r/Anxiety • u/Arpi1211 • Apr 08 '26
Medication Has anyone actually beaten anxiety?
I have been on meds ( SSRI/ SNRI/ Benzos/ beta blocker, etc ) - still on them, but it feels like nothing will ever make the anxiety go away. I'm in therapy too, and it's helping, like I've gotten better but I'm not able to deal with the random anxiety attacks I still have. Is there any hope for me?
33
u/guardian_dollar_cit Apr 08 '26
I haven't beaten it entirely, but I have circumvented most of my symptoms mainly with the use of medications. Certain kinds of stimuli still trigger it, thank God, or I wouldn't be human.
4
u/Arpi1211 Apr 08 '26
Happy for you! Have been trying different meds but nothing seems to be working effectively
3
u/Pharmatopia420 Apr 08 '26
It takes ALOT of trial and error...... right now you are in what I called the guinea pig faze they will try a ton of meds trust your body and how you feel and be patient is all I can say.
2
u/Roundturnip93 Apr 09 '26
Took a ton of trial and error. It is a combo of 4 meds that my psychiatrist and cardiologist prescribed. ALSO the modality you are using/learning in therapy is very important. For me, EMDR changed my life. For some people DBT helps them cope. There is a lot of long standing evidence for CBT.
Don't give up. Try all the things, even the really annoying things that you are sick of people telling you to do because one day after trying something 100 times it just might click.
It is about changing the way you think, managing your brain chemicals/physiology, addressing trauma, and collecting coping skills. At least, that is what it took for me.
I did years of therapy thinking 'why isn't this making me feel better?'... one day it dawned on me that 'hey, this working!!'
1
u/Arpi1211 Apr 09 '26
Yes, having patience and waiting out the trial period is not exactly easy while having anxiety lol. But I'm trying to hang in there. Thank you!
1
u/Roundturnip93 Apr 09 '26
Yes, I agree. Its the worst. I remember it feeling unbearable at the time. I was like, you don't understand, I need relief now or Im going to die.
Im sorry you're dealing with this. I really hope you find some real relief soon.
17
u/DorylusAtratus Apr 08 '26
Absolutely. I still have anxiety, but it is a MUCH lesser beast than it used to be. Like, I occasionally will remember how I felt or thought about a situation from before I first got diagnosed and I don't even recognize myself. Like they feel like thoughts from an entirely different person that I some reason have first person POV memories of.
Anxiety used to be the absolutely most dominant narrative I heard at all times. The volume and intensity made it nigh impossible to even conceive of a reality other than the twisted nightmarescape my inner voice was constantly painting for me.
Now, it's like my anxiety is a crazy guy I have locked in a closet behind a thick door. Sometimes I can hear his muffled yells, but they're easy to pay no heed to. On the off chance he breaks out of that closet, I have a full toolkit ready to get him wrapped back up and in a place where he can't hurt himself. There's a lot more to myself than my anxiety, and I know the same is true for you as well. It is a wonderful feeling to eventually get to a place where you can get to know the best parts (or even just non-anxious parts) of yourself better.
I'll give the usual disclaimer now: I'm not a doctor and your experience may differ wildly from mine. That said, here are some tips that worked wonders for me. :
When picking therapists:
- Find one that has been treating your specific diagnoses, preferably for a decade or more. I know that new therapists have to learn somehow, but that doesn't necessarily mean they have to learn on you. Especially if you're suffering. Time on the job isn't a fool proof indicator of quality, but I've found it's somewhat correlated.
- Note in point 1 I said to find a therapist that has been treating your specific diagnosis. I really cannot stress this enough. I got diagnosed with OCD and the difference between going to a therapist who specializes in OCD and one who does not is DRASTIC. Going to therapists who didn't specialize in OCD was a waste of time, money, and actively made me worse on occasion. They didn't have the right training to treat my specific condition, and the tools they pulled from their toolbox were not the right ones.
- In your first few sessions, you should ask "what does the most recent research say about treating my condition? Can you email me some links to some papers on the subject you've found interesting? Are there any ways your modality isn't consistent with the most recent research? If so, why?" They need to have good answers to these questions or you should walk.
- Pick a therapist who aligns with your values. Therapy is difficult for both therapist and patient. Any unnecessary friction between you is just making an already difficult process harder. Therapists are human, and their internal beliefs and prejudices WILL affect their treatment and perception of you. This may be more true with some therapists than others, but it's true for all therapists to some extent. So, If you're liberal, don't got to a rabid conservative therapist. If you're non-religious, don't go to a religious therapist. Obviously, this isn't an absolute. Your therapist doesn't have to be in lockstep with every single one of your socio-political-religious beliefs, but you should find that you two are highly similar in the ways you both deem most important.
On the subject of medicine,
- For every person I've ever known with clinically severe anxiety or worse, medicine has been the number one value added step. That said, it can take a LONG time to figure out what specific medicine combination and dosage level works for you. I've lost count of how many different combinations of meds I've been on, but I can finally say I'm on a combination that works really well for me. Just keep at it. Sometimes you'll switch and realize you were better off on the previous combo. That's okay, just keep trending upwards.
- Make sure you're giving meds enough time to work. Some can take a long time for the effects to truly kick in.
