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Anxiety issues

50 posts, 14 members
Lisa-Lou
2679 posts
Hi ladies. I hope you are all safe! I have been having some problems with really bad anxiety these past few months.  I have seen my Dr about it and have some medication on hand if I want to try it but first I wanted to try more natural remedies. I have started taking magnesium as I have read that can help, also got an aromatherapy mix which I inhale daily. I am suffering constant tension type headaches and just want to feel myself again :-( Any tips or ideas would be much appreciated xx
trudijoy
8375 posts
Hi lovely. Firstly it's very normal to be struggling, especially with the few months you have had and now this covid mess as well. So please know that it's okay not to be okay right now. 

To pull yourself up when you're ready to you need to identify things that make you feel a positive way. That positive may not actually be 'happy' or even 'non anxious'. Positive feelings like 'I am safe', 'I will bounce back when I'm ready', 'I am allowed to feel' also help. 


Things that tend to work for me include:

- darkening the room at night and lighting candles. This makes me feel safer, calmer, and like things can't overwhelm me

- give myself a time frame if i need to cry do I really have a good cry for 10-15 mins then go wash my face and start over wuth what I was doing

- long hot showers where I focus on relaxing and washing away whatever is getting to me

- acknowledging what I'm scared of or worried about and asking myself what I'd say to someone else in the same situation and then trying to apply one bit of advice at a time to myself 

- light TV, movies or books, nothing dramatic or scary


Mkne might not work for you but the point really is 'find something you feel a positive feeling doing, and use that to help yourself get into a better mindset

xx
trudijoy
8375 posts
Also I have a few close trusted friends I can talk to and it helps. Not everyone is able to help when you're low but identifying those who can is awesome.
trudijoy
8375 posts
With tension headaches identify where you're tense and use heat and massage to loosen muscles, along with an anti inflammatory x


I used to take St John's Wort but had to stop when I needed prescription strength ones as the SHW doesn't mix well with antidepressants 
Lisa-Lou
2679 posts
Thanks so much for your reply Trudi. Some really great ideas which I will definitely take on board :-)
I have actually been researching the St Johns Wort, it sounds like it could be quite beneficial. 
I was getting heart palpitations too which was quite frightening which is why I ended up seeing my dr. I know I am an anxious person but it is really crazy how much that can upset the body!  I feel like it is a subject not often talked about but I know I can talk here without judgement xx
trudijoy
8375 posts
Yeah I'm really quite open about my own struggles. When I was going through the worst of my depression I didn't know it was actually quite normal and okay to be going through that, especially for the reasons I was. I decided at some point to actually just talk about it in the hope that I might open a door for someone to feel a bit more okay. 

I heard someone describe anxiety and depression as clouds once and it stuck with me. Sometimes the sky is clear. Sometimes there are clouds but they're fluffy and harmless. the darker and heavier a cloud gets the more likely that it with burst into rain, but rain is cleansing and always stops. 

xx
 
itsclearascrystal
2055 posts
Hey Lisa, glad you could feel comfortable to reach out. Did the doctor talk to you at all about mindfulness? That's currently one of the more popular non-medicated treatments. Meditation and yoga are also considered good for grounding the body and mind. And if you are feeling out of sorts of course medication is a neat solution.

 I hope you feel back to your old self soon. Anxiety can be a really horrible and consuming thing to have to deal with.
MareeB
5239 posts
My sympthies Lisa, I totally feel your pain. I took the medication initially, just to get enough sleep to be able to function. Then I started making lists about things I could do, and talked to the people I needed to talk to who could help me. Feeling like you are gaining control over life again is a great help to overcoming anxiety, in my case at least. For everyone things feel very out-of-control right now. I hope you feel better soon xx
LucyAnnexx
29 posts
Hey lovely.
You're brave for reaching out! I know a lot of us sometimes suffer in silence waiting for it to blow over.

