What life events cause you to be under the worst stress and anxiety and what did you do?

[Anonymous]

I’m currently feeling like I’m a 10/10 in anxiety. I’ve tried 3 different anti anxiety medications. I limit sugar.
I’ve had several major life events pile up on me (tragic loss of parent/sibling, husband traveling, young kids)
I feel like I’ve tried everything- therapy, medication, etc and my anxiety is just too deep rooted to make any progress. I have major c-ptsd from my childhood. I live a very “good” life and I’m married with children with a good support system of friends, although not much family support as you can imagine. I’m the only one alive in my immediate family. What do I do from here? I’m really struggling. The next week I’m trying to take every obligation off my schedule and just focus on reducing my stress level but it’s to the point where it’s debilitating and I feel physically affected. I’m currently on prozac and been taking it for 12 weeks. 20mg

[Anonymous]

I take 300mg of Wellbutrin. When my dad died this last year, I tried adding Lexapro but it didn’t help so I stopped taking it after a month. The Wellbutrin is fine unless there’s some big extenuating circumstance. 6 months after my dad died, I was in a really scary car accident and added some as-needed Valium for the first couple weeks afterward because I could not function (crying all the time, could barely look at my kids because I couldn’t stop seeing their faces during the accident when I truly thought we were all about to die, etc.). That was in January, and at this point it’s just the Wellbutrin and the flashbacks and intrusive thoughts have subsided a bit.

I’m also a therapist with a ton of experience in helping other people cope with trauma and I have a great therapist who is also good at helping people cope with trauma. Sometimes there’s just so much of it that you can only do so much to alleviate distress.

Have you looked into ketamine or psychedelic therapies? They are reputed to work well for complex treatment-resistant issues and PTSD. I haven’t tried either because my approach has been working, but I’d definitely consider it if it wasn’t.

[Anonymous]

Look into EMDR therapy

[Anonymous]

Walked every day - no phone

Otherwise, I took it one day at a time. To paraphrase a Churchill, if you find yourself walking through hell, keep on walking.

[Anonymous]

Are you sleeping? If not, maybe try and find some supplements to help you there. In my worst stress time, I took gabapentin and it really helped stabilize my mood, but eventually it stopped working. It might be really hard to swing, but any chance you can get away by yourself for a break?

Sorry you are going through this tough time.

[Anonymous]

My identical twin dying of a genetic based cancer in her early 40s. It was stressful because, after losing twins to pre-mature labor just a few years before, I was finally raising two toddlers, while being my sister's primary caregiver for 4 years, all the while terrified that I was also going to get cancer. It's been 10 years since she died, and it's still incredibly sad but I also lived in fear for years of every bone pain and stomach ache. As I get older, I just fear death less now, figuring it's inevitable. I take the care of myself the best I can, but otherwise just try to live my life. My anxiety has eased on its own. When it was more frequent, and when it gets bad, I make sure I stop drinking completely for a while, work on getting good sleep, and practice anxiety-reducing exercises, like breathing and meditation. I really prefer to do my own work than use medications. I just don't think they are good long-time fix.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I’m currently feeling like I’m a 10/10 in anxiety. I’ve tried 3 different anti anxiety medications. I limit sugar.
I’ve had several major life events pile up on me (tragic loss of parent/sibling, husband traveling, young kids)
I feel like I’ve tried everything- therapy, medication, etc and my anxiety is just too deep rooted to make any progress. I have major c-ptsd from my childhood. I live a very “good” life and I’m married with children with a good support system of friends, although not much family support as you can imagine. I’m the only one alive in my immediate family. What do I do from here? I’m really struggling. The next week I’m trying to take every obligation off my schedule and just focus on reducing my stress level but it’s to the point where it’s debilitating and I feel physically affected. I’m currently on prozac and been taking it for 12 weeks. 20mg

20mg is too low or it’s not the right drug. I have ocd (anxiety disorder), I’ve been on 60mg Prozac. Have you told your psychiatrist that you are so anxious? From experience, when you are so stressed out this is the only fix. For maintaining your mental health, a good diet, sleep and exercise is important but this isn’t going to bring you down from a 10/10 - that’s chemical. Good luck.

[Anonymous]

Xanax is the only thing that works for me. I take a very small amount (half a .5mg tablet) as needed for anxiety. I have tried Wellbutrin and all of the anti-depressants and this is the only thing that really works. It helps me sleep when I'm super anxious and takes the edge off. I am careful not to take it too often as you can get dependent on it.

[Anonymous]

Breathing. Lots of breathing. I tend to hold my breath when stressed so I consciously remind myself to take deep breaths throughout the day.

Walks in nature.

If you have a dog or pet, petting them takes the edge off off.

Melatonin to sleep. Prioritize sleep as much as possible. Sometimes it’s hard when you have a lot on your plate.

No alcohol, no caffeine.

- person with C-PTSD

[Anonymous]

I'm sorry you're suffering. It sounds like the current stressors on top of the PTSD having pushed you to your limit. Here are some things that have helped me get through similar times:

* Regular daily exercise that incorporates a variety of strength training, intense cardio, and long walks (or something similar)
* Fanatical attention to sleep hygiene: same bedtime every night, wind down 90 minutes beforehand with no screens, and wake up at the same time every day. Get medication if you need to regulate your sleep.
* Talk with your psychiatrist about whether the Prozac is the right choice or if it's time for a trial of something else
* Meditation (I listen to audio ones)
* A bit of slow yoga followed by progressive muscle relaxation
* Try finding new therapist. Approaches to consider: Somatic Experiencing, Internal Family Systems, EMDR

[Anonymous]

The only thing that has worked for me consistently is exercise. Usually running but also yoga a bit. I need to run when I’m feeling panicked with a good playlist. I don’t run fast or well. More like jog. But it’s therapeutic.

[Anonymous]

You need EMDR and DBT.

[Anonymous]

I'm sorry you are dealing with this, OP. In my case (after death of parent, DH illness, and other issues), I didn't even realize the extent to which my current medication was not sufficient until I described my daily life to my doctor (crying all the time, etc.) and got that feedback. She said we need to Increase my dosage, which was the right call. I think the particulars of which medicine and which type of therapy depend on the individual.

As others have mentioned, exercise helps. Sometimes I was so anxious that I had to walk anyway. When depressed, it's more of a chore for me to exercise.

Other things that have been helpful:

-Being in nature
-Pets
-Listening to friends who also have real problems and getting out of my own head. Helping others.
-A funny movie
-Favorite music
-ASMR videos

[Anonymous]

The worst is when the stress is caused by chronic pain or illness that prevents exercise, since that is also my coping mechanism.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:The worst is when the stress is caused by chronic pain or illness that prevents exercise, since that is also my coping mechanism.

Have you looked into Mindfulness Based Stress Reduction (MBSR)? Many people with chronic pain find help with this.