Did I ever suffer from Anxiety? Man, I couldn’t even begin to tell you how much I suffered in the past. I had severe anxiety and depression for 10 years.

Eventually, I beat the condition and that’s why I created this site, so I could help other people do the same.

So I empathize with your frustration, I can hear it in your writing.

But, the fact that you feel like that is normal, there isn’t anything easy about living with anxiety and depression.

Personally I never took drugs because I felt like it wouldn’t allow me to get at my real problem, my true fears.

But that doesn’t mean that taking drugs in the short term is all bad.

Have you spoken with a doctor about your options? Obviously a doctor would be the most qualified to answer drug questions, but in addition to drugs there are other options.

For example, in my case I started taking fish oil pills, I exercised 5 times a week, stopped smoking, stopped drinking caffeine, started reading books about anxiety and fear that were written by well known doctors like Dr. Aaron Beck, Claire Weekes and Victor Raimey, among others.

I trained myself how to relax using meditative techniques and deep breathing. I used self-talk and learned about the fight or flight response and how it works on the body and mind to make you believe things that aren’t true… like the idea that you’re going crazy or that anxiety symptoms are dangerous and can kill you.

I’ll be real with you, none of that is easy. But I stayed focused on recovery for over two years and then one day my wife was like, “hey, you stopped complaining about all that anxiety stuff.”

The most important thing I learned about my situation with anxiety though has two parts:

1. The fear of death and derangement is the main problem. All I can say is that what matters is life, not death. Don’t fear it or wait for it… live and be who you want to be. Losing this fear will truly set you free.

2. To settle the anxiety and depression issue you’ll have to do more than just one thing. That might mean using drugs AND exercise, or it could mean no drugs and simply talk therapy and meditation. The truth is that there is no one way to get better, period. The key is to keep searching and DOING things until you find the right combo.

I’ve been where you are Chitown, I more than relate. It is sad, scary, and lonely all at the same time. It feels like all the worst things in the world wrapped into one and having it repeated over and over again. But there is hope, there’s always hope.

Like I said, if drugs work for you, great. If they don’t then you have other options. Do what is best for you is my main point.