What is good for anxiety and stress?

Curious what are some popluar meds for anxiety and stress? What do you think about them?
thanks/ J>L -+: ] (it's a mo-hawk...cool!)

(((((((((((((((((((((((((((Jay ))))))))))))))))

As an anonymous nurse; I can tell you a few things; but when your Psy doc prescribes something for you; it based on your exact symptoms, other Rx's that may cause dangerous interactions, etc....If you had any idea of exactly HOW MANY anti-anxiety meds are out there you'd freak like I did when I started Pharmacology & said "You expect me to remember ALL of those names, side affects, doses, etc?????!!!!!)

The stress is another issue; there are drugs for anti-anxiety (panic-phobic)but stress by itself has so many more successful non-drug alternatives. Stress is caused by ANY KIND of trigger in your entire gray matter (ie; a certain smell, a particular sound, etc....if you have a T you should ask him/her to teach you some stress busters...#1) Training your self-awareness to triggers & institute very short (not even seen by a passer-by) breathing exercises. There's EMDR--that's great. But if you feel you need to take a pill for your stress, all I can say is do what I do...I shell out the few extra bucks & go to a good health food stores & buy a B-Complex Stress Formula...They're like horsepills to get down,, but they work exceedingly well. I take them twice a day because I'm under a lot of stress trying to get from day to the next
without crumbling like a house of cards Can you relate?

The anti-anxiety drugs; I don't feel comfortable suggesting a medication for you unless I was actually your nurse & I knew your history. BUT--stay AWAY from benzodiapines! They are highly addictive, abused & lethal when mixed with even a little alcohol.I think they had to your stress (they did for me) because they screw w/ your ability to concentrate.

Frankly; I think you probably could start to lower your anxiety levels by dealing with the stressors in your life. And in today's society in within itself is nothing but a slimey blimp that sucks us all dry.....but because of this,
there are so many books, tapes, CD's, T time, I think you should try to find some alternative over pills....My T's over the years plastered me w/ anti-anxieties. Know what happened? I got anxious thinking about if they would lower my dose or take me off it!!! Go figure, eh?

Hope I helped? Or maybe you didn't hear what you wanted?

((((((((((((((((( DAYZEE))))))))))))))))))))

Hi Jayl,

I've heard the non-med route called 'riding bareback', which is pretty much how it feels. Still, I go for that route myself and I have some monster anxiety to deal with.

However, I would recommend some CBT (cognitive behavioural therapy) as a way of tamping down the anxiety.

Cheers, Myzen.

i wouldn't be so scared of the benzodiazapines. they pretty much saved my life. i have been on a low does of klonopin for several months and am now in the process of coming off of it., with the advice of the pdoc. i am taking it very slow and i am not having any ill effects. i'm not addicted to it and i even asked the doctor if i could drink alcohol and he said i could, in moderation.
after i get off the daily dose, i'm going to take super small doses of ativan as needed....which hopefully will only be in my trigger situations.
so don't rule those out totally! they can be very helpful if done right. just talk to your doctor to find out what is best.

I believe dayzee is confusing *barbituates* with benzodiazepines. Barbituates (phenobarbital, secobarbital or Seconal) are very rarely used these days because of the potential for overdose with alcohol. Benzodiazepines are difficult, not impossible though, to overdose on. I've seen people overdose on huge quanities and recover.

Dayzee is right that sometimes people become phobic of even small amounts of anxiety and attempt to use benzos to eliminate all anxiety, which becomes a new problem. However many, many people are capable of using them as tools to enhance, not replace coping. They are of course best used as temporary medications to help people get through rough times.

For anxiety and stress, I've been on Ativan, Klonopin, Valium, Paxil, and Celexa (which I'm currently taking). I can tell you from my own experiences that I it was easy for me to get 'abuse' Ativan and Valium, because I was taking more and more of them to get the same affect, and then later, I started taking them as a preventative measure. Klonopin and Paxil didn't do that much for me, but they were brutal getting off them, especially quitting cold turkey (which I did - both at the same time).

Celexa I found works the best, out of the whole lot, for me. Plus, in terms of abuse - I haven't had the need like I did for Ativan and Valium.

Best advise (like some of the other people), talk to your doc, maybe there are ways that you can deal with anxiety and stress that work for you, without having to take meds.

OK. I'll stop babbling.

Um, how long is 'temporary'? You mentioned taking meds temporarily for getting through rough times. What if you're 'rough times' last for months, or longer if things keep on happening?