At 2.5 months off, symptoms causing anxiety

Hello all, I'm writing this because I'm struggling so much and have seen little improvement. This gives me high anxiety. I have many symptoms all at once but the most difficult are the extremely high inner tensions and agitation, a feeling as if my brain is paralysed, electrical pain everywhere, tinnitus, want to jump out of my skin. I'm less functional by the day. My wife doesn't understand anymore.

 

The intensity of my symptoms make me feel that this is not going to ease up in a few months. That scares me enormously and adds to my stress levels. Anxiety is taking over.

 

I know I need help, but don't want to take more pills. My p-doc wants me to take Mirtazepine next to my Fluvoxamine, but I don't dare to take it. I also think about going to a psych-ward to deal with this.

 

 

Does anybody have an idea how to handle anxiety concerning this whole Detox experience?

 

Pecoro.

Hi Pecoro,

 

Sorry to hear you're struggling so much. Unfortunately it's quiet common, and perfectly normal to feel like this at 10 weeks. You are still in the Acute phase of this horrendous process, which seems to last 3 or 4 months for a lot of us, but things steadily improve from there.

 

I know exactly how you are feeling, I went to the ER @ 12 weeks because I wasn't improving, they tried to reinstate me. It didn't work for me, and I just got worse. I also considered the psych ward, as I think many of us do. But what do you think they are going to do for you? All they will do is throw meds at you in the hope that something helps, often making things worse as they simply don't understand WD. If you really think you need help, then I would personally try to find a good doctor that you could work with. Psych wards are pretty barbaric.

 

From my personal experience the best thing you can do is nothing. It will get better, just try to distract yourself the best you can. But some do find other medications helpful, it's impossible to know unless you try. But please don't go to the psych ward.

 

You can do it, 1 minute, 1 hour, 1 day at a time

As much as it sucks to hear, “just grin and bear it”, that’s what so many of us have had to do, unfortunately. It truly was the only way, for me. To just try and take it one day at a time, as Mare suggested. I am either currently in a really good window, or I’m out of the thick of things. I don’t want to say too quickly because I do know it can come back with a vengeance. The anxiety was absolutely DREADFUL, and easily the worst part of this entire ordeal. It’s AWFUL and impossible to relax at all. I am keeping you in my thoughts and I hope this passes for you, soon. I found that spending more time on these forums, as well as forcing myself to play games on my phone, writing, or watching movies and videos, was really the only thing that even kind of helped. Admittedly, it didn’t help much at all for me, but I know it has helped others to distract as much as they can.

Hello Having a Mare and MissAria, thank you for reaching out to me. Your replies have helped me to endure the day. Symptoms seem to change now and I freak out when something new raises its head. Today the anxiety seems to lift but I experience severe restlessness, not knowing what to do with all the energy stacked up in my body. I can't calm my body down whatever I do. I try hard not to panic and keep telling myself these are withdrawals.

 

As you say I have to endure this and take it one day at the time. Time is the healer but that's also the point, the intensity of the symptoms is so high that each day is difficult. I try to distract as good as I can.

 

MissAria good to hear you are on your way to recovery. Having a Mare I hope you are doing well.

 

Thanks again, Pecoro. 

Hello Having a Mare and MissAria, thank you for reaching out to me. Your replies have helped me to endure the day. Symptoms seem to change now and I freak out when something new raises its head. Today the anxiety seems to lift but I experience severe restlessness, not knowing what to do with all the energy stacked up in my body. I can't calm my body down whatever I do. I try hard not to panic and keep telling myself these are withdrawals.

 

As you say I have to endure this and take it one day at the time. Time is the healer but that's also the point, the intensity of the symptoms is so high that each day is difficult. I try to distract as good as I can.

 

MissAria good to hear you are on your way to recovery. Having a Mare I hope you are doing well.

 

Thanks again, Pecoro. 

 

You are on your way to recovery, as well, and that’s the best part of all this terrible, terrible nonsense we have to endure. I have been struggling to sleep for a bit, now. I keep having some anxiety and whatnot, and wait around for the panic attacks to strike. The chemical anxiety is the worst. It’s difficult to tell yourself you’re fine, or that this new symptom, or new pain, is just another part of the grand scheme of things. But it is. It all feels so terrible and frustrating, and it feels never ending, but I have to believe that it does end, that we will be healed completely, one day. Even now, I can’t have milk, or onions because my gut just won’t handle them at all and gives me awful sulphur burps. Incredibly gross, embarrassing, and unpleasant! I still have the tinnitus, some dizzy spells, stomach gurgling, air hunger, temperature control issues, random jolts of pain, insomnia, muscle pain, and some anxiety. It’s definitely more bearable than it was the first 1-2 months, but again, I could just be having a good window.

 

I hope you start to feel some relief soon. It can be hard to remind yourself it’s just the w/d’s when a new feeling rears it’s ugly head, or when the anxiety gets to be too much to handle, or the intrusive thoughts creep in. You’ll make it through this. I believe in you!

How are you physically? I used to walk a lot in Acute. It seemed to help, rather than being stuck indoors

I can walk, and yesterday I walked for an hour in nature near my house. I like birdwatching and we live in an area where there is a nature-reserve. I try to do that whenever I can, but high anxiety and panic surges in my body hold me back a lot the last weeks. Today I could not repeat it, I tried.