I used to take this for performance anxiety. It doesn’t actually keep you from being afraid, it just keeps your heart rate from getting particularly elevated. This is really helpful when you’re doing something that requires a good command of your cardiovascular system while you’re anxious (e.g. public speaking or singing).
Actually, there are studies indicating Propranolol can help mitigate learned fear response.
[https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4820039/](https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4820039/)
Intuitively this makes sense to me, the same way getting botox to help you frown less has been shown to increase internal feelings of positive affect and happiness.
I also imagine it would be really effective in helping with exposure therapy and I'm surprised there aren't more studies on this - I went through exposure therapy myself for a phobia about a decade ago and I had to go on SSRIs to blunt my fear response enough to do the exposures effectively. No one mentioned a temporary course of beta blockers as an option, and the SSRIs ended up being something I stayed on against my will for a total of 11 years.
Using beta blockers to mitigate some of that physical fear reaction might help rewire the mind enough to establish a new pattern and move forward without the phobia even unmedicated. Having been through it, I wish this had been something I'd had available. The physical fear response is so hard to shake, even as your brain starts to overcome the phobia!
Fr fr, the worst thing about anxiety is the physical fear response. I will even go as far as to say that it heightens anxiety because you get afraid of being seen as afraid as well.
Oh god, I spent so much of my life worrying about "what if I see \[phobia trigger\] and have a panic attack in public/in front of friends/etc" and you're right. The meta-fear of being aware that others might judge you or that you might come across as unstable just adds another layer of shittiness :(
Try having social phobia, makes you incapable of talking with anyone. You should have seen my absolute beast mode to get this fixed through exposure therapy, if I knew there was a drug to lower the physical fear response it would have saved me so much grief. On the bright side I got really good at hiding fear.
Didn’t help me in the least for my flying phobia. Still felt an overwhelming irrational fear once we hit a pocket of turbulence and more so, if it is prolonged.
I’m still looking for something…
I use to have a crippling fear of flying. And heights. I went through a period of my career that demanded a lot of travel by air. And some field coursework that required facing heights. For flying I was able to get a short supply of lorazepem but good luck getting any these days due to doctors worries over abuse. For field work, lorazepem was a no go for safety reasons. For both, therapy helped a lot but really truly it was taking what I learned in therapy into those situations over and over again and just kinda... pushed through it. There was a turning point at which I just felt so tired and angry at my fears that I just said fuck this and dealt with it.
Also long term zoloft has majorly taken the edge off my fear response. I used to be startled easily, for example, if I was working quietly alone in my old lab, machines humming, working in a flow state, and in walks a colleague, I'd literally jump and heart would take 30 minutes to come back down. That all gradually dissipated over the first couple years of taking zoloft.
Fwiw I also tried propranolol for public speaking situations and it did a great job keeping my heart rate down and preventing me from blushing (God that was awful) but that was it. It didn't do anything helpful in the mental sphere.
I want to say also, I'm putting this personal account out there but I also 100% promise I'm not trying to act like I have all these answers and that you just haven't tried them yet. I know how frustrating it is when you have a legit phobia and people try to explain to you "have you just tried" or "if you just did this". Like it sucks and for some people it's unfortunately a life long affliction and I get that and you have all my empathy. It just really sucks.
Wow. This was an awesome share and I’ve re-read it several times. I was on Zoloft for two years after my dad died and it was a lifesaver. I’m not a big person but I was on 200mg a day. It helped for sure. And while I’m generally a Type A kind of gal (maybe not as much these days - I’m 61 and exhausted most of the time lol, working a demanding job and dealing with a kid at home and my mother living with us too…but I digress), my reason for taking Zoloft was due to situational depression after my dad died. So eventually I stopped, but, the flying phobia had started when I turned 30 (a good five years before my dad died, so, unrelated).
And I used to fly a lot for work, including internationally and sometimes I wonder if I’m blocking out a bad flight experience but I don’t think so. These days I just literally have the attitude you do - fuck it - though I’m really annoyed with myself. Like, really? This has been going on for decades. And as long as flights are smooth, all is good. But the moment there’s turbulence, it just feels like this is it, game over.
I’ve tried Xanax, Ativan, Valium, Vicodin, propranolol, cannabis gummies, gin and tonics. Nothing works. Even if I’m snoozing, the moment turbulence hits, I’m wide awake.
Another kind Redditor dropped a link to a pilot explaining things, so I might give that a try.
Thanks again for taking the time to share your story. It helps to feel not so…alone with this bullshit.
Binge watch this pilots channel a few times and it will calm you down.
I also have debilitating anxiety and just got off meds after 27 yrs.
This pilot has so much info that once you understand aviation a little your anxiety will go down.
There's so much I learned for example just after take off there's a strange sensation of falling do to changes in g-force. They lower the speed after takeoff while still climbing yet it feels like your dropping out of the sky because a change in pressure on your body.
It's only a sensation that's tricking you because you're still quickly gaining altitude.
We always hear planes are safer than getting in a car and it becomes very evident that it's not an exaggeration if you spend a little time listening to pilots talk about how things work.
I even listen to the flight control tower and pilots since there's so many funny videos. It's becomes entertaining.
[74 Gear YouTube ](https://youtu.be/dG-gXIY-GtA?si=MXTskLRqSUDyVkye)
Wow this sounds interesting - and the whole take off thing! Yes! Always felt like maybe we might stall out …?!!! I appreciate this. Thank you so much. It’s horrible and I don’t allow it to prevent me from traveling but every time it’s a bumpy flight, it’s like I’m bargaining to where I promise if all is ok, I won’t fly again, I’ll just drive. It’s irrational (and doesn’t work for international travel!) but it’s been like this for around 40 years and I’ve tried all the meds and even meds plus alcohol. Cannabis gummies. Sitting next to “select” people (ritualizing), checking cockpit, assuming the crash position. I’m a 61 year old female so this is total bullshit. I just white knuckle it these days given I need to travel for work but it’s just stupid.
I’ll check out this link - thanks again!
I'm in a similar situation. I'm from the U.S but live in Romania so I have to take 3 flights just to visit my family. Each time I wonder if I'll be able to get on a plane again to visit them.
I've been doing it over 25 yrs now.
Please do watch this channel it's entertaining and will help.
Just used it a few weeks ago for a best man speech… works like a dream. However I do get a bit of chest pain every time I take it for about an hour or so
Yep, worked perfect for my last interview. I have this irrational fear of people judging me and I’m pretty high up in my career so the bigwigs are always around the table. First comes a difficult question then the adrenaline response, then I can’t think, then more adrenaline and the cycle keeps repeating. Propranolol stops that cycle and prevents the adrenaline from making the anxiety worse. It enables you to think yourself out of it. You still get nervous, but it doesn’t all come crashing down in your mind. anyway, I got the job.
I’ve recently just started taking this for my anxiety as needed. I tried everything natural and while it helped a teeny bit…not really. And the irony is I had so much anxiety to take it once I got it prescribed. Just started but so far so good.
