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Surviving Anxiety

theatlantic.com

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Re: Surviving Anxiety

#41

Post by someone903209 »

catchaway1 wrote: post #38
throwaway1 wrote: post #25

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> (because it has no real downsides) Ohhh boy. On this throwaway to say otherwise. I'm sorry if this post is a bit incoherent because I'm horribly tired, still getting past the nuts insomnia phase of quitting. I've smoked a lot of weed. Started smoking in high school, heavily when I was 19 until a couple weeks ago (I'm 26 now). About an ounce a month over that time, sometimes two ounces. First it was for insomnia, th…

I have a question for you actually. I have noticed things very similar to what you talk about after a few years of regular smoking. I started at 19 and I'm 21 now (edit, 22, forgot my own age). I used to evangelize marijuana since it has no overt medical side effects, but I think I'm coming to realize what you are talking about -- it kinda does make you stupid, like my Mom warned me about years ago. And not just when…

The common thing to point out on these kinds of anecdotes are the "started at 1# and I'm 2# now" part of it. I started at 23! Didn't even bother drinking until 21! This is what all the studies are about and usually are conclusive about - the brain is still forming in these years, and you really should wait. (Although, in my opinion, the legal age for both should be 18). My advice for the "did I lock the door" / "did I leave the coffee maker on" issues is this: create habits and follow them. Unplug the coffee maker. Either the door is wide open, or it is locked. Either your keys are in the spot where the keys always are, or they are in your pocket. You have to be able to trust yourself.

Re: Surviving Anxiety

#42

Post by derekja »

aantix wrote: post #29
aantix wrote: post #5

I had been feeling a little blue the past few months. I didn't want to take an anti-depressant (too heavy and too many side effects). I read this book : http://www.amazon.com/The-Mood-Cure-Program-Emotions-Today/d... She basically advocates for the supplements 5htp and St John's Wort taken three times a day (empty stomach ideally). Her theory is that a lot of our depressive moods are due to nutritional deficiencies a…

Why the downvote?

not sure (wasn't me) but I have had very negative results with St John's wort. Definitely made my anxiety far worse when I tried it. Different responses... the fact that it had an effect is at least some indication that it's playing with the right systems.

Re: Surviving Anxiety

#43

Post by taterbase »

For me, the most difficult part of conquering anxiety is the physical symptoms. Stomach duress, stress, sweating, and bracing for the next wave of anxiety. These symptoms feed into each other and can set off a new attack or make an existing one worse.

I've found Hope and Help for Your Nerves by Claire Weeks to be the most helpful book on dealing with the physical symptoms. Once you're able to remove or at least tame the physical aspect you can better fight the mental manifestation.

This book literally changed my life and I'd recommend that you don't hesitate to check it out if you suffer from anxiety in any capacity.

http://www.amazon.com/Hope-Help-Nerves-Claire-Weekes/dp/0451...

Re: Surviving Anxiety

#45

Post by throwawayokay »

jawngee wrote: post #2

I can relate to this. I took klonopin for 10+ years, just recently weaned myself off of it (six months and counting). My first panic attack happened about two weeks after 9/11 on the F train. Top 3 most terrifying moments of my life. I did CBT, talk therapy, all kinds of anti-depressant medications (the worst being Effexor XR, that shit should be illegal) until finding klonopin to be the most effective. Marijuana was…

I've been on meds for about 15 years, with one year off. The last 11 years I've been on 75mg of Effexor, and it's been a miracle drug for me, with the only side effect being a mildy suppressed libido. And 75mg is a pretty low dose, less than half what is normal for treating depression.

I'm not keen on being a slave to meds, so I'm currently weaning myself off 1mg a day (Effexor is notoriously bad to quit cold turkey). I did this a couple years ago and got to 30mg before I felt like I was experiencing anxious symptoms. These days I'm married, I meditate, and am all around less of a spazz.

"I'm so practiced at having them, nobody standing around me is ever aware that I'm having a sudden bout of tachycardia and growing concerns that my heart is about to explode in my chest"

Believe me, I recall that sensation, and I don't miss it. If I need to take meds for the rest of my life to avoid those types of experiences, so be it. When I was preoccupied with dealing with that level of anxiety, I was missing out on more than I realized.

