General Anxiety Disorder

Question: General Anxiety Disorder and Panic Disorder are making it difficult to work, can I get disability benifits? I have been diagnosed with General Anxiety Disorder and I also have Panic Attacks. I have been put on anti-depressents and go to the dr. regularly. I took a month off of work from both of my jobs. I have went back to the jobs this past Tuesday, and it is still VERY difficult to work and concentrate and even get out of bed. Is this a valid reason to qualify for disability? If so, how?

Answer: I do believe you can. My dad was put on "mental disability" due to depression. Contact your local disability office. Social Security I believe it is. Good luck and God bless you. I'm sorry you're having a difficult time, I pray that you get better.

Question: A question about General Anxiety Disorder? Hello. I believe I have General Anxiety Disorder. I have taken tests online, and have spent quite some time reading up on it. But, I want to be psychiatrically evaluated. Would I ask my therapist to give me a reference to go to? Or would it just be easier to look one up? Any answers are welcomed and would be greatly appreciated.

Answer: If you have a therapist already, that would be a good start. You could also ask your insurance company or your medical doctor.

Question: Does anyone else have General Anxiety Disorder? I have just been diagnosed with general anxiety disorder. I am taking Lexapro during the day and Trazadone to help me sleep. Lately though I have been suffering panic attacks and have been perscibed Xanax to help with them. Does anyone else suffer from this and what are you doing to help aliviate your anxiety? Also any suggestions for dealing with panic attacks that dont involve taking my Xanax (they knock me out)? Another question- my boyfriend just doesnt seem to understand that some days I just dont feel good, some days I am down, some days Im grouchy, and some days Im anxious, He seems to think that since Im taking the medicine I should be fine, I am trying hard but he doesnt seem to get that this is a disorder, I cant help it sometimes. Any tips for dealing with this?

Answer: I can relate with you dear...I have it too and have been trying various medicines....I tried Zoloft, Prozac, Effexor and others and am still experimenting with other drugs....You never know when or where this will hit you and I have burst into tears without knowing what is the cause...I have "Panic attacks" and "Clinical Depression" and friends and family just don't understand...It may take a while for the medicines to get into your blood stream and you may have to try different ones until you find one that works...If you are going to a Psychiatrist or Therapist, have your boyfriend go with you to one of your sessions and have your doctor talk to him so he will understand more about what you are going through....Good luck

Question: Ways to treat General Anxiety Disorder without medication? I have been taking Lexapro for anxiety for over three years. My anxiety started five years ago and was brought on by PTSD. I would do anything to not be on medication anymore. I have tried several meds and cannot stand the side affects. I have seen two therapists that haven't been very helpful. I am in my early twenties and fear being medicated for many more years if not forever. Does anyone know of any other effective methods to cope with anxiety?

Answer: I know that it feels really crappy to know that there's a possibility that medication will be a part of your life forever, and there are certain skills you can use to help limit anxiety,but hear me out. I also have PTSD and severe anxiety disorder. I was on every medication there is, and nothing worked. At one point, some crappy psychiatrist had me on a cocktail of 7 meds.! I finally found the best psychiatrist for me and have been perscribed a medication called Abilify. It's not labeled to be for our problems, but it has saved my life! It builds Seratonin in the brain and works miracles. Check it out. I'm down to one 20mg. pill a day, and feel great. Best of luck :)

Question: My wife has a General Anxiety Disorder. How can I get her to tell the truth? I love my wife, but because of her anxiety disorder, she lies and keeps things from me due to irrational fears. She asks me not to take it personally, but we are married. We are supposed to be open and honest with each other. I need to be able to trust her and I just can't find a way to solve this problem. We've tried therapists and medication for years, but she lied to them too. We have two wonderful children and I fear that they will pick up on her anxious response of lying and keeping things hidden. What makes this especially difficult, is that I am very open and honest and the frustration I have with being unable to help her is tremendous. I'm really reaching out to all of you out there. Please give me some thoughtful and caring responses. No one can know how hard it has been living like this......

Answer: If you've tried medication and therapists already, it would seem you'll just have to accept her for who she is... illness and all. Maybe just when she lies in front of the children.... softly confront her with it and somehow let the children know it is not appropriate. That's a tough one... maybe ask the therapists how YOU can feel better and how to handle the situation with the children. Mental illness is surely and illness, and I'm sure your wife cannot help herself anymore than a diabetic can control their own insulin. The problem with mental illness....is the illness itself sometimes stops the patient from acting rationally enough to allow themselves to be treated.

Question: What medication works really good for general anxiety disorder?

