ask dr-robert

Hello, I am from Canada, and unfortunately not able to visit. I have a couple of questions for you.

I have been dealing with anxiety, and panic for 12 years now, and have tried a variety of drugs to combat it; and I am at the end of my rope with medication. I threw all of it out, and have decided to try life naturally. I have taken a 14 week course with a Cognitive Behavioral Therapist, and he feels that I am ready to go off of the meds also. As of the 11 of July have been drug free. I am getting lots of head aches in the eyes, and lots of anxiety, followed by panic attacks. I think this could be because of the medication. My question is, is this normal, and do I need some time for the medication to get out of my system before I can effectively use my new found tools from CBT. Second I am a healthy eater, and I do not drink alcohol. Is there any other vitamins or supplements I should be considering.

I appreciate your time, and understand your busy schedule. David C.



Dear David--

Sorry to be so long in replying. I wish that I could reply to all the questions I continue to receive, but that would be a full-time job, and I maintain this page working, unpaid, only in my spare time.

Cognitive Behavioral therapy can be helpful for many problems, including anxiety, but often serious anxiety symptoms must be treated not just with talking therapy, but also with medication. Probably the CBT has helped you, but may not be sufficient to eliminate your symptoms of anxiety altogether. I do not think that this is a question of getting the old medication out of your system, but rather that you still need medication and are not taking it.

I do understand that you are tired of using medication to treat your symptoms, but I would recommend that you consult an expert to try to find something that will help with the anxiety without also making you feel that you are at the "end of your rope" with drugs.

If you want to experiment with natural substances which may help your mood, you might try adding either flax seed (2-4 tablespoons per day mixed with food) or fish oil capsules to your daily diet. The omega-3 fatty acids in these foods have been demonstrated to affect mood (as well as health in general) positively. A naturally occurring substance called SAM-e may also help. It is rather expensive, but worth trying. You should also read my pages on diet and health, particularly these two: