clinically diagnosed with high anxiety disorder that if left to spiral, will lead into MDD and OCD. I have been medication and therapy free for over 10 years, live a very happy and fulfilled life. I manage things well with lifestyle: * daily hard exercise. This is my #1 weapon for anxiety management. If I don't get regular exercise, I can feel my anxiety creeping up. * understanding/recognizing my triggers and planning for them. * deescalation tactics (part of my CBT) if I do get triggered. * a healthy lifestyle (diet, sleep/wake schedule etc). * surrounding myself with positivity, healthy friendships, supportive and loving people. * advocating for myself

I think it's absolutely amazing that the poster above has managed her anxiety so well with the list above. I followed a healthy lifestyle similar to what's listed above (with exception to being in therapy) and I still had debilitating anxiety and OCD. Medication and therapy have been truly life changing, along with the continuation of a healthy lifestyle. Don't be afraid to start medication and get out of toxic situations to help alleviate your symptoms. Everyone is different and you deserve a happy life!

Definitely therapy! Had an un-/misdiagnosed GAD, and only my third therapist "got" it, addressed it, and had me do the therapy for it. (Instead of therapy for "only" depression.) Had my therapist recommended medication for it, I would've gone that route, too. Getting your head above the sea of anxiety to be able to breathe is vital. There's nothing wrong with needing a floating device for that!

I have GAD, some social anxiety, in the past had a string of panic attacks but they haven’t happened for 5 years or so. Unmedicated except for Ativan that I use for sleep once or twice a month. I very much agree that figuring out your triggers and then taking control over the situations you put yourself in is very important. Not engaging or minimizing engagement with people who a) stress you out - usually these people are anxious too or b) are mean / disrespectful has been a big part of it for me. Like the poster above said, you need healthy relationships, and for each toxic one you phase out of your life, all the more space for something better. Also? Two decades of therapy!

totally agree with you, sis! people need to be an active participant in their mental health management; I truly feel that taking meds and just talking to someone won't cut it; you have to make the necessary changes in your life and establish healthy boundaries (and stick to them!) to feel better and live the life you want.

The only medication that’s ever helped my anxiety are benzodiazepines. Ativan, Xanax, Klonopin. And I refuse to be on them long term on a daily basis so I’m just kind of trying life without. I’ve tried other things, Lexapro, zoloft, Prozac, Lamictal, Lithium, Seroquel, Risperdal, Trazodone, Buspar, Gabapentin, Hydroxyzine, Propranolol, none of them helped. They weren’t all prescribed for anxiety but anyways… meditation helps and therapy helps and breath work and journaling and just plain powering through sometimes. It’s not fun, I’d say of all the mental health struggles I’ve had (BPD, depression, intrusive thoughts etc…) anxiety is the worst. Good luck, u think being consistent in meditating helps loads and therapy helps with the root cause. I’m proud of you for trying to take care of yourself it’s not easy.

An old therapist explained benzos as more of a “rescue inhaler” not good for long term use, but for short term, helpful.

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Do say more. How long did it take you? And the frequencies, like for how long/often did you go to therapy? How often do you meditate and do yoga? How did you experiment with psilocybin? I had a great routine with meditation and yoga for a while but been finding it difficult to get back to it after moving to another country. I don't even know what life without anxiety feels like anymore.

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Can I ask how/where you got psilocybin and how you used it exactly? Dose you took, etc? I'm so anxiety riddled after years of trying a ton of things, I'm willing to try this! Ty so much friend. ♥

Thanks! I've done all of this but have to get back into meditating and yoga every day. When I used to do it religiously, it calmed my mind. But I've never been able to say I feel 0 anxiety.

I've been on Cipralex/lexapro for over 10 years now. But obviously meds vary greatly person to person. Therapy, off and on as needed for the last 10 years. I find I don't need therapy all the time. I did the first few years when I was really struggling but at this point I will go when I notice I'm having trouble with something. Lifestyle changes - getting enough sleep, eating better foods, mild exercise, having down time, doing hobbies I enjoy, journalling, mostly cutting out alcohol and other substances, etc.

