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Non-medication/therapy solutions for extreme distress

Lysander

Well-Known Member
I'm brainstorming to come up with some good options to deal with overwhelming negative emotions. The emotions I'm targeting are: panic episodes, intense emotional pain that also manifests as physical pain/chest pain, feelings of overpowering regret and self hatred, fear, suicidal ideation and obsessive ruminations that continue to trigger these emotions over weeks and months.

I've found that reaching out to family members we may not have thought of to ask (an aunt, a step sister) who have their lives pretty well settled can sometimes be very helpful.

Meditation is also an effective way to put intense emotions back into their proper compartments.

Just to clarify, I have nothing against therapy and medication.
 
When you say "non-medication solutions" do you mean to exclude homeopathic remedies as well ?

Just wondering.
 
When you say "non-medication solutions" do you mean to exclude homeopathic remedies as well ?

I take this to mean, medication equates to medicine, which equates to pharmaceutical drugs, which are toxic beyond belief. I just finished a year long homeopathic treatment for hypertension because the life-long drug therapy provided by conventional medicine will literately kill a great many people.
 
I take this to mean, medication equates to medicine, which equates to pharmaceutical drugs, which are toxic beyond belief. I just finished a year long homeopathic treatment for hypertension because the life-long drug therapy provided by conventional medicine will literately kill a great many people.

Sounds like we're on the same page. But is the OP?

Lots of homeopathic alternatives...

Homeopathy for Anxiety, Fear, and Panic Attacks: Does It Work?
 
When you say "non-medication solutions" do you mean to exclude homeopathic remedies as well ?

Just wondering.

Yeah, I'm personally also excluding homeopathic medicine, but if it works for any of the people on here, I'm happy to hear about it. Thank you very much for the information though!

I am curious if anyone has benefitted from CBD oil though. I've seen a couple of studies suggesting it might be helpful, but they lacked a control group so I have to take that information with a lot of salt. It's also unregulated, which means the product is not always consistent with the label.
 
It's also unregulated, which means the product is not always consistent with the label.

In a previous thread some of this was discussed. Where it appears that law enforcement authorities want to get more actively involved in the oversight of the manufacture and distribution of CBD oil in South Carolina.

I suppose this may be inevitable in other states as well who have more liberal policies over the sale and distribution of CBD.
 
I take this to mean, medication equates to medicine, which equates to pharmaceutical drugs, which are toxic beyond belief. I just finished a year long homeopathic treatment for hypertension because the life-long drug therapy provided by conventional medicine will literately kill a great many people.

And it worked?

I thought homeopathic medicine was proven to be hogwash? I'm not saying it is, I haven't researched it at all, that was just the impression I had. Have people here found it useful?

And sometimes, the life-long drug therapy killing someone is still significantly extending that person's life or improving quality of life to such a degree that living longer without it would not be preferable.
 
And it worked?

I thought homeopathic medicine was proven to be hogwash?

To be "proven" would require costly scrutiny and research at the level of the Food and Drug Administration. A lack of regulation only reflects a lack of validation. It doesn't "prove" anything about such products one way or another.

However given the profits and competitiveness of the pharmaceutical industry, it's no secret how such an industry would seek to undermine much of anything along the lines of homeopathic medicine. Not much differently than how it lobbies to sustain expensive brand name medicines rather than promote their less expensive generic counterparts.

Where it's far more about sustaining profits than whether or not something is truly effective.
 
To be "proven" would require costly scrutiny and research at the level of the Food and Drug Administration. A lack of regulation only reflects a lack of validation. It doesn't "prove" anything about such products one way or another.

However given the profits and competitiveness of the pharmaceutical industry, it's no secret how such an industry would seek to undermine much of anything along the lines of homeopathic medicine. Not much differently than how it lobbies to sustain expensive brand name medicines rather than promote their less expensive generic counterparts.

Where it's far more about sustaining profits than whether or not something is truly effective.

This makes it sound illogical and ridiculous. What is it getting wrong?

