Anxiety

LegacyUser

I've just lost my part-time job and I think I'm going to fail the year in college, due to alot of issues I've being having. I I've searched symptoms etc.. and I'm nearly certain its anxiety. I'm at the stage where I want to ask the doctor for medication.Could anyone suggest how I'd go about asking the doctor? do I just say "I think I have anxiety and I was wondering could you give me medication?" or would I have to be referred to somone?. If I could relieve the problem without medication it would be great but I actually think counsellors/psychiatrists would make the problem worse (It might sound odd, but I think I'd get even more worried and stressed.. I think I'd even have a panic attack in the waiting room). Would I have to be referred to someone before being placed on medication?.

My post is vague but any suggestions/help would be very much appreciated.. or even if anyone knows of any natural remedies that actually help (I've tried meditating before but it done nothing).. thanks very much

Wibbs

OK folks while the OP asked about "natural" methods, lets stay away from medical advice please.

bluecell99

Hi OP,

Sorry to hear about your present situation but it can be helped.Firstly regarding medication.Its a matter for you to discuss with a doctor and be open and talk as you have here.If they feel medication might help then thats a matter for them.Dont have a pre conceived idea that you want it or need it.

Loads of fresh air,walking,chill time with your favourite music and just taking a step back will definitely help.Remember that things are never as bad as they seem.One day at a time.Put things in perspective.Loads of people face extreme problems daily like death and illness and trauma.You will cope.

Talking things out with a good friend helps.Dont bottle everything up.

While its a bit of a cliche to say it just watch the diet.Cut back on caffeine,fizzy drinks,alcohol,fatty foods.Eat plenty of fresh fruit and vegetables.Berocca is a combinatio of normal vitamins which we need and sommetimes dont get enough of.Take one a day as a good way to boost your system .Watch your physical health as it is linked with how you feel and how your emotional well being can be improved by looking after the body.

Finally get into a routine so that you get plenty of natural sleep.

LegacyUser

Hi OP,

It can be really scary experiencing anxiety and panic, I went through it a lot in my early 20s i reached a low with it and was depressed and this is what i had to do to get better.

What i learned was anxiety is an natural human feeling which alerts you to something, it is something you have to try and listen to rather than repress because then it gets worse.

I didnt want to go down the medication route, but it does work for some people to get them through a tough time but i would suggest the therapy also,

Facing fears is not easy but its the only way out, to face the problems you are experiencing in your life to change the way you are building stress up in your body, the anxiety is trying to alert you and guide you,

I also got some help in reiki, massage, hypnotherapy was great for anxiety for me, i left the office as light as a feather, but later my old thought patterns came back into my mind and weighed me down again, but over time i re shaped my life into a much better state and the anxiety left.

I had to give myself space and time to recover in a safe environment, many family and friends were adding to my anxiety at the time because i was taking on their problems too and i was so stressed out.

My advice is to get to the root of your anxiety, and you can certainly heal from this experience if you learn to listen to your body.

cafecolour

I find exercise the best anti-anxiety drug there is. Seriously.

