I have been suffering with general anxiety disorder (GAD) for almost 20 years now. The worst thing that I have found is "doing nothing at all." One of the things that has really helped me has been physical exercise, namely running. If I am able to put in about 20 miles per week, that significantly reduces my anxiety. A relatively low dose of Clonazepam at bedtime has dramatically increased my ability to sleep. Although I have read many books on anxiety, and gone through the "Attacking Anxiety and Depression" series, the relatively new therapy called ACT (Acceptance and Commitment Therapy) is a very effective general approach to relieving some of my avoidance tendencies and not letting anxiety interfere with general life. Finally, deepening a spiritual walk of life through meditation and prayer has helped heal some of my past stressors. My experience with anxiety has been that there are both biochemical and environmental aspects to this problem, but it can be managed with some mindful awareness. People who have known me for years say that I am much more "laid back" than I have been in the past. It is "work," but the payoff in living a joyous, effective life has been worth the energy. Published: September 09 ::

I have had anxiety since I was 17. I am now 30. I do pretty well at controlling it on my own, but at first, I thought I was dying. My doctor put me on Wellbutrin, and it works great. If I need medicine now for my anxiety, that’s what I get. Published: September 16 ::

I'm 20 years young and had my first anxiety attack a couple of years ago following graduation. For the longest time I did not know what it was. I thought I was dying and about to have a heart attack. I start trembling, getting chills all over and sometimes it feels as if I'm being choked and can't breathe. My doctor put me on Zoloft a year ago. I stopped taking it and the anxiety got worse. After my grandmother passed away and a lot that has happened this year in my life. I need to go back to the doctor! Published: August 22 ::

I have had anxiety for years now and I’m only 26 go figure. The very first panic attack I actually realized was when I was at work. I almost past out. I went to the ER and they said I had anxiety. Apparently I've had it for quite sometime before someone realized that’s what I had. I still have it bad. I just started taking Lorazepam and Klonopin a year ago and I try not to take it unless I really need it. I try to manage it myself which is really hard and took years of therapy to try and manage it without meds but still I end up having to take a pill at one point during the day. My anxiety is from being in the military. I thought I would have been fine but I guess not. It’s hard having a lot of anxiety because I have to rearrange my life just to have a decent day. Before I used to be able to do anything and everything and not have any worry, but now I worry about everything. I can’t even hardly drive cause I panic, let alone walk in a store by myself without feeling like I’m loosing my balance or going to pass out. I been to the doctor a million times swearing up and down something is wrong with me because I constantly lose my balance and feel like I’m going to faint, but its nothing but my anxiety. Published: August 19 ::

I alternated back and forth with Xanax, Ativan and Klonopin for more than 20 years and was able to function. These drugs gave me a life. I now have no health insurance and am pretty much a miserable hermit. I tried the SSRI drugs, and they only made me mentally sluggish and confused. Published: July 01 ::

I have struggled with anxiety and depression for 18 years. Effective treatments for me have been Valium, Xanax, Lorazepam, and Lithium. Lithium works by itself but not combined with anti-anxiety medications. Published: September 16 ::

I have had anxiety for about 10 years. I have the biggest problem with people not understanding my anxiety, even family. My second biggest issue is my job driving professionally. The medication I take for this disorder does not effect my job, but I can’t pass the drug testing. I have taken every antidepressant there is, and they do not work for me. The only medication that works for me is Valium. Published: September 16 ::

I am a man who cannot drink alcohol. I become violently sick if I drink. When I went to my psychiatrist for anxiety, he tried Depakote, which caused extreme heartburn with vomiting. We then tried Cymbalta to no avail. After that, because I am not able to drink and I do not abuse any substances, he was willing to do what I really wanted, which is the old-fashioned type of treatment, including Valium, Xanax and Restoril for insomnia. People have low opinions of these medications because they have a street reputation and can be abused. Some say they only work temporarily. This has not been true with me. I have been taking 1 mg of Xanax daily and 30 mg of Temazepam as needed for sleep for more than a year and they still work with no ill effects. If they are taken as directed, these are the best and most helpful medicines for anxiety, and the only ones that really cut the mustard, in my opinion. Published: September 09 ::