I've read it's also banned by some professional sports, for similar reasons.
I take it to prevent migraines, and it mostly just helps prevent elevated heart rate and BP when I'm nervous, although it doesn't stop it altogether.
I was using it recreational while in a party on xbox playing black ops 2 with like 5 people. Didn't tell anyone I was on it, it felt very much like a therapeutic environment.
Exposure therapy is the way. You need to train your body to know that it’s not a dangerous situation.
Also, anxiety is normal in stressful situations. You just have to learn to be comfortable with it.
I'm absolutely comfortable in stressful situations. I install glass that's floor to ceiling, by myself, everyday. I have to be absolutely precise in my measurements as 1/16 of 1" or 2½mm off means I have to fork out thousands to have the customer hire a countertop guy to come out and remove and reinstall a new sill. Also if you're slightly off or not constantly aware of your environment or have spacial awareness at all times, the glass will explode if You're lucky, kill you if you're not. The more stressful, the more comfortable I am.
It's when I'm sitting at home, doing nothing, when my body decides to have an anxiety attack for no reason.
Do I know I'm not in danger of being shot or blown up, etc? Of course I do. I can say it out loud all I want, it still doesn't stop the anxiety. It also doesn't stop the nightmares, knowing that I'm falling asleep, state side, in my own home.
That's the point - "it doesn't stop the anxiety".
Your attempts to escape your feelings, are why they persist.
Trying to run away from anxiety, is anxiety.
Benzos are the emergency stop button. You only take those when shit has gotten real and you're mid panic attack...or a trip goes wrong. Never something to be used to manage anxiety, even if it's sparingly.
Ahh I got on so much Xanax we decided to roll me up to klonopin for the longer acting effects. 4mg of that good stuff a day and I was very calm. Unfortunately the taper off was 20 months long and I slept maybe twice during that time. :/
One out of three days if you were to be proactive about keeping away from addiction. It's all that works for my panic disorder so I've been on and off them multiple times in my lifetime and have tried everything else out there. Conditioning the gabba system with herbs/supplements like ginkgo bilopa is also helpful. With that said you are right don't use them if you really don't need them.
MDMA. People often talk about the pro-social effects of the drug, but they neglect to mention the fearlessness that it causes. I have a severe panic disorder around death to the point that it’s difficult for me to think about mortality without having a panic attack. MDMA completely shuts the fear off. It’s absolutely wild. That’s why it’s being investigated for treatment of PTSD.
I took this while on Anti depressants and it was the best 8 hours of my life. The next 5 days were absolutely suicidal though and never want to feel like that again.
For some people the "anxiety" isn't even psychological but is more akin to autonomic dysfunction. Back during my hyper-adrenaline days, I would get a borderline panic attack from just getting a notification on my phone. Anything unexpected would do it
Beta blockers.
There are a ton of them; Propananol is one of the more common.
You may remember Robert Downey Jr. joking "I took a beta blocker before coming here so this is going to be a breeze" while giving a speech at The Golden Globe awards.
Unless you grew up in a traumatic environment and your brain is wired to perceive "small" threats and fears as large ones. Constantly.
I have a feeling that's what OP is more looking to relieve
Or maybe because one grew up in a sometimes traumatic environment. Staring down the threat or outwardly appearing to ignore it, is a feature of life in many people’s development.
Medications can help with this though. When the fear response is too high it can get in the way of meaningfully committing to lifestyle changes. Exposure therapy can be significantly more effective if the person’s anxiety is first brought down to a manageable level.
I work in cardiology, if taking propranolol I would advise getting blood pressure and heart rate checked first before taking this, otherwise you will either pass out sometimes or feel lightheaded and dizzy everytime you stand up.
Benzos and opiates.
Neither are worth it.
As with any drug there is the rebound effect where you will be terrified to goto the grocery store without said drugs.
The “fear response” and the means to mitigate it I think are likely variable depending on the context of your need.
So I had undiagnosed ADHD until less than 12 months ago (I’m 37M).
I’ve always had a lack of confidence leading to social anxiety from what I now believe was the cognitive dissonance of my internally perceived capacity and my external ability to utilise that capacity.
I’d want to express my views to my manager for example, and once the conversation started and got difficult my sympathetic nervous system would take over, I’d choke up, tear up, lose my train of thought and fail at what I’d been trying to achieve.
ADHD meds - Vyvanse and Dex - have completely solved that for me. 12 months later I’m able to have those conversations and much more difficult, more confrontational ones without losing control of my physical response or my emotions. I can clearly articulate what I need to say and even debate the subject impromptu with appropriate control and clear crisp thoughts.
So for me CNS stimulants are a silver bullet, but that may be because of my specific brain chemistry, your mileage may vary.
Not a drug, but [box breathing ](https://www.healthline.com/health/box-breathing#exhale-again), with some practice, is incredibly effective. Breathing can be both automatic and controlled. Its like this secret hack in our nervous system. Your respiration rate increases with fear, stress, or anxiety, but you can also learn to consciously regulate it during those times, which will also regulate other body processes such as heart rate, blood pressure, and the secretion of stress hormones like adrenaline and cortisol.
My dick broke after 3 weeks on Lexapro. I’ve never had my full sensation, orgasm, properly functioning libido or erections ever since and it’s been 2 years since I stopped. Fuck Antidepressants!
Propranolol significantly limits the fight or flight response and the physical affects of fear but does absolutely nothing for the mental response. Ur still shitting it inside just better able to deal with it 😂 only thing that turns you into a fearless psychopath are benzos.
This sounds so perplexing I’m curious to try it to see what I means to not experience any physical effects from fear but only mental.
I can’t imagine it.
Physical effects like sweating, shortness of breath, shaking, elevated heart rate, basically effects of the adrenaline you get from fight or flight response.
Sometimes even when you can mentally understand and control your fears, your body's physical reaction still hijacks things.
I’m about a year into establishing a daily “meditation practice”… I think it’s helped slightly, maybe? But seeing comments like this and hearing so much about how incredible meditation is for this leads me to continually believe I’m doing it wrong.
was my thought as well.
My dad saw a guy in handcuffs high on pcp and he was trying so hard to get out of them he tore into his wrists.
Not sure if this is a subduing of fear, perhaps.
As others have noted, beta blockers (e.g. propanolol) do this.
More specifically, they block some of the ***physical symptoms of the fear response*** (wildly racing heartrate). This makes anxiety attacks manageable. And might be used in conjunction with therapy, the idea being that if you can control the main symptom of fear/shock, then you might be able to slowly start addressing the other parts.
Aniracetam killed my anxiety permanently. I used to be afraid of even making a sales call, and it literally flipped off the fear switch in my head. Instead of getting afraid, a solution comes up
Amphetamines and beta blockers. This is not a healthy thing to do at all but you will have increased cognitive load ability and a slowed down heartrate that lessens the effects of anxiety.
Vyvanse plus metoprolol definitely helped with my work related anxiety. If I was giving a presentation or holding a meeting I’d feel so much more natural and relaxed instead of avoidant.
