Have you tried NAC? Also good food, daily vegetables (cooked/steamed), meat, eggs.

Sorry, fren. Sounds like she has a pretty extreme case. All I can recommend is to seek out a Functional Medicine Doctor. They are MDs who take a natural and whole / holistic approach to the body and look for the root cause of the problem. They then offer natural remedies and supplements, before grabbing the prescription pad. That and lots of deep prayer and reflection is the only thing I can suggest. I hope she finds help. God bless.

Limit caffeine and alcohol, get a regular sleep schedule, exercise. That’s your foundation no matter what else you want to try.

If it sounds too simple it’s because no one actually tries it before dismissing it.

I was diagnosed with OCD and panic disorder a few years ago. I'm a pretty severe case on the O side. I've seen a few therapists over the years and tried a couple of medications, although I'm on nothing now. CBD works for some people but did absolutely nothing for me. Almost nothing has helped, except one thing.

Have you heard of Jerry Marzinsky and the MACE method? I highly recommend you check out his YouTube channel and/or his book and look into MACE as well. Once you realize what is happening in your head, it goes a long way toward managing your feelings and reactions to those feelings, and you can work your way back to better mental health.

Go out in nature as much as possible

Wife also has (sometimes) debilitating anxiety, and very mild OCD (limited to having to do things in a certain order or she cannot do it). She also must deal with insomnia (stemming from anxiety and perimenopause).

If you live in a cannabis-friendly state, you may want to have her try it. No more SSRIs, no more sleeping pills, no more medication at all, and she's able to relax, spend time with the kids, and sleep well at night.

I grew up in the D.A.R.E. generation, so I was VERY against it at first, but it turns out it's a god-send for her issues.

Your words describe a classic pattern, often these women are boxed in as mentally ill. Unfortunately I have been down this ugly road many decades ago. Nothing will help until you wean off the SSRIs and restore metabolic energy to your poor wife’s brain. Lowering serotonin and restoring brain energy is absolutely crucial.

I suggest you FULLY familiarize yourself with the work of Ray Peat PhD. A full thyroid work up may be in order.

http://raypeat.com/articles/articles/thyroid-insanities.shtml

http://raypeat.com/articles/articles/serotonin-depression-aggression.shtml

Dr. Peat provides his research for FREE since tax payers have already paid for it. He sells NOTHING. Every article provides full citations for further research.

All of the mitigating strategies can be accomplished without further interference from the medical community. You can order your own lab work online, if needed. There are forums devoted to weaning safely off SSRIs.

Time is of the essence and good luck in your journey.

❤️❤️❤️

Get the book The Mood Cure and use the amino acids to fix body / brain chemistry. And for sure, 8000iu minimum, of D3 daily. Melatonin at night. Add benadryl if necessary to get to sleep. Mood Cure book can change a life! Been there with all of this, fren. Sorry but just have to tell you that your wife has got to get off psyche meds or the rest of your lives will be hell in which she becomes fueled by pharmaceuticals as a shell of who she could be. Jesus has to be asked BY HER to intercede and heal her imbalances. She has to ask..free will is respected by God as a universal law. Jesus, and support of the aminos... she can get through this. One other thing ..open conversation about fears does help. Shine a light on them. My sweeping panic attacks as a child evaporated after someone sat down wirh me and brought my terrors out into the open to discuss.

Start with Wim Hof's breathing exercises. . Use CBD oil for sleep also. We don't believe in Allopathic drugs. My wife has problems with anxiety that has crippling effects. He hands start going numb and she has had to pull over on the side of the road when driving several times. Her big surprise was to learn that for her the anxiety was psychosomatic. She keeps a finger pulse/oxidation indicator with her to help her be aware of it. It acts as a crutch and she does the Wim Hof breathing exercises to overcome the oncoming anxiety. It's now manageable.

L-tyrosine 500 to 1000 mg a day, 3x/day. Do some research on it. It’s pretty miraculous but does take a few weeks. Good luck and my prayers are w you.

