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Coping with anxiety as a drug user, addict or in recovery - how do you do it?

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KAYLA2010

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Joined
May 26, 2010
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Texas
I have severe anxiety issues. I am not taking meds at the moment for it. I was wondering could y'all help me out and give me some good tips?

I'm tired of hidin from the world because of a terrible anxiety and panic attack disorder. :(

Changed the title of the thread - Kayla is interested in how different people in different stages of recovery (recreational user, addict, recovering addict etc) manage their anxiety and whether they use medication, what medication, or other methods :)

-effie
 
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I have extreme anxiety, not minimize anyone's problem but I would say it is probably worst then its for a lot people... a lot can't relate to it. I just put up with it, thats all I know how to do.... it sucks and it feels like shit. Despite all the stress and panic.... I really don't get that depressed.
 
I'm not depressed. I just have anxiety with panic attacks. Some attacks last all day. I want to know what methods other use to control their anxiety.
 
I wasn't suggesting you were depressed, just speaking on the topic of anxiety and my situation.
 
Meditation and cigarettes is my current regimen...

I basically maxed out every benzo dose to the point where they are pointless.

I find the best thing I had for my panic disorder was alprazolam and triazolam, simply because they are so fast-acting.

I find that for general anxiety an SSRI like citalopram in conjunction with a long half life benzo such as clonazepam or diazepam works fantastically.

The other medications that I really thought were fantastic for alleviating anxiety are gabapentin and pregabalin.
 
I do my best to do something that's both relaxing and distracting. A personal hobby is perfect for this. When I get into "the zone" working on cars, or whatever I'm into at the time I find that nothing bothers me.

Another thing that helps is surrounding myself with people that I love, and that love my in return. I've been gifted with a wonderful group of friends, and we all look out for each other in every possible way.

Try going for long walks, even by yourself. Bring some headphones and listen to music. Music to me is one of the greatest influences to my mood, in one way or another. A particular album that I really love always calms me down and puts a smile on my face: http://store.ultrarecords.com/617465163951 (It's very easy to find a torrent for).

The biggest thing is how I spend my free time and who I spend my occupied time with. Finding those that truly care is the best thing in the world.

Peace & Love Kayla :) <3
 
The most powerful tool that has come my way has been mindfulness training. Mindfulness meditation is a way of centering in the present. I have never been one that disciplines myself for anything and meditation is one more thing that feels good, is good for me and gives me tangible results; still, I rarely meditate! However the principles underlying the meditation are what are so empowering to me. Worry is focusing on everything negative from your past and projecting even more negative scenarios out into the future. Learning to stay present is a very exotic idea for those of us that grow up in western cultures. Staying present and focusing on nothing more than your breath for a few minutes at a time is amazingly calming. I often wonder what my childhood and adolescence would have been like with this one simple tool in my mind.

Mindfulness also teaches us to be present with uncertainty. We are geared to anticipate fear and live in a constant state of adrenal overload. It is a revolutionary concept to many of us to be able to accept uncertainty without either running from it or exaggerating it into intense fear. By breathing we can come back into our bodies, notice what we are feeling, and not simply exist as a runaway mind.

There are many ways to access mindfulness training these days. In my area, it is offered through both of the major hospitals, adult education, private classes and community classes as well as at a Tibetan Buddhist retreat center. (this Buddhist retreat center offers specific meditation training and classes for both recovery and anxiety). Online there are multiple resources including many free podcasts. Dharma Punx is a program that uses mindfulness and Buddhism as a basis for both recovery and a path for a whole life. <3
 
I have suffered from anxiety for a long time now, it's usually the anticipation of the moment and the build up towards it that collapses me.. once im in the thick of it however, i feel fine because im no longer expecting anything to happen.. its happening all around me; i realized this first when i was traveling and the monumental difference in my outlook compared to when i would spend most days at home or hidden away.

Anyhow, roughly two weeks ago i cut down on my sugar intake drastically.. it was a desperate attempt on my behalf to regain some control over my erratic emotions, and to my astonishment it also had quite a strong impact on reducing the amount of anxiety i often experience, you would be surprised at how much sugar effects our moods and we don't even realize it until we slow down our consumption of it. I had tried in the past to force myself into situations where the anxiety would arise in an attempt to confront it and adjust to it.. but this was really only temporary for that situation and really had no long-term benefit, i had to address it from it's foundation which was my diet. I noticed you mention your not on medication so im just offering advice that's worked for me that doesn't involve medication.
 
I can not handle any caffeine. I do not drunk coffe or tea with caffeine. If I do I will have a panic attack tachycardia high blood pressure... Arms go numb and I get ringing in my ears. Chest pains... You know what it all started after abusing amphetamines. Uh bad freggin choices....
 
I know panic attack disorder can make life unpredictable.
Every attack is just as intense as the first.
and every attack is a new, horrific experience.

I have found that supplementing valerian root, L-typtophan, St. John's Wart and L-glutamine have made the attacks much less "potent"
Valerian root especially.

Using a GABA-ergic to handle attacks (Alcohol, Benzodiazepines, Barbiturates or GHB) is normally counter productive. These will use up your brain's ability to "put the brakes" on fast moving thought, which is what is the core essence of all panic attacks.

When your mind cannot handle cognitive thinking in the front of the brain, it quickly switches most of the activity to the middle, which is where your instinctual "survival" behavior is.

Getting 8-10 hours of sleep and exercising daily are the two most important things of handling anxiety disorder in my opinion.
 
I find exercise helps. Nothing too hardcore,just a gentle jog or even just taking a nice long walk in the fresh air helps.
Learn to look about you and appreciate the beauty of nature.
 
Others have mentioned Mindfulness exercises; I can't stress the importance of this philosophy enough within the context of my own life!!

I have been diagnosed with GAD for like ten years. Part of that was probably due to natural adolescent issues at the very beginning and shouldn't have been dealt with via benzo's :/ But that's another story.

These days when I discover myself really well-and-into the anxiety spells, and I take a step back and view the situation from an objective perspective (look at my rhyming skillz ;) , I almost ubiquitously find that I'm projecting my current reality into the future or the past, where the present reality simply isn't currently existing.

Being mindful of my past and certain anxieties it may produce is important, because to forget where one comes from is to forget oneself. That being said, I find that being mindful helps me largely avoid rumination - those deadly psychological hamster wheels in perpetual, squeaky motion and driven by frivolous "coulda-woulda-shoulda's" and the like. If I get stuck inside the fact that, say, I used to be a fairly bad opiate addict and that I have many forthcoming amends to make from all those years of social neglect, I'll despise myself for what's already been done, and make present/catastrophize the future's worst-scenario. This makes me feel, think and act as if that which I'm worrying over has already happened, and severely (if not completely) derails my ability to take one step at a time in the present, which is the only way to make amends for the past whilst simultaneously moving into the future with clarity and awareness.

So, Mindfulness. Try it free for 30 days with your unpaid subscription to Bluelight! :)
 
I was going to post in here, but insteadI just reread vayas post and pretend I said it too.

Good to see you on staff, Vaya.
 
muvolution said:
I was going to post in here, but insteadI just reread vayas post and pretend I said it too.

Good to see you on staff, Vaya.
Click to expand...

Thank you!! Very warm welcomes left and right, very cool :)
That's a fanciful land you live in, where I speak your thoughts. Continue to enjoy yourself!! ;);)
 
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