Taking drugs or supplements for anxiety is a tricky thing. I've come to believe that taking anything regularly to treat anxiety probably not a good idea. I'm always concerned about becoming reliant on any substance since I seem to suffer from anxiety so regularly. Chemical addiction is another issue. For example, benzodiazapenes work really well, but they affect your brain's synthesis of GABA if you take them long-term. This causes anxiety to only get worse. This may be an issue with other substances, but the consequences of long-term use may not be as well understood.
I haven't taken anything for my anxiety in a bit. But for those who are struggling and looking for something to help with anxiety, here's what I've taken and my thoughts:
Clonazepan
Clonazepan is a benzodiazapene. I got it from my doctor for sleep issues I was having a few months ago. I was told I could take 1-2 pills at bedtime for sleep. I found that half of a pill more than did the trick. The first time I took it, I felt a bit drugged and groggy in the morning. Then again, I hadn't slept well in three or so weeks when I took it, so it could be I was just exhausted. I took it every night for a week, and then stopped without any adverse effects. I've taken a half pill from time to time when I've been feeling particularly anxious and unsure if I'd be able to sleep well. It makes me feel calm and a bit dizzy. It's not like the things that I'm anxious about magically disappear, but I'm too dumb to really think about them. If I've been having a lot of anxiety, it's nice to feel dumb for a while and then pass out. Clonazepan is super addictive though, so when my bottle runs out, I don't plan on asking for more.
SAMe
SAMe is a supplement that is supposedly a fast acting antidepressant. It's regularly prescribed in Italy instead of SSRIs for mild to moderate depression. Like SSRIs, it's thought to increase levels of serotonin in the brain. I took it when I was feeling both anxious and depressed and having insomnia. I took it for just over two weeks and I did not have a good experience with it. I felt emotionally numb, had zero sex drive, and my insomnia got worse. It was only when I was thinking of going off of it that I did more online research and found that a lot of people find it negatively affects their sleep, which was exactly what I didn't need. SAMe may work just fine for depression, but I don't think it works for OCD.
Inositol
Inositol is a substance found in food and also sold as a supplement. Normally you get 1-2 grams a day in your diet, but therapeutic doses are in the range of 10-18 grams per day. A number of small studies indicate that it helps with panic attacks and OCD. It doesn't have an side effects, other than temporarily causing diarrhea in some. If you start taking it as a supplement it supposedly takes 3-6 weeks to work. I initially took inositol nearly two years ago when I started getting panic attacks. I worked my way up to taking about 10 grams a day, and found my panic attacks when away. I then weaned myself off of it. I took it sporadically a few times until this last spring when I started taking around 12 grams a day to help with anxiety and OCD symptoms. I weaned myself off of it again this fall. I don't really know what I think of inositol. I feel like it helps, but it's effects are subtle. Since the only studies of it are small, it's unclear whether it really works and what its long-term effects are. This is why I stopped taking it. I find that I get a lot more anxiety while going off it, which is why weaning is so important. This last time I went off it, I felt like I was getting facial twitching. This was likely just a sensory obsession though, and it passed after a week. I think I feel a little bit more like myself, and a bit more motivated since going off of it. Then again, I'd been doing a lot of work in therapy and thinking better about my life, so who knows. Since it really doesn't have side-effects and isn't addictive, I certainly wouldn't recommend against it.
Valerian, Passionflower, and Catnip
I took a mixture of these three herbs for insomnia. I think they helped me fall asleep, but I'd wake up in the middle of the night feeling anxious and physically weird. My skin felt funny while taking these herbs. I know people who have had success with these herbs, but I'm not a fan.
Other things
Pot sometimes helps with anxiety and insomnia, sometimes doesn't help at all. Unclear why it sometimes works and doesn't. It certainly helps me stay asleep, but not necessarily fall asleep. I feel very calm and happy while drunk, but I wake up feeling horrible the next morning, so I generally avoid alcohol nowadays. Caffeine seems to contribute to my anxiety and insomnia, so I avoid it all together. I even avoid tea, including green tea. Occasionally, I'll drink twig tea (about 5 mg per cup) and eat chocolate, but I avoid these things if I've had any sleeping issues.
