Dear Emster,

I tried various medications - antidepressants, antipsychotics, benzodiazepines - I couldn't tolerate the side effects. For example, depression isn't something I often experienced, not clinically, just being down from time to time, and I found that even though antidepressants took the edge off of my anxiety, somewhat, they made me feel depressed, and the trade off wasn't worth it.

Person-centred, trauma-focused talk therapy has been working for me. And I have recently started chanting when I feel obsessive thoughts or excessive negative emotion beginning.

TBH I didn't really choose it. It was decided that as I had run the gamut of medication it was really the only option left, however, I had went through a series of misdiagnoses that lead to the medication-based treatment options. I suspect that the fact that medication wasn't working partially informed the correct diagnoses, and then the appropriate treatment followed.

I also spend a lot of time near the sea and in the trees. Nature is my safe place, it helps to have one of those.
I also write songs to discharge and tell my story - to have a voice, I guess - and paint the occasional picture. All these things help me feel validated and connected to life.