[catladyrmt]

Has anyone tried alternative medicine? I don't have health insurance, so prescription meds are out.

I've done accupunture in the past with really really great success. My chiropractor is willing to work with me on payments and discounts but realistically it still adds up fast.

I've read Kava helps. Has anyone tried this or other herbal treatments?

Thanks!

[Perna]

If accupuncture helped, maybe you could do self-acupressure and it could help too?

http://www.herbalshop.com/Acupressur...essure_20.html

I was watching a commercial last night where they were trying to sell an idiot magnet to wear on a pressure point in one's ear to give up smoking, alleged customers making all sorts of claims for how easy and effective it was when nothing else had worked for them, etc. But I'm thinking to myself, why not try that point one's self with acupressure to see if it could help give up smoking; why buy some piece of junk that probably doesn't do anything?

[catladyrmt]

Thanks so much!

My chiropractor used some of those points as well as some others. Interestingly, I tried one of the points that he used and the diagram indicated that were easy to reach, and it was painful. It was also the point for nervous stomach and chest discomfort, common symptoms for me. When I first started accupunture I would get *zingers"* when he hit certain points and that kind of faded as I received more treatments and my body came back to center.

Thanks for the info, I never thought of doing accupressure on myself.

[Perna]

My aunt took a hypnosis class and learned self-hypnosis and we discussed that once, how she used it if she was too warm or cold working outside and didn't have a means to get warmer/cooler or if she was in pain. Perhaps that too could help?

http://www.selfhypnosismadeez.com/

But here's some ideas on nutrition therapy for anxiety?

http://www.healthyplace.com/communit...on_therapy.asp

[(JD)]

A double-blind study on the efficacy of Kava for anxiety showed it far superior to a placebo. Try it!

Passion flower, valerian, scullcap also have calming effects.

Try herbal teas too.

Breathing. No, really, learning to control breath helps immensely. We tend to hold our breath when becoming anxious, thus exacerbating the situation.

Mindfulness: learning to focus only on what is actually happening...
a type of cognitive behavior skill... not allowing yourself to feed irrational thinking, thought stopping etc. (There's a list sticky posted at the top of the Psychotherapy Forum)

Good wishes!

Thanks for the info... I'm psych med resistant so any alternatives are useful to learn about.

Thanks for making the query catlady.... I love cats... I'm a cat person from forever!!! I psychically talk to my cats. I can wake them up and cause them to come to me with just a thought. They aren't always amused... lol.

I would add that cats are great therapy for anxiety. The purring is calming. The strocking of the soft fur is calming. The affection is soothing.

Dogs are good too because they force you to be active. Like having a toodler around saying take me for a walk, play with me, do something with me. My jack russell helps to keep me active, my cat keeps me centred and calm.

As for other alternatives..... I've had positive results with reduced anxiety levels since increasing my intake of Omega 3's. I include fish and other high Omega 3 foods into my diet as much as possible. When I'm struggling with my diet than I will use supplements to ensure I'm getting the vitamins and minerals I should have. I've just added a multi-vitamin high in B6 and B12, chromium and magnesium because I heard they were important anti-anxiety agents.

I also use aroma theraphy. Lavendar is great for reducing anxiety when used with meditation or any other calming exercise.

I'm going to try the Kava because this is the 3rd time I've heard mention of its qualities. I'm not much of a tea drinker but have had good results with herbal teas to aid with sleep and to calm rapid leg and rapid eye action.

[splitimage]

I find mindfullness mediation really helps - there's a great set of beginner CD's by John Kabat Zinn. I've been able to reduce my clonazapam from 3 mg to 1 mg a day and hope to go off it altogether soon.

--splitimage

Yes... me too splitimage.... I've been reading the book "The Mindful Way through Depression" by Mark Williams, John Teasday, Zindel Segal and Jon Kabat-Zinn provided the CD meditations. Great stuff.

[wisewoman]

ditto on the herbal suggestions. I am also reading that sour cherry extract is helpful. Wheat grass, barley, vit E, all of the B's and of course the omega 3's. I am on a similar path. We should compare notes. Oh yes, lots of water.

[splitimage]

I have the mindfull way through depression, but haven't started it yet - too many books to read. I did find "A Mindful Recovery" helpful when I was first trying to stop drinking.

I also like herbal teas - ther's one called "easy now" that's a nice blend, it's made by traditional medicinals and I believe a lot of grocery stores carry it.