Extreme social anxiety and high levels of stress, what to do

[Anonymous]

1 hour a day (in morning) of high intensity exercise.

[Anonymous]

Regarding beta blockers, I’m a PP who takes them. I started taking as needed before speaking engagements but really liked the overall sense of calm they provided and now take daily. Would it be better not to take them - probably - but there are no side effects for me and they are medications that have been around for many years with many people taking them for many years.

They do not act on the mind or change your thinking like a benzo. They just control your heart rate and other physical symptoms of anxiety that often stem from rapid heartbeat. It was really a dramatic improvement for me.

To the specific point about losing effectiveness, I don’t think that’s true and have not had to consider changing my dose.

There are some newer blood pressure meds but I believe the older beta blockers are typically prescribed for this purpose. Atenolol, propranolol are examples. I take atenolol.

Hope this is helpful as you look into options.

[Anonymous]

Try Alpha-Stim. It is an FDA approved device to calm the brain non-invasively. A good psychiatrist will give you a GeneSight DNA test. Check your folate, magnesium, D, B12 levels. Some people need Methyl folate because they cannot absorb it in its natural form.

"Ketamine has a rapid antidepressant action compared to conventional antidepressant drugs. Ketamine's antidepressant effects are triggered by N-methyl-d-aspartate (NMDA) receptor blockade that impacts intracellular signaling to produce region-specific synaptic plasticity changes."

https://doi.org/10.1016/j.molmed.2023.02.003

https://www.cell.com/trends/molecular-medicine/fulltext/S1471-4914(23)00035-7#:~:text=Acute%20ketamine%20has%20a%20rapid,region%2Dspecific%20synaptic%20plasticity%20changes.

I also highly recommend grief support groups or support groups in general. Look for a trauma informed therapist, as they have an understanding of how to "re-wire" the brain and form new neural pathways. It goes beyond talk therapy. Also Somatic therapy addresses emotional pain from a cellular body standpoint. "The body keeps the score," is a great book about this concept. I also highly recommend GOD. It is impossible to endure the trials of this world without a relationship with our creator. Get a biblical daily devotional surrounding anxiety/depression. Lastly, I recommend carrying around essential oils with you and using aromatherapy to help you at work. Meditations on YouTube, including "progressive muscle relaxation," emotional support animal. GOD BLESS YOU, you're not alone!!

[Anonymous]

For this level of anxiety, you are likely to need higher doses of an SSRI. I am surprised a psychiatrist would not have you go up to at least a middle dose before deciding to switch. And I agree with a therapist who does ERP.

[Anonymous]

OP I encourage you to look at these suggestions as hitting the anxiety on all sides with different little things.

To that end, I have two little suggestions.

First, if stuck in your office, pushing a wall as hard as you can--trying to push it down--can alleviate anxiety because it tricks your brain into thinking you executed your "flight or fight" so the cortisol dissipates. (another way to do this is push ups, but I am horrible at them).

Another small trick is to incorporate fermented foods into your diet like sauerkraut or kimchi. There is an NIH study that links the gut bacteria that process fermented foods to helping alleviate social anxiety.

[Anonymous]

Beta blockers

[Anonymous]

I have extreme anxiety, GAD and panic disorder, since birth, am over 60 now, and beta blockers did nothing except make it hard for me to exercise. Didn't help me with anything. PRN Ativan works for me and they don't impact my mind at all.
They just drop the anxiety level down a notch so i can think clearly. The ones who take benzos and feel spaced out don't have anxiety. I never knew a single person with anxiety when I was younger.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I would read up on beta blockers for anxiety. They do a great job of relieving the physical symptoms caused by adrenaline, and may help you feel calm (depending on how your anxiety affects your body).

I know this post is old yet wanted to second this based on what a friend told me. I had a stressful job and had to speak in front of large groups in high-stakes conversations. A parent was dying and the other was flailing and I had kids on top of it all. My friend suggested beta blockers. I wish I had listened and gotten on them because it probably would have improved the situation overall.