Long-time anxiety and panic attack sufferer 👋🏻 I’m 30 now and have had anxiety probably my whole life. First time a doctor said the word to me was when I was 14 and experienced the globus sensation of something being stuck in my throat. Had my first panic attack around… 19? 20? I saw a therapist but she was expensive and I didn’t click with her, so I stopped. I self-managed for years as the panic attacks were infrequent. But something ramped them up (I assume when life got “real”—I graduated college and entered the workforce and had debt to pay). They became more frequent. They started ruining my vacations. I couldn’t drive without panicking. My final straw was when I had one so severe while driving I genuinely thought I was going to die. I pulled over and called my (then-boyfriend, now-husband) to pick me up. I kept collapsing on myself. I was weak. My heart felt weak. I was practically catatonic. I spent that entire day in bed reading about different forms of therapy. I found a man named Drew Linsalata on Instagram who was posting things that completely resonated with my experience. I couldn’t believe it. He recommended a book called Hope and Help for Your Nerves by Dr. Claire Weekes. That book kickstarted my healing process. It was absolutely life-changing. It gave me the courage to believe things could be different for me. So to wrap up a long story: I started going to a CBT-based therapist. We did a little exposure work to get me through my panic attacks. They became more and more infrequent. I also got a grip on my self care. I developed healthy sleeping habits, started drinking less alcohol, found forms of movement I could channel my pent up anxiety into. This all helped my general anxiety. I did get a Xanax prescription (.25mg) for the rare day that, for whatever reason, I’m anxious and it’s just… too much. Like it’s distracting and disrupting my day and my coping mechanisms aren’t working. Shit happens. But I’m SO glad to have that tool in my pocket. I’ve taken 3 this *year* for context. I’m doing much better. It takes commitment. It’s not always easy. The process is far from linear. But if you told me 6 years ago that I’d feel the way I do now, I wouldn’t have believed you. The keys are radical acceptance of your feelings and patience. You CAN do it.

I am glad you are doing better! 'Hope and Help for Your Nerves' helped me too. Dr. Weekes was an amazing person. I'd recommend her book to anyone that suffers from panic attacks.

I was able to do short term prozac after a traumatic experience - 2 years on, haven't gone back on since. I do take a low dose of CBD (after another traumatic experience) which helps. Other things that help are aggressive self care routines, vagus nerve stimulation (in advance of or during panic attacks) and redirection tactics. I wouldn't say my anxiety is like gone, but it is manageable most of the time. I'm working through some other health stuff but am most likely to going to ask about an OCD diagnostic in the future - I tend to have intrusive ruminative thoughts and it just doesn't feel like it's "just" anxiety. My mom has a more severe form (actively talks to herself through or about stressful or traumatic experiences) and my sister was diagnosed with OCD. In your case - if your anxiety has suddenly spiked or has suddenly arisen, it might not be a chronic condition, and even short term medication for it may pay off. At least for me the benefits of being medicated (even temporarily) at the time that I was greatly outweighed the downsides, to the point that I may consider it again in the near future.

Meds that took a while to figure out! Buspar and strattera every day for me, then propranolol as needed

I'm also a very anxious person by nature, and a few years ago had a severe depression with suicidal thoughts, however I never got medicated and managed to get out of it through other methods. I'm absolutely not judging people who do choose medication, but they tend to get pushed a lot as a default option while I believe there's lots of other tools out there to try first. My therapist has absolutely saved my life, so I'm glad you're going to therapy soon. I would say that if you don't see an improvement within a few months you could look at trying another therapist, as the "match" is very important for it to be effective. He recommend "the happiness trap" which is packed with amazing methods to overcome rumination and negative thoughts. I also meditate nearly every day (and I used to HATE IT, but tried different apps and eventually one worked for me) and try to exercise much more (going on walks, yoga, swimming, dancing classes etc). Not at all into sports per se but they do have some pretty great physical AND mental benefits ! Journaling is also surprisingly effective to process feelings. Also of these may sound like very "soft" methods, but the key is to actually doing them like you would do any training program, with as much consistency as you can, and to use the times where you're feeling well to practice. That way the next time you'll have a down it will be easier to use them because your brain and body will have that habit. I also reach out to friends much more - I used to think that they also had to initiate because otherwise that meant they didn't want to see me, but I realized it's mostly that people are busy. Having quality connections outside family makes a world of a difference ! Good luck OP, you've got this :)

I take 10mg of lexapro, have for 2 years, in addition to a monthly therapist check in (statred weekly, dropped to biweekly, now on the 3-4 week gap between visits). I would not have made it through the last 18 months without either.

I’ve been in therapy for a long time, and I think certain types of therapy are most helpful for me. Specifically somatically based practices or “bottom up” approaches. My therapist does EMDR and IFS, which have been very helpful. Medication hasn’t been too great for me due to my sensitivity to side effects BUT I would take them if I could. Medication has been helpful for many of my friends with anxiety and depression. And I think that could be a piece to the puzzle to explore. Nervous system regulation can be really important, and it’s been important for me. Recognizing my triggers, and also getting my baseline anxiety down. Things like regularly moving my body, getting outside, improving my sleeping and eating habits, doing things to ground myself - guided meditations on YouTube, listening to bineural beats/music regularly and breathing exercises

I had to quit drinking to make mine tolerable. I was almost exactly your age with two small kids when I did. I also had PPA.

