I have anxiety but don't take medication for it.
What helps me is working the NA program: going to meetings, working the steps with a sponsor, fellowship, and service, and of course not using drugs.

Anxiety expresses itself in lots of ways. Not just with drug use. People use all kinds of outside fixes to try to make their insides feel somewhat "Normal". It can be sex, obsessive cleaning, creating chaos, and many other ways. What I have found that works for me is to stay planted in the Rooms and work the Steps. I found out for myself that as I become healthier thru the working of the steps.....the more peace and serene I became. I have learned to rely on and trust in the process and my H.P. and as my faith and trust has grown in my H.P. by me choosing to turn it over to my H.P. things got a whole lot better for me. I've been to shrinks, psychologist, treatment centers, churches, had the "Demon's" cast out of me (so they said) and been on slews of mental medications over the years and diagnosed with just about every kind of mental disorder there was. I was told that I would have to be on these Mental Medications for the rest of my life but using a Theripist (who was also in the rooms) and slowly one medication at a time lowered the dosage I can say that I am no longer taking any kind of mental medications but it took over five years of being clean and living the program for me to get there. When I am all up in my head and trying to handle life on life's terms by my own strength and will power.....things get very chaotic for me emotionally, mentally and Spiritually. When I do finally exaust myself in trying to handle things all by myself...it is then that I remember that I need to turn it over to my H.P. to handle and leave the results in the hands of my H.P. My goal is to not get to the point of insanity before I turn it over and release it to the care of my H.P. That is the progress for me. The time gets shorter and shorter in my turning it over but when I do, it takes the pressure out of me having to figure it all out and turns the control over to a Power Greater than myself that can restore me to sanity. We have a disease that manifest itself in our thinking and between our ears and effect our emotional, mental, physical and Spiritual selves. It effects all areas of our lives.

Missy, have you discussed clonidine with your doctor? I'm 6 weeks clean, but three weeks in I was out of my mind with anxiety. It got so bad that I couldn't even watch dramatic or action movies without having a panic attack. I know that the point is not to go on more drugs, but I really found the clonidine to be helpful in eradicating my anxiety and restlessness. The nice thing about it is it's just a blood pressure medication so it's not something else to become addicted to.