hopefully last question today-
My hubby is stressed out and i think he is having anxiety attacks. He doesn't want to admit it and he completely refuses to see someone or take drugs for it...
He already works out 4-5 days a week so that isn't a new stress reliever and since he won't go to a doctor or anything, I am just trying to find things that may help him work through some of his anxiety.
Edit: He can't sleep at night (wakes early and can't go back to sleep), has back pains, and in the mornings before work he gets really anxious. He has stomach problems and is tired all the time, regardless of the amount of sleep he gets. While changing jobs would be a great idea, he is working on it, just can't right now!
Thanks ladies!! I don't know what I would do without this site!!
I take Celexa for anxiety. It works wonders!
There are plenty of things like St John's Wort or Velerian Root that he can take from GNC. I do not recommend these for long term use, though.
If he is really bad off, he really needs to see a doctor.
some really good sex? :)
Get a copy of The Mood Cure and see if the diet and supplement suggestions would work for your husband. My hubby suffers from anxiety too (mostly mild) and that book helped more than a prescription to Lexapro -- which he stopped after a few months because it was making him loopy.
He's right not to take psych drugs, they are SO bad for you!
I recommend Bach Flower Essence. The general one for anxiety and stress is called Rescue Remedy. It's 100% natural, non addictive and I think it works! You just put 4 drops under your tongue. You can't OD either. You can also put 4 drops in water and drink it, but it's less effective.
I also recommend a chiropractor. Sometimes physical pain translates into mental pain. The chiro can treat his back pain and anxiety stomach. You also might want to look into massage.
He needs to up his vitamins. I recommend Alive brand for Men. A good dose of Vitamin B-1 may help with mental stress.
At night, avoid TV since TV stimulates the brain. Avoid sugars and foods with food coloring and preservatives. Have him sleep in a cool, completely dark room. Studies have shown we get better rest in completely dark room. Cover up the clock light as well. Sleepytime Tea is good for sleeping.
I also suggest, instead of having him go for anxiety, have him checked for food allergies. Perhaps he'd be willing to do that? Food allergies gave me the same symptoms you just described. They came on during a time of stress in my life so I didn't realize what was happening. I never had the allergy before, but I had horrible acid reflux, I couldn't sleep, I couldn't eat, I couldn't drive without panic attacks, I felt like I couldn't breathe and I literally wanted to crawl out of my skin! The doctors were close to prescribing me a host of psych drugs like Xanax when I broke out in a rash. I went to the doctor for that and he prescribed allergy tests because the rash wouldn't go away. Turns out I had a bad food allergy to milk and eggs (which I never had before.) I eliminated the foods from my diet and all the symptoms disappeared in 4 days. So it's worth checking out. Believe me, I could have been on Xanax for life, never knowing it was eggs and milk! Tell your husband the story, he may be willing to at least get checked.
Good luck!
This may only be a temporary help, but those commercials with the butterfly for a sleepaid you can get over the counter seem to work well for a friend of mine who has an odd schedule and sometimes cannot sleep - Lunesta. The box will probably say not for long term use. I take a 2 benadryl if I cannot sleep - the doctor said it is one of the mildest sleep aids around, it is used in tylenol PM. And a bottle of 100 tablets of the CVS version (dyphenhydramine) is about $10.
All you mention do point to stress, but perhaps because of the stomach problems you can get him to see a medical doctor?
Good luck, just do not add to his stress by nagging him, but perhaps buy him a card and add a note about how you want to keep him around for as long as possible and taking good care of his physical and emotional health will ensure that.
Try a men's multi during the day, and a 3mg melatonin at night. No TV or computer for 1 hour prior to bed. On the nights he's sore, take a Tylenol with that melatonin.
Is he drinking coffee or caffeine in the morning? That can contribute to his jitters.
Try going to bed no later than ###-###-####, with melatonin, and getting up 15 minutes before usual. No hitting the sleep button. I find this really helps me.
make sure he is eating good foods, that helps you feel better too.
I've found that keeping a journal helps me put my anxiety in perspective. Talking also helps. Can you be a good listener? Perhaps have specified times just for listening so that you don't get overwhelmed.
Would he see a medical doctor for stomach and sleep issues? The doctor would likely pick up on the stress and address that too.
I have insomnia which seems unrelated to stress. It may be a physical problem. I'm having a sleep study to find out. In the meantime I take trazadone before bed and it's made a big difference.
He needs to deal with what ever is causing him stress.
Yoga. Also, there's a book about meditation called the Relaxation Response by Herbert Benson. According to the book, by meditating 20 minutes twice a day, many people have lowered their blood pressure and lowered stress levels. It's a pretty good book (I checked it out from the library) and I'm planning on trying it out to help me with my own stress levels. Good luck!
It would help it we knew what his behaviors are like and how they have changed. And if there are any other changes in his or your lives.
