Social Anxiety Disorder

[DXM101]

I have been diagnosed with social anxiety disorder by my doctor. He said that prescription xanax could be used to manage my stress, but that it is very addictive. I don't want to start with the usage of this medication but I need a way to relax (without the use of pharmecuticals or marijuana) If anyone else here has SAD and doesnt use medication, what do you do? Are there any natural ways of calming down when I have a panic attack?

 

[The Monkey Mantra]

I actually really dug biofeedback and yoga/meditation. The biofeedback part is *especially* useful. Another thing you can do is write down your feelings. Once you verbalize them you'll feel a ton better. Also, call a friend if you have a panic attack! It's great to have a lifeline, even if it's your mom!

 

[Dave]

EMDR works wonders for anxiety disorders, and pretty well cured me of my social anxiety (among other issues) in just a few sessions. Brilliant stuff, but also very intense, and in the short run not too cheap.

Check out the EMDR thread in The Dark Side for more info, or send me a PM.

 

[Portillo]

I have avoidant personality. I havent been diagnosed and im not into prescription drugs, so i just exercise and get high off that.

 

[sweetbeatlvr]

couple tricks i was taught, that helped me stay off the meds, and eventually learn to deal with the anxiety...

there is the deep breathing technique... breathe in through your nose, and out through your mouth. as you are exhaling, count 1, then repeat, count 2, then finally 3. as you are breathing really think about the the number you are doing. this has usually always worked for me. my heart will be pounding, and i feel it thump real hard, slowing down. repeat as necessary.

some other ones are (as crazy as they sound) i know they work... the first one is to start running in place, as hard as you can, when you feel the anxiety starting.something about physically bringing the heartrate up, takes it down from the anxiety.

an lastly, (my cousin's doctor told him this one, and it worked for him)... he said when you feel the anxiety coming, to bear down like you are trying to go to the bathroom, really pushing down. something about doing these other acts, takes your mind off the anxiety, and helps get you through the attacks.

it's also important to remind yourself, that you are not going to die! try to remind yourself that you have been through this before, and you are still here, so you know you are not going to die!

i wish you well, i know how horrible anxiety can be. i am happy to say, though, i have not had a panic attack in almost 10 years. hope these help you.

 

[ebola?]

I think that benzodiazapines are best used as supplements to exposure therapy (giving you the boldness to try otherwise intolerable situations). They may also be used quite occasionally, for those extremely panicky situations. Using benzos as a crutch, however, seems to at best lead to the medication losing effectiveness and at worst lead to addiction.

What really works is cognitive behavioral therapy, but it's difficult and time-consuming (but oh so worth it).

ebola

 

[wreckhead]

Benzos do not work for exposure because of their amnestic effects. The whole point of exposing yourself to a situation is that you remember what happened and build on that.

To OP: you should see your psychiatrist and ask about SSRIs and CBT. Tell him to fuck off with the xanax.

I've tried too many drugs for my social anxiety and can say with 100% certainty: the only class of drugs that will lead to a solution for the anxiety long-term are the SSRIs (well, perhaps MAOIs and TCAs too if you're pedantic).

 

[ebola?]

Benzos do not work for exposure because of their amnestic effects. The whole point of exposing yourself to a situation is that you remember what happened and build on that.

No, no. The idea is to titrate the dose such that the situation is brought down from "OH FUCK....I'm leaving!" to "this is quite uncomfortable". This shouldn't cause a black-out.
...
The studies that I have seen suggest that SSRIs are only marginally effective for anxiety (statistically significant benefit, extremely small effect size). Paxil just has very aggressive marketing.

ebola

 

[wreckhead]

No, no. The idea is to titrate the dose such that the situation is brought down from "OH FUCK....I'm leaving!" to "this is quite uncomfortable". This shouldn't cause a black-out.

I know what you mean, but in my experience doses large enough to be anxiolytic always affected memory significantly. You probably won't pass out, but will still get the hazy memory to whatever extent. Also, you will associate any "success" with the drug.

The studies that I have seen suggest that SSRIs are only marginally effective for anxiety (statistically significant benefit, extremely small effect size). Paxil just has very aggressive marketing.

True, but the only real alternatives are either benzos, which are too addictive and have too many cognitive effects to work long-term, or MAOIs, which are pretty much redundant today.

There really are no other options at this time, and I'm sure that with enough time and large enough doses (e.g. up to 50mg escitalopram), a lot of benzo-fiends would be surprised. You only have to look at MDMA for the power of serotonin.

 

[Dave]

True, but the only real alternatives are either benzos, which are too addictive and have too many cognitive effects to work long-term, or MAOIs, which are pretty much redundant today.

Or, you know, therapy.

 

[ebola?]

I know what you mean, but in my experience doses large enough to be anxiolytic always affected memory significantly. You probably won't pass out, but will still get the hazy memory to whatever extent. Also, you will associate any "success" with the drug.

I know it's only a single anecdote, but I used benzodiazapines to tackle teaching. I am no longer scared shitless of my class (college students), and I no longer use benzodiazapines to aid teaching.

True, but the only real alternatives are either benzos, which are too addictive and have too many cognitive effects to work long-term, or MAOIs, which are pretty much redundant today.

Dave said it: cognitive behavioral therapy is what works, and benzodiazapines used properly should be adjuncts to therapy.

ebola

 

[DXM101]

Wow that breathing technique sweetbeatlvr mention really works...but only if you REALLY focus on the number your on

 

[sweetbeatlvr]

good! i'm so glad it worked for you!

yes, you definately have to focus on the number you are counting, while doing it. it really does work.