Re: Surviving Anxiety

#46

Post by contingencies »

Random naturalistic option: After quitting smoking I found drinking cocoa with hot water (not milk) helped me to calm down and concentrate.

Obviously if you're flipping out properly it's not gonna help, but it does appear to have a surprising effect for the tamer challenges in life. I hadn't expected or heard of any such effects, but consistently felt so much more relaxed and focused after drinking it, which piqued my interest enough to look it up. There does appear to be some nebulous positive medical review of its effects in areas like blood pressure.

Re: Surviving Anxiety

#47

Post by catchaway1 »

throwaway1 wrote: post #39
catchaway1 wrote: post #38

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I have a question for you actually. I have noticed things very similar to what you talk about after a few years of regular smoking. I started at 19 and I'm 21 now (edit, 22, forgot my own age). I used to evangelize marijuana since it has no overt medical side effects, but I think I'm coming to realize what you are talking about -- it kinda does make you stupid, like my Mom warned me about years ago. And not just when…

Haha, that hits home hard. Locking my deadbolt and worrying that I didn't as I walked through the apartment lobby. Locking my car and worrying that I didn't while I'm still looking at my car. The good news is that when I stopped, my brain came back almost immediately , and in force. Basically as soon as I could tell that I hadn't recently smoked. A few days, tops. What helped me to quit the most actually was buying s…

Wow, that sounds exactly like what I do. I can stare at something without really seeing it, the information goes in one eye and out the other. It's like I have to "try to see it" a couple times.

Just hearing about someone else having the same symptoms from marijuana actually helps clarify things for me. I also have some other anxiety related issues so it can be difficult for me to disentangle what is my problem vs. a substance causing some effect, but it sounds like in this case it might actually be the ol' cannabanoids doing work on my body chemistry.

Re: Surviving Anxiety

#49

Post by kirsebaer »

hvs wrote: post #10
jawngee wrote: post #2

I can relate to this. I took klonopin for 10+ years, just recently weaned myself off of it (six months and counting). My first panic attack happened about two weeks after 9/11 on the F train. Top 3 most terrifying moments of my life. I did CBT, talk therapy, all kinds of anti-depressant medications (the worst being Effexor XR, that shit should be illegal) until finding klonopin to be the most effective. Marijuana was…

Effexor XR was very helpful for both myself and family members. Just because something doesn't work for you doesn't mean it should be "illegal".

MDs should warn patients about long-term benzo use. These drugs are only approved for a few weeks of use. I have talked with many MDs who are in denial about benzodiazepine addiction and adverse-effects. These MDs write prescriptions without properly informing their patients.

Re: Surviving Anxiety

#50

Post by jawngee »

foobarqux wrote: post #34
jawngee wrote: post #2

I can relate to this. I took klonopin for 10+ years, just recently weaned myself off of it (six months and counting). My first panic attack happened about two weeks after 9/11 on the F train. Top 3 most terrifying moments of my life. I did CBT, talk therapy, all kinds of anti-depressant medications (the worst being Effexor XR, that shit should be illegal) until finding klonopin to be the most effective. Marijuana was…

Can you talk more about your experience with Effexor?

I was on 150mg a day (worked up to that from a low dosage).

After awhile, I was getting these insane headaches, like stabbed in the brain with a rusty knife type headache. Those lasted a few weeks.

And then came the brain shivers. Moving my eyes, or rapidly turning my head, would cause an electric shock sensation that, from what I've read, was similar to what people having a stroke experience. Like lightning in your head. It wasn't painful like the headaches, but it was well beyond annoying, if not completely frightening. I'd sometimes lose my balance and fall over.

I then made the mistake of quitting cold turkey. This was my first AD and my psychiatrist hadn't informed me of how bad an idea that was, and I was stupid for not reading the insert when taking it. After a few days of hell, I went back on it and tapered off.

I understand if it is effective for a lot of people, but I certainly know I'm not alone in my experiences with it.

Zoloft was much softer, but really didn't do much for me.

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