Need Tools

[[fl...]]

I am hoping that you all can share your tools in coping with the anxiety attacks when they are happening. I am 21 months off Klonopin after a 1 1/2 year taper. I am in a nasty wave right now and you know how scary the feeling is. I try talking to myself but sometimes it just doesn’t work. Thank you all for your help.  Deb

[[pi...]]

Hello @[fl...],

Distraction was key for me during recovery. I had my bag of tricks to keep me from ruminating about the symptoms. I played scrabble against the computer, crossword puzzles, games, easy reading books and movies and breathing exercises. I also allowed the anxiety to be there and floated around it. I pictured myself floating in the ocean and letting the anxiety just be there, below me. I let the anxiety know that it was created by the drug and that I was stronger than it, you are too! 

[[fl...]]

21 minutes ago, [[p...] said:

Hello @[fl...],

Distraction was key for me during recovery. I had my bag of tricks to keep me from ruminating about the symptoms. I played scrabble against the computer, crossword puzzles, games, easy reading books and movies and breathing exercises. I also allowed the anxiety to be there and floated around it. I pictured myself floating in the ocean and letting the anxiety just be there, below me. I let the anxiety know that it was created by the drug and that I was stronger than it, you are too! 

Thank u sooo much. I will try these tips. Just hard to concentrate when I feel like crap

[[pi...]]

7 hours ago, [[f...] said:

Thank u sooo much. I will try these tips. Just hard to concentrate when I feel like crap

True, but you don’t need to concentrate. I am pretty sure I wasn’t aware of the movies I put on, but just having them on helped. Additionally, I lost every scrabble game to the computer at the easiest level when I was in the throes of withdrawal. Little by little it got better and I started winning, even at the higher levels. 

[[or...]]

I agree w/@pianogirl, about the movies, just having them on.  I also love my ambience videos from youtube.  I like the ones with sounds of rain, or crackling fireplace.  I have them on all day, and it helps with my tinnitus as well.  You can choose from many ambience vids though, to your liking

I also cry alot, and then take a hot bath in Epsom Salt with my fave EO, which is usually sandlewood.  I can take a nap after that and usually some of the best sleep I get since I have insomnia pretty often, with intrusive thoughts, hot-flashes and generally miserable.

But it always passes, and each time I feel stronger, more able to handle wd sxs with new ways of coping

Edited January 15 by [or...]

[[Da...]]

5 hours ago, [[f...] said:

share your tools in coping with the anxiety attacks

the only thing that distracts me right now is coming online where people understand.  I am not sure where you are at with your symptoms but I cannot focus on anything.  So I do random research as well and that passes the time

[[or...]]

4 hours ago, [[p...] said:

Hello @[fl...],

Distraction was key for me during recovery. I had my bag of tricks to keep me from ruminating about the symptoms. I played scrabble against the computer, crossword puzzles, games, easy reading books and movies and breathing exercises. I also allowed the anxiety to be there and floated around it. I pictured myself floating in the ocean and letting the anxiety just be there, below me. I let the anxiety know that it was created by the drug and that I was stronger than it, you are too! 

Even if I only play my games for a few minutes, they help me get through.  I play Hidden Object Games, Puzzle games, I like my "easy" read books as well, walking outdoors takes away a ton of anxiety, depression, and sometimes helps me sleep way better at night.  Distraction is the key, for me as well!!  Shoot, doing my dishes can make me feel like a 100 bucks!

I get on here for me, but then just happen to find someone  I can help instead, very good "medicine".

[[ns...]]

6 hours ago, [[f...] said:

I am hoping that you all can share your tools in coping with the anxiety attacks when they are happening. I am 21 months off Klonopin after a 1 1/2 year taper. I am in a nasty wave right now and you know how scary the feeling is. I try talking to myself but sometimes it just doesn’t work. Thank you all for your help.  Deb

Flanc, I'm sorry for what your dealing with right now. I have severe anxiety also. 

On YouTube, Emma with Therapy in a nutshell is very good. She has great tools to assist u anD they really do help! 

also, trey Jones anxiety on YouTube is very good.

He beat health anxiety that was debilitating. He describes symptoms tells u how to overcome them, and eventually heal. He's helped me many times.  Breathing techniques are key, Emma will help with this. Practice gratitude and thankfulness, you'll be surprised what you will be thankful for once you start thinking about this. Try not to symptoms focus, this is key, those symptoms dig in and stay longer if you focus on them. I have hypersensitivity and it's a challenge not to focus but I keep my Hands and mind busy, excercise,  stretching first, you have to excercise even if it's just a little each day, you will build from there.

