How to help manage or cure anxiety and depression?

Question

So for a while now, I have had a lot of problems, and after googling my symptoms I am 99% I have depression and anxiety. 
*I am only looking for people who actually have/had anxiety and or depression to help me. I read a lot of these things and I can tell when people dont really understand it. If your only advice is for me to see a doctor or a therapist, or eat right and exercise, please do not waste your time answering me.. And I am not looking to spend money on a book, or spend $100 a month on some *miracle cure* 
** PLEASE DO NOT JUST POST SOME 5 PAGE ARTICLE YOU FOUND ON ANXIETY AND DEPRESSION.
*I am not looking for people to tell me to go to a doctor or therapist or get on medication.
I am 21 Female, and my mother has anxiety, and I never had it until about a year and a half ago. I used to take melatonin pills at night to help me sleep, and when I went to visit my mom I forgot them, and she had some prescription sleeping pills and I really had to go to bed early that night so I took one, (I know its not smart but people used to always give me their prescription ibuprophen and stuff so I didnt really think much of it) anyways, I got really really tired in like 10 minutes, but it didn't feel like I was tired, I felt like if I went to bed I was going to die, it was the scariest moment I ever had.. Finally I told my sister, and luckily she told me to throw it up, and after that I felt a lot better. To this day I cannot take sleeping pills without having an anxiety attack. I didnt know it was a panic attack until a few months later when I started getting them a  lot. I had at least one a day, and then after a couple months I had them once a week, and now I dont get the actual panic attacks all that frequently, but I do have really bad anxiety. I don't have my drivers licence because everytime I get behind the wheel I completely freak out every time I see another car. And I think about dying        like a lot lot. I have a really bad fear of dying, that I never had a year and a half a go. Every time im in a car and we are getting onto a freeway, my heart races because Im way too scared to die. And my social life sucks. I used to love people, and I still do, I just dont care too much to be around them anymore. I have a girlfriend, and it doesnt really interfere with our relationship, except for the fact that all she knows is I have anxiety. But every time Im around people now all I think about is how bad I want them to just go away. Now the depression part.. Im just not as happy as I used to be. I dont really know how to describe it, but like, in my head, I really love school and am super excited to do my homework and pick hard classes because I love the challenge.. but once school begins, I just dont care anymore. I go to do my homework and I just half ass it. Its not just school, I set my mind to do something and once I go to really do it i just lose ALL interest. And i often just feel down and sad. I have had super low energy for a while now. I have been a vegan for about 5 years, and once I found out about this anxiety and depression, I went on a completely raw food diet, and Its not that I noticed myself feel better, but when ever I stopped I felt worse. So I went back on it, but then one day I just didnt care anymore, and I know I dont eat healthy anymore, and I dont really eat as often, I think I eat a lot, but then when I reflect on my day, its mostly just snacking. I have tried yoga and I love it, but My energy is so low that I just dont want to. My sleep is off, I sleep anywhere between 5-10 hours a day, and either way Im tired all day. I know my eating and lack of exercise ARE a problem, but its not THE problem, they were effects of what im going through. I used to be a huge health nut and watch everything I ate, but now I just have no desire to care anymore.  
A couple things, my entire life, every there was something wrong with me, people just said I was making it up and just wanted attention, this is why its kinda hard for me to really tell anyone, and why I dont want to go to a doctor.. I dont want to be told Im just making it up. And people that I do tell that I have anxiety, they all just say i am overreacting... so I am not too open to doctors and therapists. 
**I am not looking for someone to tell me to just diet and exercise.. I am looking for things I can do to help me WANT to eat right and exercise. Like over the counter medication,  (non prescription) or anything like that. 
I know I didnt really put everything I wanted to in here, but after hundreds of google searches I am certain I have anxiety and depression.

>>>I dont know how relevant it is, but Im prone to cold sores, I typically get one every 3-6 months. Its usually jsut me and my girlfriend, but this last summer we stayed with her family for 3 months, and I got like 6 of them in the course of the 3 months. They were always really nice, I just really hated being around them all the time, and I used to be absolutely LOVE being around people all the time. I used to hate being alone, but now I always feel a need to be alone. I know its normal to have a desire to have some alone time, but its not normal for me.. In high school I had a ton of friends, but I dont have a single friend. I care, but then again I really dont care.. 

I have tried something called 5HTP and it worked for a little bit but not anymore.
Please only tell me things that YOU know that work, not just some artice that you read. 
I dont want something that will take months to start working, I am looking for something that will help me ASAP because I am so tired of feeling like this.

Answer

Hi Heidi89, I'm 1acarol.

I've suffered Depression and Anxiety.
Those panic attacks can be frightening!
I used to suffer my days in public. Often 
I thought I was doing things wrong.
I really thought  people would
 see and I'd be fired or something.


I know this isn't what you want to hear.
Please go to the Dr. The Dr will listen
 and suggest treatment. If it is medication,
it's only to lift your mood. Our bodies are 
out of balance with moods.
Ask the Dr to refer you to a counsellor or a 
specialist. 
You must talk these feelings to him/ her.
She/he may suggest other types of treatment.
It gives you so much relief of the pain of
Depression. Anxiety also.
Sorry if this isn't what you want to hear.
I ate a much better diet, got of 
sunshine and exercised more.
Why does this help?
It's the Vitamin D from sunlight plus 
the enzymes, etc produced from exercising, 
that help your mood.
It really sounds weird, but it's true.
I really understand my pain and how crippling
and hard it can be. I'm sure yours is similar.
No, the Dr, Nurse and Specialist believe you. It's 
usually people who don't understand, that 
don't.
 I also believe in a higher power. I believe 
you should also believe in a type of 
power also. (It helps)
Good Luck with whatever you choose.
It's awful to know you are suffering with no
relief. Please get some, it helps
 really.
CC

Answer

I don't want to sound rude or anything like that but googling your symptoms is not a diagnosis and to actually be diagnosed it has to be done by a mental health professional. Also I can't give you the proper and full answer I would like because I am not a professional. Sorry.