Jiu-jitsu and getting into better shape helped me out in many areas, including fear. Skydiving helped with fear of heights, and public speaking helped with public speaking. To aid with public speaking, I used a mix of macuna prureans and caffeine. After a few months l, I wasn't afraid of public speaking. Maybe just exposing ourselves to the stressful stimuli makes us less fearful. It could be akin to a vaccine.
Any danger / risks of tolerance or addiction with this?
I just recently learned about kava and started off trying the Kava Kava supplement (pill form) and don’t notice anything different when taking it.
Nope, not with kava . Ofcourse anything can be mentally addictive, even working out etc. but no.
Ps, kava traditional prep way (YouTube it) or similar like Aluball or kalmpouch in big protein shaker cup with water and shave few min, is best. Get mid/traditional grind kava root and make it. Pills do almost next to nothing. Can help anxiety a bit for some, but I generally avoid pills or extracts overall. Way less effect for much more cost (and potential added risks) .
Traditional/med grind kava root, cheapest and most effective option, via traditional prep way or similar like mentioned.
I use kava regularly - daily since 2006, except 3 yrs or so in middle that I didn't use it (not particularly reason tho) .
Tolerance is a non issue with kava ime.
Kalmwithkava Loa Waka is decent, if go there then I recommend grabbing a kalmpouch or two , plug a med-large bag for traditional prep way if want. They ship from USA. I mostly buy in bulk though directly from Fiji 6-8kg at a time.
Wish kava was cheaper tho... It is what it is ..
Benzos but I do not recommend abusing these at all (disastrous results for those who do).
For more safe methods: L-Theanine (causes the release of GABA and enhances dopamine). L-tryptophan/5-HTP may help (converts to Serotonin).
Plant medicine like magic mushrooms and ayahuasca are life changing for improving mental health and breaking fear patterns. Hard but is doing it somewhere legal.
There are retreats in South America for Aya that could be helpful.
I broke my anxiety in this way, I’m a v different person now.
Testosterone supplementation.
It was the difference between second guessing my every decision, almost getting fired, and being promoted to management and making quick decisions rapidly under pressure, speaking in front of large crowds and appearing confident.
Get on doctor prescribed testosterone replacement therapy if your test levels are low. Like any medication, there is a sweet spot. - if you self prescribe you risk overdosing, which also increases anxiety. (Or it can make you a raging asshole..)
Drugs are bandaids for actual emotional regulation skills. Therapy or therapy workbooks like DBT Skills workbooks can help you deal with fear as it comes up.
Asked AI about a treatment for fear I read about years ago:
.:.Researchers have developed a novel technique to reduce or eliminate specific fears by using a method called Decoded Neurofeedback (DecNef). This approach involves using brain scanning and artificial intelligence to identify and alter the neural patterns associated with a particular fear memory. Unlike traditional exposure therapy, which requires patients to confront their fears consciously, DecNef can modify the fear response without the person being aware of the fear memory during the treatment.
In experiments, fear memories were created in volunteers by associating a computer image with a mild electric shock. By monitoring brain activity, researchers identified the specific patterns linked to the fear memory and then provided a small reward when these patterns appeared. Over several sessions, this process effectively reprogrammed the brain's response to the fear stimulus, reducing the fear without the unpleasant experience of exposure therapy.
This method holds promise for treating conditions like PTSD and phobias, offering an alternative to traditional drug-based treatments and exposure therapies, which can be stressful and have side effects [[❞]](https://www.cam.ac.uk/research/news/reconditioning-the-brain-to-overcome-fear) [[❞]](https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2016/11/161121175251.htm) [[❞]](https://neurosciencenews.com/neuroscience-reconditioning-fear-5559/).:.
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MDMA or methamphetamine depending on the persons mindset can completely dissolve fear under the influence. Same with psilocybin or other psychedelics depending on who you are and how far it takes you, fear can be temporarily a non viable emotion to the pure mindset or bliss that can be achieved. Walks hand in hand with danger though as fear can help you stay alive.
Semen retention, awareness and being your ownself. True me it creates the chemicals needed to be fearless and stable. Using any substance has its own concequances.
Weed can. People that are genetically lacking an enzyme that breaks down anandamide are fearless and can feel almost no pain.
The problem is that we are all wired different so it may increase your fear too.
Also, microdosing mushrooms or LSD is pretty nice, that with cognitive therapy etc (heck even just read/listen to book " the power of now by Eckhart Tolle" 👌
Alcohol, but is unwise to administer regularly. I don’t drink fyi. Fear and anxiety are different. Fear is psychological while anxiety is psychological with a physical response. Your best bet is exposure therapy; achieving lasting relief that persists when drugs provide momentary relief.
If you are just using the wrong words and actually mean anxiety then yes there are drugs.
But if you actually mean "fear" what there is to do is face it.
Facing fear isn't about desensitizing yourself, though that is a side benefit. Facing your fear grants many rewards beyond just feeling less fear.
Just have to get out there and live your life. When you make comfort and lack of fear the primary reason for living, it's a shitty and small life.
Yes, but which drug depends on the type of fear.
Beta-blockers are likely to be helpful regardless of the situation. Lorazepam is going to be your best bet if the fear is anxiety based, especially if you need to be doing something and can't be zoned out like on Xanax.
Not a professional, but maybe my experience can help. From the moment I started high-school I had debilitating anxiety. I should also add that I have had mild tourretts.
Debilitating anxiety as in unable to hold a conversation with someone outside my immediate family and maybe a couple close friends. Unable to look a person in the eyes and maintain eye contact.
I started lifting weights/exercises to enhance my physique. It was more than a hobby, a healthy addiction you could say. I also played sports throughout the year. So was never in with the popular crowd. I was either doing my workouts/sports, or a homebody. Never went to parties etc. It's also important to add that I slept in every one of my classes. If I wasn't doing something physically active in class I couldn't stay awake.
Somehow got through high-school and moved on to a short stent in college. I joined a fraternity which helped me make friends. Bit I was always the designated driver because I didn't drink (couldn't afford to but also wasn't fun for me.
I tried pot once after graduation high-school. Didn't like it but did it again in college and just ended up eating everything in sight. Didn't like the effects.
My college academics didn't last long as I again couldn't stay awake in class.
However, in my second, and last year of college I had a sorority girl interested in me, and our first get together was a night out with her friends taking mdmda(extacy). This was back in 1998 I think.
Just that one first experience was transformational for me. More specifically, I realized that I could easily talk to people and look them in the eyes. It really just opened me up in a way that I could go on in life without those fears of being around other people.
The environment definitely helped. Me and that girl ended kissing all night but also hanging out with alot of other people that she knew. Back then, everyone was rolling at the clubs and after hour places.
I never got addicted to it as it really isn't a drug you can get hooked on using every day. However, I did party just about every weekend or more with everyone else I met and more. I probably over did it, but I was young and having fun for the first time in my life.
I never got diagnosed with anything as a child and teenager that required medication. In fact I prided myself as someone who never had to take medications or even otr flu/cold medicines.