Glycine is an amino acid that acts like a neurotransmitter nerve calming agent. It’s one of the supplements that I got to help my wife have better sleep quality. The comments on the supplements on Amazon are very positive.

This thread is great example of why I love GA. Everyone here wants to genuinely help. Good people everywhere.

I've been using Rife frequencies with outstanding results. I listen to them on YT. PS Seroquel is an atypical antipsychotic, my fren, and I hope she can stop taking it asap bc the long term effects of anti psychotics are devastating.

There is no short answer to your question, so please bear with me.

Here’s the deal, I’ve suffered from treatment resistant depression most of my life. I’ve taken every drug you can imagine to try to deal with the depression, but have only found temporary relief from taking SSRIs.

I stopped taking SSRIs at least 15 years ago, because I didn’t like the way they made me feel, and also because I didn’t think they were working. However; when I would stop taking my SSRIs, I would be fine for a while and then I would crash again. I would be a complete mess and chaos ensued. So the following medications are what I take now for depression and anxiety.

Wellbutrin - for depression - wellbuterin is not an antipsychotic. It works in the brain and nerves on the chemical messengers norepinephrine and dopamine. NOT Serotonin. I feel this is a much better drug for depression. Obviously all drugs have side effects, but this one works for me. 200 mg 1x daily - take it in the morning because it will keep you up at night. If someone were to have it prescribed to them for the first time, I think 100 mg is best. Always start slowly and work your way up if needed. But only if needed!

https://www.drugs.com/wellbutrin.html

BuSpar - for Anxiety - BuSpar is not an anti-psychotic medication. This is important. It is also not a benzodiazepine. Anything like Xanax or Kolonopin are addictive, and very difficult to come off of. BuSpar just helps me to not wake up on the ceiling, I don’t feel anything weird, or drugged, in anyway. It’s a very mild antianxiety. 10 mg 3x daily - but I only take it once a day unless I really need it for a very stressful day.

https://www.drugs.com/buspar.html

OK… So I’ve been taking both of these drugs for years, and I was still suffering from severe depression, suicidal Ideaations, and just an overall inability to perform in life. I mean just being able to wake up, put on clothes, and show up somewhere on time was nearly impossible.

About 2 1/2 years ago I was introduced Ketamine Infusions for Treatment Resistant Depression! This treatment is a lifesaver, and has completely changed my life. I highly recommend this treatment, because I have my life back. I can get to appointments on time, I can take care of myself, I can manage my bills, and I don’t want to kill myself every day. That’s the bonus lol.

Ketamine infusions work by flooding the brain with glutomate, which helps neurons to grow new connections. This treatment actually helps to rebuild your brain. Here’s a brief video of how it works.

https://youtu.be/GnL4p-35Grg

This is the Infusion Center that I use.

https://www.renewinfusions.com/services/ketamine-infusions

I will tell you what my experience was, so your wife will know what to expect.

We found an infusion center by doing a bunch of research. I wanted a place that was holistic, and also affordable.You’ll fill out a bunch of papers, you’ll have to see a psychiatrist there, and they will assess your situation to see if you have treatment resistant depression.

Once approved, you’ll go to the facility, and you’ll have six treatments within about four weeks, or less. This is the initial stage. After that, you can go for monthly boosters. However; if the treatment works really well for you, you may not have to return for several months. The treatment is expensive, and it’s not covered by insurance, but I would check to see if your insurance will cover it, because that could’ve changed since I started 2 1/2 years ago.

Of course the pharmaceutical companies needed to hop on pop, so they invented EsKetamine. It’s a nasal spray, and used for the same treatment. However, it still needs to be done in an office, with a doctor, and is much more time consuming, and for me it was less affordable. Personally I think the infusion therapy is more effective, but don’t get me started on the pharmaceutical companies. Although the nasal spray may be covered by your insurance, the therapy may not be as effective.