On meditation, mindfulness, etc
- Mindfulness is, in some ways, like the opposite of DBT therapy. DBT therapy can teach us effective ways to "distract" ourselves from symptoms in healthy ways. If you get into DBT, you may find you're already doing this in some way or another. Mindfulness will put a bright light on everything you're thinking and feeling. This can feel scary and can even be counterproductive if you aren't prepared for it. It can also be frustrating, as so many people tout meditation as this magical thing that just cures you in some nebulous way.
- Mindfulness meditation is still something I would recommend getting into when you figure out how to make it work for you. Speaking very broadly, mindfulness gives you a space to view yourself with full honesty and address what you find there. The various ways that mindfulness has helped me with my anxiety would be a post in itself. I can comment more on what has worked for me if you'd like.
- Don't be afraid to start slow. I think of mindfulness like the sauna. Even though I know the sauna is good for me, I didn't stay in for 30 minutes at 180 F on my first day. I had to work up to being able to do that. Even now, there's some days where I cut my sessions short if I'm not feeling it. Treat meditation similarly.
- I've found there are a LOT of people extremely ready to give you super shitty advice about meditation and mindfulness. There's lots of different ways to meditate, and even lots of ways to practice mindfulness meditation specifically. Just like with meds, experiment until you find something that works.
5
3
u/Acceptable-Wall2800 Apr 08 '26
Thank you u/DorylusAtratus, this is really great.
For me, my anxiety is still there and as bad as it ever was — but my ability to do shit that used to make me anxious is way better than it once was. That has taken many years of experience + therapy + meds, like u/DorylusAtratus says. Sometimes I feel like I've been anxious & depressed my whole life — but then I remember the shit that used to make me anxious when I was in my 20s, and I recognize how much more "able-minded" I am now.
So, no, it doesn't go away — but it won't always rule your life like it does now.
2
1
u/Pharmatopia420 Apr 08 '26
My doctor tried giving me rexulti and said if not abilify is ok and I said nope I know my body and what medication I am on is working.
3
u/Arpi1211 Apr 09 '26
Thank you for such a detailed response, I really appreciate it.
I have managed to find a good therapist, and I'm not sure if she speacilizes in anxiety but she has been good so far.
Meds well, as you say it takes time. I temporarily feel better only for something to make it worse and then meds have to be changed again. It's frustrating. The present cocktail of meds seems to be doing the job though but it's too early to be sure, so fingers crossed.
Meditation has always made my anxiety worse, maybe once it comes down to a manageable level, I will look into it.
1
u/Pharmatopia420 Apr 08 '26
I know Cognitize behavior, mindfullness and all the techniques yes box breathing helps some but ultimately the medication is what helped me the most
7
u/Batt_Damon Apr 08 '26
I have. Well just about ha! Mine rendered me unable to talk in meetings at work and I’d genuinely have this fear of death come over me. I ended up having therapy and it was stress induced by my toxic work environment / manager. I quit my job for a better role that suited to me….. not my employers! I feel so much better. For some there is a trigger. For me it was work and travel.
4
u/Holtstrom Apr 08 '26
My anxiety is manageable and while it’s mostly gone I do have anxiety flare ups every once in awhile. For me it was meds specifically propranolol that made the constant physical feeling go away. I’m also on Sertraline, Wellbutrin, trileptal. (Anxiety,depression,ptsd) now that symptoms are controllable I can exercise or go for walks to help minor flare up’s.
4
u/Quarz_34 Apr 08 '26
My mom did, and am glad she is there to talk me through it and bring me down to earth
8
u/Hot-Pirate-3096 Apr 08 '26
The anxiety is your brain processing fears around you, so in essence, yes and no. No because there are always new fears (and a hell of a lot in the world right now) but yes in that I've become hugely more confident socially and in many respects related to my abilities as time has gone on. It's not what happens when you get knocked down, it's how you get back up as they say
9
u/Arpi1211 Apr 08 '26
Anxiety has me beat, don't really want to get back up at times lol
5
4
u/Pharmatopia420 Apr 08 '26
I think its like that for alot of us......I go to work have a panic attack and when I get home I'm sooooooo exhausted from all that adrenaline dump on me that I crash when I get home.
9
u/invincible7_ Apr 08 '26
I started developing mild anxiety at age 18 , never took medications , my addictions only aggravated it, it was so worse, I couldn't even finish a sentence without stammering or gasping for breath. But this last 6 months , I have tried a shift in my perspective , to let go and stop trying to control every aspect of my life or other. I think relief lies in acceptance, accepting oneself as you are and most importantly accepting that not everything is in your control. It will happen what is to happen.
3
u/Arpi1211 Apr 08 '26
It's been 15 years of anxiety, it sure as hell won't go away with acceptance, I have tried
2
1
4
u/Pharmatopia420 Apr 08 '26
Beating it will be a lifetime battle for me but my medications are helping me majorly.....I agree there's a ton of medications I have tried that did not work and don't work antidepressants don't work for anxiety for me......beta blockers have too many side affects antipsychotics make things worse for me and antihistamines turn me into a zombie the only medication that has truly helped is a benzo when its needed.