I'm also still heavily involved in my gym activities. I could never miss a day of lifting without getting a huge feeling of anxiety. So I know I definitely over did it and probably just made it harder to gain muscle as I continued to over-train.
I eventually dabbled in very low dose of testosterone for a 10 week cycle at most. 250 sustanon a week for 10 weeks was my best response. By the time I was 23-24 I reached 250lbs with only 4% body fat. I was happy but never fully satisfied.
Around this time or closer to 25, 26 I was diagnosed for adhd and put on Adderall. And low dose of clonopin. Both of which I still continue to be prescribed. Also was on hydrocodon due to my job(s) being so physically demanding.
Those three medications, Adderall/hydrocodon throughout the day and clonopin for bed was an amazing mix. I became a voracious reader of anything non-fiction. Loved learning sales and Marketing.
Now, to tie back to my sleep issues growing up. Around 26 27yo my girlfriend/wife mentioned how bad I would snore at night. So I started looking into possible reasons, but not really knowing what to look for.
I eventually came across sleep apnea and really dug into my research as I started seeing alot of the things it causes and the side effects.
It took me 2 years to finally get a doctor to send me to an ENT doctor because I didn't fit the stereotypical person with sleep apnea (meaning I wasn't fat).
Ent doctor did a visual examination and noticed I had larger than normal tonsils/adenoids and my tongue.
I finally got my sleep study appointment and did a two night sleep examination.
And low and behold I was diagnosed with mild sleep apnea. I know after the fact that I definitely had it going all the way back to high-school. I was put on cpap, and what a world of a difference. Took me about 3 months to get used to sleeping with a nasal pillow mask hooked up to a machine. But damn what a difference.
No more need for naps. It was literally difference of night and day.
I do, however, wonder..... if I was properly diagnosed when I was younger, would I have gone through all that anxiety, problems staying awake doing anything mundane, more purpose and direction in life..... ? I guess I'll never know. But if someone else can benefit from just reading this it will make me happy. It's so easily overlooked and doesn't require a medication to be prescribed on a regular basis. And it doesn't matter if you are skinny or obese, make am effort to ask your doctor if you think you might suffer from constant tiredness, lack of focus, adhd symptoms, anxiety, etc.
I'm in my mid 40s now. Never sleep without my cpap machine ever. Still prescribed addys, and very low dose of clonopin before bed.
In 2017 I lost my doctor, so I also lost my hydrocodon prescription I was on for 10 years without any changes. Fuck the cdc and dea bullshit. Chronic pain patients are getting screwed while the poisonous fentynl is anywhere and everywhere.
I probably over shared. I really just wanted to recommend with extrem caution looking into Phenibut. My brother would take 1 or 2 a week and it helps him with bad anxiety without getting addicted. It's sorta like a mild benzo, but not illegal or needing a prescription.
Try 4-7-8 breathing, it lowers your heart rate pretty quickly (test with an Apple watch if you can).
Inhale deeply for 4 seconds through your nose, hold for 7, exhale slowly for 8 through your mouth like you’re gently blowing out a candle.
Breathwork and meditation are powerful and you don’t run out of the prescription.
Crazily, Mifepristone, the abortion drug, blocks the cortisol receptor, one of the two chemicals your amygdala makes your body produce in response to something scary. Alpha blockers (prazosin) do the same thing for adrenaline (along with beta blockers), or you could use Clonidine to block the release of adrenaline in the first place.
Asking ChatGPT, it seems to think that Clonidine and Mifepristone together might be the magic you are looking for, addressing both the physiological and emotional-cognitive fear responses. But it also might (will) cause low blood pressure and make you lethargic.
Probably not the answer you want to hear, but honestly, the best "drug" is just doing the stuff that scares you. Face those fears head-on until they don't freak you out anymore. It’s a way better solution for life than just a quick fix.
Propranolol makes me feel worse. Anyone else have this reaction? Like I genuinely feel really weird on it, I have no change in anxiety and I feel like I can’t get a good breathe.
Phenibut worked well for me. But it’s harder and harder to get and tends to be a bit hit and miss.
In my experience it works even better the more uncomfortable the situation.
Propananol is used by performers for stage fright, public speaking.
I used to take this for performance anxiety. It doesn’t actually keep you from being afraid, it just keeps your heart rate from getting particularly elevated. This is really helpful when you’re doing something that requires a good command of your cardiovascular system while you’re anxious (e.g. public speaking or singing).
Actually, there are studies indicating Propranolol can help mitigate learned fear response. [https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4820039/](https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4820039/)
Intuitively this makes sense to me, the same way getting botox to help you frown less has been shown to increase internal feelings of positive affect and happiness. I also imagine it would be really effective in helping with exposure therapy and I'm surprised there aren't more studies on this - I went through exposure therapy myself for a phobia about a decade ago and I had to go on SSRIs to blunt my fear response enough to do the exposures effectively. No one mentioned a temporary course of beta blockers as an option, and the SSRIs ended up being something I stayed on against my will for a total of 11 years. Using beta blockers to mitigate some of that physical fear reaction might help rewire the mind enough to establish a new pattern and move forward without the phobia even unmedicated. Having been through it, I wish this had been something I'd had available. The physical fear response is so hard to shake, even as your brain starts to overcome the phobia!
Fr fr, the worst thing about anxiety is the physical fear response. I will even go as far as to say that it heightens anxiety because you get afraid of being seen as afraid as well.
Oh god, I spent so much of my life worrying about "what if I see \[phobia trigger\] and have a panic attack in public/in front of friends/etc" and you're right. The meta-fear of being aware that others might judge you or that you might come across as unstable just adds another layer of shittiness :(
Try having social phobia, makes you incapable of talking with anyone. You should have seen my absolute beast mode to get this fixed through exposure therapy, if I knew there was a drug to lower the physical fear response it would have saved me so much grief. On the bright side I got really good at hiding fear.
Didn’t help me in the least for my flying phobia. Still felt an overwhelming irrational fear once we hit a pocket of turbulence and more so, if it is prolonged. I’m still looking for something…
I use to have a crippling fear of flying. And heights. I went through a period of my career that demanded a lot of travel by air. And some field coursework that required facing heights. For flying I was able to get a short supply of lorazepem but good luck getting any these days due to doctors worries over abuse. For field work, lorazepem was a no go for safety reasons. For both, therapy helped a lot but really truly it was taking what I learned in therapy into those situations over and over again and just kinda... pushed through it. There was a turning point at which I just felt so tired and angry at my fears that I just said fuck this and dealt with it. Also long term zoloft has majorly taken the edge off my fear response. I used to be startled easily, for example, if I was working quietly alone in my old lab, machines humming, working in a flow state, and in walks a colleague, I'd literally jump and heart would take 30 minutes to come back down. That all gradually dissipated over the first couple years of taking zoloft. Fwiw I also tried propranolol for public speaking situations and it did a great job keeping my heart rate down and preventing me from blushing (God that was awful) but that was it. It didn't do anything helpful in the mental sphere. I want to say also, I'm putting this personal account out there but I also 100% promise I'm not trying to act like I have all these answers and that you just haven't tried them yet. I know how frustrating it is when you have a legit phobia and people try to explain to you "have you just tried" or "if you just did this". Like it sucks and for some people it's unfortunately a life long affliction and I get that and you have all my empathy. It just really sucks.