I find meditiation helps. If you like, you can download the app 'Insight Timer'. There are hundreds (at least) of free guided meditations on it. Sometimes it takes trying a few different ones as I have found I don't relax or tune in to some of their voices.

Also, St Johns Wort can affect the contraceptive pill (Levlen). I only found this out a few weeks ago when I got my prescription! 

You could also try grounding yourself when you start to feel anxious. Try placing your bare feet firmly on the ground (grass, soil, wooden floors etc) and feel the weight push through your feet into the floor, writing 3 things to be grateful for every morning, or doing something like star jumps to distract you and get those endorphins pumping through your body

Take care lovely xx
Lisa-Lou
2679 posts
Thank you all for reaching out to me! @Trudi I love thinking of it as a cloud! Sums it up really well.  @crystal my Dr is amazing and we did talk about alternative remedies. She did not push medication on me at all which was brilliant.  We didn't really talk about mindfulness but I will look into that :-) @Maree yes writing a list is a great idea, I will work on that today! Last night was a terrible night sleep so today I feel so flat.
@Lucy I will find that app. I have not tried meditation yet as my mind does tend to wander but I feel like it could be a great start while in lockdown :-) I definitely notice when I am distracted I can feel quite great so doing things to distract myself is a great idea. I'm not currently on the pill so I think st johns wort would be ok for me.
AboutFace
412 posts
All the very best to you Lisa :-) Anxiety is a horrible thing to go through. Grounding yourself helps, go outside and stand on the grass barefoot, listen to the sounds around you like the birds, look around you and take in the natural beauty, smell the air or flowers and touch something like a flower or even a pet. Don't rush yourself and know that it does take time to heal, you will get through this :-)
shazatron101
5112 posts
Youre a brave woman for reachin out lisa!! I cant offer any advice that's not already been offered but just one day at a time makes it less daunting <3

Also about st johns wort, if/when youre ready to be trying again for a mini lisa, i would avoid it - have heard it can cause bad things. I mean, heaps of people will disagree and say its fine but yeah. Sore subject i know but better to know that not, right? X

 
Lisa-Lou
2679 posts
Thanks @Aboutface, much appreciated :-)
Shaz thanks for that information! I didn't know that.  Will probably stay away from that and see if the Magnesium starts to help x
SooziesWorld
2999 posts
Hi Lisa, I was also just about to comment about St John's Wort too. Please check with your doctor before taking it. It might be natural and highly effective but it can interfer with some medicines and cause other problems. I used to take it and found it great for SAD (Seasonal Affective Disorder) but then made a connection that it was excerbatting another condition. I hope you are feeling better soon - this is a terrible time for everyone, but even more so for anyone who suffers from anxiety and other conditions x
SooziesWorld
2999 posts
Just a wee meditation tip for those who find it hard because of wandering 'monkey minds' - just acknowledge the thought you are having and then let it disappear again. I think the more you try 'not to think' the more you do think! I had a yoga teacher who said to think of the thoughts like waves that come into shore and then go out again.

Speaking of yoga - who did the Les Mills class on tv this mornng? It was soooo hard, lol! They could've eased us in with something easier. I kinda just ended doing my own thing half way through. It did really energise me though and I ended up having a 70s disco dance party for one for the next couple of hours lol. Music and dancing is the best therapy for me so I am trying to dance every day. I truly believe that music and pets are the things that will get us through these strange times.
SooziesWorld
2999 posts
Magnesium can help with many things, like sleep and aches and pains, as most people are deficient in it. You can buy it in cream form as well if you don't like taking tablets.
Lisa-Lou
2679 posts
Thanks Soozie! Haha a friend text and said she did the class too, I didn't know about it.
I just went to the field across the road and walked around and around and around lmao.
shazatron101
5112 posts
No worries lisa. I got told from a friend to avoid it, yet my midwife recommended it, as much as i loved her i listened to the friend hahahahahahahaha

that yoga was awful! I tried it and about broke my face lmfao
tabucutie
1811 posts
@soozie: couldn't agree more, pets and music is life! Though I dont hear any one else playing music around me when I'm at home. It's just mine I can hear. Party for one! My cat seems to quite like the auckland Philharmonic symphony orchestra. He doesn't care my dubstep,  looks very offended when I play it lol.