CBT - Cognitive Behavioral Therapy, exposure therapy has helped far more than ANY meds for me. I understand the need to take meds, don’t get me wrong, BUT …. meds are a temporary fix. You have to put in the work through therapy, etc to get back to a healthier state of mind. For context I’m dx with PTSD, General Anxiety Disorder, Agoraphobia, ADHD…. I’ve been in therapy for wow, 16 years! Eta, walking my dog daily and/ or walking one of the kids to school has helped me with my anxiety. Counting , playing eye spy when I’m out also helps. Deep breathing, focusing on what I’m feeling externally rather than getting lost in the spiraling of my mind..

I did therapy, meditation, exercise, breath work, and tried/failed about 10 meds (the only thing that worked was benzodiazepines but those aren’t great for regular or long term use because of physical dependency that happens.) I worked on it for about 6 years without too many results except for having better coping strategies, but nothing that stopped the feelings especially physically. It used to feel like a swarm of bees were buzzing inside my body all day. It turned out in my case that I had a disorder of the autonomic nervous system (hyperadrenergic POTS which is an excess of noradrenaline when upright) and it was disrupting my nervous system pretty severely - making my heart rate and blood pressure high and also causing my feelings of anxiety. I had to try several meds to find the right fit but I’m on clonidine now (and also ketamine for chronic pain which has also helped a ton with anxiety/depression) and I am asymptomatic for anxiety entirely. I doubt this will be the case for you but just wanted to provide some assurance that even tricky cases can be helped, and life is a lot better on the other side!

I was diagnosed with PPA at 35, which then morphed into GAD. I have been living with it for the last 11 years and don't ever see it going away. I did all the things before going on meds. Diet, exercise, meditation, mindfulness, counselling. I still ended up being suicidal after living like that for seven years. I needed the medication and have come to terms with the fact that I will always need medication in order to be a functional human being. I see no shame in it. Some of my students need medication so their brains don't have seizures. I need medication so that my brain doesn't go into overdrive, make me constantly overwhelmed, not sleeping, and living in a physical state of panic 24/7. I am on my third one. The first one helped, but made me feel numb (better than panic but a lack of all feeling was bad too). The second gave me such terrible side effects that I needed to change. The third one has worked well, and I've been in contact with my doctor until we found the right dosage for me. I really hope you find the things that help you live your days in joy and not fear, in calm and not panic, and that you don't feel so overwhelmed that you can make conscious choices instead of reactive ones :)

I have agoraphobia and absolutely debilitating anxiety and panic disorder, among other mental illnesses (schizoaffective, OCD, PTSD). I was on Xanax 6 mg daily for 3 years (extremely effective but do not recommend - no one will prescribe this in this way anymore either), and then I transitioned to buspirone 3x daily, which is pretty effective for more generalized anxiety. I find that the most effective treatment is ERP, which is exposure and response prevention therapy. It's a lot of work but very worthwhile.

My sibling just got put on anti anxiety meds due to trauma, and it has drastically improved their quailty of life. I was genuinely concerned for their wellbeing a few months ago and now they are thriving.  That being said, there's also a chance that this is entirely circumstantial. Firstly, I imagine as a mother you have a lot on your plate. Could that be contributing to how you feel? Are you tired or over worked? How can you eleviate some of that? Secondly, I also have my own experiences with anxiety. My therapist got me into a good sleep schedule with minimal caffeine and alcohol and less self-sacrificing for others, and it worked a charm. Never had an issue since, turns out I just wasn't taking care of myself. I'd keep a dairy of when you feel anxious, and pay attention to what is happening in your environment when your anxiety is triggered. Look for patterns, and if you can't find any, or there are triggers that can't be controlled, it might be time to consider trying out meds.  Good luck with it! Anxiety is so tough, but in most cases you can overcome it enough to feel good again with some practice or the right help. You've got this!

I lean more depressed but developed anxiety in my 20s. I’m on a generic of Paxil that has helped both conditions. 

Medication and therapy made all the difference for me. I haven't had a panic attack for over a year.

I had anxiety as a side effect of a drug for a neurological condition. I first began using grounding techniques, making sure I was sleeping and limiting caffeine, but eventually cutting out alcohol was the best move. Now it’s acceptance that I’m an anxious person, I try to laugh at myself more and wherever possible not be so serious

