my anxiety is SO high

[kfillmore]

I have really bad anxiety. I can barely think strait most times. ALL my thoughts are rules or crowded by fear. I don't have insurance or the money to go to NP etc. (part of the cause of anxiety $$, lack of). I think I am depressed too. I sometimes wonder if I am depressed becasue I am anxious or the other way around. I also have ADD which is really causing depression and anxiety because procrastination and organization are such a gigantic problems for me.

Does anyone know of natural, breastfeeding safe, TTC safe herbs or something that might help?

or any other advice?

[anjsmama]

http://www.traditionalmedicinals.com/easynow

2-3 cups of this tea per day. It does have the "ask a healthcare professional before use" warning that everything on earth has, but does not have the "Do not use if pregnant or breastfeeding" warning like many of the others.

When DD was about 6-10 months, the anxiety was so bad, it was all I could do - ALL i could do, to get through the day. And when it was over, I'd lay in bed crying and mentally organizing and planning and running numbers and just.. it was awful. When I started the tea, it took the edge off just enough to help me function, and allow me to fall asleep. It had no effect on my DD.

After I got to that point, it became easier to make other improvements. The depression  got better as the anxiety did, and even the ADD isn't so bothersome anymore because I'm not anxious to make everything perfect (yes, all three). Exercise has been a huge release for me. Now that I'm running, I can cope with a mess, and look at the budget and actually think instead of panicking. I also have been able to actually express what's going on and enlist DH's help in avoiding triggers.  

I have also found melatonin to be helpful at times in making my brain and body relax, especially when I cannot sleep. But I didn't use it when TTC or pregnant, so I'm not sure about that...

[mich]

I can relate. Especially the "chicken and egg" circle with the depression/anxiety.

For years I have sworn by my vitamins. Nordic Naturals Ultimate Omega, but it is very expensive. I also take b-12 and vit D for energy, and a multi. With anything in life, I will drift away from habits. Forget to take them for weeks or month at a time. That is when my anxiety will build and life becomes unbearable. I start my vitamins again and in a few days or a week life is manageable again. 

Im sorry you are struggling. I have learned to work our budget  to always have a place for my vitamins. It really is essential to our whole family that I have them. Good luck and take care of yourself.

[ForeverFather]

I used to have serious problems with anxiety and Cognitive Behavioral Therapy eventually cured them completely. You can teach CBT to yourself very cheaply through books. It will require a lot of work and awareness on your part, and it won't happen overnight because you'll be training yourself to think in a whole new way, but it is very effective for most people if they stick with it. I can send you the titles of a couple of the books I used (though there may be newer and better ones now) if you're interested.

[kfillmore]

ForeverFather-could you send me some titles of the books you liked? You could PM me or post, whatever. Thanks!!!

[Mom31]

please post titles of the books FF.

[vermontgirl]

I just wanted to say that I take Rescue Remedy when I feel myself getting anxious and it really helps. Good luck!

[KoalaMommy]

I have a lot of your issues myself.  Let me just say that the anxiety and the ADD issues can help one another stay in balance, and they can be exacerbated when you treat one, requiring you treat the other.

First thing first, get enough sleep!  You can take melatonin until you get pregnant, but you can't take it in early pregnancy, so if you're charting, I would take it until you ovulate and then stop.  It is amazing how much melatonin  can help you get good sleep.

Next, use caffeine to deal with your ADD, I would drink black tea strategically through the morning only to help with that, a cup every 2 hours or so.  Stop at noon or else you will disrupt your sleep cycle.

Third thing (and this is really important), you need to make sure you are eating to deal with this.  A traditional foods diet would be the very best thing for you.  You need lots of fats, preferably those high in Omega 3, that you get from fish and grass-fed meats and dairy.  You don't need grains, but if you do eat them, make sure they are soaked or sprouted whole grains.  You need the amino acids from animal meats and fats, they are what your body uses to make good brain chemicals.  And you need to make sure your blood sugar isn't spiking and crashing because that is going to make your anxiety and depression much, much worse so stay away from sugars, dried fruits and refined grains.

Vitamins you can take are b-6 and b-12, D, and fish oil.  You might consider just taking a multi-B vitamin.  If you're taking a prenatal, then make it a B-50 (meaning 50mg of each B vitamin).  If you're not on a prenatal you can take a B-100.  B's are great, but there are a couple that have toxicity levels just over 100mg, so you don't want to exceed that amount in a day.

St. John's Wart has been used in pregnancy and breastfeeding, and could help with your depression.  A lot of times anxiety is tied to or a symptom of depression, so if you have both together, treating the depression may alleviate the anxiety (but it doesn't necessarily work the other way around).  Google St. John's Wart and pregnancy to read up on it and see if you're comfortable trying it.  It is widely used in Europe (exceeding Prozac in many places) so there is quite a bit of data on it.

Mindfulness exercises can really help with anxiety/depression in the moment.  You can google Mindfulness exercises and find sites that have them.  It can also be a good thing to do at night before bedtime. 

I would consider calling some counselors and see if there is someone who would seen you for free.  Talk therapy is very affective for depression and anxiety, and if you could find a counselor willing to help you at low cost it could help you a lot.

There's a book called The Mood Cure by Julia Ross that has some good suggestions, she says her info isn't for pregnancy or nursing moms, but that's a standard disclaimer for liability reasons.  Truthfully she's mostly advocating diet and amino acids (which are an essential part of human nutrition), so much of what she recommends is safe.  It's a good read.

Good luck to you!