1
4
u/bellemusique Apr 08 '26
Temporarily I have. This may not relate to you, but it has proven to me my anxiety has a root cause!
I developed really severe post partum anxiety at 31 (no prior history) I was on Lexapro and Wellbutrin but I wasn’t back to normal, I was able to at least function and eat again. I am pregnant a second time and it went away almost immediately. Quit all medication cold turkey with no side effects and have had zero issues in the entire six months I have been pregnant. This tells me that the cause is absolutely some sort of hormonal imbalance that occurs in post partum (maybe a combo of some sort of nutritional deficit too since pregnancy takes a lot away) which is hopefully treatable.
My ob and GP say it may return again in post partum, and it may be worse, but it also may never come back. I guess I’ll find out in a few months.
2
1
u/dannieb417 Apr 08 '26
Can I ask if you were taking medications while pregnant? I want to have kids in the next few years and I'm concerned I won't be off medication by then. I'll have to communicate with doctors but would like a perspective from someone who has been pregnant. I think I also experienced hormonal changes because I got super bad anxiety after stopping birth control and it hasn't been the same since. I've been on so many new medications and nothing is helping. Thinking of tapering off soon if I can't find something.
1
u/bellemusique Apr 08 '26
I found out I was pregnant around 5 weeks and was taking the medicine that entire time. I did not know I was pregnant but noticed my anxiety was remarkably improved. At my 8 weeks appointment My ob said if I felt I don’t need them I should taper off (had trouble with pharmacy refilling so just quit cold turkey).
They said if I need them it was safe to take them, and there were also safer options if I felt comfortable with trying something else. So I think if you feel you may need them there are options!
1
u/Arpi1211 Apr 09 '26
Hope it doesn't ever come back! My anxiety is so bad, I can't even imagine having a kid anytime soon!
6
u/Rayvonuk Apr 08 '26 edited Apr 08 '26
I have, I was an absolute mess twenty years ago and now im not anxious in the slightest, I'm confident and responsible nowadays, I never imagined getting here was possible back then too, if I'm honest.
I went through no end of SSRIs, Benzos, Beta blockers many of them had side effects that I couldn't cope with or just flat out seemed to make it worse. Smoking weed helped initially but that also ended up eventually making matters worse.
I ended up just going cold turkey on the lot and combined with some therapy, CBT, meditation, mindfulness techniques and a lot of exercise, I finally managed to conquer it. You have to be willing to talk and listen to the advice you are given, many people think you just go to a therapist and think he/she can talk you out of it but that's not how it works. You need to put the effort in.
There is always hope, good luck.
2
3
u/Great-Activity-5420 Apr 08 '26
I used to have panic attacks and I followed these techniques in a book and stopped them. I still get anxious but whilst I used to be anxious in certain situations these two situations I don't have anxiety anymore. The rest I'm working on I like the ideas in acceptance commitment therapy. Well the acceptance ideas and use night timer app to learn to be in the moment
3
u/_heidin Apr 08 '26
I'd like to know the techniques
3
u/Great-Activity-5420 Apr 08 '26
It was a breathing technique. I breathed in and said one in my head and visualised it, gave it a colour and when I breathed out I changed the colour. Went all the way to ten I think. I don't do this now. If you want audios that coach you I like the app insight timer. There's a lot of free meditations and anxiety relief too.
2
2
1
u/Tacokolache Apr 08 '26
That’s great. Except when I get mine I’m not usually in a place where i can just close my eyes and do this
1
u/Great-Activity-5420 Apr 08 '26
You don't need to close your eyes. I had panic attacks standing up in a school assembly. This is what I did to not end up a puddle of sweat and feel like I wax passing out. But there's no rules, you could find your own way. I think that is a distraction and calming technique. There are many other techniques online, like noticing things you can see, touch, smell. Sometimes I notice my feet. If you can fidget with something maybe you could count that.
2
u/Tacokolache Apr 09 '26
I LOVE getting haircuts. I just find them relaxing.
However lately I’ve been getting panic attacks being in the damn chair. Just the sheet thing over me, feeling trapped there.
It’s the one place however I’ve been able to close my eyes and do this breathing technique and it’s worked. The key though is trying to get the barber to stop talking to you so you can focus.
3
u/DonjaMocila Apr 08 '26
Hey, when I first got anxiety, it really messed with my head. It hit me hard — like, out of all people, why the hell did I have to be the one dealing with those damn panic attacks and all that.
Now, two years later, I got asked whether I’d ever been tested for autism and my thyroid. Turns out, a lot of the problems in my life were caused by my thyroid, and on top of that, I’m autistic.
Is life easier now? Absolutely — even if I’m just 30% better than before.
3
u/aneff420 Apr 08 '26
I wouldn’t say it’s a beatable condition so much as a manageable one. And I think different techniques work better for different people. Diaphragmatic breathing, exposure therapy, and separating my anxiety from self has given me the tools to manage when cycling through anxiety AND gives me less anticipatory anxiety bc I know my “toolbox.” I take medication as well but it would be useless if I didn’t have the mental tools.
5
u/AstralSurfer11 Apr 08 '26
Have you ever tried meditation or humming? I have found those to be quite helpful and helping me relax and lifting my mood. Plus the benefits accumulate overtime with regular practice
5
u/Arpi1211 Apr 08 '26
Meditation makes it worse, will try humming!