I haven't taken anything for my anxiety in a bit. But for those who are struggling and looking for something to help with anxiety, here's what I've taken and my thoughts:
Clonazepan
Clonazepan is a benzodiazapene. I got it from my doctor for sleep issues I was having a few months ago. I was told I could take 1-2 pills at bedtime for sleep. I found that half of a pill more than did the trick. The first time I took it, I felt a bit drugged and groggy in the morning. Then again, I hadn't slept well in three or so weeks when I took it, so it could be I was just exhausted. I took it every night for a week, and then stopped without any adverse effects. I've taken a half pill from time to time when I've been feeling particularly anxious and unsure if I'd be able to sleep well. It makes me feel calm and a bit dizzy. It's not like the things that I'm anxious about magically disappear, but I'm too dumb to really think about them. If I've been having a lot of anxiety, it's nice to feel dumb for a while and then pass out. Clonazepan is super addictive though, so when my bottle runs out, I don't plan on asking for more.
SAMe
SAMe is a supplement that is supposedly a fast acting antidepressant. It's regularly prescribed in Italy instead of SSRIs for mild to moderate depression. Like SSRIs, it's thought to increase levels of serotonin in the brain. I took it when I was feeling both anxious and depressed and having insomnia. I took it for just over two weeks and I did not have a good experience with it. I felt emotionally numb, had zero sex drive, and my insomnia got worse. It was only when I was thinking of going off of it that I did more online research and found that a lot of people find it negatively affects their sleep, which was exactly what I didn't need. SAMe may work just fine for depression, but I don't think it works for OCD.
Inositol
Inositol is a substance found in food and also sold as a supplement. Normally you get 1-2 grams a day in your diet, but therapeutic doses are in the range of 10-18 grams per day. A number of small studies indicate that it helps with panic attacks and OCD. It doesn't have an side effects, other than temporarily causing diarrhea in some. If you start taking it as a supplement it supposedly takes 3-6 weeks to work. I initially took inositol nearly two years ago when I started getting panic attacks. I worked my way up to taking about 10 grams a day, and found my panic attacks when away. I then weaned myself off of it. I took it sporadically a few times until this last spring when I started taking around 12 grams a day to help with anxiety and OCD symptoms. I weaned myself off of it again this fall. I don't really know what I think of inositol. I feel like it helps, but it's effects are subtle. Since the only studies of it are small, it's unclear whether it really works and what its long-term effects are. This is why I stopped taking it. I find that I get a lot more anxiety while going off it, which is why weaning is so important. This last time I went off it, I felt like I was getting facial twitching. This was likely just a sensory obsession though, and it passed after a week. I think I feel a little bit more like myself, and a bit more motivated since going off of it. Then again, I'd been doing a lot of work in therapy and thinking better about my life, so who knows. Since it really doesn't have side-effects and isn't addictive, I certainly wouldn't recommend against it.
Valerian, Passionflower, and Catnip
I took a mixture of these three herbs for insomnia. I think they helped me fall asleep, but I'd wake up in the middle of the night feeling anxious and physically weird. My skin felt funny while taking these herbs. I know people who have had success with these herbs, but I'm not a fan.
Other things
Pot sometimes helps with anxiety and insomnia, sometimes doesn't help at all. Unclear why it sometimes works and doesn't. It certainly helps me stay asleep, but not necessarily fall asleep. I feel very calm and happy while drunk, but I wake up feeling horrible the next morning, so I generally avoid alcohol nowadays. Caffeine seems to contribute to my anxiety and insomnia, so I avoid it all together. I even avoid tea, including green tea. Occasionally, I'll drink twig tea (about 5 mg per cup) and eat chocolate, but I avoid these things if I've had any sleeping issues.
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