-) As my teacher gets me to record all my lessons, I'm always very aware of the consistency of my pitch. I have noticed a tendency to go slightly flat when feeling depressed. My reasoning is this: When you're depressed, you can't be bothered with breathing as deeply (in both directions) and you don't put as much energy into supporting the breath. For me, even the sound falls further back because I don't resonate properly in the soft palate! (It's almost as though the air is `falling short'.)I can understand why antidepressants help you to carry a tune. :-)>
>
I'm just a long-suffering student, by the way.
Posted by Alara on October 26, 2002, at 1:16:21
In reply to Re: Natural Anti-Anxiety Regime » Alara, posted by NikkiT2 on October 25, 2002, at 23:05:11
> 9 week sinto my CBT I haven't had a full blown panic for 3 weeks now!!!
>
> Nikki x
Nikki, that's fantastic. Way to go!! I have some good (self-therapy) CBT books on my bookshelves that need revisiting.
This is the end of the thread.
Psycho-Babble Medication | Extras | FAQ
Dr. Bob is Robert Hsiung, MD,
bob@dr-bob.org
Script revised: February 4, 2008
URL: http://www.dr-bob.org/cgi-bin/pb/mget.pl
Copyright 2006-17 Robert Hsiung.
Owned and operated by Dr. Bob LLC and not the University of Chicago.