What Do We Do If Taking No Meds for Our Anxiety?

So I suffered from crippling anxiety disorder prior to taking my Klonopin. This taper is killing me especially my last cut.

I wake up every morning in a knot of pain, classic areas. Sternum, shoulders and my legs hurt so bad I whimper some mornings like a wounded animal. This was how I was when i first started suffering, now its even worse.

 

I dont think my Gaba receptors have corrected themselves, meaning Ill be right where I was pre benzo.

 

Does anyone else have this in the mornings? Physical PAIN.

Now Im getting it through the day at random, not thinking of anything.

 

Other question is what do we do when we are off the meds? Anyone learn of any other natural med that actually works?

Please dont say CBT, ive been there and done it. It doesnt stop the random physical pain.

 

Replies appreciated with ideas on how to prepare for med free anxiety management, avoidance.

I posed a similar question about insomnia - was I going to end up being the insomniac that I used to be before benzos?  I've done better than I would have anticipated, but I've been doing therapy to help manage my insomnia/anxiety.  Sleep remains an occasional problem for me, but I'm getting by.

in my opinion anxiety/insomnia can be a result of stress, alcohol, nourishment and living circumstances once you change these , your problem has a good chance to resolve on its own,

no need for any chemical crap.

it all starts with your mind-  clear up a big misconception.  the notion that anxiety should be "treated"  by making someone drugged and stoned is a made-up, nonscientific concept created by the big drug companies and psychiatry- just to make a huge profit.  to quote others, these industries have pathologized and medicalized just about all human conditions, including anxiety.  morreweg is correct- there are many, many avenues to take to help deal with what bothers you.  drugs, legal or not,  never did and never will make sense as a solution.  i would add attitude, perspective, support systems, etc.  the list is endless and should never include a chemical marketed falsely to  benefit big business.

 

good luck and much healing

 

erin

Well stress is certainly a big factor as Im in wd, no job because i cant function normally meaning I can barely take care of myself.

I drink zero alcohol. I agree if I were able to work and not have so much stress about money It would surely improve.

 

Im in constant rumination of my past as I was very successful and happy. No matter what i do I cant stop thinking of those days.

Who wouldnt think of happier days, or who doesnt i should say.

Groove, i'm also not working right now and wonder if my anxiety would still be present without benzo WD. What makes it so bad is constant worry that if i don't get better what will become of my life. I'm 51 and not getting any younger. It's like my thought process is a vicious cycle, of "what ifs?", thinking about worse case scenarios.

i like what erin posted, for some reason it made me feel better about deciding to get off benzos.

The 'what ifs' can cause anxiety.  Be in the moment. 

There are many people who manage anxiety with coping strategies. Might be a good idea to try to focus on what can move you from where you are mentally to what might work to help calm some anxiety. Even people with jobs and financial security have anxiety about some things. Its a human condition, to be fair. Some experience it more than others.

 

I would encourage you to first shift your thinking to a what IS working, things in life that you can actually be grateful for ie: easy ones like food to eat, all your limbs, vision, etc. Then I would check into how others cope. I found yoga to be very cathartic. I know its not for everyone. Meditation, as challenging as it seemed when I started, but I was desperate to feel better, my complaining about it just made it worse, but meditation has been really calming. In withdrawal, I did not get immediate gratification from these different strategies, but it did give me some positive things to do while time passed to get through it.

 

I would walk, and watch comedy, or ocean videos on youtube, writing helped alot, hot tea that I was never a fan of before helped (I learned that from being on the forum, and surprised it was so calming in wd) being on the forum was cathartic, too.

 

I also lost my job and my home in wd. So I certainly understand your concerns. One thing I kept clear in my mind is that Benzos where starting to be harmful to me even before I started tapering off, so I knew I couldn't go back on. There was no way out of withdrawal but to go through it. I knew it would take a long time, and I just took it day by day.

 

This isn't going to be easy, but you will find if you seek some coping strategies that work for you. Don't let yourself wallow too long in self pity when it comes. Truth is that it is what it is. Life is not fair, but you will be surprised at your ability to comfort yourself without medications. I know it.

 

Encouragingly,

Sarah

 

 

TY Sarah for your response, its appreciated. Im am so full of self pity is just terrible. Constantly ruminating about my past when I was healthy and asking the ol so famous question...why me...why me. Sigh...

