Back about 2001, my RA was horrific, I was in terrible pain, and depressed. I had an incident driving my daughter down a snowy, Canadian backroad while taking her to figure skating. It scared me terribly.
But she was a high level figure skater, so 6 days a week, we had to go down that same road, all winter, temperatures -40, the wind blowing snow across the road so you couldn’t tell what was the road, and where the deep ditches were, because they were filled with snow. Oh yes, at night, as we had so little daylight up in central Alberta in winter.
I began to become more anxious just thinking about it. The anxiety started just before I left, and then worked backwards. It got to the point where I was waking up every day with a panic attack, because she always had to be driven. By the second year, I was having panic attacks and severe anxiety all day, every day, even in the summer. I tried to get my daughter to quit figure skating, but she would cry and beg and plead. She was a competitive skater, and loved it, and had all her friends at the rink. She also became a coach, and put herself through university with her coaching.
So, the second summer, I sat down and thought about how strange it was I was having so much anxiety, when I am not really an anxious person. So, I went back in my mind to when it started. I prayed and ask God to touch me. Then, God showed me the answer.
Yes, I had had a very dangerous incident driving my daughter to figure skating, 2 years ago, but it was over. Just like that, the anxiety was gone. I literally have never had it like that again. Sometimes I worry a bit, and I take it to God in prayer, and God shows me the answer - and that is to depend upon him.
But that is a specific anxiety, and not GAD or Generalized Anxiety Disorder. That is much more complex, and other than a miraculous healing, it is going to take work to recover. Unless you can pin point the actual thing that triggered your anxiety, then you need to get a doctor and therapist. I understand EMD can be a simple and good healing tool.
One more thing I will add. I am very much against taking meds for anxiety. This is based on what happened to me, and everyone else I know that is on benzodiazepines of one sort or another. First, the CPS the Canadian Medical book that doctors and pharmacist used, distinctly says that these meds are highly addictive. But, other big issue, is they lose their effectiveness within a few weeks, by which time you are addicted. And, paradoxically, the CPS, says the longer you take these anti-anxiety pills, the more anxious they will make you. So, I am all for meds that help mental conditions, and I wish there was a magic pill for anxiety. But Klonopin, and other Benzodiazapines are simply not the answer to this problem.
So, you have to stop them, or the anxiety will be worse. I am not sure which doctor put me on them, But I was on them for years after I had no need. It was just like a candy I needed to eat. I changed doctors, and she told me I didn’t need them, put me on a large pill I could cut into quarters. For 2 weeks I took 3/4 of a pill. Then half a pill for 2 weeks, and finally 1/4 pill for 2 weeks!
I felt so much better off that pill. I felt normal. My mom is addicted to Clonazepam, and she has terrible anxiety which this drug has made worse. Most of the people in my bipolar group have anxiety and are on these drugs, and it doesn’t help them at all, but neither do they want to stop it. I believe all these people would have less anxiety without it.
I do believe prayer and a good walk with God is so important. But God gave us doctors for a reason, and perhaps a good doctor can help you find some solutions that don’t include benzodiazepines!