At the infusion center I go to a room with a lounger, and a TV. You choose a Nature video or some thing that will soothe you, and they hook you up to an IV. The ketamine infusion is timed, and usually lasts about 45 minutes. You don’t really watch the video, because you keep your eyes closed, it’s really more the music that helps you to relax and get into the flow.

** Full Disclosure ** Some people don’t like to do the Ketamine Infusions because it takes you to an altered state, and can be scary. I would not recommend anyone doing this therapy, if they are not Christian. I use Jesus Christ as my guide throughout the process, to keep me whole, safe, and to lead me in a direction in which he wants to heal me. We all have trauma in our lives, and I try to use these infusions to help get to the bottom of the issue, and not just put a Band-Aid on it. Sometimes I reach scripture, and/or have keywords like peace, joy, and love to guide me through my treatment.

When I was in my teens, I did lots of acid, so the treatment for me is not all that strange. However some people do have difficulty with the esoteric experience. I think once you’ve tried it once or twice, people get the hang of it and our less fearful.

One benefits of the infusion therapy, is that if you’re having a bad trip, they can back you out of the infusion, and stop at at any time. This is beneficial if you want to re-acclimate, and then start again. In the 2 1/2 years, I’ve only had a couple bad episodes, but I have great doctors, and they helped me to continue on and process through my issues. In the end it’s been very beneficial.

My depression has been a lifelong journey, and it wasn’t until I returned back to the Lord, and found myself whole in Him, that I was able to start the infusions. I had known about the Infusions for a while, but I don’t think I was ready. My main focus needed to be Jesus Christ as my redeemer, and the Ketamine second to Him. I’m now on a monthly booster regiment, and they also have ketamine lozenges to help with difficult times in between. However; there is a strict protocol for this type of prescription.

Anyway I know this is really long, but I wanted to make sure that your wife knows that there is hope. Getting off the SSRI will be tough, but I think moving to the Wellbutrine at the same time could be beneficial. Of course I’m not a doctor, do not take any advice from me without checking with your doctors. Just remember, that psychiatrists, psychologists, and a lot of doctors don’t want you to get well.

It’s important to remember that you are the patient. If something doesn’t work for you personally, then you can ask for changes. If you don’t want to take some thing that they’re recommending, you don’t have to take it. I have stopped many medications without even consulting my doctors, because of hair loss, and other side effects from medication‘s.

Sometimes you have to tell your doctor what YOU want, not have them tell you. Suggesting to move from an SSRI to Wellbuterin - it’s not that far of a stretch. All you have to say is that the SSRIs are not working, and I want to try something different. I would love to tell you that your wife would not have to take any of those medication‘s anymore, but in my experience it’s always ended up being very bad for me.

I am fortunate that I have some great doctors, that I’ve been seeing for over 15 years. We work together as a team, and both my psychiatrist and psychologist are so happy that I found ketamine infusions. They are now recommending ketamine infusions to other patients, and recommend the infusion center that I go to.

The benefit? I can’t even begin to explain to you the benefit of the ketamine infusions, for me personally… The list is endless. But I can’t tell you, that my mother who has watched me suffer from depression most of my life, no longer has to see me in agony in misery. Our entire relationship has changed, and we can enjoy one another, enjoy experiences together again, and we have hope! Hope for a brighter future. It’s the other people around you that are affected by the depression, that find relief as well.

I don’t want to take the attention off of Christ, because without Him, none of this would be possible. I believe he humbled me to return to him, and then provided a way out of my misery with the ketamine treatments.

I sincerely hope that your wife does find some type of relief from her situation. Optimal results would be to not take any pills, try the ketamine, and find a new life. I reiterate that I am not a doctor, and all these things should be talked to with your psychiatrist, and or psychologist. Each person is different and Will react to these treatments in a different way.

When people ask me about Jesus, I tell them… I’m not his lawyer, I’m only his witness. All I can tell you is what he’s done in my life. This is kind of the same thing. May God bless you, and I’ll be praying for your wife.

