Panic attacks

[[Ma...]]

I’m having once or twice daily panic attacks now. My job is stressing me out. I work in the frozen department and there’s never enough help. Product keeps piling up. My parents say my job isn’t stressful, and if I can’t do this I can’t do anything. But could the stress of my benzo taper be aggravating it? I don’t want to quit but I feel like I’m not functional. I don’t know what to do. My mom keeps telling me I don’t do the coping skills. But I feel like I’m doing coping skills constantly. Like 24/7 coping skills. I understand my parents frustration. But any coping skills seem woefully inadequate when I’m trying to finish an eight hour Night Shift after having two panic attacks and feeling like I can’t breathe correctly all night. Perhaps a less stressful job while I try to recover? I feel like I don’t deserve it and I should just suck it up and do this one. But my body is rebelling.

[[Pa...]]

Being tolerant to, dependent on or withdrawing and recovering from benzo use leaves us totally vulnerable to stress and the usual tools people use to cope with it don't work with benzo induced stress.  I'm sorry your family doesn't understand how difficult it is just to talk to someone, show up for work, pretend to be normal or try to handle our day to day lives. 

 

Once you're free from the drug and recovered, you'll be able to handle just about anything life throws your way because going through this is the worst and what comes after is so much easier in comparison. 

 

I hope you can find a way to keep your job but if you don't, I hope you'll find another one.  I worked through my recovery and even though it was difficult the boost in my self esteem and the distraction was really helpful.