Getting close to jumping, Don't Know What do To? Maybe New Meds? 24/7 Anxiety

I am at a critical point...Down to 1mg for about 21 days. I have not felt good for an entire day since I cut. I feel "better" at times, but never good. My symptoms are kind of evolving into almost strictly anxiety at this point. I feel nervous all the time, hot flashes, palpitations, sleeping problems, facial muscle tension, hyperventilating, etc. Don't need to list them all. But the bigger issue is the do not stop. They are 24/7 and even wake me up in my sleep. The other scary new symptoms is crazy thoughts. I either want to fight people, act reckless, or am overcome with waves of hopeless/sadness and am convinced I am going to die....

 

I think this is what happens when you have an anxiety/panic problem and stop medicating. Surprise, surprise, the symptoms come back. So, this leaves me with two choices: Try to find a non-medication way to treat anxiety or find a new medicine. I would like the insight of people's experience. I also want to know for those who went through hell, and are now off. Was it worth it?

 

1. No Medicine: Meditation and gym can take the edge off but don't prevent anything. In fact, sometimes the gym makes it worse. I have panic attacks while I lift, can't catch my breath, lose strength, then have muscle pains. I am looking into CBT, but I can't see how just telling myself to think positive will work.

2. I heard SSRIs are effective. Thoughts?

 

I am just not sure I want to jump. If I am THIS bad tapering, I can't even imagine how awful the jump would be. I can't miss months to a year of work. I will lose everything I worked 20 years to build.

 

Really having a lot of conflict internally right now. I need your help please.

 

 

 

I personally would avoid meds at this point, I think your anxiety will lessen with time. I can almost guarantee you are feeling withdrawl anxiety and it will pass. As far as exercise goes I think light to moderate will be the most effective, just try to do it as long as you can, I think the distraction is almost as important as the exercise itself.It's your call obviously but that's my 2 cents, good luck.

I would not jump at this point with that many sxs, ride it out and let some of those nasty sxs subside then try to taper down some more.

 

And what ever you do, please DO NOT TOUCH A ANTIDEPRESSANT PERIOD.

 

 

You can do a long hold and then taper the rest of the V slowly and hope that it goes well.

 

I am someone who added a med to taper. It was the only way for me to get started. Many do. I use remeron for nausea and to help with sleep (it doesn't help me now as much as it did in the beginning unfortunately). I am still tapering, but doing mostly okay. I understand your hesitation about living life unmedicated, and certainly understand not being able to throw everything away. I too have to work and cannot be away for months at a time. It sucks sometimes. Good luck.

Hi agree with NJ.What you are dealing with is withdrawal symptoms not anything to do with your anxiety disorder.Hold and let the symptoms settle down before you look at different medication.I have suffered an anxiety disorder for many years and this is really an anxiety disorder times 100.You definitely need CBT therapy and keep the exercise to walking until things settle down a bit.Then bit by bit increase it.Try to see this for what it is withdrawal symptoms nothing more.

For me the jump was a non-event, you get a lift from the hope gained by finally being off, it's a time of uncertainty and that keeps your mind busy. Holding for a few more days is Ok too.

 

You do sound like my psychiatrist with your reasoning and I do tend to agree. Stut gave you the best advice and it's to go to a good CBT therapist, I wish I had done that a long time ago; I took a different road and it's still bumpy.

The withdrawals are making your anxiety spiral out of control. I know because this happened to me. Anxious all the time. Worse than ever.

 

However the anxiety finally subsided. There are ways to naturally zap anxiety too. You may need to look into what you need to do to accomplish this.

 

There is no magic pill. That's the point. I'd be willing to bet after how severe my "Anxiety Disorder" is and how much better I am now that anyone can overcome anxiety naturally. I still get anxiety but nowhere near as bad as before.

 

However until you have healed from Benzos this chemical withdrawal anxiety may stick around.

For me the jump was a non-event, you get a lift from the hope gained by finally being off, it's a time of uncertainty and that keeps your mind busy. Holding for a few more days is Ok too.

 

You do sound like my psychiatrist with your reasoning and I do tend to agree. Stut gave you the best advice and it's to go to a good CBT therapist, I wish I had done that a long time ago; I took a different road and it's still bumpy.

 

What is a CBT therapist?

Hi Caltn it's Cognitive behavioural therapy which is used for combating anxiety.lt works well for some people and you can practice it at home.

  Love Stut X

Hi Caltn it's Cognitive behavioural therapy which is used for combating anxiety.lt works well for some people and you can practice it at home.

  Love Stut X

 

Where does one get this training criteria from?

Caltn there are therapists that go through CBT with you.lt is probably the most used therapy for anxiety.

Caltn there are therapists that go through CBT with you.lt is probably the most used therapy for anxiety.

 

Ok, understand. I looked up CBT therapist.

