Long term benzo use = anxiety?

[[le...]]

Firstly I hope I have put this in the correct section.

 

The more I have read it seems that long term benzo use actually makes anxiety worse? I was originally prescribed Diazepam 17 years ago for anxiety/agoraphobia.....But over the years the anxiety got worse and worse, in the end the Dr added Clonazepam aswell as Diazepam, now I am worse than ever.......So it really does seem to be true that long term use causes anxiety....... Has anyone else found this from benzos?

[[He...]]

It is what has happened to me.  I've been taking Ativan for 30 years.  Trying to get off now

[[on...]]

I took xanax for thirty years- I was first prescribed it for panic attacks and anxiety. It worked great for a few years but then anxiety and panic attacks broke through. Looking back now I think I was in tolerance withdrawal much of the time and breaking into withdrawal between doses. Now that I am off the xanax eight months I have surges of anxiety that cause me to clench my teeth. Not sure if it is my original anxiety pre xanax back or if this anxiety now is a result of long term xanax use or my withdrawal from xanax. It is hard to tell...just working on non benzo alternatives to deal with the anxiety- deep breathing, repeating  positive thoughts etc....

[[pa...]]

How do you define long term use??

[[Ca...]]

could it be just rebound anxiety from benzos or withdrawal anxiety,which will go away?

[[Jo...]]

This has been my experience. 

 

K. worked for maybe a year and it all came back.  I think it was worse after that point, than before I ever took a benzo.  Panic attacks mostly. 

 

I wont say that the time I was on K. was wasted.  I have done alot of living, so far, but maybe being off it much sooner may have made my anxiety better, and my moods more manageable. 

 

There is no reason to believe that panic attacks will still happen when I am done.  And if they do, so what.  They have gotten no worse during my taper than they ever were.

[[Co...]]

In my experience, yes.  I began taking K for insomnia, not anxiety.  I began experiencing anxiety after a year or so of use, and believe it was due to interdose and tolerance withdrawal.  And of course now the anxiety and panic attacks of withdrawal are off the charts.  I don't think this is permanent, however.  And withdrawal will force us to learn healthier ways to deal with anxiety, won't it?  Take care - every day is one day closer to feeling good again.