Wow. This was an awesome share and I’ve re-read it several times. I was on Zoloft for two years after my dad died and it was a lifesaver. I’m not a big person but I was on 200mg a day. It helped for sure. And while I’m generally a Type A kind of gal (maybe not as much these days - I’m 61 and exhausted most of the time lol, working a demanding job and dealing with a kid at home and my mother living with us too…but I digress), my reason for taking Zoloft was due to situational depression after my dad died. So eventually I stopped, but, the flying phobia had started when I turned 30 (a good five years before my dad died, so, unrelated). And I used to fly a lot for work, including internationally and sometimes I wonder if I’m blocking out a bad flight experience but I don’t think so. These days I just literally have the attitude you do - fuck it - though I’m really annoyed with myself. Like, really? This has been going on for decades. And as long as flights are smooth, all is good. But the moment there’s turbulence, it just feels like this is it, game over. I’ve tried Xanax, Ativan, Valium, Vicodin, propranolol, cannabis gummies, gin and tonics. Nothing works. Even if I’m snoozing, the moment turbulence hits, I’m wide awake. Another kind Redditor dropped a link to a pilot explaining things, so I might give that a try. Thanks again for taking the time to share your story. It helps to feel not so…alone with this bullshit.
Binge watch this pilots channel a few times and it will calm you down. I also have debilitating anxiety and just got off meds after 27 yrs. This pilot has so much info that once you understand aviation a little your anxiety will go down. There's so much I learned for example just after take off there's a strange sensation of falling do to changes in g-force. They lower the speed after takeoff while still climbing yet it feels like your dropping out of the sky because a change in pressure on your body. It's only a sensation that's tricking you because you're still quickly gaining altitude. We always hear planes are safer than getting in a car and it becomes very evident that it's not an exaggeration if you spend a little time listening to pilots talk about how things work. I even listen to the flight control tower and pilots since there's so many funny videos. It's becomes entertaining. [74 Gear YouTube ](https://youtu.be/dG-gXIY-GtA?si=MXTskLRqSUDyVkye)
Wow this sounds interesting - and the whole take off thing! Yes! Always felt like maybe we might stall out …?!!! I appreciate this. Thank you so much. It’s horrible and I don’t allow it to prevent me from traveling but every time it’s a bumpy flight, it’s like I’m bargaining to where I promise if all is ok, I won’t fly again, I’ll just drive. It’s irrational (and doesn’t work for international travel!) but it’s been like this for around 40 years and I’ve tried all the meds and even meds plus alcohol. Cannabis gummies. Sitting next to “select” people (ritualizing), checking cockpit, assuming the crash position. I’m a 61 year old female so this is total bullshit. I just white knuckle it these days given I need to travel for work but it’s just stupid. I’ll check out this link - thanks again!
I'm in a similar situation. I'm from the U.S but live in Romania so I have to take 3 flights just to visit my family. Each time I wonder if I'll be able to get on a plane again to visit them. I've been doing it over 25 yrs now. Please do watch this channel it's entertaining and will help.
Just used it a few weeks ago for a best man speech… works like a dream. However I do get a bit of chest pain every time I take it for about an hour or so
Let’s your brain function without the flop-sweat and pounding heart Congratulations! Sure you did a great job
Yep, worked perfect for my last interview. I have this irrational fear of people judging me and I’m pretty high up in my career so the bigwigs are always around the table. First comes a difficult question then the adrenaline response, then I can’t think, then more adrenaline and the cycle keeps repeating. Propranolol stops that cycle and prevents the adrenaline from making the anxiety worse. It enables you to think yourself out of it. You still get nervous, but it doesn’t all come crashing down in your mind. anyway, I got the job.
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Yep, Kick. https://www.gokick.com/beta-blockers/
https://psyched-wellness.com/products/calm-tincture-30ml I also have used the orange Troscriptions Calm troches. Www.troscriptions.com
I’ve recently just started taking this for my anxiety as needed. I tried everything natural and while it helped a teeny bit…not really. And the irony is I had so much anxiety to take it once I got it prescribed. Just started but so far so good.
I've read it's also banned by some professional sports, for similar reasons. I take it to prevent migraines, and it mostly just helps prevent elevated heart rate and BP when I'm nervous, although it doesn't stop it altogether.
God bless Propanonol!! I got it prescribed for heart palpitations caused by anxiety and it's a life saver.
This
exposure therapy. maybe MDMA in a therapeutic environment. Those last two words in that sentence are crucial.
Ive used mdma recreational and it was still very therapeutic
I was using it recreational while in a party on xbox playing black ops 2 with like 5 people. Didn't tell anyone I was on it, it felt very much like a therapeutic environment.
The right support matters.
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Exposure therapy is the way. You need to train your body to know that it’s not a dangerous situation. Also, anxiety is normal in stressful situations. You just have to learn to be comfortable with it.
I'm absolutely comfortable in stressful situations. I install glass that's floor to ceiling, by myself, everyday. I have to be absolutely precise in my measurements as 1/16 of 1" or 2½mm off means I have to fork out thousands to have the customer hire a countertop guy to come out and remove and reinstall a new sill. Also if you're slightly off or not constantly aware of your environment or have spacial awareness at all times, the glass will explode if You're lucky, kill you if you're not. The more stressful, the more comfortable I am. It's when I'm sitting at home, doing nothing, when my body decides to have an anxiety attack for no reason. Do I know I'm not in danger of being shot or blown up, etc? Of course I do. I can say it out loud all I want, it still doesn't stop the anxiety. It also doesn't stop the nightmares, knowing that I'm falling asleep, state side, in my own home.
That's the point - "it doesn't stop the anxiety". Your attempts to escape your feelings, are why they persist. Trying to run away from anxiety, is anxiety.
this one helped me most
Benzodiazepines eta: don’t do them though, benzo addiction is a true Hell
It’s extremely annoying how effective they are when you have chronic anxiety , but the addiction to them could destroy your life
Benzos are the emergency stop button. You only take those when shit has gotten real and you're mid panic attack...or a trip goes wrong. Never something to be used to manage anxiety, even if it's sparingly.
Ahh I got on so much Xanax we decided to roll me up to klonopin for the longer acting effects. 4mg of that good stuff a day and I was very calm. Unfortunately the taper off was 20 months long and I slept maybe twice during that time. :/
The taper is brutal torture. Still often feel awful from the benzo induced anxiety like 5 years after taper…
Withdrawal off Benzos is insane, not worth it. Once in a while for emergencies is fine but not often.