I hope this helps, I know it helps me.

Spend time on this site, many here are very helpful. Nice to have someone to talk to also. So, try not to focus ok,

Take care

Ns

 

[[ns...]]

6 hours ago, [[p...] said:

Hello @[fl...],

Distraction was key for me during recovery. I had my bag of tricks to keep me from ruminating about the symptoms. I played scrabble against the computer, crossword puzzles, games, easy reading books and movies and breathing exercises. I also allowed the anxiety to be there and floated around it. I pictured myself floating in the ocean and letting the anxiety just be there, below me. I let the anxiety know that it was created by the drug and that I was stronger than it, you are too! 

Great advice!

[[fl...]]

26 minutes ago, [[n...] said:

Flanc, I'm sorry for what your dealing with right now. I have severe anxiety also. 

On YouTube, Emma with Therapy in a nutshell is very good. She has great tools to assist u anD they really do help! 

also, trey Jones anxiety on YouTube is very good.

He beat health anxiety that was debilitating. He describes symptoms tells u how to overcome them, and eventually heal. He's helped me many times.  Breathing techniques are key, Emma will help with this. Practice gratitude and thankfulness, you'll be surprised what you will be thankful for once you start thinking about this. Try not to symptoms focus, this is key, those symptoms dig in and stay longer if you focus on them. I have hypersensitivity and it's a challenge not to focus but I keep my Hands and mind busy, excercise,  stretching first, you have to excercise even if it's just a little each day, you will build from there.

I hope this helps, I know it helps me.

Spend time on this site, many here are very helpful. Nice to have someone to talk to also. So, try not to focus ok,

Take care

Ns

Thank you so very much for understanding. Sometimes I think it would b easier to get back on a Benzo. I will ck out your suggestions 

[[fl...]]

1 hour ago, [[n...] said:

Flanc, I'm sorry for what your dealing with right now. I have severe anxiety also. 

On YouTube, Emma with Therapy in a nutshell is very good. She has great tools to assist u anD they really do help! 

also, trey Jones anxiety on YouTube is very good.

He beat health anxiety that was debilitating. He describes symptoms tells u how to overcome them, and eventually heal. He's helped me many times.  Breathing techniques are key, Emma will help with this. Practice gratitude and thankfulness, you'll be surprised what you will be thankful for once you start thinking about this. Try not to symptoms focus, this is key, those symptoms dig in and stay longer if you focus on them. I have hypersensitivity and it's a challenge not to focus but I keep my Hands and mind busy, excercise,  stretching first, you have to excercise even if it's just a little each day, you will build from there.

I hope this helps, I know it helps me.

Spend time on this site, many here are very helpful. Nice to have someone to talk to also. So, try not to focus ok,

Take care

Ns

Would u mind telling me how long u have been off Benzos?

[[ns...]]

Hi flanc, still tapering actually. Down to less than 1mg per day. Split into 4 doses. Even though its a Tiny amount, still causes high anxiety and panic attacks when I take it but too hard to jump off just yet. I was in protracted withdrawal for 3 yrs before I knew what was going on with me after a forced withdrawal from my PA. No one new why i had the symptoms I had not even me, er docs etc.went back on 9 months ago, went into strange symptoms at 3 months, 4 months it was a paradoxical reaction as far as I knew but didn't know for sure so had to go off but slowly.  Kind of an inner dose withdrawal and it's been really tough taking meds thar cause you anxiety and panic attacks plus withdrawal symptoms. 

Have to stabilize before each cut but just not getting there fast enough.  I want off of these now but it's too fast, can't risk protracted Inside protracted I guess you could call it. Anyways, how long have you been off? Why did u go off and how?

Ns

[[fl...]]

1 hour ago, [[n...] said:

Flanc, I'm sorry for what your dealing with right now. I have severe anxiety also. 

On YouTube, Emma with Therapy in a nutshell is very good. She has great tools to assist u anD they really do help! 

also, trey Jones anxiety on YouTube is very good.

He beat health anxiety that was debilitating. He describes symptoms tells u how to overcome them, and eventually heal. He's helped me many times.  Breathing techniques are key, Emma will help with this. Practice gratitude and thankfulness, you'll be surprised what you will be thankful for once you start thinking about this. Try not to symptoms focus, this is key, those symptoms dig in and stay longer if you focus on them. I have hypersensitivity and it's a challenge not to focus but I keep my Hands and mind busy, excercise,  stretching first, you have to excercise even if it's just a little each day, you will build from there.

