hi TexasMary. have been dealing with anxiety/stress for a few yrs now! things kind of settled after I got my MS dx in 2012 as a lot of it was health related but flared up again in the past year. my original GP had me on xanax. didn't like using them. they were only the mildest dose and yeah, done their job. and weening yourself off them is not fun. i tried herbal remedies like Bach Rescue and Kalms tablets. didn't find the tablets much use. the Bach is good tho as a quick shot to the nerves! finally I got a new GP and she has put me on medication called Lexapro. again a mild dose. the idea is to be on them for a few mths and come off them and hopefully not need meds again. have been on them a few weeks and I have to say, the difference is incredible. but if i'm honest, i don't think pills alone are the answer. I have also been in counselling - its really useful to offload on someone who's outside lookin in if ya know what i mean. he has me journaling which is also useful. you can trace back all your good days and focus on the positives. I can recommend a good book that may help. its called "When Panic Attacks" by Aine Tubridy. i found it helpful and you get a CD with breathing excercises and meditations with it. there's also a website, preventyourpanic.com, by a guy called Alex Taylor, which has free downloads of excercises and booklets on dealing with stress and anxiety. have also started a free drawing course online too. there are loads of them if you have a good look around. i honestly think its a combination of things that work. hopefully you find some of this useful. i've jabbered on enuff!! best of luck with it! :)

Meditation! ... :) xxx