Background:
I have bipolar-1 along with anxiety. I thought that the anxiety was directly caused by the bipolar symptoms. I guess I was wrong. I quit taking the anti-psychotic (only used it for emergency) and am on a high dose of lithium only which is working. I take inositol because it depletes it. I am on a low glycemic, gluten free diet with plenty of protein, vegetables (low starch, high nutrition, many times raw), berries, etc. I take Krill oil, Raw One, probiotics and digestive enzymes with big meals...etc etc. I also work out with weights, sprint, walk alot...etc.

Problem:
I am doing great so far with the b/p but still have anxiety that prevents me from going out, working...making friends :-(

What I have tried:
GABA, didn't work....Kava, stomach issues....therapy, helped some...Rescue remedy and Calm's Forte both make me depressed.

Question:
I read about niacinamide for anxiety and want to try it...I don't want any more drugs if possible. My question is, does niacinamide deplete choline or any other nutrients like regular niacin does?

Any other thoughts?

I would suggest you just get up and go out. All you need is some motivation not any drugs. Man is a social animal and you should behave like one. No need to fear anyone, no one can harm you. Be strong, be confident or atleast act confident and strong and slowly this attitude will become inherent to you. All the best.

Stop believing in the mental health industry. The more you believe in them and the allopathic orthodoxy, the more you believe you have to consume services from certified professionals and the less you can do for yourself. The more you identify with their diagnoses "I have bi-polar and anxiety", the more you will retire around some false narrative about who you are, and how you should interact with the world, and stay in that comfort zone.

I think your anxiety is in your head, people often have experiences that make them close up and perceive the world is hostile.This is true, the world is hostile, people only care about their relationship to money, they don't care about you. However reclusive people often get this false notion that they are the center of the world and when they go out everyone is judging them. For a long time I avoided society at all cost, avoided working or school, just stayed inside watching too much tv, internet and occasional reading, I cannot say I am totally better(my biggest problem now is poverty). However I have learned that when I go out, most people cannot be bothered to care about what you do because everyone is caught up in their own little world, which you are not a part of. If you go out more you will open up to this truth, and have less a problem in going out. I hypothesize that many people have negative experiences from back in their history of forced schooling, where you are locked in a room, with so many of your peers in close proximity. You came to think that, that banality of snarky cliques, social jockeying and joshing, constant insults hurled and judging even persists in adulthood, but it is not true. Most adults have problems of their own, mainly making enough money to survive as most people you will ever interact with are never more than a few days, weeks or months from being homeless(without relying on government or social programs like unemployment, etc.), they thus don't have the child's or adolescent luxury to judge or be snarky.

Hi Dreamline!
Your diet's great! Why do you feel you need to take digestive enzymes?

My suggestion for you is to enroll in a martial arts class, either taekwondo or aikido.

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Thanks everyone. Psychiatry, big pharma...they suck for the most part.

Question:
I read about niacinamide for anxiety and want to try it...I don't want any more drugs if possible. My question is, does niacinamide deplete choline or any other nutrients like regular niacin does?

herbalhealthhealing, Nicinamide is not a drug, I don't want those, I have been offered drugs for this I say hell no! Anxiety is in our heads no doubt, we develop irrational thoughts over time making us feel worse, I want to be social, its healthy, the long I am stuck here the more harm it does. I was treated horribly at school and yes being locked in there was hell.

Trying to go out was my first move...lead to more fear, everytime I freaked out in a place, the more I will avoid it. Desensitization works...but without any help you're overwhelmed. A friend can take the edge off so you can eventually face it alone one day. If I had one it would be great. Unless you have been there, you don't know....panic attacks suck dead rabbits through a straw...I avoid them at all costs. It like having the fear of being charged by a bear or chased by a rottweiler without having been chased....you wouldn't go back in the situations that triggered it either...not alone anyways. Since that is my situation, I have to be pragmatic about it to move forward. What would benefit me is taking the edge off at first so I can adapt to it in a softer way. One reason I think the niacin might be good is I noticed I have white spots on my nails and since niacin has been shown to help with anxiety (and schizoprenia) I mean why the hell not right?

Other than that, I am supersensitive to environmental stimuli (since child hood) and it overwhelms me and confuses me, I can't turn it off...I have to retreat, this may also be part of it. I have read that metals and other toxins contribute to this...if I had any money I would go to a orthomolecular doctor...a forum buddy of mine did and went off most of his meds for schizo-affective disorder.

Thrasymachus,
Its true people identify with their diagnosis to the point they identify as the disorder and believe in the mental health industry can cure them...they act like you should be on drugs for life....all though I haven't found the answer to lithium yet, I don't believe I'm that cursed either. I wonder that people are really on meds because they struggle to function in a very unnatural unhealthy society that we are forced to live in. That's another thing I guess.