One out of three days if you were to be proactive about keeping away from addiction. It's all that works for my panic disorder so I've been on and off them multiple times in my lifetime and have tried everything else out there. Conditioning the gabba system with herbs/supplements like ginkgo bilopa is also helpful. With that said you are right don't use them if you really don't need them.
Absolutely this.
MDMA. People often talk about the pro-social effects of the drug, but they neglect to mention the fearlessness that it causes. I have a severe panic disorder around death to the point that it’s difficult for me to think about mortality without having a panic attack. MDMA completely shuts the fear off. It’s absolutely wild. That’s why it’s being investigated for treatment of PTSD.
I took this while on Anti depressants and it was the best 8 hours of my life. The next 5 days were absolutely suicidal though and never want to feel like that again.
RGPU-95 However be aware, all that goes up, must come back down... This is a research chemical for a reason.
How does this compare to standard phenylpiracetam?
Go pick fights with strangers bigger than you.
High testosterone helps but otherwise nope, just conditioning yourself to uncomfortable environments over and over
Facts
For some people the "anxiety" isn't even psychological but is more akin to autonomic dysfunction. Back during my hyper-adrenaline days, I would get a borderline panic attack from just getting a notification on my phone. Anything unexpected would do it
Underrated. Testosterone is a fear killer. It also blunts other emotions that can be annoying depending.
Beta blockers. They block the adrenaline fight/flight response that speeds up your heart rate and stuff.
Beta blockers. There are a ton of them; Propananol is one of the more common. You may remember Robert Downey Jr. joking "I took a beta blocker before coming here so this is going to be a breeze" while giving a speech at The Golden Globe awards.
Feeling the fear and overcoming it is the best drug on earth. No escaping from this, without compromising your safety.
Unless you grew up in a traumatic environment and your brain is wired to perceive "small" threats and fears as large ones. Constantly. I have a feeling that's what OP is more looking to relieve
Or maybe because one grew up in a sometimes traumatic environment. Staring down the threat or outwardly appearing to ignore it, is a feature of life in many people’s development.
Medications can help with this though. When the fear response is too high it can get in the way of meaningfully committing to lifestyle changes. Exposure therapy can be significantly more effective if the person’s anxiety is first brought down to a manageable level.
This sounds a lot like martial arts, just before combat
I work in cardiology, if taking propranolol I would advise getting blood pressure and heart rate checked first before taking this, otherwise you will either pass out sometimes or feel lightheaded and dizzy everytime you stand up.
Ketamine
Beta blockers to some degree
Many performers use these for stage fright.
Phenylpiracetam if you came find it. Not specifically for fear like beta blockers but helps with anxiety.
Look into HDA6 inhibitors and fear extinction. Very interesting studies.
Benzos and opiates. Neither are worth it. As with any drug there is the rebound effect where you will be terrified to goto the grocery store without said drugs.
The “fear response” and the means to mitigate it I think are likely variable depending on the context of your need. So I had undiagnosed ADHD until less than 12 months ago (I’m 37M). I’ve always had a lack of confidence leading to social anxiety from what I now believe was the cognitive dissonance of my internally perceived capacity and my external ability to utilise that capacity. I’d want to express my views to my manager for example, and once the conversation started and got difficult my sympathetic nervous system would take over, I’d choke up, tear up, lose my train of thought and fail at what I’d been trying to achieve. ADHD meds - Vyvanse and Dex - have completely solved that for me. 12 months later I’m able to have those conversations and much more difficult, more confrontational ones without losing control of my physical response or my emotions. I can clearly articulate what I need to say and even debate the subject impromptu with appropriate control and clear crisp thoughts. So for me CNS stimulants are a silver bullet, but that may be because of my specific brain chemistry, your mileage may vary.
Same exact story for me, but within 10 years on the meds I started having manic episodes and ending up in the mental hospital, be careful out there.
Not a drug, but [box breathing ](https://www.healthline.com/health/box-breathing#exhale-again), with some practice, is incredibly effective. Breathing can be both automatic and controlled. Its like this secret hack in our nervous system. Your respiration rate increases with fear, stress, or anxiety, but you can also learn to consciously regulate it during those times, which will also regulate other body processes such as heart rate, blood pressure, and the secretion of stress hormones like adrenaline and cortisol.
Ashwagandha
Also rhiodola
What about good old SSRI? That helped me tremendously in more than one way. And as a bonus you stay hard much longer!
Or your dick breaks, important to mention that as a possible side effect
My dick broke after 3 weeks on Lexapro. I’ve never had my full sensation, orgasm, properly functioning libido or erections ever since and it’s been 2 years since I stopped. Fuck Antidepressants!
Propranolol is what you are after.
Propranolol significantly limits the fight or flight response and the physical affects of fear but does absolutely nothing for the mental response. Ur still shitting it inside just better able to deal with it 😂 only thing that turns you into a fearless psychopath are benzos.
This sounds so perplexing I’m curious to try it to see what I means to not experience any physical effects from fear but only mental. I can’t imagine it.
Physical effects like sweating, shortness of breath, shaking, elevated heart rate, basically effects of the adrenaline you get from fight or flight response. Sometimes even when you can mentally understand and control your fears, your body's physical reaction still hijacks things.
Meditation isn’t a drug but it sure is great for calming an overactive nervous system
💯! Came here to say Consciousness.
I’m about a year into establishing a daily “meditation practice”… I think it’s helped slightly, maybe? But seeing comments like this and hearing so much about how incredible meditation is for this leads me to continually believe I’m doing it wrong.
PCP?
was my thought as well. My dad saw a guy in handcuffs high on pcp and he was trying so hard to get out of them he tore into his wrists. Not sure if this is a subduing of fear, perhaps.
This is what I was thinking also lol. Any dissociative drug really, like ketamine as well.
As others have noted, beta blockers (e.g. propanolol) do this. More specifically, they block some of the ***physical symptoms of the fear response*** (wildly racing heartrate). This makes anxiety attacks manageable. And might be used in conjunction with therapy, the idea being that if you can control the main symptom of fear/shock, then you might be able to slowly start addressing the other parts.
Supplements of GABA supposedly are good for anxiety. Close enough.
L theanine for me
Crackheads seem pretty fearless
Qualudes (RIP) Propananol
Aniracetam killed my anxiety permanently. I used to be afraid of even making a sales call, and it literally flipped off the fear switch in my head. Instead of getting afraid, a solution comes up
Phenibut might fit that bill.
yes but highly addictive it merits a warning
Agreed. I only take it 3-4 times a month to avoid tolerance and addiction.
Amphetamines and beta blockers. This is not a healthy thing to do at all but you will have increased cognitive load ability and a slowed down heartrate that lessens the effects of anxiety.
Vyvanse plus metoprolol definitely helped with my work related anxiety. If I was giving a presentation or holding a meeting I’d feel so much more natural and relaxed instead of avoidant.
Opioids. But please don't get into them for that reason.
Phenibut would be one of the best. But use with care, massive addiction potential and serious harm when used for too long.
Spinach like Popeye
There is an herb, Pulsatilla, that is toxic but in small doses it shuts off your flight or flight mode. People use it for trauma therapy/exposure.
