[Indie'sOK]

I might start taking a 6 week yoga class in the summer. I've heard it helps reduce anxiety. My T said I could take paxil for as long as I need to, but I want to learn how to control my tension without the use of pills. Has anyone had any benefits from yoga?

[waynec]

Originally Posted by IndieSoul

I might start taking a 6 week yoga class in the summer. I've heard it helps reduce anxiety. My T said I could take paxil for as long as I need to, but I want to learn how to control my tension without the use of pills. Has anyone had any benefits from yoga?

i am starting some yoga to get more flexibility and balance. i do 2 forms of tai chi most mornings along with situps pushups and abs plus walking .5-1 mile. i go to the gym in the winter or walk around the lake in the summer.
i always feel calmer during and after my routine. i also carry a wash cloth with a couple drops of lavender extract to inhale.

i think you will find the yoga gets you out of the house and around people, gives you an hour to just focus on the moves and how they feel. it allows you to get "out of the world" and into mindfulness for a bit.

instead of waiting until summer, check around. in denver we have yoga studios that offer cheap trials such as unlimited classes for 10 days in a row for $10 total. rec centers may offer classes.

[jexa]

Yes yoga helps my anxiety a LOT!! Especially the day after, the "good sore" feeling in my muscles is actually really helpful at keeping me "present" and in my body. The meditations, too, help a lot. I hope to one day have a good and regular yoga practice. A daily practice is ideal but I'm not going to try too hard. Sometimes it's hard for me to go to yoga class because of my social anxiety, but I am always SO glad when I go.

[jerrymichele]

I have never tried yoga, but I have pretty much have always done something that involves fitness. Fitness does help with anxiety. In my case I need the meds. I have tried it before, and I still had the anxiety. Marjan does yoga and it really helps her. You can always try it. The worse that can happen is that you need the meds again.

[Typo]

yoga is amazing!!!!!!!

those breathing techniques will do you bundles of good!!

Yoga has been a big postive addtion to my therapy, learning to breathe and center oneself I have found to be an priceless tool.

I hope you have a great time!!

Best wishes
Typo

[waynec]

Originally Posted by IndieSoul

I might start taking a 6 week yoga class in the summer. I've heard it helps reduce anxiety. My T said I could take paxil for as long as I need to, but I want to learn how to control my tension without the use of pills. Has anyone had any benefits from yoga?

i just take a little zanax for anxiety from time to time (.25-.5 mg) and bp meds and want to get off both. you will get benefits right away from yoga, even if only for a couple of hours afterwards. and you will be sore for a day or two afterwards. but, since you know why you are sore, there isn't ant anxiety associated with it. it takes time to learn it. just flow and remember each time you learned a little more.
for taoist tai chi we had 1 hour classes 2x a week for 3 months and then continuing practice classes for another 3 months before i could do a set on my own. and that was fast according to some folks. so just enjoy the NOW of yoga.
i have a friend who is close to bankrupacy because he can't find a job. he used to go to spin class (biking) 2x a week. he was able to get in the NOW during those classes and block out EVERYTHING else. that was probably better for him than the fitness.

[Indie'sOK]

Thanks for your input everyone I guess I'm excited about doing this, I'm just afraid I won't be able to block out everything else...I'm afraid it won't work for me I guess is what I'm saying. Does it work for most people?

[Typo]

yoga is very easy to get into, I was very nervous when I went to my first class, but the instructer was really nice and most yoga instructers will take time to help you set your poses. Once you get in the room and everything quiets down it's really easy to start focusing on the class and such.

I hope you have a gret time Indie!!

[Psyched]

Thanks for this thread, IndieSoul. I'd like to give yoga a try, too, but I can't afford classes. Does anyone know of a good DVD? And are they as effective at teaching how to do the poses properly as classes are? Thanks in advance!

[jerrymichele]

Indie when you do a hard excerise you will forget about everything else around you. lol, They have yoga, dance, and pilates at my gym, but I haven't done them. They also have other classes. From what I have heard about yoga it is like strenght training. I do have one video of it, and it looks hard. It's probably for someone who is advanced in yoga. If your doing it to get off the meds then you should talk to your Dr. I can tell you this. You don't want to just stop taking the meds. You will have a lot of side effects coming off from them. Your Dr. will probably start lowering the dosage then take you off. If you do just up and stop the meds your anxiety will be worse then what it was to begin with. You need to do it the way the Dr. wants you to do it. K. I think that you should do the yoga. I bet it will be fun.

[Indie'sOK]

I probably won't go off the meds anytime soon. I notice that they only help a little bit with my anxiety. Is 15mg a low dose?

[Typo]

If I remeber correctly they started you on paxil?