There are many people who manage anxiety with coping strategies. Might be a good idea to try to focus on what can move you from where you are mentally to what might work to help calm some anxiety. Even people with jobs and financial security have anxiety about some things. Its a human condition, to be fair. Some experience it more than others.

 

I would encourage you to first shift your thinking to a what IS working, things in life that you can actually be grateful for ie: easy ones like food to eat, all your limbs, vision, etc. Then I would check into how others cope. I found yoga to be very cathartic. I know its not for everyone. Meditation, as challenging as it seemed when I started, but I was desperate to feel better, my complaining about it just made it worse, but meditation has been really calming. In withdrawal, I did not get immediate gratification from these different strategies, but it did give me some positive things to do while time passed to get through it.

 

I would walk, and watch comedy, or ocean videos on youtube, writing helped alot, hot tea that I was never a fan of before helped (I learned that from being on the forum, and surprised it was so calming in wd) being on the forum was cathartic, too.

 

I also lost my job and my home in wd. So I certainly understand your concerns. One thing I kept clear in my mind is that Benzos where starting to be harmful to me even before I started tapering off, so I knew I couldn't go back on. There was no way out of withdrawal but to go through it. I knew it would take a long time, and I just took it day by day.

 

This isn't going to be easy, but you will find if you seek some coping strategies that work for you. Don't let yourself wallow too long in self pity when it comes. Truth is that it is what it is. Life is not fair, but you will be surprised at your ability to comfort yourself without medications. I know it.

 

Encouragingly,

Sarah

 

Wow ! Fantastic post Sarah!

 

 

Groove,

 

I did not have the pain you are having, but I will offer up my various coping strategies.

 

* Going for a short walk. I always felt better after a walk. It was one of the few things which always offered some immediate benefit.

 

* Singing. Yes, especially if you can sing something that has good childhood memories for you or good memories from other times in our life. Singing with other people is even more helpful.

 

* Like Sarah, I also benefitted from yoga, but most especially Qi Gong. Even if you don't feel the healing energy, it is still a great form of meditation. A good start:

 

* Laughter. A lot of comedies fall flat for me, so I really had to search to find something to make me laugh. I usually love satire, but during WD satire was not good for me.

 

* Eating healthy. This wasn't a choice for me. During WD, my body rejected so many things I previously liked, including chocolate! I finally settled on a largely mediterranean diet (veggies and pasta, quinoa, or couscous). Processed food simply made me ill.

 

* Frequent breaks from the computer. Fortunately, I was able to keep my job (programming) though I'm facing job loss now for other reasons. I really learned that I had to take a break from the screen every 45 minutes. That includes smartphones and tablets. I had to learn to value and thus limit my time on all devices.

 

* Crank up the music. It is a good distraction for those of us who ruminate. I would crank up The Black Keys during the day. At bedtime, I found some soothing music to help me sleep.

 

* Counseling. I know finances are a concern, but there are some free sources of counseling. I'm really lucky that even in a rural area of the southern U.S. we have a progressive church with a pastor who is a skilled counselor and life coach. Just find someone to talk to.

 

* Be open to alternative therapies. I never got much help from chiropractors until I met one here who I can only describe as a healer. She is excellent at pain management as well, so I wish you could find someone like that. And I've tried many other things, some of which I'm very skeptical about, such as himalayan salt lamp I was given. However, I can't deny that after turning on that lamp I've now slept for 7 nights straight nights after a 5 months of insomnia. I was already staring to feel better before the lamp, but still! Whatever works is now my motto.

 

Hang in there. I know many will say "don't worry" or "stop ruminating" about things. When things are going bad for us that seems to be an impossible task. Overthinking and those negative thoughts come so easily (and unbidden). I've come to accept that those thoughts will come into my head, but am learning (slowly) to try and let them drift off when they do come.

 

Oh, and when the ruminating was really bad I remembered a saying: "Think about what your are doing not what you are thinking." That is such a struggle for me! During bad times when I was home alone, I would speak aloud about what I was doing, such as "I am going to get some almond butter. I am now opening the cabinet and grabbing the jar." Yeah, I know that sounds pretty crazy, but it did help.