I commented yesterday (NAC, good food, vegetables) and wanted to add that NAC also gives me better sleep. Take NAC on an empty stomach always. You take it, and if you go to bed, your sleep quality will be better. As someone who suffers from anxiety for years, I also want to add the food thing is real. Those weeks that I take time to cook simple meals with vegetables, are my better weeks. Meat is important for us humans. Too many things are in vegetables and meats that we simply do not get from anything else.

I have same thing. Krill Oil Mega Red Total Body or SAMe research this because no antidepressant can be used with this. I couldn't try it because with a compromised immune system you can't use it. I have Epstein Barr Syndrome.

Right now I use CBD gummies Charlotte's Web. This doesn't have the ingredient in it that makes you high. Works great no side effects.

They keep pushing Lexapro and I won't do it.

If your wife wants a good nights sleep get some melatonin and take 1 tablet straight before bed. No electronics, lights or wifi close by. Take a short break after a few weeks fren.

I was once told by a shrink, "your body will yell you when you are unwell and it's serious" the rest of the time try and enjoy yourself.

I have indeed been close to death a few times, I now accept and understand one day this body will expire, in the meantime do all to make your life full of the things that bring you joy and happiness.

Regards fren I hope your wife finds peace and happiness.

Here is a video with the prayer that I mentioned in my other comment: Prayer begins around the one hour and 27 minute mark: https://www.liberatedliving.info/4-2-2016-night-of-ministry/............. then at 1:30 the casting out begins.

Thanks fam, alot to digest here, will definitely try some of the suggestions. Its been a long hard road, over a decade + at this point. If anyone has more suggestions, we are open still.

I take a small amount of NAC powder and it helps me with anxiety/panic attacks

Some options that I have witnessed make a significant difference and improvement in the lives of some of my loved ones include the following.

1. Neurofeedback significantly reduced nonspecific irrational anxiety. This treatment involves about 1 hour sessions where a therapist has a couple sensor electrodes attached to a person's head. They report to a computer the different frequencies that the persons brain is operating on. There are generally recognized ratios between these wavelengths that when the ratios are significantly off (alpha, beta, delta, theta), this has been shown to often produce issues for the individual like unexplained anxiety.

You will need to be very selective of the counselor whom is administering the treatment as there can be short term risks if the therapist targets the wrong area or in haphazard in the way they work to bring the ratios into synchronization, it can cause temporary issues (like a manic episode).

The therapy is entirely non invasive as the persons natural senses are utilized to effect the treatment as specific inputs are provided that the brain at a subconscious level recognizes the correlation of what is shown on a screen and the change of sound output with the particular brain wavelength activity that is occurring. It's rather amazing how it works as a simple graphic like a 8bit looking car driving down a road isometrically drawn on the screen and the way the brain is working with those targeted ratios measured only by the electrodes taped to the skin on the persons scalp will when working in the range desired will produce a beep or simple sound that the persons brain subconsciously recognizes and tries to get. Like playing a game. Often treatment involves at least 40 sessions which is required because the brain will revert back to old patterns and ratios of the target wavelengths of the new ratios have not been able to take hold (a figurative rut in your brains pattern of thinking).

2. Now another option that has been very helpful for anxiety and other issues (spectrum disorders etc) is "The Listening Program" by Advanced Brain Technologies. This is fairly straight forward. You listen to some rather unique classical music pieces specifically designed to target certain aspects of the brain within the music. This is done by dropping out certain instruments during the listening or pushing some aspect of the sound in a figurative sound space around the person listening similar to Dolby or THX in a home theatre system. The headphones involved are particularly expensive since there is a bone conducting part and the normal over ear studio style headphones. The improvements observed in the cases I have seen it used were nothing short of amazing. Treatments are about 15 minutes at a time and you would need to be tracked through the program by a certified therapist just to make sure things are progressing as expected and to answer any questions of they should arise. The total treatment time frame can be anywhere from 3 to 6 months.

