Looking back at my w/d anxiety

Just a few words of encouragement to everyone plagued by anxiety.

 

It was my worst withdrawal symptom. I hated it. Worse than having anxiety that I knew was withdrawal, was having anxiety wondering if maybe it wasn't me just losing my mind. Or was I just getting myself worked up?

 

In retrospect, it's clear that the anxiety of my withdrawal was, very simply, organically based. However, I could somewhat worsen or mitigate it. Sometimes when it reached panic levels, I would pick up Claire Weeke's "Hope and Help for Your Nerves," open it to any page, and just reading a few paragraphs made me feel better. Her methods work very well for mitigating anxiety. Her writing is just very very reassuring. But it cannot remove withdrawal anxiety.

 

Unfortunately, short of taking benzos again, there is nothing to do but build coping muscles and do our best to ride those awful hours of anxiety. Here's the nugget that I hope you will hold onto as you bravely weather this storm -- GABA receptors want nothing more than to fix themselves, and when they do, relaxation returns. Naps. Gentle sighs on a warm afternoon. And sleep. Even though I wake several times a night (which I no longer regard as a problem), my sleep is deep and delicious. So when anxiety plagues you, remind yourself that your GABAs are getting better every day. It's a time and patience healing process.

Yram:

 

Thank you, thank you for your post.  I haven't been plagued by anxiety per se, but this past week, my sleep has taken a big nose dive.  That makes me anxious and depressed.

 

I was rolling along in month 2 and 3 with fragmented sleep but better then this past week.  I thought I really could live with my sleep pattern like that.  But this past week, 3.5 hrs. per nite is not acceptable and causes some concern.  Month 4 has been close to my first month post jump on the WD sxs scale. 

 

Your words did encourage me though.  I think I am close in your age group as we have communicated in other posts.  I just want to understand the ups and downs in all this mess, but it is unpredictable. 

 

So very glad to hear you are doing so well.  You deserve the gold medal for your steadfastness - benzo free warrior status.

GBYB,

Rocko

Just a few words of encouragement to everyone plagued by anxiety.

 

It was my worst withdrawal symptom. I hated it. Worse than having anxiety that I knew was withdrawal, was having anxiety wondering if maybe it wasn't me just losing my mind. Or was I just getting myself worked up?

 

In retrospect, it's clear that the anxiety of my withdrawal was, very simply, organically based. However, I could somewhat worsen or mitigate it. Sometimes when it reached panic levels, I would pick up Claire Weeke's "Hope and Help for Your Nerves," open it to any page, and just reading a few paragraphs made me feel better. Her methods work very well for mitigating anxiety. Her writing is just very very reassuring. But it cannot remove withdrawal anxiety.

 

Unfortunately, short of taking benzos again, there is nothing to do but build coping muscles and do our best to ride those awful hours of anxiety. Here's the nugget that I hope you will hold onto as you bravely weather this storm -- GABA receptors want nothing more than to fix themselves, and when they do, relaxation returns. Naps. Gentle sighs on a warm afternoon. And sleep. Even though I wake several times a night (which I no longer regard as a problem), my sleep is deep and delicious. So when anxiety plagues you, remind yourself that your GABAs are getting better every day. It's a time and patience healing process.

 

I have her book, and even her audiobook "Pass Through Panic". I do recommend it, highly... though I admit right now I'm finding it hard to "float" through what's felt like a nearly all day anxiety spike.

I understand the concept of floating, but the floating concept did not help. But reading her words describing floating DID help. Hmmmm.

build coping muscles and do our best to ride those awful hours of anxiety. Here's the nugget that I hope you will hold onto as you bravely weather this storm -- GABA receptors want nothing more than to fix themselves, and when they do, relaxation returns. Naps. Gentle sighs on a warm afternoon. And sleep.

 

Well said Yram! 

I completely agree.  Such things do return.

I sure do hope you are right. I am having non-stop anxiety that just wears and grinds on me from the time I get up in the morning until I go to bed. I look forward to bed each night (even though it's interrupted 3-4 times by spikes in anxiety that jolt me awake), just because it promises me some escape from this never-ending anxiety. I hate to go on and on about it, but it's really weird because besides the incessant anxiety I am otherwise doing OK -- no d/p, no d/r, no tinnitus or clenched jaw. I just wish I'd have a few minutes (or hours!) of no anxiety...

 

Me on Day 13 of a reinstated c/t:  :'(

 

Tucson

 

Thank you sooooo much.  I needed to hear what you had to say.  I have non-stop panic all day, or anxiety all day most days.  It's the worse symptom of them all as it causes so many fears and such for me.  Someone else told me to get this book and I never did, but now I will.  I'm not happy you had the unrelenting anxiety, but it's good to know I'm not alone with this all day panic/anxiety stuff.  We just want to feel better and be able to relax again.  And, like you I will one day.  Just have to keep going!  Thanks so much again for your post.

 

P

 

Yram

 

Thanks for the encouraging post!

 

'Leave'

Here's the nugget that I hope you will hold onto as you bravely weather this storm -- GABA receptors want nothing more than to fix themselves, and when they do, relaxation returns.

 

Thank you for this, yram  I feel like my body doesn't want me to heal, sometimes. Your passage restored my hope.

GABA receptors want nothing more than to fix themselves, and when they do, relaxation returns. Naps. Gentle sighs on a warm afternoon. And sleep. Even though I wake several times a night (which I no longer regard as a problem), my sleep is deep and delicious. So when anxiety plagues you, remind yourself that your GABAs are getting better every day. It's a time and patience healing process.

 

Hi Yram!

 

Thanks for this post. Really encouraging!

 

'Leave'

GABA receptors want nothing more than to fix themselves, and when they do, relaxation returns. Naps. Gentle sighs on a warm afternoon. And sleep. Even though I wake several times a night (which I no longer regard as a problem), my sleep is deep and delicious. So when anxiety plagues you, remind yourself that your GABAs are getting better every day. It's a time and patience healing process.

 

Hi Yram!

 

Thanks for this post. Really encouraging!

 

'Leave'

Here Here!

 

Thankyou Yram

 

This post of yours gives me hope.

 

I sincerely hope it goes away for me too (and for everyone else) as it is the most debilitating and horrendous thing I have ever had in my entire life, how long did it take to go away for you? Did it slowly decrease or just stop one day?