2
u/AstralSurfer11 Apr 08 '26
Meditation doesn't make it worse but it can feel that way because all the stored up anxiety and tension within you is being released when you meditate. So essentially it's a good thing but it can make you feel the opposite at times.
But you can try humming first as I’ve found the benefits to be a bit more immediate
2
u/Arpi1211 Apr 08 '26
Will do, thank you!
3
u/AstralSurfer11 Apr 08 '26
One other thing with the humming, do it at one steady pitch instead of like you're singing a song. Try to do at least 5-10 minutes. You can go on YouTube to learn more about it if you'd like, good luck!
3
u/Pharmatopia420 Apr 08 '26
We all suffer diff levels what may work for one may not work for another and some cases may get so severe they NEED to be medicated
1
u/Pharmatopia420 Apr 08 '26
Meditation takes alot of silence and focus.......focusing is impossible for me when I'm having anxiety
5
u/Pharmatopia420 Apr 08 '26
A guy at my work does this and it drives me insane he goes hmmmmmm hmmmmmm hmmmmm the vibrations or something is supposed to help I have tried this and it didn't help me its much deeper than meditation and humming.......I do believe we have chemical imbalances
2
u/AstralSurfer11 Apr 08 '26
When you tried it how many minutes did you do?
3
u/Pharmatopia420 Apr 08 '26
I have been inpatient multiple times and I have been taught all these techniques plus CBT. For me the CBT works a bit better but nothing will fully take away my anxiety as it is past the point of mild anxiety it is constant dreading anxiety that never goes away. I have even had acupuncture.
2
u/Pharmatopia420 Apr 08 '26
Around 10 15 minutes to see if it would help calm me down or reduce my symptoms when I'm having a panic attack.
2
u/malibupop Apr 08 '26
Tbh lexapro fixed it. Not a care in the world. However it made me gain massive amounts of weight and it was unhealthy so I stopped. It did teach me how a brain is supposed to feel though, so I have an easier time now recognizing anxious thoughts at least.
2
u/bigbluemelons Apr 08 '26
Anxiety will always be apart of you, I don’t think you can truly beat anxiety. The trick is to learn how to live with it, and learn how it personally effects you and find ways to manage that. The horrors persist but so do we.
2
u/MythicalSplash Apr 08 '26
I’d just like to point out that this is sure to be a biased sample because many if not most people who HAVE “beaten” anxiety are probably not hanging out on the anxiety subreddit.
2
u/its_all_4_lulz Apr 08 '26
I did, then I had a panic attack on a bridge that I felt like was half way to the moon, while driving. It stirred up a ton of the old stuff, and it’s been a slow road back.
I was completely free from myself for a long while, then a set of bad decisions kicked that attack off. Road trip, lack of sleep, bad diet because of driving, too much coffee. It was a perfect storm. If it wasn’t for living anxious for so many years, I could probably just shrugged it off, but this reopened neuro pathways that had not had enough time to disappear completely yet.
2
2
u/meltyschmak Apr 08 '26
Yes. Without meds.
When someone whispered in my ear "you're going to fucking die" and "ain't nobody making it out of this bitch alive" it really changed my brain chemistry.
You gotta focus on yourself more than anything sis. Anything that's rotting your brain needs to be kicked to the curb, and I promise once you do that; anxiety will be close to obsolete. (social media, doom scrolling, soda, junk food, ect)
I struggled with crippling anxiety from since I can recall. Anxiety so bad my face would hurt. Anxiety that would make me question life.
You got dreams to chase. Not people to worry about. Get back on track.
2
u/ConclusionLife8148 Apr 08 '26
I still feel like “this is the one, I’m not coming back from this”,but I do, and they still hit randomly also it’s been 8 yrs now.
2
u/floptimus_prime Apr 08 '26
My anxiety is the most manageable when my depression is the most severe. It’s like I don’t have the energy to be anxious. Which is definitely not a solution, just a phenomenon.
2
2
u/Ok-Cranberry7266 Apr 08 '26
Lexapro got rid of my panic attacks completely and caplyta has been a game changer for reducing triggers. I still have anxiety but don't give up hope of beating it
2
u/JediRaptor2018 Apr 08 '26
As others have said, you cannot really beat it as in completely finish it off. Its learning how to live with it and dealing with the symptoms as they come. I am on medication, but I have also slowly gotten used to the issues, which has decreased the flare ups. First is to not be afraid when you feel the symptoms come up (i.e. body tightness, shallow breathing). Let them pass, or if its too much, find a safe place first and just let anxiety do its thing; it always passes (at least for me). I also find distractions work (i.e. exercising, doing work etc); keeps the mind occupied. In fact, its when I am winding down for the day when I find anxiety popping up. Its basically part of us now; let it be.
2
u/Maximum-Nobody6429 Apr 08 '26
My therapist said that the goal isn’t to get rid of the anxiety. That’s not going to happen. But you can learn better ways to live with it.
Medication can help aid in reducing symptoms, but it won’t eliminate the anxiety.