Paxil didn't do a lot for me, but it did help a little bit as weeks went by, it takes up to three to four, sometimes five weeks for the meds to really kick in, if after five weeks your not noticing any diffrence go back to your doctor and they will slowly up the dosage till they find the right amount that works for you, sometimes they will switch meds on you, it's sort of a trial and error thing

Best wishes
Typo

[Indie'sOK]

Yes I am taking Paxil, have been for 5 months exactly. After 2 or so months on it, they upped my dose from 10mg to 15. I don't think 15 is really doing much. Should I ask the pdoc about taking 20mg?

[Typo]

that is how they started me was a 10, then 15, 20 and finally 40mg increase over a peroid of months, I think you should defintly talk to your dr if it's been five months and your not having any effects.

(((((((((Indiesoul)))))))))))

[Indie'sOK]

Thank you for your help Typo I go see him in a couple weeks, I'll talk to him about it then. And I'll talk to T on Wednesday.

[msolson81]

Originally Posted by Psyched

Thanks for this thread, IndieSoul. I'd like to give yoga a try, too, but I can't afford classes. Does anyone know of a good DVD? And are they as effective at teaching how to do the poses properly as classes are? Thanks in advance!

A tape I have that I really enjoy is Stress Relilef Yoga for Beginners with Suzanne Deason. It is only 20 minutes long and is great for those who have never practiced yoga. I feel very relaxed after doing it and found it is a great way to clear my mind of my worries. Hope this helps you!!

[MaireadR23]

well yoga relaxes the mind and body so it makes since, might give it a go myself

[Indie'sOK]

Originally Posted by Typo

that is how they started me was a 10, then 15, 20 and finally 40mg increase over a peroid of months, I think you should defintly talk to your dr if it's been five months and your not having any effects.

(((((((((Indiesoul)))))))))))

Paxil is not working for me. I don't think it ever really did. Maybe a little, but not as much as I'd hoped. But all the reviews of the other SSRIs are mixed - for some, Prozac and Luvox have worked wonders, for others, it was hell. I go see pdoc tomorrow, and I definitely want something else. I don't think another 5mg increase is going to help.

[Typo]

Paxil did nothing for me, then it made me go completely manic, then I made the mistake of quitting cold turkey. (NEVER stop taking meds cold turkey I learned) I had the WORSE withdrawls from it.

I wish you luck, if any one else in your family is taking any type of anti-anxiety med, see what they are taking, sometimes what works for one family member works well for you too. My mom takes Effexor and they are wanting me to try that because it works so well for her.

Let me know how the pdoc visit goes hun!

Lots of hugs
Typo

[bluesylady]

Hi indie, I've been doing yoga for a year now and I really look forward to going to class especially when I'm feeling anxious because I know how much it calms me down. I feel so relaxed for hours afterwards too. If you are having a panic attack and are in a place where you can lay down, there's a pose you can do that will stop the panic attack. It's called the crocodile pose and very easy to do. When you do it it forces you to do abdominal breathing which relaxes you. You can google the pose for a pic. It's a little hard to discribe but I'll try. Lie on your stomach with arms crossed above your head and holding your elbows. Rest your head face down on your crossed arms, legs open at least hips width apart with feet relaxed and toes pointing outwards. This pose seems to lock muscles that you use to do chest breathing which is the type of breathing you do when your having a panic attack and you will breath abdominally. This was taught to me by an 80 year old woman that teaches yoga in a studio and teaches yoga in a hospital biofeedback program for stress management. I didn't participate in the program but went to a lecture she gave on yoga. Yoga offers so many benifits. Indie, you could even start by trying it with a dvd. Just start with a beginner program. When you go to class you can work at your own pace and own ability, use props if you want, like yoga blocks until you become more flexable. Anyone can do it from very young to very old. The best part is the end when you lie in relaxation pose and the instructer takes you through a progressive muscle relaxation. One other tip you can do anywhere is try and consciously relax the muscles of your face. Hard to be tense when your face muscles are relaxed. I can't say enough good things about practicing yoga. Try it and find out for yourself. Lots of info on the net too.

Be well and take care,
bl

[Indie'sOK]

Originally Posted by Typo

Paxil did nothing for me, then it made me go completely manic, then I made the mistake of quitting cold turkey. (NEVER stop taking meds cold turkey I learned) I had the WORSE withdrawls from it.

I wish you luck, if any one else in your family is taking any type of anti-anxiety med, see what they are taking, sometimes what works for one family member works well for you too. My mom takes Effexor and they are wanting me to try that because it works so well for her.

Let me know how the pdoc visit goes hun!

Lots of hugs
Typo

Hey Typo,
Had pdoc today. Along with that came an hour in the waiting room because he was behind! But it was my choice - increase my dose of Paxil, or ween off that and start on something different. Now I'm going to finish off this month's supply by doubling my dose to 25mg, then I'm starting on Paxil CR 25mg. Hopefully that helps more. I hope it works for social anxiety, because even though my dx is GAD, social is my main thing. Which doesn't make sense...why didn't they dx it as social anxiety? Anyway, that's how it went.

Thank you as well for the hugs. Here are some back