substituting with ssris

Hi new to the forum .is it common for drs to suggest ssris to start before benzo taper .my dr is not rushing me and i have not started my taper yet.but says ssri will help anxiety for long term maintenance. dont have clinical depression .anxiety is my main problem .i am on ssri for a few weeks they seem to have made my anxiety worse .i have insomnia and nausea .the benzo helps way more alone.i feel i dont have the rite to question my drs advice to put me on ssri for anxiety and should try stay on it longer to see if it with time will help..have they helped anyone once they are of the benzo.just worried about being on another med could mess me up more.

It is common for doctors to suggest it, and in my case it was a very bad idea. I was encouraged to keep trying with the SSRI despite terrible side effects and eventually had to taper the SSRI before I could deal with the benzo. Sounds like you already have this figured out, just need to have the courage to tell your doc how you feel. I think after a several weeks on the SSRI I wouldnt stop suddenly, but you could taper off over a few weeks. A slow enough benzo taper can keep the anxiety under control. I found SSRI withdrawal to be like getting hit by a train (and over quickly), benzo withdrawal like being dragged behind the train for miles....

Take care,

JKS