Advice on keeping anxiety away w/o meds?

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ballyglunin

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I have General Anxiety and try to live with it naturally using exercise, diet and prayer. I am, marginally successful as its an almost constant battle

Anyone else have this condition or similar (worry all the time) - what do you do to make it through the day? Have a special prayer? Say the rosary over and over or just once?

Thanks
 
The Prayer to St Michael the Archangel is a useful one. In general, saying some set prayers before times when you generally experience anxiety. Finding ways to approach situations differently so that they don’t cause you anxiety: i.e. if for instance you found being in a crowded building with lots of people caused you anxiety, and therefore going to Mass was hard for you, you might go at a different time when it is less busy. I can certainly understand not wanting to take medication for anxiety, it has many side effects, but maybe consider herbal supplements? A good walk somewhere relaxing (e.g. beach, river, lake, countryside, park) has also been proven to reduce stress and anxiety.
 
A few years ago, I had tests done for cancer, about a month later the doctor phoned and said he urgently wanted to see me, it was non – Hodgkin Lymphoma, this was a name I recognised, our friend had this cancer, and died a few months later. I prayed for the wisdom, strength, peace and serenity to do God’s will, whether the cancer was a death sentence, or just an inconvenience. I can only say that from the moment of making this prayer, I have experienced a profound sense of peace, and the thought of cancer has never troubled me for a moment.

Cancer can be a truly worrying process, you wait a month or two for tests, you wait for the results, and you wait for more tests, but the prayer to do God’s will sort of handed the problem to God, and I have never had to worry. I have never once prayed for healing, at the age of 62, the prayer for healing seemed too complicated, it might or might not be my time to go. Recognising this profound sense of peace comes from God, gives me reason to be thankful.

I could not imagine this sense of peace without a faith and trust in God. I can say, from the moment of hearing about my cancer and making that prayer, I could talk about cancer in the same way as I talk about what’s for dinner?
 
ballyglunin said:
I have General Anxiety and try to live with it naturally using exercise, diet and prayer. I am, marginally successful as its an almost constant battle

Anyone else have this condition or similar (worry all the time) - what do you do to make it through the day? Have a special prayer? Say the rosary over and over or just once?

Thanks
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Have you had any professional counselling to help you with this condition? I deal with anxiety, and have for a very long time, but when I get to the point that I am struggling to get through a day I seek help from someone who can look at my life with me and identify the new or added triggers and work out strategies to deal with them. I would add that I’ve never had to use meds to control my anxiety - just new strategies and an open mind.

Prayer is an important part of my own personal strategy, but I would caution you against repetitive or “special” prayers without getting professional advice in addition. Such behaviours can quickly become compulsions, which then just add to the anxiety.
 
casslean said:
Have you had any professional counselling to help you with this condition? I deal with anxiety, and have for a very long time, but when I get to the point that I am struggling to get through a day I seek help from someone who can look at my life with me and identify the new or added triggers and work out strategies to deal with them. I would add that I’ve never had to use meds to control my anxiety - just new strategies and an open mind.

Prayer is an important part of my own personal strategy, but I would caution you against repetitive or “special” prayers without getting professional advice in addition. Such behaviours can quickly become compulsions, which then just add to the anxiety.
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Yes. I learned some very helpful strategies in therapy for my anxiety.

I also learned that good nutrition and self-care were incredibly important.
 
You’re on the right track. Exercise is the most effective control. Endurance and yoga being the best

Your attitude is very important. Taking ownership so important! And it looks like you’re doing that.

Journalling, developing relationships with people, a healthy hobby are important parts too.
 
Spritus1 said:
Whatever you do STAY AWAY from yoga!!! :bigyikes:
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Why? You can participate in the exercise benefits of yoga without subscribing to the spirituality. It’s just a series of stretching poses that focus your breathing - in fact, I have a few routines that aren’t set to music, and I’ve set them to pieces of spiritual/Christian music to help me relax (because I love my spiritual music.
 
ballyglunin said:
I have General Anxiety and try to live with it naturally using exercise, diet and prayer. I am, marginally successful as its an almost constant battle

Anyone else have this condition or similar (worry all the time) - what do you do to make it through the day? Have a special prayer? Say the rosary over and over or just once?