Answer

for me, i cope with my anxiety by breathing. i take deep breaths and tell myself i can do this and i'm okay. for something constant like driving, i have to start small to get over it. start with just sitting in the driver's seat buckled up. not with the car on. just sitting there. do it until you're able to without panicking. then move up to starting the car. then move up to shifting gears. then move up to driving on your road. see what i'm getting at? baby steps. it may take a while, but it'll work. i take a sedative for my anxiety. also, i write. i write to block out everything else. all sound and movements around me. it all disappears when i write. better than that, though, i read. then i'm completely immersed in a world away from this one. 

for my depression, i've figured something out. talking to people about my sad feelings is so stupid. it makes me even more upset. i try to avoid talking about my problems, but when i have to, i try to focus on points of it that i can laugh about and call ridiculous. if i treat it as if it's no big deal, i won't be upset. i'll becready to face it. and in therapy, i tend to discuss the good events. it calms me and helps me prepare for the next steps, whatever they may be. i've learned that, by ignoring my depressing thoughts, i tend to get over them. most of them are just that, anyway; thoughts. however, if it's a literal problem such as bullying or a loss, i have to talk it out or i'll end up exploding on someone. 

in my opinion, just practice coping skills to find what works for you. and even though you advised against this, get help. if i hadn't, i'd be long dead. therapy helps, and so does the medicine. 

i hope this helped. good luck.

Answer

Although you mentioned no therapist. It has helped me tremendously. 

For depression I recommend these 5 steps.

Omega 3, vitamin c and multivitamin 
Get outside every day! Even if it's raining.
Excersice - at least 5 days a week. 
Socialize daily, think of the movie "yes man" 
Don't ruminate. No negative thoughts. The hardest one and at times unavoidable but try to have something stimulating you can dive into when you start feeling anxiety coming on or depression.

Try following those 5 steps to start. 

Depression sucks, anxiety sucks.. Nature doesn't suck! Go experience it. 
Hiking, travel, do something new.. 

Maybe you need a change in your life! New town new experiences..
Force yourself to get "out there".
It's not easy but it's so worth it!

Answer

Hello ., 
As I have read ur question.,I know how u feel and what is goin on with u., since u know everything that is goin on with you and around you., everything is in control,,, yes., u are now in control., but you just didn't find the perfect medicine for you., having that symptoms is normal since it is still you who's goin to cure yourself.  Though ur dr give u a tons of medicine there is no cure for that I'm sorry to tell you this but this is 1000 % true.., there's no medicine for heart aches., anxiety and panic attack., but the medicine that been prescribe to you is to control the movement of everything that is connected to trigger panic attack and feel depressed and anxiety., what the medicine do is to give u some stimulant to produce hormone in ur body., stop ur muscle from being stiff., relax ur abdominal muscles stop making ur tummy to make more gases etc.... 
Well., I am not good in English so it's hard for me to explain things I really wanted to., but I'm trying my best now., 
Have you read any of my opinion that you can be cure by a dr? No!
Dr or any psychologist can never cure you ., but they can support u to lessen the stress that u feel before and after ur panic attacks.... 
Have u heard any medicine for a broken heart?
Or a medicine for feeling sad and mad?
Or a medicine to make you feel lucky?

No... So this is all the medicine that actually you are looking for but sorry there is no medicine like that.

First thing you have to do is ask urself., where this anxiety and panics coming from and what triggers it off., 

Whatever kind of medicine or psychological treatment u went through doesn't really help u as u expected., but they were there that supported u and so are those meds that u take...
I want to tell you more story but actually I am at the work right now so just to make the story short.,

It is only you who can make yourself cured.
Try to change everything lil by lil., from ur friends., surrounding., everything that make you feel uncomfortable , throw it., 
Empty ur heart., feel free and fill urself again with healthy things... It's not easy I know., it takes too much time so it's better to start early as possible since u are too young ., I believe everything  will be much easier if u ask help from ur family member esp ur mom... Family is the best med right now., just embrace them now.

And what if u try the power of the healing spirit?
Just try.... I'll be back at u...

Answer

We must understand the cause of anxiety and depression. First, there is anxiety, then depression. Anxiety is when the mind is stressed and tense. It is like a bell that constantly rings. The mind is a monkey that is jumping from branch to branch, thought to thought. We become worried, stressed and anxious. Then what happens? We fall into a state of depression. We sink into our worry and anxiety. How do you manage this? By getting out of this state, by taking charge of your mind. It is the contrast worrying and anxiety of the mind that makes us remain in a state of depression. If we flip over from negativity to positivity, if we slow down the pace of the monkey mind and stop this constant ringing of the anxious bell, then we can reverse our life. Meditation, silence, prayer, living with positive emotions like faith, hope, love, forgiveness can help us to come out of anxiety and depression.

How to help manage or cure anxiety and depression?

Answers (6)