MY GUIDE FOR COPING WITH ANXIETY!
NOTE: PLEASE PURCHASE A JOURNAL. WHEN YOU HAVE ANXIETY, WRITE DOWN THE CIRCUMSTANCES. THEN WRITE DOWN METHODS ATTEMPTED TO COPE. ALWAYS HAVE YOUR JOURNAL READILY NEAR SO YOU CAN RECOGNIZE PATTERNS.1. Holistic-
a. Acupuncture - Has been proven to be very, very effective. Most insurance companies now cover acupuncture and just require a copay. A few visits a week for a few months can drastically change someone's life.
b. Herbal Supplements that are known to be calming and tranquil - Kava and Valerian Root are the two most reputable supplements for anxiety as both actually affect the GABA part of the brain but in a way that does not cause addiction. It is advised to not operate machinery or be in public when you try it in the event that it causes too much sedation. It is also good to take a multivitamin each day, and shall you have a major deficiency, take something for that. Omega 3 is highly encouraged and has been proven to reduce anxiety by over 40% of the 60 out of 100 people tested. Take 2-3 grams a day. You can buy Omega 3 which generally comes in 500mg capsules or 1,000, or you can but fish oil that has varying amounts. Omega-3 is essential and while 500mgs is a good daily recommended dietary dose, 2-3 grams has a profound effect on anxiety and pain relief after just a few weeks! Make sure you are getting natural nutrients too, via healthy food.
c. THERAPY - This is the most essential by far. When you notice that you are starting to see an increase in anxiety, do not think twice to schedule an appointment with a therapist, counselor, psychologist, or even clergyman/woman. Therapy is essential because coping mechanisms are the number one aid is calming down from anxiety and depression. You should always see a therapist at least once a week if you have anxiety. If you cannot find one in your area that is available at a reasonable time, you would be amazed at how many licensed therapists actually can schedule a session on nights and weekends online between you and them. Or via the phone. Regardless, access to therapists no longer requires being in an office. Rather, it requires a webcam, microphone, and comfortable spot. Face-to-face via webcam is preferred as body language is important but take any therapy you can get.
d. Coping Mechanisms - Learn them! The best way to learn coping mechanisms is by going to a therapist who can teach you. However, if you can't see a therapist, create a journal listing what makes you anxious or made you anxious at a particular time, what you are going to try to do to fix it, and then try. You can learn coping mechanisms through google, or you can simply try things out. Whenever freaking out and at home, maybe try a warm bubble bath. Maybe get a bowl of ice cream. Learn breathing techniques. I emphasize this because it is not uncommon for people to faint when they have a lot of anxiety. Learn some Yoga practices on youtube - Yoga is a rapidly growing technique with huge success rates. If you have a pet, go to your pet during a time of major stress and say if they can help.
e. Lifestyle Changes - A lot of anxiety is a result of having neglected duties and now worrying about finishing it. Sometimes it is not neglecting, but rather not finishing. Other times you are not getting enough sleep or you are getting too much. It is essential that you have a fixed schedule for waking up-going to bed, with exceptions only for the weekends/days off. You need to allocate 7-9 hours of sleep a night but it is advisable not to exceed that amount. Create a schedule that can be a guideline to follow in order to finish all duties needed. (Ex: Create a fixed-in, routine sleeping schedule. Allocate time to get ready for work/school, if applicable. Try to give yourself 30 minutes of extra spare time, and do not use that time to snooze. Rather, use that time to catch up with something, or a time to meditate, pay a bill, go early for a breakfast, etc. It is advisable to eat meals at around the same time every day, and try to come up with a schedule for dishes, laundry, etc. Write down your schedule and if you live with others, assign clear duties. Follow through on your part and have them do theirs. If you have an unhealthy diet, try to make changes. Go in your cabinet and select several unhealthy snacks. Ensure you will not buy them again and replace with something healthy. Regardless of financial situation, always create a budget and stick to it. When you get home, if there is a priority that needs to be done (ex: homework, finishing some duties for work, making appointments, e-mailing particular people, etc), then the moment you get home, start doing them. Get it out of the way. If you come home exhausted, take a one hour nap. Do not ever take a 15 minute nap or 30 minute. You may be asking why? Your body needs to go through 1 cycle of REM (rapid eye movement) in order for you to feel refreshed and not drained. This generally takes 45minutes-1hour. Do not go under 45 minutes but preferably an hour or you will wake up more groggy than before.