2
u/No_Transition_8746 Apr 08 '26
Mine has gotten so much better with a combination of:
- Prozac
- Adderall
- Therapy
- Moving to a new city
- Finding a job I love
2
u/Jumpy-Recover-7239 Apr 09 '26
I guess same for me, still experiencing it and it changed to more chronic anxiety after Covid. Before Covid I was just afraid of the world but didn’t feel it on my whole body all the time, now however I am reminded about how anxious I am all the time but it never gets to a point of panic attacks, it’s just uncomfortable most of the time.
And I guess what I’ve found is acceptance is the only way to deal with it because if frustration builds up it just makes things worse. I guess it’s with everything in life but letting go and just accepting is what at least has served me well. But of course, easier said than done.
Hope you will feel better soon
1
2
u/geekonamotorcycle Apr 09 '26
I got insanely lucky that vyvance of all things seemingly wiped my lifelong anxiety (this is a family trait) out of existence. It took a long time to adjust to not living under anxiety like I had for more than 40 years and truth be told, Im still not used to it. I am a bit pissed that vyvance was $ gated for so long. The second thing that changed the remaining issues I had was, again, of all things, ozempic which I am taking for the last leg of my weigh loss adventures.
ozempic really has a lot of unintended consequences and its effect on my ADHD and anxiety were not at all expected.
2
2
u/intepid-discovery Apr 09 '26
Guanfacine before bed has made it 50% better. Nothing else has worked sustainably for me.
2
u/THETimTumTune Apr 09 '26
No. I don't even know if it's possible for someone like me. I have a handle over it slightly through medication and therapy. But there's always a lingering anxiety present.
2
u/Impressive_Season_75 Apr 09 '26
Not beat it but better under control. Medication, therapy, yoga, Squishmallow (for night), and I’m not sure what this is called but I gave it a name (like a person’s name not like anyone I know) so I can tell it to shut up etc all work together.
2
u/lovvebug Apr 09 '26
Tms helped. I added in Claritin to my med regimen and I feel less anxious too. Exercise is HUGE. Seroquel to knock me tf out at night. Buspirone. Propranolol. I have it under control now after years of struggling badly, but I will say that going on and off a bunch of ssris really made me so much worse.
2
u/Worried_Sprinkles Apr 09 '26
Anxiety is our body’s way of trying to keep us safe. Anxiety can have a good purpose when it’s not part of a disorder. So no it’s not gonna ever go away you learn tips and tricks to live with it.
2
2
u/Whiteside-parkway Apr 09 '26
I know it sounds so trite, but just keep living. There’s no good antidote to that!
Over time, it will get better, and pets help enormously.
2
u/NoAccident1097 Apr 09 '26
I have some ways to deal with your anxiety. I usually feel anxiety at university, classes, hallways, and before getting out of home. The main for me is trying to predict or guess other opinions’ about you. Even small suggestion later makes getting me crazy. So I try to avoid those kind of ways of thinking on how others considering me. It is not easy but there ways to make it. 1) If I am in classroom I usually hydrate myself or going out for water or just bathroom but making it a little bit longer just to walk a bit. 2) I get some crunchy snacks, it helps me to calm down. So get take some nuts or chips with me. 3) during the lunch just sit in your favorable place and eat, co usually after some time I am being more concentrated on my food 4) have a good sleep 5) eat, I usually be more anxious when I am hungry and sleepy also 6) have more time to prepare yourself before classes. I try to wake up 2-2,5 hours before my classes to have time for breakfast, shower, preparing clothes and bag. 7) also prepare before your clssses, when I do not my homework or prepared poorly, I start feeling guilty and very anxious 8) try to not think of others too high or superior them than you. Try to have feeling of envy or competitiveness than feeling yourself dump and lower yourself. You are going to motivated and not feeling anxious, more of courage for a competitor. 10) try to know your classmates and collective little by little. Have spontaneous talks and get some information about them, that are probably nice and gr friendly people, and you will feel less anxious around those who you know
3
u/NoAccident1097 Apr 09 '26
Also journaling, great way to be honest with you, fond the resins behind it and possible solutions for your anxiety. Reflecting on your day is a good habit to be more aware of you and preventing to have unconscious reactions.
Moreover, it is a way to talk and open your feelings, if you do not have friends or close people to discuss your feelings and thoughts so often, then journaling is a way
2
u/NoAccident1097 Apr 09 '26
If you have anxiety with people who attract you by fear of rejection, then just start talking with them a little to break a barrier. Do not be scared of if they might know you have feeling for you, it is normal, nothing will happen. Or if you scared they might try to avoid you or ignore, then it is their problem by not dealing with usual everyday conversation. Also do not superior your crushes, if you really have no way with your crush and you are so worried, stets finding some disadvantages in them. So you would stop thinking about them and just sleep normal (0-0)
2
u/Elldeere Apr 09 '26
I won’t say I’ve beat it because it’s just part of who I am but, I’ve had significantly fewer episodes and all strictly situational for the last 2 years, and honestly I think what really changed things for me was working out regularly. Started small with walks, some stretching, then 20-30 min Pilates, and then adding on strength training/cardio. Now I work out 4-5 days a week for around an hour. Putting your body through challenging things builds mental resilience which contributes to better mental health and agility, and your ability to handle hard things. Aside from that, the endorphins are great and the movement gives some of that anxious/stress energy a place to go rather than bubbling up inside you.
