Being Hopeful: testosterone replacement therapy (TRT) for Anxiety?

[JOWS6]

Being Hopeful: TRT for Anxiety?

As you can see through the papers I submitted to you Chip, I suffer from panic attacks. My therapists believe I have Generalized Anxiety Disorder (GAD) as well but I attribute my state of chronic worry to the anticipation of panic attacks.

I came across this article and looks very hopeful to others out there who suffer from a disorder under the anxiety umbrella.

ajp.psychiatryonline.org/cgi/content/full/157/11/1884

 

[HUGE.HULK]

I may sound stupid telling you this, but have you tried relaxing & breathing techniques?
I know it did wonders for a friend of mine. Psychiatrist put him on 5mg valium/day with not much result.

 

[CHIP WADOWSKI]

JOWS6.... I'm not a shrink, and don't have a medical license on my wall, but given the career path that my life has taken, I DO, inadvertently, become a therapist in one respect or another, for every client that I have. When I speak or give ANY advice to ANYONE, it is rare, if EVER, that I am not speaking in direct relation to something that I have been forced to overcome in my own personal life. IMO, if you are living in a constant state of fear or anxiety, it is because you have ALREADY experienced AND overcame the very things that are consuming you. Most of the time, the answer is right in front of you, but you CHOOSE not see or acknowledge it, because your are fearful that the acceptance of it will take you OUT of a "comfort zone" that you are actually NOT comfortable in, anyway. But as human beings, we fear change. We fear the unknown. We would rather stay sedentary and ROT in an environment that we KNOW we hate, yet have LEARNED to adapt to, rather than face our fear and open the door to a better tomorrow. There are medications, breathing routines, therapists, chamomile tea, and a million other things out there to help you get over the hump......

THEN THERE IS THE MIRROR.

Looking in it and accepting and identifying with all that is staring back at you can sometimes be the most BRUTAL form of therapy that exists. Now, I'm not saying that medication and help is wrong, by ANY means, because many of these issues are PROVEN to be "chemical", but the point I'm getting to is that YOU ARE STRONGER THAN YOU BELIEVE YOU ARE. WE ALL ARE.

I'll give you some words to go on.... my mother (Rest her Soul, 03/2/07) always used to say,

"IT'S ALWAYS DARKEST JUST BEFORE DAWN"

Hence... "THE DAWN OF A NEW ERA IN HRT TREATMENT"... IN HONOR OF HER.

 

[JOWS6]

Thanks for the responses. I jus' wanted you to guys to know that I overcame most of my issues. It was through the help of a therapist I truly respect that practices CBT. The kind of therapy is very much related to the principle that Chip is talking about. For instance, I had a panic attack on the expressway and I avoided expressways for the longest for fear of inducing another attack. The point of CBT is to desensitize yourself and face your fears.

I would say I'm 90% "cured" and the rest of the 10% is some nagging worries here-and-there. It's nothing too big and I'm successful at conquering those fears with some CBT work. It's nice to know though, that testosterone replacement therapy (TRT) might assist in that last 10%!

I have tried relaxation through progressive-muscle relaxation exercises and it helps. Also slowing your breathing for 10-15 minutes really helps as well.