Answer: Hi---Several different types of medications are used to relieve generalized anxiety disorder symptoms: Anti-anxiety medications. Benzodiazepines are sedatives that have the advantage of easing anxiety within 30 to 90 minutes. On the downside, they can be habit-forming if you take them for more than a few weeks. For this reason, your doctor may prescribe them for only a short time to help you get through a particularly rough period. The most commonly prescribed sedatives include alprazolam (Xanax), chlordiazepoxide (Librium), clonazepam (Klonopin), diazepam (Valium) and lorazepam (Ativan). These medications may cause unsteadiness, drowsiness, reduced muscle coordination and problems with balance. Higher doses and long-term use can cause memory problems. Don't drive or use heavy machinery while taking these drugs. A different type of anti-anxiety medication often prescribed for generalized anxiety disorder is buspirone (BuSpar). While this medication typically takes several weeks to improve symptoms, it doesn't pose a risk of dependence. A common side effect of buspirone is a brief feeling of lightheadedness shortly after taking it. Less common side effects include headaches, nausea, nervousness and insomnia. Antidepressants. These medications influence the activity of certain neurotransmitters that are thought to play a role in anxiety disorders. Examples of antidepressants used to treat generalized anxiety disorder include fluoxetine (Prozac), paroxetine (Paxil), imipramine (Tofranil), venlafaxine (Effexor), escitalopram (Lexapro) and duloxetine (Cymbalta). Whether you try anti-anxiety medications, antidepressants or both, you may need to try several to find which works best for you with the fewest side effects. Also keep in mind that some medications don't work immediately, particularly antidepressants. It may take several weeks before you notice the full effects of anxiety relief. Psychotherapy or healthy coping skills can help you weather this challenging waiting period Best of Luck & Take Care!

Question: What is a really good medication that gets rid of general anxiety disorder? It's ruining my life. I can't stand it. Nothing seems to be like it used to be anymore. Please help me. Thanks

Answer: Ask your doctor about Xanax. Therapy also works too. They show you how to control your anxiety attacks. I've only had to use Xanax on two occasions but I have it on hand just in case another big anxiety attack hits.

Question: What is the best medication to get rid of general anxiety disorder?

Answer: You really need to see your doctor for this. I wouldn't feel comfortable recommending anything for it snce they should be managed closely by a physician. Good luck. Anxiety is no fun to deal with.

Question: My girlfriend was diagnosed with General Anxiety Disorder. She doesnt want 2 go 2 the doctor. How can I help? Is there a way a can give her Cognitive Behavioral Therapy? What things can I do to help her get rid of her anxiety? Listen here Gabe, you little sh*t, you can't miraculously treat anxiety... one doctor "treatment" would have done a damn thing!

Answer: Negative emotions (like sadness, stress, anger, etc.) causes your Serotonin production to be low; when your Serotonin level is low, you are more prone to getting Anxiety, Panic Attacks, Depression, etc. Medication like Antidepressants (SSRI - Selective Serotonin Reuptake Inhibitor) helps to boost Serotonin level. But there are natural ways to do it without medication. There's this herb called "St John's Wort" - it is said to be more effective than Prozac. No, it is not for mild depression only and ignore those sayings. In fact, it does help anxiety and panic-attacks as St John's Wort works like prozac. Other natural ways will be exercise, diet, more exposure to light, etc. If you're unable to take St John's Wort, you can substitute it with Siberian Ginseng or Licorice Herb. The problem is that, even if your Serotonin is balanced... you have that "learned behavior" in your mind. You need to break that initial cycle to destroy that learned behavior - Cognitive Behavior Therapy (CBT) does this. A technique that you can use without CBT will be Distraction... There are several other techniques to help cope them! Ok, to use Distraction: Firstly, try to.... Extracted from Source.

Question: What is treatment like for General Anxiety Disorder? Will I feel like a normal person? How well will it work? Will I be a happier person? Will all my worrying and insecurities die down? Will I have any personality changes? If ur someone with GAD who has been treated for it, it would be such a relief if you could answer some my questions or just explain what it feels like to be treated for it.

Answer: Nate: Treatment for GAD generally MIGHT, depending on your situation, involve some medication (mild), counseling to help you understand what it is causing your reactions, and suggestions for somethings you can do for yourself (like learning relaxation techniques). Having someone assist you is important, to help you understand your worries and insecurities, to LISTEN to you. From personal experience, you will be happier, you may change in some small ways (but change is what you want/need, right?) and the calm you will feel is incredible! When your relieved of the worry and insecurity, you WILL feel some much better, it's a NATURAL high!! I'm not sure what a "normal" person is, it will work as well as you will let it and the effort you put into it, your worries and insecurities will die down, and I think you may enjoy some of the changes you will experience (being happier, not worrying all the time, feeling more secure, etc.) see what I mean? Take care :)

Question: What is the treatment for the general anxiety disorder type of dual diagnosis? Nana, my former nanny, is suffering from general anxiety disorder. She worries about every little thing - dirty laundry, picnics, allowances, family gatherings... whatever. It's not bad to get worried sometimes but she's overdoing it. She worries too much. She always seems scared even if there's nothing to be scared about. She's also having problems with her health. She always feel dizzy and nauseous. Her head aches often and her heart always pound twice as fast. Please tell me the treatments for GAD. I really want to help Nana. I know it's hard to live a life filled with tension and worries.

