Stress Center Peer Support

hey all i'm sorta new here but not new to Lucinda's program. i got it back in '99 and only got to week 4 and was fine. have done this a few times...but anyway it's time to get serious about it because i've went from doing shows infront of 20,000 people and driving all over the place to being housebound for 2+ months last year and now i'm back on the road to recovery.

Ok..my background... I sat in a house confined to a neighborhood and rode a bike 20 miles around the block a day, not being able to make it to the doctors 1 block away because i refused to take any meds. there comes a point when quality of life is a major concern. they actually wanted to admitt me... i wasn't having that...i also had a few people in A.A. basically telling me "their" experineces which were HORRIBLE on benzo's like Klonopin..saying it made them drink and blah blah blah...so i fianlly needed some relief....i bit the bullet and took the K. i did it slowly at first a 1/4 of a .5mg pill under my tongue. it didn't kill me...i felt a lil better. after awhile at that i built up to the doc's prescribed dosage. .5 as needed. then i could goto the doc's then 3 weeks later, i was desensitizing driving and then a few weeks later i just up and came home. (i was living at my parents during the crisis) now after months on the med. i'm to the point where i'm gonna work this program for real. i still don't take the full 1mg. a day which is .5 twice, but i'm gonna start and desensitive and work this darn program and take my life back...

Klonopin experience and my .2 cents from experience..

it's the least addiciting High potency Benzo available. it's prescribed for people with seizures (at way higher doses than for anxiety) people with RSS restless leg syndrome... that one still makes me laugh... i picture people kicking the Sh*t outta there wife/hubby in bed at night haha. but anyway. i know it's hard for people to get that first pill down because they can't imagine feeling any different. they can't imagine something helping. but this RX does help. it just takes the edge off. not as potent and strong acting as ativan or xanax and less addicting because it has a longer half life. there are not big UPS or DOWNS. you can't feel it wear off or even beging to work. just after 20 min. or so you start feeling a little more like your old pre-anxiety self. let me state that I HATE HAVING TO TAKE MEDS! i really do but i hope this can help some people relax if they need it and are really trapped in a bad spot. it can really help you to relax and implement the skills in Lucinda's program. i plan to get my life back totally and ween off the klonopin and then just keep some with me as a safety net. it's been told to me by alot of benzo users, doctors and research i've done that klonopin is easier to ween off of then xanax or ativan... one day i'll find out and with my skills, God and faith...i know i'll be fine!

hope this helps someone...and glad to meet all of you!

jay

Thanks. I've been taking klonopin and I can see that it is working. It does take the edge off. I was always afraid of taking medication because I don't want to rely on it but sometimes you need it. I also started on the program in the 98 and felt better and was able to live my life until recently.

Meds are a good way to relieve things and get your focus back and then deal with the anxiety.

Thanks for the post.

Hi Jay. Thank you so much for your post! I take Klonopin or have for the past month and it has really helped a lot. I was totally afraid to take it at first, but now I know that it helps. Thanks again for your positive information. And congratulations on starting your journey!

Hugs,
Missletoes = Missi

Jay our stories are very similar. I just want to say I did have a very horrible time getting off klonopin but I was on 4 x 0.5 milligrams pills a day. It took me three years to get off of that. Well In July of last year it was a year I was off klonopin totally but I found out my dad had terminal lung cancer in July also and than things started spiraling out of control. I was mosttly anxiety free until September and than my world came crashing down again with anxiety. I felt I could not drive far on my own anymore or with my husband, I just feel strange in a vehicle. Well my Dr. put me on buspar but that did not work, than she tried celexa and that did not work, and than she said Klonopin may be our last resort at this point (knowing I had went through h*** getting off it before). She prescribed me 0.5 2x daily, but I am like you I have been taking a 1/4 of that just to help me calm down and sometimes 1/2 a pill a day. My concern is this, I was in a support group online called benzo.org and a lot of them said that even if you been off klonopin for a year or two you can still have protracted withdrawals so I am so confused if my trouble are from down right anxiety or protracted withdrawals from the klonopin. I feel myself when I take it but sometime when I dont boy oh boy I feel like I am dying. I guess its that old saying your damed if you do and damed if you dont. Let me know how you are doing with it. Thanks for sharing your story.
Gina

thanks to everyone for their input.

Gina11, how long were you on the klonopin initially? and .5 4x's a day making it 2mg a day is a pretty hight dosage for panic disorder. that's twice the reccomended dosage as per the company that makes klonopin. if you were anxiety free for about a year and then had a traumatic experience, to me it sounds like anxiety not some protracted withdrawl syndrome. it's just way to coincidental that all this happened during a very stressful time. maybe take it this time on an as needed basis only. not daily. if you had that horrible of a time getting off of it i don't think you would take it again. anxiety is tricky and we like to worry. if you did it once you can do it again. just use good judgement and use the least you can and follow Lucinda's program. i believe meds are to be used as a tool not a crutch. i've learned that now and am taking this program seriously and as a life long journey not just a fix for now. same way i look at my
AA program. Just have Faith, God will help us all through this. whatever the case may be.

I have been taking Klonopin for over 2 years, and it is a life-saver. I take it as-needed. I can take 1 mg for sleep...I have VERY bad side effects from all regular sleeping meds...and 1/2 mg for anxiety. I have never had any trouble with Klonopin, and it makes my life so much easier. One caveat, I will NOT drive after taking even 1/2 mg.

MsMartie

haha wow funny for me that i need it TO drive. at least for now. i've never felt anything remotely bad from klonopin. NO side effects what so ever. may a tad of tiredness sometimes, but that seems to come when i'm really anxious for a few min, it's like the med knows this and works a lil harder for me and that i LIKE!