Why homeopathy is nonsense

"...ingredients should be diluted and shaken repeatedly, a process called “potentiation”. The smaller the amount of the active ingredient, the more powerful the medicine would become, he believed. Homeopathic remedies use various bits of terminology to convey their supposedly potency. One common designation is “NC”, where C signifies that a substance is diluted by a ratio of 1:100 and N stands for the number of times the substance has been diluted. So a dilution of 200C would mean that one gram of a substance had been diluted within 100 grams of water, with the process repeated 200 times. At this dilution not a single molecule of the original substance remains when the water is used to make pills; most homeopathic pills thus consist entirely of sugar. However, the water and the pills are supposed to retain a “memory” of the original substance.

This is nonsense."

And you mean there are people buying the brand names of prescription drugs? I've never had one. Or do you mean OTC?
 
This makes it sound illogical and ridiculous. What is it getting wrong?

Why homeopathy is nonsense

You might want to research the source of such assertions to see if you can rule out any connection they may well have with pharmaceutical$, medical $ervice$, and health in$urance.

Simple point. Look at all the medical doctors getting caught pushing one medication over others. Which isn't always in the best interest of their patients.

And you mean there are people buying the brand names of prescription drugs? I've never had one. Or do you mean OTC?

I buy exclusively generics. Classic example: It's a waste of money to buy Claritin when you can buy Loratidine at a cheaper price.

I always thought it was amusing that my own dentist didn't seem to know the difference between Chlorophenamarine Maleate and Chlor-trimeton. Where he only knew of the brand name- not the generic name. No money in that. :oops:

It isn't that I'm particularly jaded about such things politically speaking. I'm just being honest about them from my perspective as a former shareholder in three rather large-scale corporate pharmaceutical companies.
 
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You might want to research the source of such assertions to see if you can rule out any connection they may well have with pharmaceutical$, medical $ervice$, and health in$urance.

Simple point. Look at all the medical doctors getting caught pushing one medication over others. Which isn't always in the best interest of their patients.



I buy exclusively generics. Classic example: It's a waste of money to buy Claritin when you can buy Loratidine at a cheaper price.

I always thought it was amusing that my own dentist didn't seem to know the difference between Chlorophenamarine Maleate and Chlor-trimeton. Where he only knew of the brand name- not the generic name. No money in that. :oops:

It isn't that I'm particularly jaded about such things politically speaking. I'm just being honest about them from my perspective as a former shareholder in three rather large-scale corporate pharmaceutical companies.


About The Economist

"Ownership
The Economist has been editorially independent since it was founded in September 1843 to take part “in a severe contest between intelligence, which presses forward, and an unworthy, timid ignorance obstructing our progress.”"

Does this answer that? I'm really not sure.

And I agree, buying the brand names is silly.
 
About The Economist

"Ownership
The Economist has been editorially independent since it was founded in September 1843 to take part “in a severe contest between intelligence, which presses forward, and an unworthy, timid ignorance obstructing our progress.”"

Does this answer that? I'm really not sure.

And I agree, buying the brand names is silly.

Yes, however what publisher isn't prepared to make the same nebulous assertion to inherently protect their reputation?

I'd be more interested in the sources of their information relative to medical professionals rather than journalists. The Lancet, or the JAMA...etc.. But even then it's no secret that such entities will protect their own interests as well. Though I don't think much of anyone can flat out approve or dismiss all homeopathic solutions. That they have to be scrutinized individually. Where some may work while others may not.

Frankly given the financial interests of ALL of the "players" in this equation, IMO it's best not to trust much of any of them. Simply too much "big money" involved, independent of any hippocratic oaths taken. Though at least in the instance of some homeopathic remedies they may be so benign in nature and cost so little that it can't amount to a significant loss to try them for better or worse.

I'm not suggesting they all necessarily work, but that they are out there as possible alternatives to more conventional solutions. With a likelihood of less complications compared to trying various prescription pharmaceuticals. Something so many of us in this community have had to deal with, including myself.
 
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I believe in all and any Alternative Medicine.

Intense working out can help a lot. Very intense.

Sitting in a sauna can help.