f. Exercise, and make it a habit - Is it fun? Not if you don't usually do it. But 20 minutes of exercise a day stimulates endorphin's in your brain that drastically change mood and increase energy, metabolism, and confidence. This is part of making lifestyle changes as are all recommendations, but exercise is so much healthier for our mental health than we give it credit for.
g. Volunteer in a charity - One thing that I have learned helps me feel better is knowing I have helped others. Try to spend at least a few hours a week volunteering and helping others. You don't have to be a volunteer staff at a 10k walk, or build a home. Many places look for at-home volunteers. However, it is advisable that you go out and do something nice. Plant a tree. School events. Pets.
h. Pet Therapy - A lot of anxiety comes from being busy, so it is nice to relax and feel a bond with someone who isn't a boss or a busy friend. Someone who loves you, who you rescued or adopted, and who you make happy. Get yourself a pet and devote time in your schedule specifically for spending time with your pet (maybe go on a walk with your dog, or play games with your cat.) Either way, pet therapy is a great means of feeling wanted but also helping out an animal who needed it. I very highly recommend pet therapy, especially for young adults and older adults. If it improves your mental health, you may receive a doctor's note (literally) saying it is essential that you have a pet as part of a recovering process.
i. Splurge but don't exceed - Let's face it. The top causes of anxiety are probably work, kids, and money. If money is a problem for you, then you may have to make lifestyle changes that significantly lower the amount of money you spend. However, make sure you have a couple of times out of the year where you can splurge. Save money little by little, and use that money. Also, maybe every Friday after work, go get yourself a Frappaccino.
j. Spirituality - Regardless of religion or lack thereof, everyone can be spiritual or philosophical. One example is Buddhism. Not all Buddhists believe in re-incarnation or an afterlife. They take the teachings of the Buddha as a philosophy that is often applied to their lives somehow (meditation, pondering, etc) and they find an inner peace in this. If you are not Buddhist, but a different religion, pray to your Creator as you know them to be, read your scriptures for motivation, and engage in your spirituality.
k. Less Television and Internet - If you do not watch much television or get online much, do the opposite. If, however, you are the typical American and spends 25 hours a week watching television, and find yourself on the internet being on facebook for hours at a time, change this. You don't realize how much time you are wasting that could be appropriated to finishing other duties that cause your anxiety. Limit your television so that it's special. Same with the internet. As aforementioned, if you do not watch much television at all nor get online often, you may want to. It's all about moderation!
Summary: I have given some advice on different things to do or try. If you can't remember well, at least remember this; try your best to make positive changes in your life. Journal any time your anxiety begins to skyrocket and mention the time, date, why you are freaking out, what you are going to do to try to stop it, and then try. Look for patterns to find what gives you anxiety and what eases. Learn coping mechanisms and techniques to help you get through an anxious time. You can learn coping techniques from just about anywhere, including googling. It is essential that you see a therapist if you want long time treatment. What people do not understand is that Cognitive Behavioral Therapy, and many other Therapeutic techniques including questionable ones like EDMR and Hypnosis restructure your brains thought process to resolve conflict easier. It doesn't take hypnosis though. Speaking with a therapist in and of itself may help. It takes time but have patience. Make sure you are on a consistent schedule and that you have your priorities set out. Go to acupuncture which is proven to be one of the most effective methods. Take some Kava when you get home to relax, or maybe some Valerian Root. If you can't sleep, try Melatonin. Your goal is to learn how to cope with problems in your life and how to address problems you currently have.
2. Medicinal
If you want to take the medicinal approach, it is important you are seeing a specialist if possible.
a. See a Psychologist/Therapist/Counselor - Preferably once a week, but if you can go twice, that would be awesome. Always, when taking medicine, do so while simultaneously working with a therapist or other professional. You do not need a referral from your doctor to do this.
b. Go to your Primary Doctor and ask for Blood Work - You may be thinking "WHAT?" Many anxiety disorders are derived from issues with cardiovascular health, the thyroid, etc. Get tested for natural causes of anxiety first.
ca. Schedule an appointment with a Psychiatrist. You do not need a referral to see a Psychiatrist. See which Psychiatrists in your area accept your health insurance, and then call for an appointment. It is very, very important your research your Psychiatrist and their reviews. Check with your local State's issuing agency to see if they have any malpractice. Listen to reviews. Ask your doctor if they know a good one. Psychiatrists are the least respected type of doctor, often due to malpractice. It is essential you find one who is not like that. Simple reviews online will give you ample information.
