I remember my first panic attack like it was yesterday. I was surrounded by people I loved, yet I felt completely alone. My palms were sweaty, my heart was pounding so hard I thought it might burst, I felt lightheaded, and something just felt off.
Over time, I learned there were two kinds of anxiety attacks: the big ones that knock you off your feet, and the “mini” ones I had so often they started to feel normal. It wasn’t until a major one hit that I realized something had to change.
MY JOURNEY TO GETTING SUPPORT
In my junior year of high school, I started therapy and went on medication. At first, I was embarrassed to go on medicine. However, over time, I realized that seeking help wasn’t a weakness, but a strength.
I also learned my anxiety was tied to depression. A test confirmed I had a chemical imbalance, and I assumed I’d be on medication forever. Finding the right one was challenging. I was sensitive to side effects, and each option seemed to come with a negative: this one will help depression but not anxiety, this one works for both, but you might struggle to fall asleep, this one might help, but you’ll likely gain weight.
For years, I rotated through medications. Sometimes the relief was worth the side effects, but the cycle was exhausting.
THE YEARS THAT CHANGED ME
My early twenties were some of the hardest years of my life, yet also the years when I experienced the most growth. My senior year of college, I was in a toxic, emotionally abusive relationship that stripped me of my confidence and made me feel small. The constant stress and emotional manipulation fed into my anxiety and depression, and it also fueled a very unhealthy relationship with food and my body.
Disordered eating became my way of trying to control something when everything else felt out of control. I bounced between restricting, overeating, and overexercising, believing my worth was tied to my body. Looking back, I can see how much I was hurting both mentally and physically.
When I finally left that relationship, I promised myself I would never settle for a life that made me feel so powerless again. That promise became the spark that led to the lifestyle changes that made me leave a job I didn’t like, go back to school to become a Nutrition Health Coach, and change my whole career to start my business, Clarify Wellness with Carlee, to help others with what I struggled with.
THE TURNING POINT
I didn’t just wake up one day and throw away my medication. I built a strong foundation first:
- Continued talk therapy for accountability and stress management
- Started EMDR therapy to process trauma from the relationship and earlier experiences
- Worked with a health coach, nutritionist, and doctor to address what nutrients I was lacking and how I can support my health from the inside out
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I also took a whole year off from dating and focused on myself and only myself!
During this time, I also began to repair my relationship with food, eating to fuel my mind and body, not to punish or control it. Slowly, I started choosing movements I loved instead of workouts I dreaded.
After about 5 years of staying consistent with my lifestyle changes and habits, I felt ready. Slowly, under supervision, I weaned off medication. Now, I’ve been off for almost a year. I still experience anxiety, but I have the tools to handle it, and I no longer feel controlled by it.
THE LIFESTYLE SHIFTS THAT MADE THE DIFFERENCE
1. Changing my diet and healing my relationship with food
I switched to a whole-foods-based diet, focused on gut health (the gut and brain are closely connected), reduced processed foods and sugar, and followed an 80/20 balance. (This is now a big part of what I teach as a Nutrition Health Coach.)
2. Cutting out alcohol
Alcohol always made my anxiety worse, so I swapped cocktails for mocktails, and I’ve never been happier. This was tough as people judge, but I realized I need to do what makes me feel best.
3. Removing toxic people and leaning on my support system
I’ve realized that walking away from people who no longer serve me is one of the biggest acts of self-care I’ve ever practiced. Setting boundaries and letting go of one-sided friendships is hard, but sometimes it’s necessary. Doing this has allowed me to lean more on my true support system - my amazing husband, my parents, siblings, cousins, and close friends.
4. Swapping coffee for matcha
I went from 2–3 cups of coffee a day to matcha, which has L-theanine for calm, sustained energy without the jitters.
5. Moving for my mind, not my body
I let go of the “burn calories” mindset and chose the movement I enjoy: weightlifting, Pilates, and walking.
6. Journaling & affirmations
Even 2–5 minutes a day makes a difference. One sentence. One affirmation. One sentence of gratitude. Chasing Red Flags, Let’s Get Real Journal is my FAVORITE.
7. Investing in the right support
Therapy, EMDR, life coaching, health coaching, nutrition support, and functional medicine testing all worked together to create a stable foundation.
8. Creating and growing a business to help others
I got to sleep every night grateful for what I do. I now help others heal their relationship with food, find the root cause of their emotional eating, and find ways to hit weight and wellness goals without feeling restricted.
HERE IS WHAT WORKED FOR ME
For me, these shifts didn’t just calm my anxiety, they helped me heal so much from my past, recover from disordered eating, and rebuild a life I’m proud of. There’s absolutely nothing wrong with being on medication, but I highly recommend making habit changes to support your mental health. I now help people create lifestyle changes every single day that transform their physical and emotional health completely. As a Nutrition Health Coach specializing in Emotional Eating Psychology, Relationship with Food, and Weight Management Nutrition, I guide clients to make sustainable changes, shifting fear to fun, anxiety to something manageable, and showing that you don’t have to rely on medication forever. You are in more control than you think; you need the right tools and lifestyle changes to feel and trust that you are in control.
Connect with me anytime,
Carlee
Founder of Clarify Wellness With Carlee