Published on 12, July, 2020
I know there are loads of posts on these forums about medication for anxiety, but the vast majority seem to focus on regular treatment i.e. daily medication, or segway into other topics. What I'm interested to learn is if anyone takes anything for ad hoc episodes, what it is you take, how quickly it works/wears off etc. please.
Most of the time I'm fine and able to control my environment, plans and activities sufficiently well so I do not experience significant daily anxiety. However, sometimes people just unexpectedly appear and/or do things that completely overload my senses or utterly rattle me, and then I'm left on edge for several hours, followed by exhaustion for several days. I don't have panic attacks—this is purely an autistic response to people. I'm seeing my GP on Friday to discuss medication and I'm wondering if there's something effective she can prescribe for ad hoc use to take the edge off the occasional NT-ND culture clash when it happens.
To be clear, I'm not interested in any daily meds, CBT, counselling or anything else. I'm assuming people who smoke would just go have a cigarette in these situations, and I want to know what the prescription equivalent is. I'm also quite stressed about finding a solution to this so not looking for any sarky comments either. :) Thanks.
Unfortunately, I didn't quite understand what exactly you were looking for. The feeling of anxiety arises in stressful situations, sometimes quite unexpectedly and unexpectedly. Despite this, it can cause some damage to your nervous system or physical condition. That is why medications or Psychotherapy Services are recommended to be taken and visited constantly to monitor the development of the condition and help balance it. By the way, breathing exercises help some patients. Many people practice it during panic attacks, as it allows you to equalize the rhythm of the heartbeat.
I take an SSRI for general anxiety but have also been prescribed diazepam for as and when. I also do all the relaxation, breathing, yoga, cbt, mindfulness etc but sometimes it's just not enough. I have a scale of 0-10, 0 being well, 10 being high anxiety. My baseline is 5 so if I go over this I know I'm not right. But il only take a diazepam tablet if I'm 8+. I've only had 3 since mid-December. You have to be careful with them. They just take the edge off when nothing else will do then I can carry on with my day. It doesn't make me feel sleepy.
Echoing the possible alternatives to any medication....
Stim toys can help - I have a lovely super smooth crystal I carry in my pocket. Seeking out a quiet space, listening to white noise help me. Sofa time under my blanky.
These have the advantage of being available without prescription and can be used anywhere.
A lot of people also advise getting yourself into a quiet spot, as this reduces stimuli and allows you to "destim" and calm down.
If you ask the GP for something ad-hoc, he may recommend some strong anti-anxiety meds which are also making you sleepy and are addictive. Some muscle relaxation exercises and breezing techniques might help, as Niemand suggested.
Not quite medication, but there are breathing exercises you can do. When I get stressed I often do some heavy, controlled breathing until I feel a bit light headed, and it helps relieve it. It works beforehand too. Experiment with what works for you, but I find changing your breathing deliberately changes things rapidly.
Some folk swear by Rescue Remedy, it does nothing for me. Also Kalms. Some others say camomile tea helps.
I stopped drinking caffeinated tea and coffee and that helped. Coffee is really bad for anxiety.