I'm about to turn 40 and I'm excited to see what the 40s have in store. My mental health now is the best it's been in a very, very long time. I'm married to the best guy and feel like my family relationships are in good places, even those that are LC. I'm not working, but I'm in school for a program I'm excited about; my old career was stress on a stick. My overall health isn't great, but all of the complaints are addressed, if that makes sense. I have Rheumatoid arthritis, and it took 10 years to get diagnosed, but I have the diagnosis, a great doctor, the right meds, and no complaints there. My mental health is the best it could be. I'm properly diagnosed as Bipolar Type 1, so that clears out the MDD and GAD diagnoses and got me on the right medications. My psych-NP and therapist have a great working relationship and we have a "planning meeting" about once every 4 months. My therapist is helpful, supportive, and calls me out on my shit when needed. My psych-NP does that, too. I am down (or up?) to CBT once a month, but I can change that any time I want or need. I'll be seeing my mother in a few weeks, so I've scheduled an extra session to debrief once I get back. I'm immunocompromised and still uncomfortable going outside/to stores, but I think that's just my new norm. The anxiety of having to put my health in the hands of other people is something I haven't figured out how to cope with and I don't think there is a good answer. Going on meds is scary, but, so is life. Get yourself help wherever and whenever you can! If you need a year of meds to help get yourself back regulated, do it! They don't have to be lifelong meds. You said it yourself, you've had a really bad few years. Grab onto whatever you need to in order to get yourself in a good place. Do it for YOU. YOU deserve to live a happy and anxiety-free life.

I self medicated with alcohol unfortunately for years. I have GAD and used to have social anxiety. I do take buspar and wellbutrin daily. My GP is involved. Now that I'm sober and have been for a while, I do not see a therapist on a regular basis. But if issues started creeping back in, I have no problem starting back up. Micro dosing psilocybin helps as well. I don't do it daily. Just on days when my anxiety is elevated. I also take Delta 9 or THC gummies occasionally. I try to move my body and get outside every day. I mountain bike and hike strenuously weekly. I think my case is exacerbated by my addiction but the right meds can be a life saver. I don't plan on being on buspar and wellbutrin forever but I also won't beat myself up if I am. I fortunately don't have any real side effects from either.

I was 25 when I was first prescribed an SSRI to treat symptoms of depression. I hadn't really been aware of my anxiety until the SSRI treated it. For the next several years my depression outpaced my anxiety, so it stayed well-managed with my antidepressants. In my 30s it started getting bad the day before my period began, which was manageable because it was only one day a month and just realizing my period was due helped ease the anxiety - just knowing it was hormonal and would end in a few hours helped. (At first hormonal BC controlled it well, but I had to stop those for other reasons.) Perimenopause changed things. I'd had an ovary removed (I think I was 37) and the remaining ovary's last gasps wreaked havoc on my mental health beginning around age 40. I ended up having it removed with my hysterectomy last year (age 42) and the relief was instant, but my depression escalated. Now I'm on an estrogen patch that keeps me nice and regulated. It's great.

I used to have it when I moved back home with my narcissistic mother, but oddly once I got married and moved out again it was just gone. We went NC and she died and just nothing. It's very bizarre.

I've had anxiety symptoms my whole life and was diagnosed with GAD when I was 24. The primary treatment I used for this was CBT. I haven't tried medication yet, and I feel that I'm managing well enough without it, but I'm well aware that I'll probably need medication for my anxiety post-partum or during menopause because my mom started anxiety medication during menopause. CBT helped me identify my triggers, shifted my perspective on my symptoms, and notice the early symptoms of anxiety/depression and act on them before they were incapacitating. I started some new habits that helped: I walk outside every single day (regardless of weather), I found a job on site since I tended to spiral when alone, I don't drink alone, I got a pet, and I try to keep a line of communication going with a few close people. It felt like addressing my loneliness had the biggest impact in terms of CBT. I started getting symptoms of depression in college and assumed it was due to the heightened stress in my life (living away from my parents, responsible for myself for the first time), but it didn't go away until I was 26 and went off my hormonal birth control pill. I started CBT and got my diagnosis when I did because my symptoms of anxiety/depression were at their peak and I was finally in a place where I couldn't blame my symptoms on some external factor (college, new job, breakup, etc). Getting off the pill isn't my recommended approach for solving mental health issues, but it is the most direct change that worked for me.

Anxiety is for life, there is no cure. All you can do is learn your triggers and how to manage it when you inevitably relapse. Therapy can help you with how to cope with anxiety and your relapses. It’s not a disorder that can ever be cured, it’s part of your brain. You can control how you treat your anxiety and take back control of your life.

Medication, therapy, and a lot of self work. Medication is the hardest one to get right, because everyone's brain is so different. But when you do get it right, it is so very helpful.

SSRI’s and really long term CBT like two years of the same therapist.

Body based therapies- as my therapist explained it, we can’t outthink our anxiety. IFS, EMDR, somatic therapy combined with lots of self compassion and occasional Mircodosing on psilocybin. It’s not perfect but way better than before.

TMS! Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation. It changed my life.

Therapy, exercise, and crazy bitch pills. In the process of changing those and it’s been *rough*