If you drink, I would try to cut it out of your diet.

Things that work for me: Getting out of my head by calling and checking in with someone else trying to focus entirely on them and if I can be of service to them. Listening to a Spotify created Happy Mix or Disney Running playlist while I jog/walk. 10 minutes of prayer/meditation/positive mantras in the morning.

During real high anxiety deep breathing and progressive muscle relaxations.

I'm so sorry you're going through this, OP. I hope you find relief.

For me, EMDR with an amazing therapist coupled with Celexa took away years of stress and anxiety that was debilitating and causing scary physical symptoms. Oh, and also better sleep. I know you've tried both therapy and meds and that they weren't helpful for you.

I've heard that some people have luck finding the right med by doing a cheek swab genetic type test. The results show which kinds of meds work for you and which done. Perhaps worth asking your doctor about. Are you seeing a psychiatrist for meds, or just your PCP? If just the PCP, it might we worth seeing a psychiatrist, as they have a deeper understanding of the medications and dosing than PCP's do.

I wish you the best of luck and hope you feel better soon. Keep trying.

Op, drink a lot of water. that helps us.

Hot water - like 2 cups in the morning calms me down.
always, carry a water bottle and try to drink 3-4 liters.

have you considered praying? chanting? that also helps tremendously.

Vigorous yard work. An hour a day of it has been my lifesaver over the years. I don’t care if it’s raining.

Trying to play the piano —easy pieces that are pretty.

Hanging around old people in a retirement home. If they can make it to old age, so can I.

You need to have a go-to phrase/mantra/technique you can say out loud or quietly to yourself to acknowledge your realization that you are spinning AND to help you step back and pull yourself out.

Seriously.

I sing this Paul Simon song when I feel overwhelmed—it stars with, “Slow down, you move too fast.”

Slow down, you move too fast
You got to make the morning last
Just kicking down the cobblestones
Looking for fun and feeling groovy
Ba da-da da-da da-da, feeling groovy
Hello lamppost, what'cha knowing
I've come to watch your flowers growin'
Ain't you got no rhymes for me?
Doo-ait-n-doo-doo, feeling groovy
Ba da-da da-da da-da, feeling groovy
I got no deeds to do, no promises to keep
I'm dappled and drowsy and ready to sleep
Let the morningtime drop all its petals on me
Life, I love you, all is groovy

OP - are you over 40?

I have high baseline anxiety and have gone through some really difficult events. What helps me the most is not drinking anything caffeinated. Caffeine just intensifies the anxiety. Exercise. For me like a pp it has to be pretty intense and raise my heart rate. At night it helps to try to engage my mind in other thoughts. So reading a book will help. During a really bad stretch massage also helped. But it was expensive. I went every two weeks. It helped me keep my sh$$ together when I had to keep going through a very difficult time. Good luck OP.

Work on your root chakra. Take your shoes off and ground. Plant yourself on the ground and meditate outside. Get the sun to hit your face. Also join dance classes moving your hips can help work through your childhood trauma.

prioritize sleep

weekly massage

400 mg magnesium glycinate (to help with sleep)

***Note, I typically don't like massage but when my brother in law was dying this really helped me.

Op I am you and sending hugs and support that you are making good choices.
Please add in exercise and vigorous yoga if possible. Try cold shower followed by hot shower. Seek out opportunities to cry. Be alone. No demands.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote: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

I’m the pp, to add. I see several recs for exercise. Exercise is necessary but when you’re at your absolute most anxiety related depleted, intense exercise makes it worse. You need to keep your heart rate from getting too high. Exercise is a stress on your body and when you can’t take much more, it can make you worse. I learned this the hard way.

Walk, light weights, nothing intense.

People are so different. I always advocate exercise, but for me, it has to be reasonably intense to make any sort of dent when my anxiety/depression is really bad. Usually that feels very hard to do when I'm in the midst of a spell. But walking or light weights won't do the trick. I have to push myself to do more, and by the end, usually I'm in a much better state. I'd love to get to a place where meditation has the same effect. Because like
a PP noted, exercise is not always available.

My son was diagnosed with schizophrenia and I was very overwhelmed. There wasn’t much I could do about it. I only told my mom because he didn’t want others knowing. I’m the only parent as his dad isn’t involved. It was a lot. I got through it and now that he is medicated he is doing better. Time helps.

Anonymous wrote: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

I’m the pp, to add. I see several recs for exercise. Exercise is necessary but when you’re at your absolute most anxiety related depleted, intense exercise makes it worse. You need to keep your heart rate from getting too high. Exercise is a stress on your body and when you can’t take much more, it can make you worse. I learned this the hard way.

Walk, light weights, nothing intense.

Breathwork and meditation.

You can start with the Insight Timer app and give it a whirl.

I've spent most of my life as a victim of profound abuse. I've tried it all. Nearly every different type of therapy and everything that falls under "wellness," I've tried it. Breathwork and meditation have been an invaluable anchor for me.

I had a stroke. I wouldn't recommend that approach. Therapy works much better