Please help! Desperately need advice or input!

[[La...]]

I took lorazepam (ativan) for 4-5 days and started having sudden unheard of debilitating symptoms so I stopped then they urged me again and again to take sertraline (zoloft) because they swore my symptoms were just Psychological/anxiety since testing was normal. They promised my symptoms would get better and that I would feel weird at first but I would have to keep up with it for 4-6 weeks to begin feeling any changes. I eventually gave in and took sertraline for 6 days out of desperation (another bad decision). Man did they lie! How dare they! May not seem long but I have been in the ER about 10 times back to back after starting both these meds and was literally bed ridden and tortured for 15 days straight. They just kept sending me back home because all vitals and testing was normal. Meanwhile I was having seizure fits and so much more. Based on my state, me and my mom just knew I was going to die which at the moment i wouldn’t have even minded. I felt like i was in hell in so many different aspects. I stopped cold turkey and have been suffering agonizing symptoms for going on 3 1/2 months now. They always come in waves. I can’t believe taking these meds for such a short time has done this to me. I never even take meds. I just happened to “try” it because I began having frequent anxiety attacks. I was prescribed these 2 meds based off of a few questions/5 min conversation. It has turned my life upside down and Im tired of seeing my 2 young kids seeing me suffer and bedridden. I do not have the same energy and strength. I even had to quit my job. im not myself at all and im constantly living in fear of the terrible symptoms coming back at any given moment. These last 3-4 months have been hell but I have made it this far. Please tell me I will feel normal again at some point if I keep pushing through! 😭 

Is this even withdrawal? I know I took it for a short time so it concerns me. but I never felt any of these sensations until I took these meds and then stopped taking them. I keep getting negative tests! At the 2nd to 3rd month I finally had a little relief of not being bed ridden for 3-4 days at a time every 1-2 weeks. I went a whole month with only being bed ridden about one day along with lingering symptoms the other days but I was able to move and partly ignore due to a new found hope! I was doing okay until about 5 days ago I was suddenly struck down again with a heap of ugly symptoms. A lot of weird sensations in my digestive tract and head and body overall. and so much nausea! I did end up being normally sick the next day with regular flu symptoms. I am wondering if a regular sickness triggered my symptoms to return? I am so confused and disgusted and again, HOPELESS! went to the ER again and all tests were again negative. They gave me an IV and option to take some acid reflux meds and sent me on my way. As they did the other 20 times I went while I was at my worst having seizure fits and all. Someone please tell me what you think! I am 3 1/2 months out from discontinuing after a total of like 2 weeks with both meds. Is this withdrawal or am I dying from something else unknown! I have no appetite, body is on fire for one reason or another and nausea just lives in my chest! Today marks like day 5 in a row I have been being tortured!

[[La...]]

I wont even begin to list all my symptoms unless someone wants me to but I have been having this dull pressure behind and in my eyes consistently for maybe more than a month. Otherwise the symptoms usually come in waves or just linger

[[Pa...]]

Hello @[La...], welcome to BenzoBuddies,

I'm so sorry to hear what's happened to you but I've seen this happen to others who only took the benzodiazepine for a short time.  I don't have any experience with Zoloft but understand that starting two medications can be problematic because you don't know what is causing what. 

I can tell you that the symptoms you describe sound like benzodiazepine withdrawal and you can recover from this, hopefully soon.  Short time users typically tend to recover sooner than those taking them for years.

Avoiding stress, trying to get enough rest, distraction and calming techniques are all helpful tools we use.  If the tests in the hospital have not shown any serious illness or malady, then I believe you can assume what you're feeling is because of the Lorazepam.

Its typical for symptoms to come and go, they leave and sometimes come back or new ones take their place, our recovery isn't linear.  The best thing you can do is educate yourself about what's happened to you so you won't fear so much.  We'll help you all we can.

@[Pa...]

[[La...]]

I have even started seeing my primary care doctor once every 1-2 weeks to rule out any other possible thing that can be going on. we have been doing extensive testing beyond the ER. and I have seen 2 specialists. Ive never been so sickly in my life until these meds entered my system so I am convinced it is damage done by them but im hoping not permanent and just withdrawal symptoms . Like you said. I am also confused whether the symptoms would be stemming from the zoloft or ativan. I’m so mad i took any of them but even more mad I took both. I was very uneducated about them but I am now! It’s just a whole mess! I am so thankful for your quick and detailed response. It all helps. especially since no one around me understands or can really fathom the situation. I am so glad I found this forum as well. Thank you so much @[Pa...]