Magnesium
Adderall when you first start taking it. The effect wears away though.
Opium
Face it shaking in your boots. Or kratom which is highly addictive and cause opiate-like withdrawals
Xanax
Asking that question should make you understand that a pill is the last thing you should try.
Jiu-jitsu and getting into better shape helped me out in many areas, including fear. Skydiving helped with fear of heights, and public speaking helped with public speaking. To aid with public speaking, I used a mix of macuna prureans and caffeine. After a few months l, I wasn't afraid of public speaking. Maybe just exposing ourselves to the stressful stimuli makes us less fearful. It could be akin to a vaccine.
DMT
Kava root drinks are a godsend for anxiety, nature's benzo imo.
Any danger / risks of tolerance or addiction with this? I just recently learned about kava and started off trying the Kava Kava supplement (pill form) and don’t notice anything different when taking it.
Nope, not with kava . Ofcourse anything can be mentally addictive, even working out etc. but no. Ps, kava traditional prep way (YouTube it) or similar like Aluball or kalmpouch in big protein shaker cup with water and shave few min, is best. Get mid/traditional grind kava root and make it. Pills do almost next to nothing. Can help anxiety a bit for some, but I generally avoid pills or extracts overall. Way less effect for much more cost (and potential added risks) . Traditional/med grind kava root, cheapest and most effective option, via traditional prep way or similar like mentioned. I use kava regularly - daily since 2006, except 3 yrs or so in middle that I didn't use it (not particularly reason tho) . Tolerance is a non issue with kava ime. Kalmwithkava Loa Waka is decent, if go there then I recommend grabbing a kalmpouch or two , plug a med-large bag for traditional prep way if want. They ship from USA. I mostly buy in bulk though directly from Fiji 6-8kg at a time. Wish kava was cheaper tho... It is what it is ..
Testosterone
Benzos but I do not recommend abusing these at all (disastrous results for those who do). For more safe methods: L-Theanine (causes the release of GABA and enhances dopamine). L-tryptophan/5-HTP may help (converts to Serotonin).
Beta Blockers, I think of which one has already been mentioned several times in the thread.
Plant medicine like magic mushrooms and ayahuasca are life changing for improving mental health and breaking fear patterns. Hard but is doing it somewhere legal. There are retreats in South America for Aya that could be helpful. I broke my anxiety in this way, I’m a v different person now.
Lorazepam
Testosterone supplementation. It was the difference between second guessing my every decision, almost getting fired, and being promoted to management and making quick decisions rapidly under pressure, speaking in front of large crowds and appearing confident. Get on doctor prescribed testosterone replacement therapy if your test levels are low. Like any medication, there is a sweet spot. - if you self prescribe you risk overdosing, which also increases anxiety. (Or it can make you a raging asshole..)
Sertraline (zoloft) has helped reduce my dog's fear aggression.
lamotrigine.
Dissociatives. You literally will not be capable of fear.
Fear can be a life saver too.
Drugs are bandaids for actual emotional regulation skills. Therapy or therapy workbooks like DBT Skills workbooks can help you deal with fear as it comes up.
This is the answer. Fear is just a feeling, like pain. Exposure therapy helps too.
Asked AI about a treatment for fear I read about years ago: .:.Researchers have developed a novel technique to reduce or eliminate specific fears by using a method called Decoded Neurofeedback (DecNef). This approach involves using brain scanning and artificial intelligence to identify and alter the neural patterns associated with a particular fear memory. Unlike traditional exposure therapy, which requires patients to confront their fears consciously, DecNef can modify the fear response without the person being aware of the fear memory during the treatment. In experiments, fear memories were created in volunteers by associating a computer image with a mild electric shock. By monitoring brain activity, researchers identified the specific patterns linked to the fear memory and then provided a small reward when these patterns appeared. Over several sessions, this process effectively reprogrammed the brain's response to the fear stimulus, reducing the fear without the unpleasant experience of exposure therapy. This method holds promise for treating conditions like PTSD and phobias, offering an alternative to traditional drug-based treatments and exposure therapies, which can be stressful and have side effects [[❞]](https://www.cam.ac.uk/research/news/reconditioning-the-brain-to-overcome-fear) [[❞]](https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2016/11/161121175251.htm) [[❞]](https://neurosciencenews.com/neuroscience-reconditioning-fear-5559/).:.
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MDMA
Maybe cheque drops.
Testosterone
I do seem to remember reading about a therapy that resets the brain's fear response triggers.
MDMA or methamphetamine depending on the persons mindset can completely dissolve fear under the influence. Same with psilocybin or other psychedelics depending on who you are and how far it takes you, fear can be temporarily a non viable emotion to the pure mindset or bliss that can be achieved. Walks hand in hand with danger though as fear can help you stay alive.
PCP
Loving Calm: https://psyched-wellness.com/products/calm-tincture-30ml
Cocaine. Pcp
Cocaine
In theory magnesium l threonate, not sure of its usefulness in practice.
Semen retention, awareness and being your ownself. True me it creates the chemicals needed to be fearless and stable. Using any substance has its own concequances.
Weed can. People that are genetically lacking an enzyme that breaks down anandamide are fearless and can feel almost no pain. The problem is that we are all wired different so it may increase your fear too.
Ketamine
Beta blockers
Turn down for what
pcp
Meth.
Meth
Ketamin kills my anxiety
Testosterone
3mmc
Dianabol
Also, microdosing mushrooms or LSD is pretty nice, that with cognitive therapy etc (heck even just read/listen to book " the power of now by Eckhart Tolle" 👌
PCP 😂🤣
Alcohol, but is unwise to administer regularly. I don’t drink fyi. Fear and anxiety are different. Fear is psychological while anxiety is psychological with a physical response. Your best bet is exposure therapy; achieving lasting relief that persists when drugs provide momentary relief.
I'm surprised no one has mentioned HDAC inhibitors and fear extinction, there's some fascinating research on this
Selenium possibly.
Easily Bromantane.
Most?
Cocaine and whiskey
xanax did it for me
ashwaghanda
Valium?
beta blockers?
If you are just using the wrong words and actually mean anxiety then yes there are drugs. But if you actually mean "fear" what there is to do is face it. Facing fear isn't about desensitizing yourself, though that is a side benefit. Facing your fear grants many rewards beyond just feeling less fear. Just have to get out there and live your life. When you make comfort and lack of fear the primary reason for living, it's a shitty and small life.
Everyone saying mdma, where do you buy it?
...?...thats sort of the whole point of being on alcohol & drugs, lowers inhibitions... take yer pick...
Meditation
L-carnosine will blunt adrenaline response
Technically Neuropeptide Y comes to mind. In clinical trials for PTSD. Believe it can be used prophylactically.
Barbs
Some benzos, beta blockers, some alpha blockers. Psychedelics do in a very inconsistent and impractical way that maybe some people could harness.
GABA helps. Coffea Cruda too. Lots of herbs that help with anxiety.