Thanks
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May I ask what your diet it? I’ve managed to get my anxiety down a lot as long I stay on a low carb diet - absolutely no sugar!
 
casslean said:
Why? You can participate in the exercise benefits of yoga without subscribing to the spirituality. It’s just a series of stretching poses that focus your breathing - in fact, I have a few routines that aren’t set to music, and I’ve set them to pieces of spiritual/Christian music to help me relax (because I love my spiritual music.
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👍
 
I personally tried for years to manage without medication, I finally reaslized my mental health was affecting my children and got medication. I started as needed, then moved to daily therapy, now after 18 months (total) I am back on as needed only. I have found that I now have the confidence I need to manage my anxiety effectively without medication. For me, it was a necessary step.

I tried a therapist, I did not find it helpful but I just think he was a bad fit. My insurance, unfortunately, will cover paychiatric medication but not therapy!

I wish you the best! Praying specifically about the things that cause me anxiety helps, mass attendence helps most for me.
 
ballyglunin said:
I have General Anxiety and try to live with it naturally using exercise, diet and prayer. I am, marginally successful as its an almost constant battle

Anyone else have this condition or similar (worry all the time) - what do you do to make it through the day? Have a special prayer? Say the rosary over and over or just once?

Thanks
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Sudoku helped me a lot when I had depression. Whenever I get stressed I pull out my phone and play a few rounds - it really helps.
 
TheAmazingGrace said:
Sudoku helped me a lot when I had depression. Whenever I get stressed I pull out my phone and play a few rounds - it really helps.
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Come to think of it, sudoku helps my mind de-stress too! I use it when my anxiety is keeping me up at night.
 
Anxiety usually has a root cause. In my case I suffer with ptsd from early childhood abuse. The way I approach my healing is through prayer and self applied therapies. Basically I found that a lack of love from within makes me more anxious. So I needed to find ways to love myself. I do this by literally telling myself everyday. I try to connect with my soul by looking at pictures of when I was a child and I was so innocent. When I see myself in my innocence, I’m able to give myself love and empathy.

I also pray to the Blessed Mother to heal my wounds.
 
I also pray this prayer to the Blessed Mother everyday…

Dear Blessed Mother of God,
I completely open this wound of (name your wound or issue) to you. I beg you to wash, cleanse, and purify this wound with your tears and the most precious blood of thy son. I beg you to bring thy son into this wound to heal it. I beg thee to fill this spot with charity, together with love and devotion for you, and to seal it up so that I can move forward with my life free from the chains that bind me. Amen.
 
The deliverance book “prayers that heal the heart” is a successful method for personal healing. It is on utube also
 
Be aware that there are different antecedents to the different forms of anxiety. Cognitive Behavioral Modification may work well if your anxiety is psychologically based, but if it’s biological, then you may have no other choice than to take meds if you want to successfully treat it. Having delved into religion, I have come to believe that it can also be spiritual, in which case I would suggest following the contemplative technique outlined in The Cloud of Unknowing.
 
Keep in mind that there are side effects with meds and their use should never be taken lightly.

I took meds for anxiety and incurred extensive neurological damage that has taken years to recover from. Meds that are in the benzodiazepine class are highly dangerous and should never be taken long term. I’m still recovering from their use. It’s been a nightmare from hell getting off them and that is not an exaggeration.
 
Wow - thanks very much for the wonderful advice. Very wise and practical, too.

I’m a vegetarian and have a pretty good diet avoiding all meat and chicken - just have a wee bit of fish (salmon) once a week or so.

My main problem is to “turn off the worry machine” which starts from the second I wake up to my quiet time at night when my husband and I relax with a glass of wine and sit back and talk or watch tv. Then I bring out my crocheting which keeps me “profitably occupied” as the nuns advised back in the day in Catholic grammar school…

I find that if I try to fill up the empty space in my thoughts through the day using the name of Our Lord in a sacred way that it helps me and it surely can’t be wrong. That, the exercise (daily running for one hour) and trying to regulate my breathing to slow and deep, keeping my mouth closed (Buteyko breathing) and try to keep my thoughts away from gloomy, scary things - I can get by. Also, to SLOW DOWN - a big problem as I tend to speed through things like the energizer bunny.

Again, thanks very much. I’m blown away by your kindness. God bless all of you.
 
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