LegacyUser

Hi op,
you poor thing, I can imagine how you're feeling. Both my son and i went through periods of anxiety. My son - the year before last was repeating a year at school and found it very difficult to settle in. He had a nightmare one night that he had a brain tumour and from that he fretted about his health, had palpitations and experienced feelings of unreality or a distance from the world around him. I took him to the doc and when he had the all clear healthwise it helped tremendously, he got better quite quickly though the year was hard for him. He talks over this problems a lot with me so all least he doesn't bottle it all up. He's fine now though and he's going to college this Autumn so hopefully all will be well.
Last year just after xmas, I started to have feelings of nervousness or butterflies in my stomach, every day for no reason at all...it interfered with my sleep. I could feel a sensation of a lump low in my throat too, constant heartburn and had regular palpitations all of which I worried about.
I went to the doc who said the lump in throat feeling was trapped wind...I was dubious about this but then it dawned on me that I was swallowing excessively. I forced myself to stop it, even having a tissue to spit into if i felt a build up of saliva. It broke the cycle, I stopped doing it and the lump disappeared. I had a gastroscope to check out my stomach which was clear. I just had excess acid which stress can exacerabrate. I had an ecg too carried out by the nurse in my doc's surgery and it was clear.....I read on the net that aloe vera is excellent for palpitations as sometimes they're caused by nervous inflammation and aloe vera is meant to be great for inflammatory conditions. After a couple of days taking it the palpitations settled down.
I'm a dreadful worrier by nature and fret over the slightest thing so if there is anything hanging over my head that I'm dreading, I try and face it and get it out of the way, be it sorting out a relationship issue, a dental check up or smear test for example. If there is anything in particular that's bothering you that you can do anything about, do what you can to face it now and sort it out. Write a list of things you need to do and cross them off as you do it. Plenty of exercise, reading and listening to music are helpful. Spend time doing what you enjoy. Kalm tablets and rescue remedy drops are helpful too for feelings of nerves. Burn lavender oil in your bedroom for helping you to relax at night.This difficult period in your life won't last long, in a few weeks time you may be in much happier and relaxed circumstances, best of luck.

eskimo

Unregistered wrote: »

I've just lost my part-time job and I think I'm going to fail the year in college, due to alot of issues I've being having. I I've searched symptoms etc.. and I'm nearly certain its anxiety. I'm at the stage where I want to ask the doctor for medication.Could anyone suggest how I'd go about asking the doctor? do I just say "I think I have anxiety and I was wondering could you give me medication?" or would I have to be referred to somone?. If I could relieve the problem without medication it would be great but I actually think counsellors/psychiatrists would make the problem worse (It might sound odd, but I think I'd get even more worried and stressed.. I think I'd even have a panic attack in the waiting room). Would I have to be referred to someone before being placed on medication?.

My post is vague but any suggestions/help would be very much appreciated.. or even if anyone knows of any natural remedies that actually help (I've tried meditating before but it done nothing).. thanks very much

I suffered panic attacks every day for three months straight. I know how you're feeling.

Fact: doctors know far more about this stuff than you do. Remember this. They are trained and qualified, they have dealt with your situation hundreds of times before and they know what they're talking about.

It sounds like your anxiety is at the stage where it's gone beyond being solved by a self-help book. What I mean is simply that you need to talk to people who are qualified with dealing with this.

The vast majority of people I know - not just friends, but everyone I know - have attended counselling at some stage in their lives.

If you think you don't need counselling, you are a fool, pure and simple. It's like saying you can cure a broken leg without any medical attention. This is the exact same thing.

Forget what you think you know about counselling, and forget what you think other people think about counselling. Whether you realise it or not, the truth is quite a large amount of people have attended counselling. The ones that shy away from it are the ones whose lives go downhill. Again, it's just like shying away from medical attention when you've got a broken leg.

Go talk to your GP, one you trust. He/she will give you all the help and advice you need. I did, and I've never looked back. By getting help early in my situation, I stopped potentially life-destroying problems happening to me.

Think of your anxiety as a broken leg. Why would you be ashamed of having a broken leg? Get the medical attention needed.

To answer your question, this is what will happen when you go to your GP:

1) You will say to your GP "I have been feeling very anxious and it's interfering with my life."
2) GP: "Tell me when it started, and tell me all your symptoms, and if you have any personal problems."
3) You will respond. GP will talk to you about potentially trying out anxiety medication and will probably refer you to a trusted counsellor of some sort, probably a Cognitive Behavioural Therapist.
4) You will be on the road to recovery.

I've been to different types of counsellors for different reasons, "big" and "small" reasons, and believe me, it won't make you feel worse, it will make you feel better.

As for natural remedies, Valerian is a very powerful natural relaxant. Google "anxiety natural remedies" for more.

Best of luck to you.

cesarbart

i suffer from chronic anxiety (GAD) and mild depression. I always have for as long as i can remember. A book that really helped me and alot others is "The Power of Now!" I highly recommend you read it. I really helped with my stuff. Good luck. Im always about if ya need any more help. take it easy!