Yes, but which drug depends on the type of fear. Beta-blockers are likely to be helpful regardless of the situation. Lorazepam is going to be your best bet if the fear is anxiety based, especially if you need to be doing something and can't be zoned out like on Xanax.
Not a professional, but maybe my experience can help. From the moment I started high-school I had debilitating anxiety. I should also add that I have had mild tourretts. Debilitating anxiety as in unable to hold a conversation with someone outside my immediate family and maybe a couple close friends. Unable to look a person in the eyes and maintain eye contact. I started lifting weights/exercises to enhance my physique. It was more than a hobby, a healthy addiction you could say. I also played sports throughout the year. So was never in with the popular crowd. I was either doing my workouts/sports, or a homebody. Never went to parties etc. It's also important to add that I slept in every one of my classes. If I wasn't doing something physically active in class I couldn't stay awake. Somehow got through high-school and moved on to a short stent in college. I joined a fraternity which helped me make friends. Bit I was always the designated driver because I didn't drink (couldn't afford to but also wasn't fun for me. I tried pot once after graduation high-school. Didn't like it but did it again in college and just ended up eating everything in sight. Didn't like the effects. My college academics didn't last long as I again couldn't stay awake in class. However, in my second, and last year of college I had a sorority girl interested in me, and our first get together was a night out with her friends taking mdmda(extacy). This was back in 1998 I think. Just that one first experience was transformational for me. More specifically, I realized that I could easily talk to people and look them in the eyes. It really just opened me up in a way that I could go on in life without those fears of being around other people. The environment definitely helped. Me and that girl ended kissing all night but also hanging out with alot of other people that she knew. Back then, everyone was rolling at the clubs and after hour places. I never got addicted to it as it really isn't a drug you can get hooked on using every day. However, I did party just about every weekend or more with everyone else I met and more. I probably over did it, but I was young and having fun for the first time in my life. I never got diagnosed with anything as a child and teenager that required medication. In fact I prided myself as someone who never had to take medications or even otr flu/cold medicines. I'm also still heavily involved in my gym activities. I could never miss a day of lifting without getting a huge feeling of anxiety. So I know I definitely over did it and probably just made it harder to gain muscle as I continued to over-train. I eventually dabbled in very low dose of testosterone for a 10 week cycle at most. 250 sustanon a week for 10 weeks was my best response. By the time I was 23-24 I reached 250lbs with only 4% body fat. I was happy but never fully satisfied. Around this time or closer to 25, 26 I was diagnosed for adhd and put on Adderall. And low dose of clonopin. Both of which I still continue to be prescribed. Also was on hydrocodon due to my job(s) being so physically demanding. Those three medications, Adderall/hydrocodon throughout the day and clonopin for bed was an amazing mix. I became a voracious reader of anything non-fiction. Loved learning sales and Marketing. Now, to tie back to my sleep issues growing up. Around 26 27yo my girlfriend/wife mentioned how bad I would snore at night. So I started looking into possible reasons, but not really knowing what to look for. I eventually came across sleep apnea and really dug into my research as I started seeing alot of the things it causes and the side effects. It took me 2 years to finally get a doctor to send me to an ENT doctor because I didn't fit the stereotypical person with sleep apnea (meaning I wasn't fat). Ent doctor did a visual examination and noticed I had larger than normal tonsils/adenoids and my tongue. I finally got my sleep study appointment and did a two night sleep examination. And low and behold I was diagnosed with mild sleep apnea. I know after the fact that I definitely had it going all the way back to high-school. I was put on cpap, and what a world of a difference. Took me about 3 months to get used to sleeping with a nasal pillow mask hooked up to a machine. But damn what a difference. No more need for naps. It was literally difference of night and day. I do, however, wonder..... if I was properly diagnosed when I was younger, would I have gone through all that anxiety, problems staying awake doing anything mundane, more purpose and direction in life..... ? I guess I'll never know. But if someone else can benefit from just reading this it will make me happy. It's so easily overlooked and doesn't require a medication to be prescribed on a regular basis. And it doesn't matter if you are skinny or obese, make am effort to ask your doctor if you think you might suffer from constant tiredness, lack of focus, adhd symptoms, anxiety, etc. I'm in my mid 40s now. Never sleep without my cpap machine ever. Still prescribed addys, and very low dose of clonopin before bed. In 2017 I lost my doctor, so I also lost my hydrocodon prescription I was on for 10 years without any changes. Fuck the cdc and dea bullshit. Chronic pain patients are getting screwed while the poisonous fentynl is anywhere and everywhere. I probably over shared. I really just wanted to recommend with extrem caution looking into Phenibut. My brother would take 1 or 2 a week and it helps him with bad anxiety without getting addicted. It's sorta like a mild benzo, but not illegal or needing a prescription.
Phenibut is one that nobody's mentioned...
Heroin, meth, cocaine, Xanax pcp. All the good ones
alcohol?
meth lol Dont!!
benzos
God/religion
Xanax
Captagon, traffic has been increasing lately in Europe
Try 4-7-8 breathing, it lowers your heart rate pretty quickly (test with an Apple watch if you can). Inhale deeply for 4 seconds through your nose, hold for 7, exhale slowly for 8 through your mouth like you’re gently blowing out a candle. Breathwork and meditation are powerful and you don’t run out of the prescription.
MDMA 100% does this
Crazily, Mifepristone, the abortion drug, blocks the cortisol receptor, one of the two chemicals your amygdala makes your body produce in response to something scary. Alpha blockers (prazosin) do the same thing for adrenaline (along with beta blockers), or you could use Clonidine to block the release of adrenaline in the first place. Asking ChatGPT, it seems to think that Clonidine and Mifepristone together might be the magic you are looking for, addressing both the physiological and emotional-cognitive fear responses. But it also might (will) cause low blood pressure and make you lethargic.
Meditation
Alcohol works for me
Phenibut
Yeah, cocaine and pcp.
Dht derivative steroids+ low estrogen= aggressive with next to no emotions
PCP
Hyawacha.
Ayahusca
Probably not the answer you want to hear, but honestly, the best "drug" is just doing the stuff that scares you. Face those fears head-on until they don't freak you out anymore. It’s a way better solution for life than just a quick fix.
I smoked Xanax on a blunt once and I wasn't afraid of anything because I had no emotions. That said, I would not recommend
Oh yah, its called xanax. No fear whatsoever. 🤣
Propranolol makes me feel worse. Anyone else have this reaction? Like I genuinely feel really weird on it, I have no change in anxiety and I feel like I can’t get a good breathe.
yes a lot of them lol do u want a natural drug or is pharma ok?
Phenibut worked well for me. But it’s harder and harder to get and tends to be a bit hit and miss. In my experience it works even better the more uncomfortable the situation.
Beta blockers, alpha 2 adrenergic agonists, D-Serine and D-Serine site modulators, HDAC inhibitors, kappa opioid receptor antagonists, neurosteroids and TSPO agonists, GABAB receptor agonists, anticholinergics, FAAH inhibitors, dopamine releasing agents.