Well, about 2 years ago I suffered a death in the family.. my brother who I grew up with my whole life died of cancer at the young age of only 35... after this happend I became what I like to call "Terminally depressed" .. I ended up losing my job because I didn't want to leave my bed and be out in the world, I just wanted my brother to come back... Sooner or later I started forcing myself to get up out of bed and by this time I was still very depressed but not enough anymore to make me completely immobilized, I also found myself to be INCREDIBLY anxious dealing with severe anxiety all throughout my days dealing with CONSTANT panic attacks. Especially in social situations... So a friend of mine convinced me to go see a psychologist who eventually referred me to a pyschiatrist who I began to see regularly...This doctor must have put me on and I must have tried every drug out there from zoloft to paxil, prozac, celexa, buspar, klonopin, and most recently xanax which I'm still on.
NONE of these meds worked for me... the depression, anxiety, and worst of all-panic attacks continued. Eventually, desperate, I began scouring the web for answers and I eventually came across this site .. http://www.anxiety.pcti-system.com .. which is this program to cure anxiety/panic attacks for good all naturally.. To make a long story short, it worked incredibly for me.. my anxiety is gone, depression as well almost all but gone, and I haven't had a panic attack in over a month. I do though from time to time still feel sorrow over my brother. However, this is my problem: I'm still taking my xanax because I'm completely ADDICTED.. when I try to stop taking it I start going through incredible withdrawls mentally and physically... If I would have known of this addiction problem I would have never allowed my doctor to put me on them. Has anyone else suffered from benzo addiction and if so, know how to safely get off it with minimal side effects?? Please any advice/comments/suggestions would be greatly appreciated!!
P.s- For those of you on SSRI antidepressants, I would really recommend taking a look at this site: http://ssristories.com/ .. From what I can tell looking in hindsight, these are potentially very unhealthy dangerous drugs.
Completely cured my anxiety, but now I have another problem!!
Dear Wacky,
I have been put through the same problems with medications. I swear I've tried every antidepressant and anxiety medication out there; I know I've been on every single one on your list. Shame on your doctor for not warning you about the possibility of addiction. I have heard that before and I can't understand why a "healthcare provider" wouldn't tell you about the drugs they prescribe. You will have to go through withdrawal to get rid of the addiction, but you can minimize the feelings by eating right and exercising and most importantly, going back to the program and practicing dealing with your issues.
I still take antianxiety meds, but only in dire situations and I try to use them as a last resort. I found that they only deal with immediate symptoms, which is sometimes necessary, but you can only be rid of these problems when you address them directly instead of masking them with medication.
Your loss of your brother is obviously a huge stressor. You have my sympathy; it is so hard to lose a loved one and go on with your life. It makes sense that you needed some medical intervention to get a grip, but many doctors see drugs as a cure and they're not. Get your doctor to help you step down from the xanax. That means taking less and less over a period of time rather than just stopping cold turkey. You'll probably have anxiety again, but the program addresses all of that. I think meds are useful, but only as a temporary solution.
Learn to control your breathing and that will often stop panic attacks right away. And you learn to let the attacks happen and when you don't fight them, they lessen in severity. And don't forget to write on the forums because you have a great deal of support here from others who have dealt with the same issues.
Good for you for continuing to search for answers, and congratulate yourself for your courage. I believe that love is the strongest force in the universe, so as we learn to love ourselves, we become stronger. And I am very impressed that even in the depths of your depression and anxiety, you are looking out for others by warning them. Bless your heart!
Good luck! I believe you can overcome these problems, even though I'm sure it doesn't feel like it right now.
Leslie
I have been put through the same problems with medications. I swear I've tried every antidepressant and anxiety medication out there; I know I've been on every single one on your list. Shame on your doctor for not warning you about the possibility of addiction. I have heard that before and I can't understand why a "healthcare provider" wouldn't tell you about the drugs they prescribe. You will have to go through withdrawal to get rid of the addiction, but you can minimize the feelings by eating right and exercising and most importantly, going back to the program and practicing dealing with your issues.
I still take antianxiety meds, but only in dire situations and I try to use them as a last resort. I found that they only deal with immediate symptoms, which is sometimes necessary, but you can only be rid of these problems when you address them directly instead of masking them with medication.
Your loss of your brother is obviously a huge stressor. You have my sympathy; it is so hard to lose a loved one and go on with your life. It makes sense that you needed some medical intervention to get a grip, but many doctors see drugs as a cure and they're not. Get your doctor to help you step down from the xanax. That means taking less and less over a period of time rather than just stopping cold turkey. You'll probably have anxiety again, but the program addresses all of that. I think meds are useful, but only as a temporary solution.
Learn to control your breathing and that will often stop panic attacks right away. And you learn to let the attacks happen and when you don't fight them, they lessen in severity. And don't forget to write on the forums because you have a great deal of support here from others who have dealt with the same issues.
Good for you for continuing to search for answers, and congratulate yourself for your courage. I believe that love is the strongest force in the universe, so as we learn to love ourselves, we become stronger. And I am very impressed that even in the depths of your depression and anxiety, you are looking out for others by warning them. Bless your heart!
Good luck! I believe you can overcome these problems, even though I'm sure it doesn't feel like it right now.
Leslie
Dear Wacky,
I too lost my brother to a massive stroke. And it happen just when I was starting to get over the anxiety. Talk about a setback but I needed to be strong for my parents since I was the only child left. It was a big obstacle. I had to think stong.
The thing is my brother was buried the day of my birthday and I looked at it now that we share the same birthday. One thing for sure I will never forget him.
xanax, my doctor said when it where off it has rebound and you catch your self taking another pill. Do you have the program? I feel that is what really helped me.
take care and be strong
I too lost my brother to a massive stroke. And it happen just when I was starting to get over the anxiety. Talk about a setback but I needed to be strong for my parents since I was the only child left. It was a big obstacle. I had to think stong.
The thing is my brother was buried the day of my birthday and I looked at it now that we share the same birthday. One thing for sure I will never forget him.
xanax, my doctor said when it where off it has rebound and you catch your self taking another pill. Do you have the program? I feel that is what really helped me.
take care and be strong
I was addicted to Xanax and I switched doctors. My new doctor had me switch from Xanax to Valium because it's "softer" and easier to wean off of. I basically had to taper down the Xanax while starting to take the Valium, very carefully. I can tell you that I remember having withdrawals from the Xanax being out of my system. I actually woke up one morning really dizzy, but that was the worst of it.
I would just consult with your doctor on this and let him know what you want to do. They can help. You might also try switching doctors if you're not happy with the one you have. I must reiterate that you don't try going off the Xanax without a doctor.
I would just consult with your doctor on this and let him know what you want to do. They can help. You might also try switching doctors if you're not happy with the one you have. I must reiterate that you don't try going off the Xanax without a doctor.
Wacky Jacky
PLEASE tell me more about the link you posted..... http://www.anxiety.pcti-system.com ..
I'm considering ordering it but with money being "tight", I'm a little hesitant....it does look great however!
PLEASE tell me more about the link you posted..... http://www.anxiety.pcti-system.com ..
I'm considering ordering it but with money being "tight", I'm a little hesitant....it does look great however!