Holistic, "new age" types that aren't flaky

[mermaidcafe.livejournal.com]

I couldn't think of a better subject, so this is all you get.

I want to do something about my anxiety and negative thinking, and since nothing else seems to be helping, I thought I'd try going the route of "alternative medicine." I've tried a lot of it in the past, ususally unsuccessfully. I didn't have shady practitioners, they were just kind of flaky and not good matches for my really analytical mind. I had reiki with Joanna Scaparotti, who's on here, and she's fantastic, but I'm hoping to find someone who can help me work through things on my own. Perhaps someone who's a good meditation teacher or something like that would be a good fit. I'm not quite sure how to approach this.

I know what I don't want, though. My cranky skeptical side cuts in and says no to anyone who regularly recommends Bach's Rescue Remedy, no to anyone performing resonance repatterning, no to anyone who is a life coach (or anything else really vague), no to sand art therapy, no to anyone who tries to get me to ditch my prescription meds, no to anyone who will link my present problems to my past life and/or conception, no to anyone who recommends drinking my own urine, no to anyone who plays Norah Jones as meditation music, and no excessive use of crystals.

I've had all those things happen. Oh, and I don't like massages. They make me nervous.

Now, with all of that, does anyone have any recommendations to offer? :)

Comments

[thetathx1138.livejournal.com]

Picky, are we? :-)

[mermaidcafe.livejournal.com]

Sorry, I'll let you get back to drinking your own piss while you crank "Come Away With Me." :)

[ron_newman]

> Bach's Rescue Remedy

meaning, a season ticket to the Boston Symphony?

[thetathx1138.livejournal.com]

Sadly, no, they appear to be some kind of homeopathic thing.

[mermaidcafe.livejournal.com]

Now that might help. The actual Bach's Rescue Remedy is some flower petals steeped in alcohol. You're supposed to put a few drops in a glass of water and drink it when the world's got you down.

I'm not sure why you bother with the flower bit. Just drinking the alcohol seems like a pretty good idea.

[mrboboto.livejournal.com]

I have a good friend who's been seeing Michael Robbins for several years now to deal with anxiety and negative thought patterns. He's a really great therapist. Like any talk therapy, you need to stick with it and have some patience. He also teaches great tai chi classes, which can be helpful too. And he won't make you ditch your meds.

He's not as much of a neeney-nannah new age person as his website will make you think: http://www.michaelrobbinstherapy.com/

[mermaidcafe.livejournal.com]

Cool, thanks! I'll check into that.

[ron_newman]

Tagged as "health care". I don't know if any earlier posts with this tag match what you need, but take a look.

[library-sexy.livejournal.com]

You should call Emily Page (http://emilypage.com/). She is located in Arlington so if you don't have a car you can bus to her. She also does work over the phone. I think she will fit a lot of the criteria you have listed and is worth calling to check out on your own.

FYI: Her website only covers some of what she works on. She seems to have a vast base of experience to draw from and likes to work with each person as an individual, not a textbook.

[mermaidcafe.livejournal.com]

Neat! Thanks! And love your username by the way. :)

[slinkr.livejournal.com]

Try the Marino Center for Progressive Health on Mass Ave. They have acupuncture, massage therapy, and Chinese medicine specialists on staff. They also have classes on stress reduction and stuff like that. If they don't have what you're looking for, they're likely to be able to refer you somewhere.

[mermaidcafe.livejournal.com]

Thanks!

[turil.livejournal.com]

If you'd like to be free from anxiety and negative thinking, what sort of thinking do you want to replace them with?

[turil.livejournal.com]

As a follow-up, what sort of things HAVE worked for you in the past? Knowing that might give us an idea of what type of thing might work well for you.

[balsamicdragon.livejournal.com]

Meditation and cognitive therapy. Because, let's face it, you are a bit of a control freak (like myself) and you want to be in charge and understand whatever you are doing to your brain. Also, feel free to drop me a line if you need someone to talk to. I have no scientific or academic credentials, but I have pretty much recovered from clinical depression and entirely cured myself of a major phobia.

