Q & A Time!

Q. I had a stressful Christmas holiday and my doctor prescribed anti-depressants. But instead of helping, I think the situation actually got worse. I couldn't sleep, felt constantly afraid and basically embarrassed myself in front of my family. Is this possible that the anti depressants caused the extreme anxiety and insomnia? -- Christine

A. Hi Christine. Specific questions about medications need to addressed to your MD, but I can tell you that I have heard this same complaint many times, and I even had this experience once myself. Read the side effects of any of these medications and you'll usually find that they can actually cause the very problem they are designed to relieve. I'm not passing judgement here; just pointing out the facts.

These medications can and do help some people--but there are also a lot of horror stories like yours. Sometimes I think taking these meds is like rolling the dice--you never know what you are going to get! That's why I am much more in favor of natural solutions. I'm NOT a big fan of medicating anxiety, especially not as a long-term solution. I base this mostly on my own experience; I never saw any improvement in my situation until I tried a very different approach--for more info about the exact approach I used, check out the EasyCalm System. -- JM

Q. Hi Jon, I made really good progress on the anxiety stuff for a few months, but lately it seems that I'm falling back into some if the old habits. I'm still doing better than before, but I want to keep moving forward. Any ideas? --Stephen

A. Hey Stephen, Usually this happens because the pressures of day-to-day life have distracted you temporarily. See if this sounds familiar: First, you begin working on the problem, and you are all fired up and motivated. Then you make a little progress and this fires you up even more! Now you are really building momentum in the right direction. You've heard of the scientific principle, "an object in motion tends to stay in motion," and this applies to people and attitudes as well. When you get your life in motion and are moving in the right direction, it tends to just build more an more momentum, and you make even more progress.

But the opposite is also true. After a while, you can allow yourself to be distracted by circumstances and unknowingly begin to move in the wrong direction. The key to preventing this is to "shake" yourself off of that path by doing something new that encourages and inspires you in some way. Read an empowering book (here's a really motivational one), or maybe go to a seminar. Or you can use affirmation programs like I do. Personally I use this one but there are others worth checking out too.

The point is to shake yourself out of the rut and get back on the path of forward momentum. Anything that inspires or motivates you will help you do it. Remember, your state of mind is the most valuable asset you have. Anything that makes you feel more optimistic, more empowered or more courageous is worth its weight in gold-- JM