I would like to do tthe yoga class but am working first thing in the morning consecutive days, maybe I can try it next week. I did one of the pop sugar classes (on youtube) for meditation and yoga which was great.
trudijoy
8375 posts
Yoga with Adriene on YouTube is great, it's really simple and easy to follow.

I'm going to start doing some again i think
shazatron101
5112 posts
Haha trudi i do hers as well! She is very relaxing to listen to!
Lisa-Lou
2679 posts
I shall have a look at her yoga. I'm so unco with things like that though lol.
Lisa-Lou
2679 posts
I've been doing a lot of cooking and baking. I feel like that is something I enjoy and it relaxes me. The only downside is I love eating it all too lol. 
SooziesWorld
2999 posts
I'm also a fan of Yoga with Adrienne. She has lots of different videos, for all levels and for different purposes. That Les Mills one was just too hard and definitely not for beginners! Beautiful day here so I finally went for a walk on what is day 11 for me! Luckily, I live walking distance from a beach  - there was a lot of big bubbles there though, complete with their dogs. At least the water-skiiers weren't there today.
MareeB
5239 posts
I saw some of the Les Mills one at work today. It did look advanced. Some of the old Aerobics Oz Style would be good :)
Macs
5351 posts
Hi Lisa ,

Sorry to hear that . I've struggled with depression for 10 years in the first five years I was on prescription medication from a young age of 17 . After that I came off those drugs . Things that helped me get back on track were :

-Exercise  walks at the beach or parks 
- Positive Affirmations 
-Essensial oils for night time with soothing music
-Coffee with a friend 
-Accepting bad days allowing myself to feel sad, angry , cry
-Journal writing keeping track of thoughts  


I wish you all the best . Hope things get better . I still struggle with it but I've learned to cope for my family and children . 
 
Lisa-Lou
2679 posts
Macs thank you for sharing! I really appreciate it.  Some really great suggestions, I do feel like exercise definitely helps and with the lockdown I am not able to do what I was doing so really need to look into online options like the ladies have talked about.
A big thing for me is overthinking silly things....so perhaps writing things down in a journal could really be beneficial :-)
Lisa-Lou
2679 posts
Also just wondering if anyone takes executive b? If so does it make a difference 
tabucutie
1811 posts
Earlier this year I was having anxiety. Daily journaling was a massive help for me, as well as feeling all my emotions and letting them go. Grounding in nature was also helpful, just brought me peace. I did try chamomile tea, it's an acquired taste. I had the rescue remedy spray which I keep in my handbag just in case.

A friend got me a Black Onyx for absorbing negative energy, to help prevent drain of personal energy. Also aids the development of emotional and physical strength and stamina when support is needed. I kept this on me for days and felt it helped a lot. 
Lisa-Lou
2679 posts
I actually love the rescue remedy spray. I have not had it for a long time so thanks for reminding me!
That's really cool about the onyx :-) I'm really into crystals and think they can do wonders for healing.
tabucutie
1811 posts
I had never really been into Crystal's but thought it was such a thoughtful gift. I still have it near my bedside, its quite comforting. 

Anyway, hope you are having a good day Lisa :)
shazatron101
5112 posts
I wonder, do you believe in the magic of worry dolls? I do, and i find they help me immensely when im having issues with.. everything.

I also slept with amethyst and rose quartz under my pillow. 

I dunno if either will help but i guess sharing ones experience is better than not!
RamblingRose
1280 posts
I haven't heard of worry dolls before ... What are they and how to they work?

I do have a strand of green worry beads / komboloi.  I've had my worry beads for around 20 years, and they definitely help distract my mind.  I also wear a Tiger's Eye stone bracelet every day (charging and cleansing it during a full moon, or in the sun for a few hours if I missed the full moon), and have an amethyst ring and garnet ring, which I wear when I need them.