 

[DXM101]

i tried goin to ten but got dizzy by eight 8) lol

so i found the perfect number is four or five...but really, this actually helps..ALOT

 

[sweetbeatlvr]

good.=)

eventually, you'll have less and less anxiety, because you'll realize that *you* are in control of your emotions, your emotions aren't controlling you. atleast that's how it worked for me.

i still have situations now and then that cause me anxiety, and i'll get the racy heart, but i just do this breathing technique and it helps me every time.

wishing you many anxiety-free days...

 

[glitterbizkit]

Therapy really helped my anxiety. I didn't have high levels normally, but I got caught in the trap of using alcohol or drugs (usually GBL) to decrease anxiety, then ending up with even worse rebound anxiety. Hellish.

I've never been prescribed anything for my anxiety. A friend of mine swears by Pregabalin. As for 'natural' cures, I tried everything from Valerian to Kava Kava to Taurine, and so on. One supplement that I found to really work for anxiety was L-Theanine (the substance from green tea - green tea was good for anxiety to some point, but I had to drink about 4-6 cups to even feel a slight improvement). But, considering the doses you ahve to take for it to work, it's expensive.

You're supposed to take 100-150 mg. One time I had gotten completely wasted at work, and as if that wasn't enough, got caught by my manager who was PISSED off. I usually get terrible hangover anxiety, but this was much much worse as I had to come in the next day to work after not much sleep, face the humiliation and embarrassment. I would have had extreme heart-racing anxiety, but over the course of 12 hours I had 2.3 grams of theanine, and managed to remain cheerful, being able to joke about my situation (while still obviously feeling some embarrassment, but no high anxiety levels). What a lifesaver. Even though I don't get anxiety much anymore because of my therapy, it's good to have some around anyway for those off days.

I don't think Theanine would do for someone with more than mild anxiety, I really suggest some kind of therapy, but in the future, when it's just a matter of having a few relapses, you might want to check it out, if you're interested in natural supplements rather than pharmaceuticals.

 

[law12345]

Therapy really helped my anxiety. I didn't have high levels normally, but I got caught in the trap of using alcohol or drugs (usually GBL) to decrease anxiety, then ending up with even worse rebound anxiety. Hellish.

I've never been prescribed anything for my anxiety. A friend of mine swears by Pregabalin. As for 'natural' cures, I tried everything from Valerian to Kava Kava to Taurine, and so on. One supplement that I found to really work for anxiety was L-Theanine (the substance from green tea - green tea was good for anxiety to some point, but I had to drink about 4-6 cups to even feel a slight improvement). But, considering the doses you ahve to take for it to work, it's expensive.

You're supposed to take 100-150 mg. One time I had gotten completely wasted at work, and as if that wasn't enough, got caught by my manager who was PISSED off. I usually get terrible hangover anxiety, but this was much much worse as I had to come in the next day to work after not much sleep, face the humiliation and embarrassment. I would have had extreme heart-racing anxiety, but over the course of 12 hours I had 2.3 grams of theanine, and managed to remain cheerful, being able to joke about my situation (while still obviously feeling some embarrassment, but no high anxiety levels). What a lifesaver. Even though I don't get anxiety much anymore because of my therapy, it's good to have some around anyway for those off days.

I don't think Theanine would do for someone with more than mild anxiety, I really suggest some kind of therapy, but in the future, when it's just a matter of having a few relapses, you might want to check it out, if you're interested in natural supplements rather than pharmaceuticals.

Interesting. How do you get Theanine on it's own? I drink plenty of green tea but try to get caffeine-free tea because obviously caffeine lows can affect your anxiety.

 

[mariacallas]

good! i'm so glad it worked for you!

yes, you definately have to focus on the number you are counting, while doing it. it really does work.

Yup I've advised a couple of my friends to do this as well, whenever they feel an anxiety attack coming.

When people are anxious they tend to take rapid, shallow breaths that come directly from the chest. This type of breathing is called thoracic or chest breathing. When you’re feeling anxious, you may not even be aware that you’re breathing this way.

Chest breathing causes an upset in the oxygen and carbon dioxide levels in the body resulting in increased heart rate, dizziness, muscle tension and other physical sensations. Your blood is not being properly oxygenated and this may signal a stress response that contributes to anxiety and panic attacks.

In contrast, during abdominal or diaphragmatic breathing, you take even, deep breaths. To overcome this, practice monitoring your breathing and noticing when it becomes shallow or rapid.

*When this happens, take a minute to slow down, get comfortable, and breathe deeply.

*Begin this process by slowly but forcefully blowing all of the air out of your lungs, deep-down into your belly. This allows you to slowly and effortlessly "refill" your lungs with fresh air.

*Try breathing in through your nose and focusing on filling the bottom of your lungs first before filling the top. As you breathe in, your abdomen should rise slowly; and, as you breathe out, it should fall slowly.

*Gradually breathe more deeply and more slowly until you are relaxed and comfortable.

 

[glitterbizkit]

Interesting. How do you get Theanine on it's own? I drink plenty of green tea but try to get caffeine-free tea because obviously caffeine lows can affect your anxiety.

I buy mine online. As with all supplements, its important to buy a quality brand, as I have tried two and one was much mroe effective.

Tip: If you want green tea with less caffeine and more good stuff, let the water cool down to about 70 degrees before you add the teabag. Also, leave the teabag in and dunk it around to release more of the good stuff like theanine.