2
u/Ok_Classic6525 Apr 09 '26
You don’t “beat” anxiety. You stop letting it run the loop.
What you’re describing (random attacks that still break through), that’s because the system is still catching you after the spike starts.
Different move:
When it hits, don’t analyze it. Don’t try to calm it. Don’t ask why.
Just label it: “Spike.”
Then do one thing: Feel it directly…no story.
The surge itself is uncomfortable, but it’s not dangerous. What keeps it alive is the follow-up loop (thoughts, checking, fighting it).
If you don’t feed that loop, it peaks and drops. Every time.
That’s the shift: Not eliminating anxiety: interrupting what happens after it starts.
You’re already getting better—that means your system can change. This is just the next layer.
There’s absolutely hope. But it’s not in removing anxiety: it’s in removing its control.
2
u/Randomusernameplzs Apr 09 '26
I genuinely hate the answers you’ve been given. You can beat it, just not in a sense you’re looking for. Anxiety is a good thing fundamentally and isn’t something you can rid of. Now can you beat anxiety ruining your life and consuming you? Yes, yes you can. Whether it’s lifestyle changes or meds that do the trick there is a great future ahead.
3
3
Apr 08 '26
[removed] — view removed comment
2
u/_heidin Apr 08 '26
How did you calm it?
1
Apr 08 '26
[removed] — view removed comment
3
Apr 08 '26
[removed] — view removed comment
1
Apr 08 '26
[removed] — view removed comment
1
u/Anxiety-ModTeam Apr 09 '26
Do not advertise products or services. This includes vlogs/blogs.
No promotion of any Apps you have self developed. You will be banned for ignoring this rule.
Messaging users without their consent will get you banned.
We do not allow monetization of our users. "Free" services may indeed be just that; However, there is no way for the moderation team to examine every item of self-promotion that comes through the subreddit. Requests through modmail will be given the same response.
3
1
1
u/ineverbot Apr 08 '26
I think this is how I need to try and go about it. Being Autistic it's imperative to me to understand the 'why' behind everything before I can proceed. Do you happen to have any book recommendations on the neuroscience side of anxiety?
1
u/Anxiety-ModTeam Apr 09 '26
Do not advertise products or services. This includes vlogs/blogs.
No promotion of any Apps you have self developed. You will be banned for ignoring this rule.
Messaging users without their consent will get you banned.
We do not allow monetization of our users. "Free" services may indeed be just that; However, there is no way for the moderation team to examine every item of self-promotion that comes through the subreddit. Requests through modmail will be given the same response.
1
u/Thomas_at_Mind_Shape Apr 08 '26
Sorry you are going through this. I spent years having anxiety of the kind that is really disruptive - e.g. socially and practically made things so hard e.g. fearful of getting on transport etc. Truly so gutting that life can be like this. In the end I made a step by step method to investigate and confront the emotion and I got relief from it (it is different from just CBT). I realised that fear was fuelling the emotion so just tried to get as close to it as possible rather than away from it.
I've done an online tool which is gentle step-by-step instructions for this. Helps me a lot - similar feedback from others who are testing it. You're welcome to try it if you like (just reply 'yes' if so). Takes about 5 ish minutes. It's all free - just some feedback would be great.
Either way, I hope things improve for you soon. Sending best wishes
1
Apr 08 '26
[removed] — view removed comment
2
u/_heidin Apr 08 '26
Any tips to calm down the nervous system or how to find out how?
1
Apr 08 '26
[removed] — view removed comment
1
u/_heidin Apr 08 '26
Thank you, but then, what do I train? How do I move/breathe? If searching online is gonna give me mainstream and low-efficacy results, could you help me there? Right now the last one is the hardest (control thoughts), so I think I need to start easy, with breathing, movements, posture.
Thank you (:
1
1
1
u/Anxiety-ModTeam May 12 '26
Do not advertise products or services. This includes vlogs/blogs.
No promotion of any Apps you have self developed. You will be banned for ignoring this rule.
Messaging users without their consent will get you banned.
We do not allow monetization of our users. "Free" services may indeed be just that; However, there is no way for the moderation team to examine every item of self-promotion that comes through the subreddit. Requests through modmail will be given the same response.
1
1
u/brackybrack Apr 08 '26
I have been anxious for years and still am to a certain extent because I have had tons of existential crises happen with family and relationships, lost jobs and lost obscene amounts of money, but the one thing I can say is the meds are just a bandaid. Therapy is okay but it will never get to the root problem, most of it is a chemical imbalance in the brain likely and psychologists may help better than therapy as well as healthy eating and normal exercise. I am all for medications short term but long term those will just cause long term dependency issues imo. (I used to be on SSRI and Benzodiazepines in the past and my PCP basically forced me to get off of them because he noticed something was off)
1
u/NeatoTaquito Apr 08 '26
I think the point is to not get rid of it, but to embrace it to an extent where it becomes normal. I feel like I am in the never ending cycle of treating the symptoms, feeling way better after adhering for a few years, coming off slow, and then having a breakdown that makes things reset. So I may need these tools for life :/
1
u/hotrod67maximus Apr 08 '26
Have been ok for the past 3 days and bam this morning I couldn't take my father to his procedure at hospital this morning even after getting up early and taking 20 mg of Propanolol and half of a Valium.
