Diagnosed ptsd and gad

anxiousaphrodite, I’m sorry you’re feeling so bad with this problem, I understand how it feels to have GAD and PTSD, both ailments are debilitating for sure. There’s a great deal of options to help you get better and back to your normal self again. I’m also dealing with this and I recently had some good therapy for the PTSD, as for the general anxiety I take antidepressant and Ativan, both offer me some relief from this. There are also more natural remedies you can explore depending on the severity of your symptoms, I think you’ll be surprised at how many people have this and are living decent lives, I hope that you will find some helpful advice here, you’re in the right place, good luck.

I walk an hour a day at a fast pace and it does wonders! It has salvaged countless days for me. It often totally eliminates any anxiety. It also feels good to do, every foot strike to me is highly pleasant and when I get back home the state of relaxation is medicinal and amazing. Plus there are all kinds of other healthy benefits that come from walking; some you'll feel and see; others you won't but they will be there. No side effects, too. It's also free but I would recommend shoes designed for walking from one of the major manufacturers. Online and on sale you can get excellent shoes for less than $70.00. Stick with the brands Saucony, New Balance and Brooks. Mizuno makes running shoes that are excellent for walking, too.

Walking works well for me. Meditations for chronic pain fear anxiety etc work for me too. I have 2 pitbulls who are my legal ESAs. Toxic people the news are too much for me. I only take escitalopram 10mg daily. Staying hydrated with sugar free drink mixes added to water helps me a lot. Deep breathing Boundary setting saying no go far. I listen to Tim Fletcher on you tube who works with people with complex PTSD.

@anxiousaphrodite
I have PTSD, anxiety and depression. My teen son and his father both have ADHD, GAD and some OCD.

I also have neuropathy and spinal stenosis with a variety of neurological symptoms and pain. My understanding is that anxiety and depression can affect how your body processes pain signals. Have you seen a neurologist for testing (like small fiber neuropathy skin punch biopsy and EMG/nerve conduction study) to see if you have neuropathy?

My son and I take a magnesium supplement and have taken Calm magnesium which can help you relax. I also take alpha Lipoic acid and Acetyl l carnitine for nerve pain and it has helped me. If you have localized nerve pain, you can also try Salonpas lidocaine nerve pain patches or capsaicin/nerve pain creams.

@anxiousaphrodite
My son also gets help with a mental health therapist with breathing and visualization techniques. He listens to music and uses white noise to help him calm down. Exercise/yoga, healthy diet, meditation and sleep are really important, too. Limiting screen time and negative media/news/people can be helpful. Having dogs/cats/pets helps me, too. They are loving little companions that bring me a little joy every day. When I am struggling some days, taking care of my pets is a good distraction.

thank you. I adopted 6 rats over a year ago, animals really do help!

I have read the replies and comments. They are attuned and helpful.
I am finding that very few people are actually sick. Instead, an assault on us begins at birth, maybe before. Big traumas. Little traumas. Chronic traumas.
Our mind/body systems respond to protect us. These protections end up being diagnosed as symptoms- which need pharmaceuticals (some ameliorate the damages to our brain circuits. Some don't) and therapy.
In a world with Artificial Intelligence, IT, cell phones, hacking, ransomware, covid, tarrifs, greedflation, war, etc. etc. our systems are getting overloaded. Our answer should not be increase the milligrams, nor should we have to become triathletes.
We need to recover our humanity/humaness. Too much Apollo/perfection on one side -> too much Dionysius/Chthonic on the other. Ask CG.

Yes. We, as a society, should focus on happiness. I believe that almost all mental issues are the result of difficult environments, that do not have to be. By environment I mean everything that interacts with us.

@anxiousaphrodite Well, you have gotten some great responses here! There are many different routes we can take to help ourselves work through all of these, and sometimes we need to try several or a combination to figure out what will work best for us.

Like others, I take a mild antidepressant, and have for years. Exercise is always a go-to for me, as it losing myself in creative endeavors. Writing letters to my depression is enlightening, just letting my mind go ahead and talk. Journaling out what is bothering me has really been helpful. We have an ongoing conversation about that: https://connect.mayoclinic.org/discussion/journaling-the-write-stuff-for-you/ Maybe you'd like to take a look at it and see if that is something to try?

Definitely yes! to the animals in our lives! Our two young cats not only entertain, but they help heal, seeming to know when their presence is needed.

What will you try today?
Ginger

Were you told by your doctor the PTSD and GAD caused the nerve pain?