[turil.livejournal.com]

Have you had any good experiences with getting professional work with these processes locally? I've had good experience with both, but never from a live person. Only in books, websites, videos, and audio recordings...

[schpahky.livejournal.com]

Insight Meditation Center in Cambridge (on Broadway) is terrific. Beginner meditation is Tuesday's at 6pm. Anxiety comes up often in the Q&A.

[mermaidcafe.livejournal.com]

Thanks! That certainly sounds worth a try!

[elusiveat.livejournal.com]

If you're into working things through in a talking-things-through kind of way, I recommend connecting with these people: http://www.collaborativepsychotherapy.com

[mermaidcafe.livejournal.com]

I remember looking at that website while therapist-shopping before. I'll look into it!

[agnosticoracle.livejournal.com]

Just to give the obvious not so alternative suggestion:

Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cognitive_behavioral_therapy)/

[mermaidcafe.livejournal.com]

Thanks! I'm already doing that, actually, but I'm looking for something that will also pay off in the shorter term.

acupuncture

[teele-sq.livejournal.com]

I've had success using acupuncture to treat my anxiety. If you email me I can recommend my acupuncturist. She's located in Cambridge near Porter Square.

Re: acupuncture

[mermaidcafe.livejournal.com]

Thanks! I had one really great acupuncture experience and one that was only so-so, but I'm certainly willing to try again.

[dphilli1.livejournal.com]

exercise. works for me.

[mermaidcafe.livejournal.com]

Yeah, it's certainly a good way to burn off all the nervous energy.

[mperrotti76.livejournal.com]

O prefer a good dose of RX strength Adderall every now and again. It works wonders.

[heliopsis.livejournal.com]

I've been going to Plum blossom Acupuncture clinic in Inman Square, and I very much appreciate the rational, scientific approach they take to their holistic treatment. And it seems to have worked wonders for me. Now, I don't know if they treat anxiety; but you could talk to them. (617) 576-7586

doing what you're doing

[enochs-fable.livejournal.com]

It sounds like you really don't need "alternative medicine" but instead to keep doing what you're doing - finding a good cognitive therapist is key, exercising, and also getting out and about to stay engaged. Meditation or yoga sound like good matches - they're not cures, but like exercise, they may help take you out of your head for a bit.

Two recommendations for reading:

When Panic Attacks (http://www.amazon.com/When-Panic-Attacks-Drug-Free-Anxiety/dp/076792083X/ref=pd_bbs_4?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1213879784&sr=8-4) by David Burns, a cognitive therapist.

Full Catastrophe Living (http://www.amazon.com/Full-Catastrophe-Living-Wisdom-Illness/dp/0385303122/ref=pd_sim_b_1) by Jon
Kabat-Zinn, founder of the Stress Reduction Clinic at the University of Massachusetts Medical Center. His program, in a word, is meditation, rescued from the mire of mysticism that made it trendy in the 1960s.

Re: doing what you're doing

[mermaidcafe.livejournal.com]

Thanks! I'm a big fan of David Burns already, but I'm not famliar with Full Catastrophe Living.

Amethyst Center, naturopathic doctor

[schuskynd.livejournal.com]

Pretty much pure self promotion here, but I can recommend me: Read Weaver Schusky, ND (http://www.amethystcenter.com/schusky.htm). I'm a naturopathic doctor working at Amethyst Center in the heart of Davis Square. If naturopathic medicine ends up not being what you're looking for, I can also recommend my colleagues at Amethyst, who have varying degrees of New Age-ness.

[meta-aesthete.livejournal.com]

Stop expecting some voodoo doctor to give you all the answers and do some hard work yourself. Yoga and meditation are places to start. If you want to, supplement that with some traditional therapy if you have really bad habits in your relationships that cause you stress. Then work to resolve those habits.

Get in shape.

Eat better.

Drink enough water.

Get enough sleep.