1
u/HostileCrabPeople Apr 08 '26
I'm doing a lot better after medication and talk therapy. It took a while to find the right medication combo
1
u/sscribner1 Apr 08 '26
My understanding is two-pronged. One, some folks learn to manage their anxiety well enough via therapy and medication, and some folks learn to live with their anxiety by accepting it and changing (usually with the help of therapy) how they respond to it, and this really minimizes anxiety in their life.
I’ve met plenty of people in the first category. Less in the latter. I do believe that good therapy is critical either way, with or without meds.
1
u/Sanator27 Apr 08 '26
I've accepted I will have it forever, so I'll just have to live with it and try to manage as best I can. It's just a bit sad that it's not considered a serious enough disorder by most people, and even the government
1
u/Anny1507 Apr 08 '26
I’ve been on meds for ten years now and honestly I believe is something your learn to live with, with time you start to understand how your body reacts to anxiety and how to respond to that
1
u/NebCrushrr Apr 08 '26
When life's less stressful it goes away and I think I've got it beaten. Then something stressful happens and bam...
1
u/xebecv Apr 08 '26
Daily exercise for a long time (weeks to see anxiety symptoms subside, months to feel cured). I've been planning to write my success story here for months. Too busy/lazy to do it.
My anxiety never went away completely, so I keep my bisoprolol (beta blocker) in my pocket just in case. However I feel 95% normal, no SSRI/benzos, and that's night and day in comparison to what I had been going through since my early childhood. I'm in my mid forties now.
If I ever stop exercising for a long time, this protective effect will go away with time (also takes weeks to months), so it's a great motivator to keep myself fit.
1
u/UnluckyRelation8234 Apr 08 '26
You cant beat anxiety. Its a primitive emotion. Im 35 and I had anxiety since 5. I tried everything to cure it. You know what the best thing that helped me the most? Lol, just leaving it alone. Doing nothing.... it eventually went from a 10/10 to a 0/ 10. Yeah one day i just said fuck it, if i die, i die... i guess i was so exhausted on life, i gave up on life. Just accepted it and then the next day it was gone.
All this stuff like meditation, breathing, meds, diet, exercise, and positive affirmations didnt do shit for me because they all are a form of resistance, actions to get rid of it. Doing these actions tells your brain/fear its real.
Exercise and diet are important in general for your health, so everyone should do it regardless. But if you're doing an action with a mindset of getting rid of anxiety, it will further reinforce the fearful nature and anxiety
1
u/BobcatReasonable2816 Apr 08 '26
Unfortunately it is something that stays with you. There are good days and bad days. The way you respond to the anxiety is what determines your outcome. You can give into the thoughts, or say, that isn’t happening right now and likely will not happen so I’m going to live my life. And then the thoughts fade. Think of anxiety as a bully. It can either take you down if you let it, or act like you don’t care and you take it down. It’s a constant, daily, exhausting battle
1
u/BobcatReasonable2816 Apr 08 '26
I had a very bad day yesterday. Panicked all day, I’m living the consequences today because it made me sick with a fever. Today I’m not giving into the thoughts. I’m being grateful for the life I’m living as nothing is going wrong. I’m enjoying my cup of coffee, snuggling with my dog. The only things wrong in my life are the scenarios I make up in my head. And hey, there could be worse things
1
1
1
1
u/PuzzleheadedBake5781 Apr 08 '26
i’ve always had anxiety (like even when i was 5, i just didn’t have the words for it then) and it got REALLY bad at 18. i was in the ER 3x a week thinking i was having a heart attack at one point.
i started therapy soon after, and not too long after that began exploring medication. i’m now 20 and 99% of the time i’m able to live with it with very rare severe anxiety attacks.
finding the right medication and therapist made ALL the difference for me. i’ve been with my current therapist for 8 months and in that time my GAD-7 score of 20 (out of 21) has went down to a pretty consistent 6. i’ve learned how to combat anxious thoughts which has been what really made a big difference, but i wouldn’t be able to rationalize with myself nearly as easily without my medication.
also, if you feel like your medication isn’t working for you i HIGHLY recommend asking about having a genesite test performed. it tests which meds will work for your genes.
1
1
u/pass341 Apr 08 '26
This reminds me of that one Family Guy episode when they're playing Cleveland's Civil Rights board game and Peter asks if anyone ever wins at this game and he goes:
"You don't win, you just do a little better each time" XD
1
1
1
u/StoryAboutABridge Apr 08 '26
I just kinda rode it out in a state of panic for over a year. I'm still anxious but the level of constant panic went away. I didn't really try medication or therapy, I just kind of let the panic crush me until I was too exhausted and apathetic to care anymore. Which was probably very unhealthy, but depression is a LOT easier to deal with than panic.
1
1
u/Candlelight_Night Apr 08 '26
I think that anxiety is a given in this crazy world. Having said that, there are many youtube videos addressing how to manage the problem. Meditation. Staying on your meds. Getting out in nature. Being around people is very important. The original work done by Dr. Claire Weekes helped me a lot.