I hope this helps, I know it helps me.

Spend time on this site, many here are very helpful. Nice to have someone to talk to also. So, try not to focus ok,

Take care

Ns

I am a symptom focused !! Thank u for all your help 

[[ns...]]

3 hours ago, [[o...] said:

I agree w/@pianogirl, about the movies, just having them on.  I also love my ambience videos from youtube.  I like the ones with sounds of rain, or crackling fireplace.  I have them on all day, and it helps with my tinnitus as well.  You can choose from many ambience vids though, to your liking

I also cry alot, and then take a hot bath in Epsom Salt with my fave EO, which is usually sandlewood.  I can take a nap after that and usually some of the best sleep I get since I have insomnia pretty often, with intrusive thoughts, hot-flashes and generally miserable.

But it always passes, and each time I feel stronger, more able to handle wd sxs with new ways of coping

That's great if u don't have tinnitus right. But using cc on YouTube helps

Just saying.

[[or...]]

Not sure what you mean about CC, if that means closed captions, maybe?  My Tinnitus doesn't ramp up because of sounds.  I can where earbuds, or listen to ambience.  My Tinnitus is not from any ear-drum damage, mine I believe is only from my brain, and probably the benzo, so I'm hopeful that may heal once I'm rid of the benzo completely

I found a good article that might help you, I have no idea, but I'll give you the link.  Recently I got into studying histamine and the foods that can ramp it up.  I was relieved to find that what I eat, which is very low carb nutrition, but do pay attention to getting a good amount of my macros from proteins, fats, and low carbs.  I mingle with others that have been successful as well on another forum.  It's a big change, one many just can't adjust to.  I did because I didn't want to take a pill for the T2 Diabetes I was diagnosed with.

I did a post on that I'll link to if you are interested.  Here's my post link, and following that is a good article I found.  I hope something you read might help you with establishing a better diet for yourself.  I won't say it's easy, but I'll say it's one of the best choices I ever made, oregonlady :

Anti-Inflammatory Nutrition

Carbohydrate, Lactose, Histamine Intolerance go hand in hand

 

[[ns...]]

Oregonlady,  hi, sorry about that, I should have mentioned i have an acoustic neuroma. A small brain Tumor behind my ear. That and radiation cause distorted hearing but I do have terrible tinnitus in my left ear. That started after my first forced taper that sent me into a protracted withdrawal. Then she gave me zoloft, I could not take, then I took celexa for 2 days and my left ear went bad, real bad. So I really struggle with watching TV without cc, I was getting partial hearing back last yr but went back on lorazapam and after 3 months started going into paradoxical reaction.  This caused a reverse in my benzo and had to taper which is causing severe withdrawal symptoms.  Almost finished tapering buy will be dealing with symptoms I'm sure fir a while.  Thank u for the link, I will ck it out! 

Take care

Ns

[[fl...]]

13 hours ago, [[n...] said:

Hi flanc, still tapering actually. Down to less than 1mg per day. Split into 4 doses. Even though its a Tiny amount, still causes high anxiety and panic attacks when I take it but too hard to jump off just yet. I was in protracted withdrawal for 3 yrs before I knew what was going on with me after a forced withdrawal from my PA. No one new why i had the symptoms I had not even me, er docs etc.went back on 9 months ago, went into strange symptoms at 3 months, 4 months it was a paradoxical reaction as far as I knew but didn't know for sure so had to go off but slowly.  Kind of an inner dose withdrawal and it's been really tough taking meds thar cause you anxiety and panic attacks plus withdrawal symptoms. 

Have to stabilize before each cut but just not getting there fast enough.  I want off of these now but it's too fast, can't risk protracted Inside protracted I guess you could call it. Anyways, how long have you been off? Why did u go off and how?

Ns

Did u ever want to just go back on the meds as the side effects of anxiety are so bad?

[[ns...]]

Yes yrs! But that's impossible for me as the Lorazapam works in reverse on me so I can no longer depend on them any longer. I was happy a doing better on them before that happened so it's really difficult to have to quit them but I have no choice. At some point we will all have to go off of them, can't stay on them forever. Tapering is the only option, it's no fun but we must push on!

Take care

Ns