CBD oil is tricky. Sometimes it seems to help, other times to make it worse. I do believe that without the THC, they body responds oddly. It's almost like having sex without an orgasm. I hope that is not too x rated to say, but it really feels like there is supposed to be more when I take CDB oil, like it's almost there, but fails. Still, I do take it on occasions of desperation.

I have been helped by pure homeopathy as well.

Also herbs, but can be tricky. They can cause liver and kidney issues. They are powerful.

Medicinal Teas are good, too.

I really wish CDB with THC were legal, but when it comes to anxiety, nothing really helps as clearly as medications which I do not take.

Valerian helps a bit, melatonin, sleep remedies kind help......

Of course, TALK TO YOUR DOCTOR (yeah, I have to say that so no one goes and takes my advice and gets mad at me if they get hives from a herb, etc).

Just keep plugging away at all of it. It sure beats the horrors of Ativan or Prozac or any other meds......NEVER AGAIN.
 
First of all congratulations to those who were able to get off those nasty drugs. <3
When it comes to CBD a general overview is that brings the body back into homeostasis. It's better with the entourage effect which would include turpenes, other cannabinoids and a small amount of THC. I know many people who had crippling anxiety or panic yet when they started taking CBD their lives greatly improved. It should also be noted that one should do as much research and study as they can on this so they know how it will effect them and they will know if anything they are taking now could interact with it. The body and brain is littered with receptors for cannabanoids. As an example sativa's have been known to increase the heart rate in some cases doubling it. Very bad if you're on any drug that suppresses the sympathetic nervous system. At the same time CBD has been known to lower blood pressure. Those same drugs that inhibit the sympathetic nervous system already lower the blood pressure so the interaction could bring you dangerously low.

When seeking out the validity of a thing logic is preferable. As judge has said there are very powerful vested interests who have suppressed this information, who will suppress the information and who are suppressing the information. Alright? If you've made trillions of dollars off of drugs that the body has no natural receptors for and it's discovered that a simple inexpensive plant could cure many of the symptoms or conditions people live with today... you would do what you can to protect your business. If you actually took a look at who is on the board of the FDA you'll discover that many of them are currently in the pharmaceutical industry or have a long work history with them. Or have a spouse in a key position of power there. The fox is guarding the hen house. It's a crooked game. Controllers do not care about morals and ethics if they did they would not be in the position they are in now. I guarantee it.

Which is why nobody would ever hear of CBD half a decade ago or later. Right. Weed was an illegal drug and the only defining characteristic brought forth was THC. Now that legalization was seriously being considered over the past few years, now that it's legal in a big western country it's the talk of the world. CBD. The question is, why now? (Corporations own politicians if they didn't want it legalized it wouldn't be.) Perhaps the industry will come out with their own line of CBD products or their own synthetic strains. (branded under a shell company of course since people have distrust for them) Perhaps enough people are on a certain class of pharma. drugs now that would have poor interactions with cannabis or CBD driving more business back to them. (i.e people who have no idea what they're doing and when things go wrong they run into the open arms of authority) Perhaps some of those strains which have massive amounts of pesticide or herbicide residue would get people sick with an expensive illness. (This one has been proven already. Inhaling such things directly into your lungs is a big problem that's being talked about already)

This is going into to many rabbit holes lol
In summary do lots of research and study while applying critical thought. Then when you know you are ready experiment. Start of low. Don't pack a massive bowl and blaze away. Or if you take an oil try 1/4th or 1/2 of the recommended dose to see how your body reacts with it. (if you're drug free).

OT: Brain storming
Brainwash yourself
Hypnosis
Psychologist specializing in your area of distress
Join a support group
Get a pet dog / cat

Imo since you said this "I've found that reaching out to family members we may not have thought of to ask (an aunt, a step sister) who have their lives pretty well settled can sometimes be very helpful."
Finding a good psychologist you can trust and who is qualified to treat you could be a great option.
 
