Hi scarface101,
First of all benzos and alcohol are the worst thing that you can do for depression, anxiety, and panic. They actually contribute to the condition, making it worse. Any relief given by alcohol is shortlived. The thing is, alcohol will turn against you and you may find it actually triggering the very symptoms that you are trying to relieve.
The first things I am going to recommend are Bach Flower Remedies and digestive enzymes. The source of the problem could be your digestive system, your teeth, and/or emotional issues. Is there someone that you can talk to? I would suggest finding a qualified therapist, but if they should recommend benzos or antidepressants, walk out and find a new therapist. Those never work and subject you to unwanted and dangerous side effects.
Colloidal silver will eliminate tooth and gum infections. Swish it through your mouth and then swallow several times a day.
With regard to other supplements that will help, here is a list:
Diet is very important. Eliminate all sugar, processed and junk foods. Eat as much raw foods, such as fruits and vegetables as possible. Keep in mind, that those of us with anxiety disorders are also hypoglycemic and this condition is responsible for many of our unwanted symptoms.
Colloidal Gold: This supplement works in a three-fold way. It encompasses body, mind, and spirit. http://www.utopiasilver.com is a very good source. In fact, they have a first time buyer offer where you receive one bottle free for every 8 oz bottle ordered, but you must call them to receive this offer. After that, by inserting coupon code LR001, you receive a 15% discount if it is not on sale. Colloidal gold lifts one's spirits. L-Tryptothan I-Theanine Omega 3's GABA Trace Minerals. Make sure they are plant derived. These are also available from Utopia Silver the above coupon code will get you a 15% discount. Hawthorne Berry Syrup will stop a racing heart. Look into iodine supplementation. I take SSKI and magnascent. You can get added information as to the benefits of iodine with regard to anxiety and panic conditions in the iodine forum. During this time, make sure you do things to relax such as relaxation exercises and meditation. Also, the emotional freedom technique (EFT) should be of help. This works by tapping on certain acupressure points throughout the body.
Oleander (Sutherlandia OPC or Rose Laurel OPC Plus): Besides being effective against serious health conditions, it also relieves anxiety.
The above, together with addressing emotional issues is what worked for me.
I know where you are coming from. There was a time that after years of years of what seemed like walking through the depths of hell with no help from doctors, I, too, had no hope. Yet, I want to tell you that there is hope. Healing sometimes takes time, especially if the source is emotional.
Hang in there. Don't assume that this year will be like all the others. This could be the year where you achieve total healing, but I want to tell you it takes work and perseverence. And you have to work towards healing addressing three components: Body, Mind, and Spirit.
I wish you the very best,
Luella
I agree completely with you view on benzos and alcohol, and you might also add caffeine to the group. Caffeine tends to take one from highs to lows with a lot of anxiety thrown in, particularly in large quantities. I personally think these recent "power drinks" like Red Bull are absolutely insane.
Omega 3 supplements have been shown in clinical studies to reduce depression and anxieties. Our early ancestors ingested a ratio of 1:1 Omega 6 to Omega 3. Currently our normal diet gets from 20:1 to 50:1 Omega 6 to 3. The Inuit have (before the introduction of Western diet) a diet ratio of 1:1 and their food source is primarily animals from the sea with very few vegetables. Fish oil and cod liver oil are the best sources of Omega 3 and they have a ratio of 2:1 - flax oil has a ratio of 6:1 and is not as beneficial. It often takes a while for the benefits of Omega 3 to manifest relative to depression and the studies that I've seen use mega doses in the area of 6000 mg and higher, but it is cheap, particularly in relation to prescription drugs.
Another supplement that has been used in Europe to treat depression for more than 40 years is SAM-e.
From http://www.healingdaily.com/detoxification-diet/cod-liver-oil.htm
Research
has found that people who suffer from depression who received a daily
dose of 1 gram of an omega-3 fatty acid such as cod liver oil for 12
weeks experienced a decrease in their symptoms, such as anxiety, sadness
and sleeping problems
All the patients had already tried prescription drugs before enrolling in the study, including selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs) such as Zoloft, Paxil and Prozac, or drugs from an older family of drugs called tricyclic antidepressants, all of which are considered standard treatments for depression. Previous studies have suggested that the balance of omega-3 fatty acids in the brain may be skewed in people with depression, and earlier studies have shown that cod liver oil and fish oil supplements can help alleviate the symptoms of depression and schizophrenia. If you suffer from depression, I would also recommend you look into SAM-E which has been used for 20 years in Europe to treat depression and is very effective. If the relationship between depression and omega 3 fatty acid interests you, I would highly recommend Dr. Stoll's book "The Omega-3 Connection". Dr. Stoll is a Harvard psychiatrist who has done a good job of compiling the evidence supporting the use of cod liver oil and fish oil to treat depression. If you take your omega 3 in liquid form, as opposed to capsules, the dose for both the cod liver oil or fish oil liquid should be about 1-2 teaspoons per day. This is a good initial dose for most people but if you notice any belching, it is likely that your gallbladder is not digesting the oil properly and you may need to take a high potency enzyme with plenty of the fat digesting enzyme lipase.
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From: http://www.smart-drugs.net/depression-SAMe.htm
Supplementation with SAMe was
shown to reverse many symptoms associated with depression, such as low mood,
tiredness (5), and anxiety or stress (8). When depressed patients are treated
with- SAMe, they exhibit an increase of the levels of SAMe in their blood and
cerebro-spinal fluid (9).
Depressed patients frequently
turn to alcohol for relief of their problems but this actually worsens their
condition. Too much alcohol interferes with the production of SAMe.
Without SAMe protection, the liver becomes more susceptible to toxic damage.
Also, the resulting reduction of SAMe worsens depression, creating a catch-22
situation. Thus, SAMe
supplements not only protects the liver against alcohol-related damage, but also
reduces alcohol-related depression (10).
Here's a site with some very good reviews of SAM-e, mostly positive, but a little bit of negative too. It is expensive stuff, but if it does what the reviewers claim, it's worth it.
Please note: I do not have any financial interest in Costco except that - I'm a card carrying member of the Costco Party. ;)
http://www.costco.com/Browse/Product.aspx?Prodid=10043335&search=sam%20e&...