 

Best of luck to you.

 

 

Thanks for responding Ben, lots of good suggestions and are appreciated!!!

Oh, and when the ruminating was really bad I remembered a saying: "Think about what your are doing not what you are thinking." That is such a struggle for me! During bad times when I was home alone, I would speak aloud about what I was doing, such as "I am going to get some almond butter. I am now opening the cabinet and grabbing the jar." Yeah, I know that sounds pretty crazy, but it did help.

Best of luck to you.

 

Wow, that is powerful. Never thought of doing that!! You have been very helpful, thanks!! 

OP, i have Meniere's Disease. If you Google it, then you'll understand that my level of anxiety should be (and was) higher than almost anyone else here.

 

However, high dose Inositol and Vitamin C, along with morning activities to distract me, has pretty much eliminated it.

TY Fat...ive seen others mention those 2 things...i thinks its time to trial them

 

Oh, and when the ruminating was really bad I remembered a saying: "Think about what your are doing not what you are thinking." That is such a struggle for me! During bad times when I was home alone, I would speak aloud about what I was doing, such as "I am going to get some almond butter. I am now opening the cabinet and grabbing the jar." Yeah, I know that sounds pretty crazy, but it did help.

 

Best of luck to you.

 

 

 

I've been doing this quite often since my anxiety went through the roof during the last phase of my taper. As crazy as it sounds, it does help! Just make sure you are alone when you're doing it  Very helpful post, Bencart, thank you.

 

 

Groove,

 

I did not have the pain you are having, but I will offer up my various coping strategies.

 

* Going for a short walk. I always felt better after a walk. It was one of the few things which always offered some immediate benefit.

 

* Singing. Yes, especially if you can sing something that has good childhood memories for you or good memories from other times in our life. Singing with other people is even more helpful.

 

* Like Sarah, I also benefitted from yoga, but most especially Qi Gong. Even if you don't feel the healing energy, it is still a great form of meditation. A good start:

 

* Laughter. A lot of comedies fall flat for me, so I really had to search to find something to make me laugh. I usually love satire, but during WD satire was not good for me.

 

* Eating healthy. This wasn't a choice for me. During WD, my body rejected so many things I previously liked, including chocolate! I finally settled on a largely mediterranean diet (veggies and pasta, quinoa, or couscous). Processed food simply made me ill.

 

* Frequent breaks from the computer. Fortunately, I was able to keep my job (programming) though I'm facing job loss now for other reasons. I really learned that I had to take a break from the screen every 45 minutes. That includes smartphones and tablets. I had to learn to value and thus limit my time on all devices.

 

* Crank up the music. It is a good distraction for those of us who ruminate. I would crank up The Black Keys during the day. At bedtime, I found some soothing music to help me sleep.

 

* Counseling. I know finances are a concern, but there are some free sources of counseling. I'm really lucky that even in a rural area of the southern U.S. we have a progressive church with a pastor who is a skilled counselor and life coach. Just find someone to talk to.

 

* Be open to alternative therapies. I never got much help from chiropractors until I met one here who I can only describe as a healer. She is excellent at pain management as well, so I wish you could find someone like that. And I've tried many other things, some of which I'm very skeptical about, such as himalayan salt lamp I was given. However, I can't deny that after turning on that lamp I've now slept for 7 nights straight nights after a 5 months of insomnia. I was already staring to feel better before the lamp, but still! Whatever works is now my motto.

 

Hang in there. I know many will say "don't worry" or "stop ruminating" about things. When things are going bad for us that seems to be an impossible task. Overthinking and those negative thoughts come so easily (and unbidden). I've come to accept that those thoughts will come into my head, but am learning (slowly) to try and let them drift off when they do come.

 

Oh, and when the ruminating was really bad I remembered a saying: "Think about what your are doing not what you are thinking." That is such a struggle for me! During bad times when I was home alone, I would speak aloud about what I was doing, such as "I am going to get some almond butter. I am now opening the cabinet and grabbing the jar." Yeah, I know that sounds pretty crazy, but it did help.

 

Best of luck to you.

 

 

Thanks, Ben, for such a helpful post!

On the latter part ... alone is the key, of course! 

 

Lizie

Im happy this post is helping others also