Answer: The two main treatments for a general anxiety disorder are medication and psychotherapy. The type of medication used in treating GAD is an anti-depressant. As in name suggests, an anti-depressant fights depression. It tries to counter all negative thoughts like distress, agony and anxiety. One of the newer types of anti-depressant is the SSRI or selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor. Even if it causes nausea and sexual dysfunction in some cases, SSRI is considered very helpful for it enhances the mood by manipulating neurotransmitters. Two types of helpful therapies are behavioral therapy and cognitive therapy. Behavioral therapy aims to lessen or to eliminate the behavior brought by the disorder. In your Nana's case, it's the anxiety. Through behavioral therapy, she'll be taught how to relax in times of worry-filled situations and how to breathe well to fight hyperventilation. Cognitive therapy, on the other hand, aims to discover the connection between your Nana's mental state and her anxiety. She'll be taught how to deal with unwanted thoughts full of anxiety to prevent GAD symptoms. It will help her fight the disorder.

Question: General anxiety disorder: what medication worked best for you? I'm really stressed out due to difficulties to find a job. Unfortunately I'm very anxious and tired. If you have experienced the same, could you tell me what worked for you? Any sensible reply will be highly appreciated. Thanks.

Answer: XANAX IS A VERY VERY ADDICTIVE DRUG it is NOT worth it....especially since that guy just had anxiety from a break up, he had a short term anxiety issue and Xanax is really only recommended for short term rather long term for GAD you should be on an antidepressant for this. Zoloft is a very good antidepressant for anxiety, OCD, and depression......i went out with someone who had a pretty bad case of social anxiety but she took Zoloft 50mg..and it worked for her...barely any side effects except drowsiness so she'd always take it at night. anyways, yeah Zoloft is a miracle drug for anxiety. so check it out and talk to your doctor about this. i don't take anything for anxiety....but like i said, was very close to someone WITH anxiety issues. i have bipolar disorder and ADHD, so i'm pretty used to anxiety, so i know how it's like....BUT yeah. take a chance with zoloft, ya won't regret it. also, yoga, drawing, painting,maybe even sculpting, singing,listening to music/playing musical instruments can all help you out to relieve your stress build up from anxiety. just research on coping methods with anxiety. good luck! just hang in there, things will work out for you soon.

Question: Have you known someone with OCD or general anxiety disorder? If that person relied on you for moral support, did you ever feel tired? And were you ever to able to keep helping them, while avoiding stress on you. Thank you for taking the time to read my question.

Answer: Yo tengo un amigo así. Antes lo trataba mal (de hecho antes de que fuera mai amigo lo insultaba y lo humillaba) Pero poco a poco descubri que tenía una personalidad super inteligente, lo malo eran sus ratos donde su personalidad cambiaba y se transformaba en otra persona. Un día en un centro comercial me encontré un documental sobre desórdenes del cerebro y me ayudó a entender que no es cuestión de que ellos se quieran comportar así, es que su cerebro y su sistema no tienen los recursos bioquímicos para ser como todos los demas y pierden el sentido de lo que nosotros conocemos como normal. En esos desórdenes que manifiestan la ansiedad general, la depresión, la bipolaridad. Ellos no entienden la simple palabra "trata de estar bien" de hecho aborrecen esa orientación porque no pueden controlarse. necesitan medicamentos. Cuando no los toman o se les olvida la sincronizacion recaen y recaerán siempre. Entonces cuando mi cuate se pone mal, simplemente le sigo la corriente un rato, despues le doy cosas para que se entretenga como videos, revistas, juegos de mesa, (que no sirvén de mucho) y trato de acompañarlo hasta tarde. Despues termino yendome a dormir, él se queda un rato más pero finalmente se duerme escuchado música porque nadie le aguanta el rollo. Al día siguiente se levanta como si nada. No creo se de gran ayuda, solo comento mi experiencia. Porque sé que hay casos muy díficiles y extremos. Suerte.

Question: To people out there who have general anxiety disorder or depression, what medication worked best for you? Prozac, Zoloft, or lexipro?

Answer: i take Vistaril for my anxiety. it has worked really well for over a year. very few side effects and its not habit forming. (like habit forming drugs ativan, klonopin, xanax...etc) i wish you all the best! good luck!

Question: what has been the best general anxiety disorder medication for you? I am currently on celexa and it sucks. I still feel very anxious all the time

Answer: Klonopin, but also Paxil, Zoloft, Wellbutrin can also be helpful. You might also try natural supplements (while not on meds) to try L-Theanine & SAMe. Also safe with meds are Omega 3 Essential Fatty Acids 1000mgs (1 with each meal) can make you calmer & improve mood. Vinpocetine. You can find out more about these supplements at www.invitehealth.com or call 1-800-463-7575 & ask to speak with a nutritionists. Good luck

Question: What is the best medication out there to get rid of general anxiety disorder.? I've only tried Lorazepam and it doesn't seem to work

Answer: There are a number of good anti anxiety medications to try. Your doctor will be able to choose what is best for you after he/she knows your symptoms or how you experience the anxiety. Work with your doctor as a team. I hope you will be feeling better soon.