3. Finally a third option would be counseling with EMDR therapy, which is also pretty amazing in the simplicity of the mechanical aspect of the therapy. It mimics rem sleep via a simple but specific targeted stimulus while the person is fully awake and discussing whatever they wanted to talk about (or for children in play therapy talking and doing activities). The mechanical piece could be a number of types of stimulus, but the common ones I have seen are buzzies held in the persons hand or possibly in the pant pockets on both sides that vibrate at specific target frequencies depending on the selection of the counselor whom is working with the person in session. The other method is a visual stimulus with a line of lights that move from one side to the other at the targeted frequencies as the person discusses things. EMDR has been particularly successful at helping trauma victims effectively process through their traumas when normal talk counseling has been unable to get them unstuck from integrating traumatic events into their life or world views so they can move past and heal from the mental scars of whatever the trauma was. Often traumas and our brains reaction to them create the loop that prevents us from generating a framework of understanding and integrating the trauma. The looping is the cause of being stuck and this therapy helps the brain to process the issue and build the framework that let's the person finally recover rather than constantly reliving in their mind the trauma.

I hope for you that you will encounter and obtain the therapy that truly helps your wife. I will say Christian counselling is probably as hit or miss in getting a good useful counselor who actually is helpful as counselors that don't label their practice as Christian based (even though they are Christian believers personally). My only experience with a Christian labeled counselor was that he was completely useless and rather than trying to work through issues that I was grappling with preferred to ask if what I was feeling was biblical as if to say well if you can't prove it's biblical then you shouldn't be feeling that way about that issue, so just stop having those feelings of anger or whatever it might be. The larger practice he was a part of was also utterly worthless as the owner liked to talk on the phone well in earshot of the waiting area, I recognized very quickly that he was incredibly prideful and arrogant and did not line up with a true belief that every human is created in God's image and this deserving of a basic level of dignity and respect. Anyway, I've probably said more than enough. If I were looking for a counselor today, I would probably seek out someone that is primarily Adlerian in approach to the counseling relationship.

Picamilon

OCD and anxiety are rooted in fear. Fear is THE primary weapon of the enemy of God. The bible talks about fear a lot. There is a verse that tells us to "cast your care on God." My sister said sometimes she will actually write her fears down on paper and then literally crumple the paper and throw them. Or you could burn them. It helps me to imagine just piling them on God, like when you hand a pile of schoolbooks to a friend. I know He can take care of them and I don't have to shoulder them... For things that come into my head that I don't want, I mentally visualize whatever the thing is as if it is on a picture on the table, and I slide it off of the table through a burning incinerator, with the ashes falling into a can next to the table. This practice is a cleaning routine, just like washing your dishes. If you find there still seems to be a stronghold, I also recommend the Don Dickerman book, Keep the Pigs Out about spiritual attachments (Christians can and do have spiritual attachments (not possession, but demons that torment) that gain access to do so when we "open doorway." He is an old country preacher, but he has helped many people in prison and in all walks of life cast out demons once they close the doorway they gained access through. I don't think he sells the resource called "Demon names and Functions" anymore, except to clergy, but I have an old copy. There are specific demons that specialize in fear. If I can find that book I will see if I can post some pics. His prayer to cast out demons is in the back. It is very thorough and methodical.

This is going to sound dumb, but disregard if you disagree. Anxiety, the best thing I ever did was to unplug from TV, it was hard and I needed to find other things to fill my time. Not sure if she works or not. She needs a drastic change. For me I love having to ask people what are you talking about. They have to explain themselves and the latest narrative. Let's you ask all kinds of questions without bias. So she needs to decide how she wants to handle things. The old way of popping a pill is no longer working or safe. I hope you figure out what you need to do. Be well find your way.

CBD oil? I keep hearing CBD oil does wonders. What about the iodine protocol? They’ve depleted iodine from our diets, which is needed to stave off depression and cancer. Dr Brownstien’s method is heralded by based people.

Good luck to your wife!