I would not jump at this point with that many sxs, ride it out and let some of those nasty sxs subside then try to taper down some more.

 

And what ever you do, please DO NOT TOUCH A ANTIDEPRESSANT PERIOD.

 

I don't really believe at this point I will ever have no symptoms at a low dose. I held at 2mg for 6 months and just kept getting worse.

Hi agree with NJ.What you are dealing with is withdrawal symptoms not anything to do with your anxiety disorder.Hold and let the symptoms settle down before you look at different medication.I have suffered an anxiety disorder for many years and this is really an anxiety disorder times 100.You definitely need CBT therapy and keep the exercise to walking until things settle down a bit.Then bit by bit increase it.Try to see this for what it is withdrawal symptoms nothing more.

 

Not sure that works for me...I held 6 months at 2mg and it just go worse and worse.

The withdrawals are making your anxiety spiral out of control. I know because this happened to me. Anxious all the time. Worse than ever.

 

However the anxiety finally subsided. There are ways to naturally zap anxiety too. You may need to look into what you need to do to accomplish this.

 

There is no magic pill. That's the point. I'd be willing to bet after how severe my "Anxiety Disorder" is and how much better I am now that anyone can overcome anxiety naturally. I still get anxiety but nowhere near as bad as before.

 

However until you have healed from Benzos this chemical withdrawal anxiety may stick around.

 

Interesting...So can you rank (from most intense to calmest) your levels of anxiety: Before benzos, during benzos, during taper, acute, healed

 

 

I often wondered how removing a medicine that was stopping anxiety is supposed to make the anxiety magically go away. Sure I meditate and exercise. Mediation might help on a light day a little, but overall is nothing and exercise makes me have chest pain and panic attacks for days. Today my ribs are sore and I have abdominal pain. I think it is because the medicine is such a low dose, the anxiety is taking over.

 

Hope I am wrong.

For me the jump was a non-event, you get a lift from the hope gained by finally being off, it's a time of uncertainty and that keeps your mind busy. Holding for a few more days is Ok too.

 

You do sound like my psychiatrist with your reasoning and I do tend to agree. Stut gave you the best advice and it's to go to a good CBT therapist, I wish I had done that a long time ago; I took a different road and it's still bumpy.

 

Ethan, how was it nothing? People on most of the FB groups and on here seemed to have a few hard time. I know I am getting worse with every cut. I agree CBT is the most referred treatment outside of medicine, but in the meantime since some of this is caused by the medicine I can't think it away.

 

How long did you taper? What medicine, and what dose did you jump? You say you are still bumpy...I am confused.

Caltn asked: Where does one get this training criteria from?

 

    Cognitive behavioral therapy is readily available in several forms: you can see a therapist, you can sign up for a course on line with therapist feed back, or you can order the book and workbook from places like Amazon. Any way that this is done is supposed to be very helpful to many people with anxiety issues.

I would not jump at this point with that many sxs, ride it out and let some of those nasty sxs subside then try to taper down some more.

 

And what ever you do, please DO NOT TOUCH A ANTIDEPRESSANT PERIOD.

 

I don't really believe at this point I will ever have no symptoms at a low dose. I held at 2mg for 6 months and just kept getting worse.

Give It time, and a helping hand...

Taper speed may have contributed, or not..?? -I have never had anxiety until this year. It is easing up again now... So very much WD related for me.. And I would guess a good portion of yours is too...

At 0.25v anxiety cycles in waves now, diminishing  by the month.. Triggers are cuts, Exessive exercise, and stress events...

Jan 17 -you were at 30v, correct?? A solid taper for sure.. Be kind to yourself...

 

I would not jump at this point with that many sxs, ride it out and let some of those nasty sxs subside then try to taper down some more.

 

And what ever you do, please DO NOT TOUCH A ANTIDEPRESSANT PERIOD.

 

I don't really believe at this point I will ever have no symptoms at a low dose. I held at 2mg for 6 months and just kept getting worse.

Give It time, and a helping hand...

Taper speed may have contributed, or not..?? -I have never had anxiety until this year. It is easing up again now... So very much WD related for me.. And I would guess a good portion of yours is too...

At 0.25v anxiety cycles in waves now, diminishing  by the month.. Triggers are cuts, Exessive exercise, and stress events...

Jan 17 -you were at 30v, correct?? A solid taper for sure.. Be kind to yourself...

 

Not sure I believe in the speed of the taper. Maybe if a person tried to taper in 3 weeks. I've been tapering for almost 19 months. Also, people who crush pills into powder still are having symptoms.

 

 

But the body being triggered by stress (physical in this case) makes a lot of sense. I like how you used the word "trigger" as it that is exactly what it felt like. I was doing OK, then that third workout and BOOM.

 

Hope you are feeling well. Thank for the post!