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Old 11-23-2013, 05:35 PM
  # 6 (permalink)  
nandm
Life the gift of recovery!
 
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Join Date: Aug 2007
Location: Home is where the heart is
Posts: 7,061
I too started having increased anxiety and panic after several years of sobriety. I too tried multiple natural remedies to no avail. Then I tried mental health professionals. It took more than a few years to finally find the right mental health team and for them to come up with a correct diagnosis. Over the years I have had doctors misdiagnose my condition as bipolar and even just basic depression which of course since they were treating a misdiagnosed condition my symptoms did not improve and often they worsened or new ones would pop up. Once they did finally diagnose the TBI and PTSD things have slowly started to improve but for me it will be a long road to recovery and I realize that.

A couple things that have helped manage the anxiety have been; instead of putting me on antidepressants or bipolar meds they have me on a blood pressure medication which recent studies with PTSD patients has shown to reduce the night terrors, nightmares, and general anxiety. This has been the case for me although the anxiety and nightmares are not completely gone they are much more manageable. I also see a talk therapist who specializes in PTSD treatment, this has been a Godsend. I just could not relate to other therapists as they were always throwing inner child stuff at me which I could not relate to and I was unable to open up to them because I felt they could not understand the trauma that I have seen and experienced. I also utilize yoga, meditation, breathing and visualization exercises which help to manage the anxiety as well. As a last resort I do have a prescription for a benzo called Klonopin that I utilize when nothing else works and there is no safe place to go to when the panic sets in. It does help to some degree but I hate taking it so only use it as a last resort. I also have concerns about addiction so I am extremely cautious about it even though drugs never interested me it was alcohol that consumed me.

One thing is to be sure to keep trying if you find you don't connect with your mental health professional or they are not open to listening to you then find another one. It took me nearly 6 years to find the mental health team I have now and honestly they have saved my life. But the key was I kept searching because something did not feel right about the diagnosis, the doctors, and the fact that I was not improving only worsening under their care that is why I kept trying to find another doctor that would partner with me in my care so we could find the core of my problem not just throw drugs at symptoms.

I don't know if any of my experience is something that may help but I shared it just in case.
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