Brianna

I have tried Celexa, Zoloft, and Lexapro. They are all great, but if you can avoid going on meds, I would do it...I've been on meds for so long and I just wish I remember how it felt to not be on anything; I hope to experience that soon, but in the meantime, I'm still taking meds to cope with my panic attacks and anxiety.

Ativan is great for instant anxiety relief. It's not something I take everyday, but I take it as-needed when I have panic attacks and it's even just comforting to know that I have that as an option. That I'm never trapped in panic and there's always a way out.

I did Crossfit for about a month and the intense Crossfitters often follow the Paleo diet. Although I already have a very healthy diet, I wanted to see if the Paleo diet helped me build muscle and lose fat when doing Crossfit. I don't think the diet helped me achieve those things- instead it actually gave me the tendency to binge eat. I have learned that in the past, when I have restricted my food intake or tried dieting, it often ends in a binge for me, because my body craves balance. But, on a Paleo diet, it's not very balanced since you don't allow yourself to eat certain foods such as starchy carbs or legumes.

When I spoke to others who follow it though, they said that it helps if you ease your way into the diet, which I did not do. They also said that it gets easier the longer you follow it and the cravings tend to lessen.

There's a tea with licorice in it called "Smooth Move" (haha) by Traditional Medicine. You can get it at larger markets such as Safeway, but the tea really helps with digestion, which is related to heartburn...

I had acne when I was a teenager and I went on Acutane. I know it's a really dangerous drug and has a lot of scary side effects, but it totally cleared my skin up and I had completely clear skin for a few years! My acne has come back a little, but not nearly as badly as it used to be. I'm so thankful for Acutane, because my pimples made me really depressed. Once I had clear skin, I was so much more confident and an overall more pleasant person.

Yoga is an amazing way to rid yourself of depression or at least lessen it. Not only is it a great workout, but it's also really relaxing and I always leave happier and calmer than when I entered. Even if I had a rough class or I was particularly tired, I am at least proud of myself that I even went to a yoga class. It always helps me to set an intention before I start my yoga class. I find that if I have an expectation to do all the advanced moves when I am feeling sore or had a long day, if I don't meet that expectation, I become sad. But, if I had a long day and set my intention for the day's yoga class to only focus on my breathing, then I am able to walk out of the class accomplished and feeling happy no matter what. This has been really helpful in keeping me happy and healthy.

Having anxiety myself, I have tried many different types of yoga to focus on my breathing and relaxation. I love Power/Vinyasa Yoga as well as Bikram yoga. Power Yoga involves a lot of movement and some very difficult postures whereas Bikram is always in a hot room and the classes last 90 minutes long with the same 27 postures in the same order each time. They're both amazing types of yoga and exercise and have helped me a lot with my anxiety.