I have a high school DD with severe anxiety as well and I wonder if there are options outside of the traditional way of doing college. My DD does CBT and takes medication which helps, but I can see the same thing happening as what OP described. I think a part-time college experience (with perhaps living at home or in some type of LLC) with a part time job in her field of interest would be better. Does this even exist? (Outside of community college, which would not be my preference. I had another DC who did CC before transferring to a 4 year school and it was a great option for that kid, but I don't think it would work for DD.)

I don't mean to hijack the thread, but OP, were there any other options out there? I think living on campus if you are a quiet, anxious student can be very overwhelming.

Agree that CBT or DBT and meds are good options. But if your DC is averse to meds, or wants to try something holistic first, magnesium supplementation may help. My DS takes powdered magnesium citrate at night (mixed into juice or water) and it has eased his anxiety enough that he can enjoy social functions/parties that he used to avoid. He still doesn't initiate social interaction, but it's a start. Good luck to your son.

Anonymous wrote:Yes on the diagnosis from a psychologist. As I said meds were prescribed (by a psychiatrist) awhile ago but DC didn't like them. How do I convince DC that it doent have to be this way and that regular therapy and/or meds could make life better?

It can take a few tries to find drugs that work, and sometimes it takes a few weeks for a medicine to start make a difference. It is a journey and one that she has to commit to trying to take.

There are lots of memoirs out there of people who got treatment- that may work better than you (who doesn't have mental health issues) telling her. Does anyone in your family have depression or anxiety? Finding a trusted friend or relative she can talk to might also help.

My DC tried Zoloft (along with CBT) but even the tiniest dose made her feel numb. Her psychiatrist prescribed gabapentin (traditionally used for seizures and neuropathy), and that did the trick. She also had a beta blocker for the occasional panic attack.

My DD, age 16, has terrible generalized anxiety and social anxiety. She is on prozac, has done CBT, but daily low-dose Inderal has been a miracle and the bonus is that it works within an hour taking it. I think her dose is 10 mg/day, which is a tiny amount compared to what is used to lower blood pressure. She naturally has very low blood pressure, but Inderal hasn't been an issue for her at all.

OP, research fermented foods and anxiety--there is research about this! (I know because I have some anxiety so was looking into it). Fermented foods feed a type of gut bacteria that sends signals to the brain to reduce anxiety. So the way *I* interpreted that is to eat a little every day to grow that bacteria field.

And here's a recent article from my favorite www.marksdailyapple.com/anxiety-are-nutritional-deficiencies-a-common-cause/

And finally, truehope.com has something called EmPower Plus which has helped--I think it's the most researched over-the-counter vitamin/mineral formula in the world. It's for brain health (balance)