Mental Health Non-Benzo Anti-Anxiety Medication?

[TheChemists]

Hey!

I have been suffering from severe panic attacks for around three months now. My doc started me on a beta-blocker but it has no effect. I was wondering if there is anything that has the same mechanism of action as benzos that are not if you know what I mean.

BW

 

[herbavore]

I used certain precepts of CBT and mindfulness to cure my panic attacks. Basically this is just harnessing the power of your rational mind (not the strongest part of my mind, I might add). It might sound silly but I did this by focusing on the physical sensations and naming them without hyperbole. ("My heart is beating very hard" as opposed to "my heart is beating out of my chest" or "it feels like I'm having a heart attack"). I also used questions to myself as a strategy. "What am I scared of?" "Is it actually happening right now?" "What is happening right now?" The answer to that last question is key. The answer is, "I am suffering physical symptoms because of my mental panic." Over a period of months (or maybe even a year or more?) I was able to completely stop myself from these debilitating results of PTSD. (Note: not all PTSD is equal in severity and some sufferers will not be helped by what helped me. This is just my experience. I recommend that everyone try it, however, because at the very least it strengthens your relationship with your own mind.)

 

[llama112]

Pregabalin (Lyrica) has helped me. I truly believe meds + therapy can be very helpful.
Doctors usually try to give you SSRIs at first so sometimes you have to go through that before you can try something else.

 

[AlphaMethylPhenyl]

Lyrica has somewhat of a name for itself in regards to anxiety, but you'll form a similarly strong dependence on it if you start taking it.

SSRIs can be very good at battling anxiety and panic.

I don't know what you mean. Benzos and Lyrica/Neurontin are heavy medications that should be used if nothing else works

 

[F'Loki]

1. Mindfulness and other types of meditation. Very effective and widely available for a reason.
2. Lifestyle changes: e.g diet, exercise.
3. Herbs such as St. John's Wort and Skullcap good for mild depression and insomnia/anxiety.
4. Get counselling and/or see a CBT specialist.

5. Don't go near benzos or SSRI's unless you are diagnosed with a specific mental health problem, benzos in particular make heroin withdrawals look like child's play and take forever to taper off. Even then I would try all the above for minimum 3 months with real effort before resorting to meds.

Good luck.

 

[cj]

Gabapentin is my go to. It'd physically addictive but not to the levels of benzos

 

[prinsco]

Atarax (hydroxyzine) is an excellent alternative to benzos! I also suffer from severe anxiety which has subsided substantially in the past 6 months due to being on escitalopram, considering giving these two a go maybe.

Can you also elaborate on what type of anxiety/panic attacks you're having? Derealisation? Social anxiety? etc.