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Originally Posted by bluebicycle
I have really bad anxiety as well. I guess it's fairly common for BP people to get diagnosed with OCD and/or GAD? I have both.
I try to handle my anxiety without meds. I wish I had meds, but my pdoc won't give me any because he's an idiot (which is one of the many reasons I'm trying to change pdocs). I was actually in denial about my GAD and OCD for a long time, and my pdoc was the one who kept insisting that I had both of them, yet he won't give me any kind of anxiety meds. Ridiculous, isn't it?
Anyway, I practice relaxation techniques. It helps to soothe myself with calm music. Some people like nature sounds, but it doesn't matter really... You just need to find music that relaxes you (even if it happens to be heavy metal, for example). Meditating is nice too. I don't do yoga, but I heard that is pretty relaxing.
Sometimes stress can exacerbate anxiety, so working out can actually help *reduce* your anxiety levels since working out reduces stress.
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I think it is very important you first try everything else before trying meds. If you know how to get relief without them, you might use them to give just that extra push needed to finish that self-supporting anxiety once and for all. Then
very gradually lower the doses or you are back where you started.
If it is anxiety and psychotic problems working in tandem, in a positive feedback loop, focus on the psychotic issues first. Then anxiety reduction skills. Only if you really need them (if you see a bump in the road coming which threatens all your progress made, or you have this residual stuff you just can't shake off) use an anxiolytic for only a short while (with a plan when to come off it and how to make sure you don't need them (ever again): how to compensate).
Anxiolytics is like a contract with the devil: make sure it is for a limited time.
You might actually have a good psychiatrist (I once met one: they do exist!
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Yes, OCD and GAD are common, but I don't think you could ever say they aren't very much entangled with your other problems, all working together. Anxiety causing instability, instability anxiety, anxiety more anxiety, more instability, and so on.
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