I have suffered from anxiety for as long as I can remember. The telltale tightening of my chest and racing of my heart are a part of my life that I have come to accept. I have grown used to the fact that new situations will seem terrifying and I will constantly have to replay every aspect of what could possibly go wrong before I do anything new. But I have also been able to come up with certain coping strategies to deal with this anxiety.
Comic by Natalie Dee
**Disclaimer: These suggestions are short-term solutions, and should not be taken in lieu of doctor’s orders or prescriptions**
For this last blog post, I wanted to both share my experiences with anxiety, and talk about how I deal with it. I’ve recently talked to several people who have never had anxiety before and aren’t entirely sure how to deal with these new, extremely overwhelming feelings and I want to write this post for them, and for others who do not know how to cope with their anxiety. I would like to mention that these strategies are completely subjective and they might not work for everyone, and so it is important to not give up if they do not work for you. Anxiety is a tricky thing, and even if something works for you one day, it might not work for you the next.
I am not a fan of medication if I can help taking it. This is not to say that I do not believe people should take medication if they need it, I just simply do not wish to be on it for my own reasons. Because of this, these remedies are not going to be prescription drugs; you should talk to your doctor if that’s what you’re looking for. So anyway, this is my list of what I use when I’m anxious (in no particular order):
Calm Drops – You dissolve one on your tongue and they have a slightly sweet flavor.
Rescue Pastilles – These are kind of chewy so I just sort of gum them in my mouth. Plus they taste good!
Lavender – I like putting a drop or two of lavender essential oil on my pillow at night, or else on a tissue, piece of cloth, or paper towel if I want to have something I can smell throughout the day (do not put it directly on your skin as it could give you an allergic reaction). However, essential oils can be expensive, and if you do not have the money for that, sprigs of lavender or lavender scented lotions may be a good substitute.
Calms Forte and Rescue Remedy – While neither of these work for me too well, I know many people who swear by them.
Tea – Nothing with caffeine! Herbal teas like chamomile or Sleepytime work really well for me. When it is hot out I sometimes make iced chamomile tea to help calm me down.
These are my remedies for my own anxiety, and I hope that they help others relieve some of theirs. Even if these specific ones don’t work for you, that doesn’t mean you should stop trying.
Unruly Bodies 
Thank you so much for your tips. I also struggle with anxiety, and have a overwhelming distrust of doctors and medication. (but I totally respect other peoples’ needs and beliefs) One resource that I have found helpful is http://www.theicarusproject.net/ It’s a project that discusses radical mental health. I think that the medicalization of mental health and illness is such an interesting topic. On the one hand so many people get relief and help from medication and medical practitioners. But other people feel uncomfortable or distrustful of the medical complex. I think that knowing your own body and what you need is so important to addressing this. Thanks again for sharing!
Thank you very much for this post! These suggestions look lovely and I’ll have to give them a try sometime; the feeling of being uncomfortable in my own skin and even lacking control of my own body due to jitters and nerves is something I try very hard to avoid, although it doesn’t always work. For me, I’ve found that tea is probably the best solution. I personally love jasmine tea, sometimes with candied violet petals thrown in to add some sugary flavor. The scent and color is extremely soothing and the warmth helps calm me down whenever I feel out of control. I also tend to feel better after taking some time to listen to music and sit back and take slow, deep breaths. Like you said, though, none of these suggestions are likely to work for everyone all the time, and that can be deeply frustrating when my go-to coping strategies don’t do the trick. Bodies (and minds by extension) are pretty tricky things.
I’m almost 34 now, but still shivers at night even if I know that it’s my wife who’s sleeping next to me, I don’t have guts to look at her at night. Even I can’t imagine if this nightmare has an end. But your blog really helps me and gave me some strength that I should not lose hope. Thank you