Does anyone have any recommendations for severe anxiety? Besides benzos and SSRIs. Beyond sedating supplements like valerian, passionflower, lavender, theanine. Besides opiates. And please don’t confuse anxiety with stress. Stress is exogenous; anxiety is endogenous. Stress can make anxiety worse, but it is possible to have little stress and lots of anxiety. The answer is pharmacological, an overactive amygdala. Does anything work?
Long term psychotherapy? Exercise? Yoga and meditation?
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I’ve seen studies where they used lithium for anxiety, but that was in rats.
From the CR list, I’ve come across several anecdotal cases where CR eliminated anxiety, but again, anecdotes. Here is a diet centered review:
All superficial modalities; anxiety erupts from the inner recesses of one’s neurochemistry. And psychotherapy is also useless. The solution, if there is one, is pharmacological. Think of severe anxiety like severe depression, without the suicidal ideation.
“Analysis revealed an association between less anxiety and more fruits and vegetables, omega-3 fatty acids, “healthy” dietary patterns, caloric restriction, breakfast consumption, ketogenic diet, broad-spectrum micronutrient supplementation, zinc, magnesium and selenium, probiotics, and a range of phytochemicals.”
I do just about everything on this list. Not CR but I do intermittent fasting (eating all calories in just six hours each day). I do take 5 mg of lithium a day. But what would be the therapeutic dose?
I placed my question about anxiety seeking non-conventional suggestions.