anyone ever fully recover from panic attacks and benzo addiction?
Question by malrats: anyone ever fully recover from panic attacks and benzo addiction?
I’m talking to the point where you never have panic attacks anymore and don’t ever feel the need to take a xanax or klonopin or your poison of choice.
I’m in the middle of one of my worst attacks right now, similar to one I had friday night that had me call 911 twice and eventually landed me an overnight stay in the ER waiting for the psych screener to come in the next day, and all she ended up doing is referring me to a couple of local therapists who don’t even take my insurance.
I’ve been having SEVERE attacks for 9 months now, and have been taking xanax for the same amount of time. I’ve had anxiety my entire life, but never to the point where it affected my life in any major way. but now it’s at the point where I don’t leave home for weeks at a time, I’m terrified of everything, I constantly feel like I can’t breathe, and I have panic attacks on a daily basis. I’m on 2mg xanax/day, which I’ve become fully tolerant to so unless I’m REALLY having a good day (clear sinuses, relatively easy to breathe, low stress) it doesn’t end up stopping the attacks anymore. I know I need to have my dosage raised but I also know that it’s just another step towards eventually having to go to detox and/or rehab. but right now I don’t have an appointment with a psychiatrist and a psychologist until october 18th and 20th, and even then I have a (relatively new) extreme fear of being in the car. it’s really terrible, but it is what it is.
so what I wanted to know is a) any immediate advice that anybody could offer me that isn’t the typical cliche responses such as “relax, take deep breaths, do yoga, breathing exercises” and things like that, and b) if anyone else has ever had a similar extreme level of anxiety (at least 2 or more SEVERE attacks daily lasting hours and hours each time), possibly with a benzo addiction, and found some way to fully recover and regain a normal life. I need some sort of real hope right now, because at the moment I don’t have any. I’m scared and feel incredibly alone. my family isn’t there for me at all (in fact, they don’t even speak to me), my friends don’t really understand the situation, and everyone else I’ve had to talk to about it pretty much just says to relax and breathe, which would be great if it actually helped me.
I’m just coming down from a REALLY bad attack right now. they typically begin with this OCD thing I have where I forcefully inhale and exhale through my nose in an attempt to clear mucus or whatever is blocking it, and in all honesty I think I have severe allergies and some sort of inflammation of my nasal passages, and I’ve also been diagnosed with asthma. either way, I do it so frequently that many times it gets out of hand and I end up doing it so rapidly that it becomes full blown hyperventilation, which no amount of breathing exercise has ever been able to calm me down from.
I appreciate any advice/stories anybody could offer to me.
also, this OCD sniffling that I do which contributes GREATLY to the anxiety, does anyone have any ideas on how to overcome that?
Best answer:
Answer by Nina
Dear One, I know of a patient who used to have full blown panic attacks and a generalized anxiety disorder. The doctors thought it would be permanent. But it wasn’t. She is alive and well today and is free from this disorder. She took klonopin for years and she no longer needs it.
She underwent therapy and group counseling. She had to face her traumas and life issues. As she worked through these traumas and issues, her anxiety decreased. It takes a lot of courage and determination to get well. And, eventually, you too can be anxiety free. It takes time also.
You must be patient and compassionate with yourself and the ability to be very resilient. Self acceptance and willingness and honesty are the keys. You can do this. No matter how severe the panic attacks are and no matter how severe the anxiety. You can recover. Take good care.
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