Homeopathy was created by Samuel Hahnemann, who believed that taking something that induced symptoms of an illness in a healthy person would cure those same symptoms in a sick person. So If you have, like say, poison ivy rash, you're supposed to take something that would give a healthy person a rash and it would cure you and not make the rash even worse. Make perfect sense. (sarcasm)
Moist homeopathic remedies don't work at all or can be really dangerous. Don't believe any of the nonsense that snake-oil selling con-artists claim to try to trick you with. They make me furious and they should be in jail.
 
Homeopathy aside because I don't want to talk about that. If you're set on non-medication or therapy then the real alternative would either be talking to similar people - i.e joining a peer group or exercise. Yoga is especially good for anxiety I find. It has a great calming affect on me once I'm done. It can be done in the privacy of your own home, there's plenty of resources on the internet and apps on your phone. I'd heavily suggest you give it a try.
 
These are really tough feelings to deal with. I have different things that help me depending on in which state I’m in. I’ve been struggling with depression and anxiety for years and I’ve found that these things have helped make my days easier:

Meditation has been really helpful for me too. And in general, being more aware of the sensations in my body and paying attention to them and getting curious about them instead of ignoring them has made a huge difference when I’m dealing with painful stuff.

Writing, getting all the things out without censuring myself has been super helpful too and I can usually get to a clearer state of mind. Being creative, making music or any type of art about what I’m thinking and feeling.

Plants have been great too: Lavender, Lemonbalm, Licorice, Oat, Skullcap are good for anxiety.

Doing an intense physical activity sometimes helps when I’m dealing with intense emotions, especially anger.

Making sure that I’m getting good sleep, reaching out to people I trust – asking for company.

I hope this helps a little!
 
I'm brainstorming to come up with some good options to deal with overwhelming negative emotions.

This is where I piss some people off!!!!!!!!

As normally expected, this post has veered away from the main inquiry. Discussing a topic based solely on "personal opinions" vs. "verifiable research" will always lead to controversy. Let us see where we go from here! This is not to say some good suggestions have been mentioned. Let's stay on topic shall we and continue to answer the above inquiry with less "opinionated crap" and offer more solutions that have actually worked for others that have had "personal experiences" with what they suggest.
 
Do you mean being in therapy, or not using therapy techniques? Because DBT you can find books on without actually going to therapy and cover mindfulness and meditation, distress tolerance, interpersonal relationships... And something else that I can't remember (I'm new to DBT). However, it is the acronym for Dialectical Behavior Therapy. Basically it helps you sort through what you're feeling without judgement, and guides into finding replacement behaviors. You don't need a psych to do it.

Other things I've found work is meditation and exercise. I wish I had a punching bag sometimes (I used to do martial arts) and especially when I'm dealing with a difficult emotion like frustration or anger, or sometimes when I just seem to have pent up anxious energy, I go for a walk while listening to music. Sometimes I ruminate over what upset me, but the more I walk the less I ruminate until eventually I've "cooled off." Regular exercise also helps regulate mood.

As you've already figured out, reaching out to people helps. But you have to be careful about that, because you don't want to burn the other people out. I burnt out my ex-husband, which in turn came back at me, and destroyed our marriage. We agree both are at fault for it, but I still feel responsible at times.

To be fair, I'm bipolar, I'm in psychotherapy too, and take medication on a regular basis. But the meditation and exercise have helped me stabilize further, while needing fewer medications than most bipolars I know, at lower dosages.
 
Do you mean being in therapy, or not using therapy techniques? Because DBT you can find books on without actually going to therapy and cover mindfulness and meditation, distress tolerance, interpersonal relationships... And something else that I can't remember (I'm new to DBT).
DBT sounds like spin-off CBT.

I'm brainstorming to come up with some good options to deal with overwhelming negative emotions.
I know a very holistic approach its called RBT, okay i made that term up, it stands for Rubber Band Therapy.

You put it on your wrist, nice fat rubber band like what USPS uses to hold envelopes together when they deliver your mail, just make sure it not tight around your wrist.

Now as soon as you catch yourself doing, feeling, saying or thinking something you want to eliminate instantly pull that band as hard as you can and slam it into inner side of your wrist.
And while you in agony of pain you think what you punished yourself for.

Got to be consistent about administering the treatment.

 
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