cb. Schedule an appointment with your doctor but ask your therapist/psychologist/counselor to get in contact first to see if they think you may need medication.
d. Study medications before going to the doctor - Evaluate the pros and cons based on research, family history, friends, etc. For generalized anxiety, you will probably be put on an SSRI or SNRI. Please stay away from medications that have been deemed more dangerous like Pristiq and Cymbalta. How do you know? Do a thorough search of antidepressants commonly prescribed and and there is plenty of online data that discusses the pros and cons of a medication, Understand that for anxiety, the first response is generally an antidepressant. While I am personally against this, I don't create the status quo. Search for safer antidepressants that have a less risk of being dangerous when tapering, are not quickly habit forming, have the least amount of side effects, and are rated high in efficiency. Prozac is always a great beginner medication as it is the oldest, and has a very long half-life which is medical terminology means you can stop taking it after 4 weeks with a lot more ease. Family history is important. It is noted that whatever is prescribed in the family that works well for other members will likely do the same for you. As a rule of thumb, Prozac is probably deemed the safest SSRI. Lexapro, if starting with a low dosage, is generally one of the more effective ones, but prepare to taper. Antidepressants take 3-4 weeks to reach their full effect.
> If you have panic attacks, tell the doctor- As a first-response, they may want to prescribe to you a benzodiazepine like Xanax, Ativan, Valium, or Klonopin. While there is a growing stigma with regards to benzos, if taken only as needed for severe panic attacks, it should be no problem. I believe the health care industry has put benzodiazepines wrongfully in a terrible spotlight while ignoring SSRI's/SNRI's. However, ask for Hydroxyzine first. Hydroxyzine is an antihistamine that is deemed *very* safe to be taken as an anti-anxiety medication. It has been proven to be just as effective as benzodiazepines such as Bromazepam. You may discontinue the medication at any time and will not feel sick, and as long as you take as needed, will not develop a tolerance. If a doctor tries to prescribe you a benzodiazepine, tell them you have read about hydroxyzine and want to give it a try first. It is one of very few non-benzodiazepine anti-anxiety medications that is incredibly safe compared to other medications treating the same issue.
> If you do not want to be treated by an antidepressant, ask about Buspar. Like an antidepressant, Buspirone does take some time to build up in your system. However, it is strictly an anxiety medication that is not habit forming, and unlike an SSRI or SNRI, you can stop it abruptly without any major side effects.
> Ask about other medications known to help for anxiety - There are countless numbers of medications not meant to be for anxiety treatment but have yielded fascinating results. Such medications include Propanalol, certain pain medications, Lyrica, some blood pressure medications, some nerve damage medications, beta blockers, and many others. Many medications are used off-label to treat anxiety, from social anxiety, to GAD, to panic attacks. It is advisable to do research to check!
> If these methods fail, do not be scared of benzodiazepines - Benzodiazepines are not meant to take daily and only indicated to be taken for extreme panic attacks. If you have a few panic attacks a month and need something to relieve it, benzo's such as Xanax, Valium, and Ativan are excellent. However, only take when needed and never take as a regimen.
> Some doctors will prescribe it as a regimen - If you have tried all other options mentioned above, a regimen may be okay. There has been a recent stigma for benzodiazepines but to me it is overrated. If the doctor puts you on a regimen, ask them if it will be for long term treatment. Just ensure it's not going to be a one month thing. Withdrawals from benzodiazepines are very unknown as to how they work, but are very dangerous to a decent minority of people who quit taking. It is strongly encouraged that you take a long-acting benzo like Valium and start at a small dose, and do not increase unless necessary. Short acting benzo's are great for panic attacks, and you may want a small supply of short-acting benzodiazepines. However, to provide around-the-clock relief with as small of a dose that is effective as possible, you want to take a longer acting benzodiazepine, preferably Diazepam, 5mgs. Shall you need to increase, you can increase by 2mgs but only increase regimen when necessary. Diazepam(Valium) comes in very small doses, so always remember that 5mg diazepam equals .25mg of Xanax, but last longer, so ensure you know the dosages. Make sure your doctor knows and tells you that this will be a long term regimen. It is critical to ask that if he wanted to take you off, how would he do it? If the doctor says anything about a rapid taper, do not accept it as it is dangerous. Learn as much as you can about benzodiazepines before taking it as a regimen. Do not be afraid, just make sure you know that abrupt withdrawal can be dangerous, and that your doctor understands as welll!
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