Cookie,
Hi! :-D As for the digestive enzymes, mainly when I eat a lot at once (thanksgiving) or eating something I don't normally eat. Other than that I don't need them. I would love to take martial arts...I can't afford it. I really think I would do well with it though. I wish Bruce Lee was still around! I am going to try hatha yoga, there's a free class at the gym.

Hey all, this is my first post on this forum. I'm so glad I found it!

It's reassuring to see people share the same views as me in relation to anti-depressants, big pharma and drugs. I was recently on another forum dealing with Social Anxiety and I was attacked for bringing up some of the negative effects of drugs and for offering the natural alternatives that worked for me. Everything I said was branded as "quackery," conspiracy theories and there were even some angry/rude insults. This was a forum that was meant to be supportive towards those with anxiety.

I used to have issues with anxiety, panic attacks and depression. I was prescribed prosac at a young age but my mother was one of those people that are wary of drugs. We walked out of the doctors office after he prescribed it to me. I'm so thankful for that.

It was a long process for me and a lot of effort but I found action to be one of the best ways to kick depression and anxiety. I think everyone's got to find what works for them. What worked for me was:

- Exercise, I focused on yoga as this had a noticeable affect on my emotional state and calmed me. After yoga sessions I found it natural to meditate and clear my mind. I also love to go on walks everyday. Getting a little bit of sunshine and fresh air lifts my mood.
- Diet, I worked at getting a balanced diet. I mainly eat organic wholesome food. I drink a lot of organic teas and make juices.
- Journaling the past few years helped me identified my issues, understand myself better and confront my emotions/anxieties. Even when I didn't feel like writing, I did and found over time writing more and more. I began to feel more aware of myself, more forgiving, understanding, more confident and more reflective.
- Counseling, in the early stages when I felt lost it really helped to have an independent person to talk to. I don't mean someone who would diagnose and prescribe, but just someone who can listen and has dealt with the same issues in others.
- Creative outlets - finding ways to express creative energy took away from my depressive/anxious tendencies. I find that creative energy is very powerful - you either implode or explode if you don't channel it. I started writing poetry, started a blog and I found music helped me a lot also.
-Traveling or some form of challenge to push you outside of your comfort zone. I had to work hard at overcoming anxiety when I took a risk and planted myself in a new country that I didn't know anyone in. It was a little crazy but it paid off in the long run for me to throw myself into the deep end. I learnt that people were worse off than me and that I was supremely blessed. I became more self-resilient and sure of myself with experience. It was challenging at the beginning though and I spent a lot of time alone.
- Putting plenty of effort into relationships with those closest to me and nurturing that connection.
- Plenty of reading - opened up my mind, lifted me outside my own life and helped me to learn along the way.
-Appreciation - understanding that I've been blessed with so much in this life and appreciating the little things. Looking for the good rather than expecting the worst. Realising that others have so little in comparison.

PS. Tried rescue remedy, worked as a depressant for me also. I found vegetable juices to have a great boost. Sometimes I found myself needing some natural fats so integrated some organic free range eggs, avocados and olive oil into my diet - that helped me plenty. I also added some more natural proteins like tempe into my diet, this also boosted me.

Hi backatcha again!
The reason I mentioned Martial Arts is because it gives you confidence and would help your anxiety. It also increases your self discipline (thoughts & actions)
If anyone asks you for gift ideas, perhaps you can mention you'd like to take martial arts classes

Hi ansleigh, welcome to the forum. Thanks for sharing what's been working for you, it seems like you're very much together and doing some very logical and healthy things. Some natural herbs like Skullcap help some people with stress and anxiety, and Ashwagandha for depression is beneficial to some. None of these things are miracle drugs, and not everything affects everyone equally, but the side effects, if any, are much milder and safer than prescription anti-depressants or calming drugs like Xanax. Those types of meds can do more harm than good, kudos to you and your Mom for leaving the Prozac behind. I bought rescue remedy years ago to use on my dog for calming after epileptic seizures, and it wasn't effective at all. I tried using it myself after that, with no positive results either.

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"We can judge the heart of a man by his treatment of animals." ~Immanual Kant~

Hi ainsleigh,

We seem to be on the same page in how we're dealing with this. The only thing I can't do is travel and funny you mentioned it I though what if I just went somewhere else and kinda dove in, started over....I mean maybe getting away from past exp triggers would do me a world of good. kuddos for not taking prozac btw!

I'm also looking into picamilon to help me through he proscess.

LOL I have before but got a gift cert to the Thai restaurant (but they are awesome). I will again because I would really like to try it. I have to wait until September though.