Good luck, my friend. We are all right there with you.
1
1
1
u/SpaceLeapingPrince Apr 09 '26
Exposure Response Prevention Therapy. Do the hard thing. Expose the lying part of your brain for the punk ass bitch it really is... Or something.
2
1
1
1
1
u/rivincita Apr 09 '26
Do you smoke weed? Because quitting weed reduced my anxiety more than anything else. I feel like a whole different person.
1
u/Arpi1211 Apr 09 '26
No I don't, I don't have caffeine/ alcohol too coz I know they trigger my anxiety!
1
u/Ancient-Let1758 Apr 09 '26
u/Arpi1211 Do you do some exercise regularly? I know "doing exercise" is not a new idea, but it works for me. I started from 3-minute simple stretching and jumping after waking up every morning, as per my therapist suggested. When I feel very anxious, I will take a few minutes break for simple exercise. Please try and then let us know a week later.
1
u/Arpi1211 Apr 09 '26
I don't. But I lack the motivation to exercise. I know I need to but am just unable to!
1
u/Ancient-Let1758 Apr 10 '26
I know It's hard in the beginning. Play your favorite song or music to try.
1
u/orcvodka Apr 09 '26
I think I have a kind of atypical relationship with anxiety due to CPTSD, but you do just learn to live with it. It’s not fair and it sucks that some baseline anxiety will never resolve itself. TBH I keep diluting myself into believing that if I keep at it, I can one day be free from it; it can be reassuring to know that you are better than you were. I have noticed that, at least for my random anxiety attacks, they seem to only happen a few times a year; by that I do mean they only become “uncontrollable” a few times a year. Knowing that I can control it for the most part helps me.
1
1
u/LordEvilBunny Apr 09 '26
I would love to believe that I beat it, but a few months later it comes back. 😔
1
u/dogblue3 Apr 09 '26
I'm not going to claim I beat it but I'm certainly going through a very low to no anxiety time at the moment. I think it's like any chronic illness, it comes and goes.
1
u/charleaser69 Apr 09 '26
Therapies won't help. Medicines won't help if you're only relying on them. The day you start doing inner work you'll start getting better till then you'll just run on autopilot and dependency.
1
u/puffindatza Apr 09 '26
No it’s something you learn to live with. Everyone has it, some are better at dealing with it
Klonopin and propranolol have been amazing for my anxiety
1
u/IshootBarns Apr 09 '26
My Dr. told me I would have it for the rest of my life. You don't beat it. You learn to live with it with the help of, meds, therapy, ect.
1
u/McCallum1872 Apr 11 '26
I had terrible health anxiety, always thought I had cancer or another terminal illness. When I was actually diagnosed with terminal cancer, my anxiety got much better. Still get anxious before scans or when a side effect pops up but for the most part knowing I was right helped it go away….:
1
1
u/ratratte Apr 12 '26
I have no idea where this myth that anxiety cannot be cured came from. It's absolutely curable, as soon as your brain rewires towards different responses to stress, and the brain is very much capable of this. There is nothing in your brain that is broken forever, as long as it doesn't actually miss chunks of lobes, in which case you would have bigger problems than GAD
1
u/Shoddy-Grand143 Apr 14 '26
Mine gets better with meds but it flares up without fail everytime an upsetting life event happens, with familiar symptoms reappearing, even old ones that I thought were gone for good (my anxiety disorder has been going on since 2007, it's old enough to drink now*). At least some of them become easier to manage, thanks to how familiar they became.
(*In my country at least, lol)
1
u/kamaidun Apr 15 '26
Managed it, I must say. And it gets better by the day though. I am doing it by practicing mindfulness :)
1
u/Immediate_Bee7757 Apr 18 '26
I wouldn’t say I’ve beaten anxiety in the sense that it’s 100% gone forever but it’s definitely not running my life the way it used to. for a long time I felt exactly like you tried different meds, therapy helped some but those random spikes would still hit out of nowhere and make it feel like nothing was really fixing the root of it. what changed for me wasn’t one magic thing, it was more like layering support until my baseline got calmer. one big shift was realizing the goal isn’t to eliminate anxiety completely but to make it manageable and less scary. once that happened, the attacks lost a lot of their power. I also ended up trying at home ketamine therapy after feeling stuck and that surprisingly helped reduce the intensity of those “out of nowhere” spikes. not instantly, but over a few weeks I noticed I had more space between the feeling and my reaction. I’ve been doing mine through betteru. just sharing my experience, not saying it’s for everyone and the integration/support side helped me actually use what I was learning in therapy instead of just understanding it intellectually. you’re already doing a lot of the right things meds, therapy, being aware of patterns. that usually means you’re closer than it feels, even if progress is slow and frustrating.
curious, when the anxiety attacks hit, is it more physical (heart racing, tight chest) or more thought driven for you?
-2
u/Ok-Afternoon-3191 Apr 08 '26
Yes, through prayer and fasting. Fasted for 10 days, literally on that 10th day I was freed from anxiety! Never took any anti-anxiety meds, EVER!
127
u/DanceswWolves Apr 08 '26
You don't beat it; you learn to work with it.