Hi all! For those of you who have treated your anxiety issues, what steps have you taken? I’ve always had anxiety, but I generally was able to manage it by keeping busy, exercise, socializing. A lot of that is off the table right now, at least in standard ways (and I also live in an area with wildfires so walks outdoors are not workable for exercise right now), so my mental health has really taken a dive especially now that I’m helping my 3 and 5 year olds with distance learning and trying to work full time remotely (limited help by husband as his job requires a lot of meetings in the mornings). I think it’s starting to manifest in physical health issues or at least exacerbate some issues like acid reflux and potential asthma, so I’m starting to think I need a better way to manage. I’m open to talk therapy once I find the right therapist, but if you also relied on medicine, who do you talk to? Your GP? Is that something a therapist (if not a medical doctor) suggests in consultation with a GP? How do you know which treatment to try first? Thank you!
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My husband has similar anxiety issues that manifested in physical sx. He’s never been on meds but during covid he got so bad that something had to be done. We did an appt with doctor on demand and they started him on Lexapro. He worsened over the next several days so we set him up with a primary care who gave him lorazepam as needed + buspirone daily. We did all of this virtually. His pcp sent him a link to an online program that suggests coping mechanisms etc. he was open to therapy but now after taking meds doesn’t feel like he needs it
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@gotkimchi: thank you! I’m glad to hear he’s doing better, and was able to get everything he needed via virtual appts (hoping for the same). I’m open to talk therapy, but I’m honestly so pressed for time right now, trying to find time to do it is stressful in itself, although I know I should obviously prioritize my health.
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@castilrm: It is so hard right now to do anything for yourself. I would definitely encourage you to see if you can get a telehealth appt with your PCP. I have been really trying hard to prioritize sleep for myself over the last few months because I can see that for me that is the most important key to managing my anxiety (I’m also on meds and have been for a little over a year).
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@jhd: I have an appt lined up for Wednesday so I’m hoping I can find something that will help. I’ve been reluctant to mention anxiety because I don’t want them to ignore physical symptoms (if there is a physical cause) but at the same time, of what I’m feeling is from anxiety, maybe treating that instead of trying to treat a bunch of random symptoms will help even more. How quickly did medication start working for you?
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@castilrm: I was experiencing both anxiety and depression at the time and I think the medicine started working within a few weeks. It probably depends on the medicine!
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I restarted doing CBT earlier in the pandemic which kinda fell by the wayside when I went back to work. Staying busy tends to help me too. I also use CBD oil and have a stash of CBD heavy weed that I also smoked a few times during April/May when things were bad. I find the oil is best if I take it everyday for a at least a week, but the weed is good for a quicker fix. I’m walking at my work breaks and trying to use my CBT techniques too. Like imagine worse case scenarios and then think through them and make lists of things to do to help. People are panic buying again here so I’ve been adding to my medical stash of things in case we have to quarantine so I know we are prepared. I’ve bought Christmas presents online to prep for shipping delays. Having good supplies makes me feel at ease that we have everything we need, particularly because we are into the second wave and things are bad where I am right now. Making our home comfortable to prepare for long periods of time at home this winter also helps me. We bought a new bed and sectional couch. So maybe a lot of online shopping is my secret weapon
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It's not going to cut it if you need medication, but I was going through a rough patch with my anxiety just because of situational stuff a year ago and my psychologist suggested I try Valerian which is an herb that you can just get like at CVS. I found it worked really well. It's sold as a sleep aid but to take it as an anxiety assistant you just take one capsule instead of the four or five that the sleep dose is.
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I've dealt with anxiety for years and also experienced depression a few years ago. A natural remedy that helped for anxiety was ashwagandha. I also had a prescription for the lowest dose of xanax and would take it as needed. My GP at the time prescribed xanax. I literally just went in and told him I was feeling anxious and he wrote a prescription.
In 2018 I was prescribed zoloft for depression (my therapist recommended it and and I went to my GP who asked a few questions and then prescribed it.) It helped quickly with my depression. My therapist also mentioned it was good for anxiety as well, so I decided to stay on the lowest dose for anxiety. Right now I'm only taking it maybe 3 or 4 times a week, but its still effective.
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Thanks all! I have an appt with my GP this week and will bring up potential med options or therapy when we chat.
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Talking to my GP was so easy, I wish I had done it sooner. All I had to say was “I have anxiety and I want to start medication.” And that was that! I researched options before hand and came up with 2 that seemed to best address the symptoms I had just in case she asked me if I had a particular one in mind, but right off the bat she named one of them. It has been a life saver!
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