Anxiety about anxiety?

Low doses Valium and Xanax for 4-5 months, dropping Xanax dosage slowly (I think), will drop Valium later. I'm feeling some anxiety and thinking it may be withdrawal. But I'm also worried it may be my original anxiety coming back (without the additional Xanax to "mask" it), and thinking about that is creating more anxiety that I may actually NEED to stay on the benzos to stay normal. Got gastritis in Dec. 2012 which created debilitating daily anxiety and only benzos helped. Afraid anxiety will come back as I lower benzos, not due to withdrawal but due to original anxiety. Does that make sense? Anyone else feeling this way?

Low doses Valium and Xanax for 4-5 months, dropping Xanax dosage slowly (I think), will drop Valium later. I'm feeling some anxiety and thinking it may be withdrawal. But I'm also worried it may be my original anxiety coming back (without the additional Xanax to "mask" it), and thinking about that is creating more anxiety that I may actually NEED to stay on the benzos to stay normal. Got gastritis in Dec. 2012 which created debilitating daily anxiety and only benzos helped. Afraid anxiety will come back as I lower benzos, not due to withdrawal but due to original anxiety. Does that make sense? Anyone else feeling this way?

 

Yes, I had these fears until I reached about 6 months off, and I also had a fear of anxiety/panic itself that is called "anticipatory anxiety."  It's common among those who have had panic attacks.

 

But I'm happy to report that all this is in the past for me--my anxiety level is much lower now than it was before xanax.  And I'd suffered from anxiety all my life.  My anxiety is now much better than it was before I began taking Xanax 14 years ago.  If I can do this, you can too!

 

I had debilitating anxiety for several weeks (due to gastritis) before I started the benzos, and lost 15 pounds in a matter of weeks. Didn't have any anxiety issues before that. The benzos are the only thing that got rid of that anxiety, and that's why I'm so afraid to quit. I'm sure most of us on here started taking benzos to deal with anxiety, so once you stop, doesn't the original anxiety come back? Sorry to sound like a broken record, but I feel like I'm stuck between a rock and a hard place.

I had debilitating anxiety for several weeks (due to gastritis) before I started the benzos, and lost 15 pounds in a matter of weeks. Didn't have any anxiety issues before that. The benzos are the only thing that got rid of that anxiety, and that's why I'm so afraid to quit. I'm sure most of us on here started taking benzos to deal with anxiety, so once you stop, doesn't the original anxiety come back? Sorry to sound like a broken record, but I feel like I'm stuck between a rock and a hard place.

 

Actually, I meant that  it would be "worse" is you had had problems with anxiety before your gastritis--people who've been anxious all their lives are said to have a "preexisting condition,"  and in general it's harder for them.

 

I think you are likely to heal completely, but it is true  in the short run you'll probably have a lot of anxiety to deal with.  But as you heal and your brain settles down, it will lessen and lessen.  You just have to give it time.

 

i have anxiety about anxiety but im usually ok once i do stuff i dread.

 

you will be ok

Thanks for the support. It does make me feel better knowing that I might get through this okay. I have to have hope!