I found this website useful as it has an A-Z of gemstones and healing stones and all their uses. 
 
MareeB
5239 posts
Oh me too Shaz. I have a bag with a pic of my kids, some gem stones, a feather, and a worry doll under my pillow.
MareeB
5239 posts
Oh and a friend bought me a glass angel recently to help me in my bid to recover some extrasensory skills I lost after a huge trauma last year. It stays beside my bed as well.
shazatron101
5112 posts
They're little dolls that take away your worries as you sleep! Ill send you a pic of mine on insta.  I've used them (not this particular bunch) since i was small, i dont even remember how i got my first one 
shazatron101
5112 posts
Ooh maree i like what you have under your pillow! Id put a pic of the small one but i have the baby monitor that i can flick on and see her with so maybe not yet haha
Lisa-Lou
2679 posts
I've not heard of a worry doll but they sound cool! You guys are awesome 
SooziesWorld
2999 posts
You used to be able to buy worry dolls from Trade Aid shops. 
Lisa-Lou
2679 posts
So I just wanted to update here. I have been taking magnesium now for 5 weeks and it has made a huge difference! My migraines are way less frequent and severe and I definitely feel more calm and not an emotional wreck lol. This is the only new supplement I have been taking and I am really impressed. I did a lot of research on this before I started taking them and for me personally it has been a real game changer :-)
AboutFace
412 posts
That's great Lisa glad you're feeling happier :-)
JackieMackenzie
341 posts
That's awesome news Lisa xx
Mumof3Munchkins
2718 posts
Lisa-Lou that is wonderful to hear. I think it's very brave for you to reach out and what better place to do that than here with your BR family.

Could you please tell me what brand of magnesium you used. Unfortunately I also suffer from migraines so I can understand what you're going through with them x

I have a prescription for my anxiety from my doctor as well as migraine pills but would love to try a more natural approach.

Massive hugs hun and I'm so glad you've found something that is working for you xx
Lisa-Lou
2679 posts
Thanks ladies! I take Good Health Organic Magnesium Ultra. They seem to be sold out a lot, I got some today from supplements.co.nz they are really great and everything has free shipping. 
They are a big pill though but I can still swallow them and I hate big pills! Sometimes I will shove it in with a mouthful of food lol which makes it easy as. I also started drinking coffee again as I read that can help with migraines also! 
trudijoy
8375 posts
i love so much when people are open about mental health.  One thing that helped me heal and recognise triggers, develop resilience etc was being open, honest and reflective about what works and what doesn't.  My depression was situational, triggered after a series of traumatic events.  These days i tend to be able to see when i'm going down that path and do something about it before I fall in the hole.

So happy for you that you're finding your best way forward, Lisa x 
Lisa-Lou
2679 posts
Thanks Trudi xx
JackieMackenzie
341 posts
I completely agree Trudi. The more people feel they can talk then others will open up too. It's definitely gotten better and more acceptable ... But still such a long way to go with mental health in NZ 
Mumof3Munchkins
2718 posts
Lisa-Lou if you ever struggle to find these, Chemist Warehouse sell them. I just purchased 120 for $21.99. Keen to give these a go. Thanks for the recommendation and I hope you are doing better xx
Lisa-Lou
2679 posts
Awesome I hope they help! My recommendation is to take at night as they can help with sleep also give it 3-4 weeks to see if you feel a difference :-)
Kat555
143 posts
So great to hear that you are feeling a bit better Lisa. It's such a tricky thing. It's so nice to have this forum to actually talk about everything. Sometimes its actually hard to talk to people in person and say what you mean to say. Even the one's that are closest to you. So good to hear about supplements that help people. I know one of my little people is especially struggling with the prospect of going back to school. He's not even sure why. Not sure how to help him. I guess we'll just take things one day at a time. Not sure if there are kid specific supplements.

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