How to deal with depression and anxiety

[Dhamilton05]

Hello I have been diagnosed with depression, anxiety and PTSD. On top of it I am dealing with hurt from my marriage and a friend. My mind is racing. The medication only makes me feel like a Zombie and it isnt reacting well with my body. Are there any natural ways to get through and deal with this. Its so hard for me. I cant sleep, I barely eat. I have really negative thoughts in my head. I am afraid to be left alone. Please help

[BonnieSue]

When you can't eat or sleep you know you are overrun with anxiety. It has to be controlled by medication and there are some things you can do besides medications, too. You can do deep breathing exercises and there are workbooks that take you through some helpful exercises. If you're afraid to be left alone, is there anyone you can stay with? It's natural to want to be around people when you're extremely anxious. No special reason, it just goes with the territory. Here are 2 suicide hotlines in case you think you need them: 1.800.273.8255 and 1.800.784.2433.

There are counselors waiting on the other end.

Do you have a doctor to prescribe anti-anxiety medicine? You need that asap. Go to the emergency room if you can't get in to a doctor. But you must follow up with a doctor appointment to have enough anti-anxiety meds to keep taking them.

Here are some natural remedies for anxiety: books, videos and workbooks suggested by other people on this site:

1---"I've found David D. Burns' "Feeling Good" and "When Panic Attacks" to be very helpful."

2---"I am working through the anxiety workbook by Dr. David Carbonell and it has helped immensely!!! "

3---TRE (Trauma releasing exercises) is something you can learn in a class but you don't have to talk about your problems and once you have learned the technique you can use it at home.

4---The Dialectical Behavior Therapy Skills Workbook

Practical DBT Exercises for Learning Mindfulness, Interpersonal Effectiveness, Emotion Regulation, and Distress Tolerance

By: Matthew McKay PhD, Jeffrey Wood PsyD, Jeffrey Brantley MD

A Clear and Effective Approach to Learning DBT Skills

First developed for treating borderline personality disorder, dialectical behavior therapy (DBT) has proven effective as treatment for a range of other mental health problems, especially for those characterized by overwhelming emotions. Research shows that DBT can improve your ability to handle distress without losing control and acting destructively. In order to make use of these techniques, you need to build skills in four key areas-distress tolerance, mindfulness, emotion regulation, and interpersonal effectiveness.

Source: NewHarbingerPublications

Caution for non-Buddhists: Zen Buddhism inspired aspects of DBT, along with behavioral science and dialectical philosophy. Source: GoodTherapy.com.

5---"A good book that I came across recently is "The Anxiety and Phobia Workbook, 6th Edition" by Edmund J. Bourne, PhD. You might find this book to be of some help to you, although communicating your thoughts and feelings in a group setting is enormously helpful as well. "

6---For anxiety: Claire Weekes audio books on iTunes.

7---Videos on YouTube by THAT ANXIETY GUY helps with anxiety re: depersonalization/ de-realization states.

8---"Go on the psychology today site and look for a therapist that specializes in anxiety."

I wish you the very best of good health and good fortune.