I hear what you're saying, as I went through something very similar.
One technique that I have found to be a godsend when it comes to anxiety is EFT - emotional freedom technique. Do a quick google search and there are plenty of videos and articles that show you how to do it for free. It's based on the ancient chinese theory that there are meridians running through our body circulating chi. Chi follows intent, and EFT works by focusing on an uncomfortable sensation or memory, and then tapping on meridian points to release blockages - the theory being that traumatising events or negative emotions cause disruptions in our energy flow, often leading to neuroses or illnesses if the blockages are severe enough. I was a bit skeptic at first because it seemed a bit too 'fluffy' and New Age-y for me, but I strongly urge you to try it as it has worked wonders for my anxiety and depression. One issue with it is that if your anxiety is based on a multitude of causes, it may be a little tricky finding out what the core cause is - I didn't get significant headway until I started going to see an energy therapist who is very intuitive and taught me the art of getting down to the core issue. But even using it on your own, you should be able to find relief for anxiety with a bit of persistance.
By the way, my anxiety was exactly as you describe yours, just this horrible nervous feeling in my stomach, for no discernible reason. I got a lot of relief using EFT directly on the anxiety, but it didn't really go away until I worked with my therapist on energy blockages resulting from childhood issues to do with an alcoholic father, a difficult separation between my parents, and the death of my father a few years later. I had no idea that these childhood traumas had anything to do with my anxiety, and I thought I had pretty much neutralised the memories from those events already. Well, as soon as my therapist did EFT on me regarding those memories, my anxiety levels were drastically reduced, have continued to be reduced after three months, and when I do have anxiety I can usually point it to a cause in my life that is stressing me out, and I can use the technique on myself to get rid of it.
Just like you, I intuitively sensed that my anxiety wasn't going to go away through conventional means. A close friend of mine has the same anxiety, and has been put on an anti-anxiety medicine, which she swears by. I am skeptic, since medication for anxiety, in my opinion, is only a treatment of the symptoms and not the cause, and should only really be used as a band-aid to take the edge off while using other means - professional therapy or self-therapy - to remove the roots of anxiety. I've tried to convince her to go the same route as me, without avail, and as much as I think it's a shame, each to their own, I can't live her life for her and nor should I want to. I dabbled with the idea of getting meds, and actually went to the doctor at one point, it was just after a break-up with my ex and my anxiety was unbearable. She put me on some antidepressant which I took for two days, it completely zombified me and I threw the rest in the bin.
By the way, an excellent book that covers energy healing, including meridians, chakras and the like, is "Energy Medicine" by Donna Eden. I learnt a chakra balancing procedure which I described in the 'working with energies' thread from that book, you could try that procedure as well. Although I suspect its more of a cumulative effect, while EFT produces more instant relief. But doing both would probably be even better. Also, the book I mentioned has many other techniques which balance the energies in our bodies.
I applaud you for taking time to look into energy balancing techniques before turning to medication to cover up the symptoms. If only conventional science would take a hint from Traditional Chinese Medicine and realise that so many illnesses, psychological and physical, have everything to do with how the energy is running in our bodies. In the EFT circles, it is generally agreed that 80% of physical diseases, if not more, are caused because of emotions that disrupt our chi flow. I can readily believe this, having cleared a chronic illness that I've had for five years by using EFT. It wasn't a serious illness, but uncomfortable and annoying (female business, I won't go into the details out of consideration for you guys! (IMG:
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Anyway, I apologise for going on and on about EFT, my friends think I've become a bit of a nut because I'm so enthusiastic about it (I managed to convince one of them to try it yesterday, he said he felt an amazing tingling in the whole of his body), but after how much it has helped me, its impossible not to be! (IMG:
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