[[Pa...]]

Not many in the medical community understand our plight, because not everyone has the reaction we do, we're the outliers.  The problem with the medical community not understanding our situation leads to our family and friends not believing us, its very disheartening, this is why its so important to find others who are feeling the same thing.  

For most, these symptoms will fade and you'll be able to recover completely, for some, we've seen their misery last for years, but these are typically long term users, as in decades.

I'm glad you're benzo and Zoloft free, at least you don't have to face a long taper, now its up to your body to repair and every cell in your body is working to do just that. 

I found the Ashton manual to be really helpful when I was where you are, she listed our symptoms and possible explanations for them, it gave me comfort. 

The Ashton Manual, chapter 3

 

 

[[Ro...]]

2 hours ago, [[L...] said:

I took lorazepam (ativan) for 4-5 days and started having sudden unheard of debilitating symptoms so I stopped then they urged me again and again to take sertraline (zoloft) because they swore my symptoms were just Psychological/anxiety since testing was normal. They promised my symptoms would get better and that I would feel weird at first but I would have to keep up with it for 4-6 weeks to begin feeling any changes. I eventually gave in and took sertraline for 6 days out of desperation (another bad decision). Man did they lie! How dare they! May not seem long but I have been in the ER about 10 times back to back after starting both these meds and was literally bed ridden and tortured for 15 days straight. They just kept sending me back home because all vitals and testing was normal. Meanwhile I was having seizure fits and so much more. Based on my state, me and my mom just knew I was going to die which at the moment i wouldn’t have even minded. I felt like i was in hell in so many different aspects. I stopped cold turkey and have been suffering agonizing symptoms for going on 3 1/2 months now. They always come in waves. I can’t believe taking these meds for such a short time has done this to me. I never even take meds. I just happened to “try” it because I began having frequent anxiety attacks. I was prescribed these 2 meds based off of a few questions/5 min conversation. It has turned my life upside down and Im tired of seeing my 2 young kids seeing me suffer and bedridden. I do not have the same energy and strength. I even had to quit my job. im not myself at all and im constantly living in fear of the terrible symptoms coming back at any given moment. These last 3-4 months have been hell but I have made it this far. Please tell me I will feel normal again at some point if I keep pushing through! 😭 

Is this even withdrawal? I know I took it for a short time so it concerns me. but I never felt any of these sensations until I took these meds and then stopped taking them. I keep getting negative tests! At the 2nd to 3rd month I finally had a little relief of not being bed ridden for 3-4 days at a time every 1-2 weeks. I went a whole month with only being bed ridden about one day along with lingering symptoms the other days but I was able to move and partly ignore due to a new found hope! I was doing okay until about 5 days ago I was suddenly struck down again with a heap of ugly symptoms. A lot of weird sensations in my digestive tract and head and body overall. and so much nausea! I did end up being normally sick the next day with regular flu symptoms. I am wondering if a regular sickness triggered my symptoms to return? I am so confused and disgusted and again, HOPELESS! went to the ER again and all tests were again negative. They gave me an IV and option to take some acid reflux meds and sent me on my way. As they did the other 20 times I went while I was at my worst having seizure fits and all. Someone please tell me what you think! I am 3 1/2 months out from discontinuing after a total of like 2 weeks with both meds. Is this withdrawal or am I dying from something else unknown! I have no appetite, body is on fire for one reason or another and nausea just lives in my chest! Today marks like day 5 in a row I have been being tortured!

Hi @[La...],

    Sorry to hear of your struggles.  I, too, am glad you're off both medications.  Maybe it was not one or the other, but both, precipitating this torture.  

      What was your dosage of the Ativan and Zoloft (the amount and how many times a day you took them).  I wish for you a fast recovery.

[[La...]]

I am thinking both because once I started the first one I had a slew of symptoms. Then once I stopped and started the other, I had a new slew of symptoms on top of the others. I cant believe they recommended I even start the other and didn’t even pinpoint that my symptoms were coming from the first med (ativan). The fact they didn't even look at it as a possibility baffles me to this day. The Sertraline (zoloft) was 50mg. The first day I started it I ended up in the ER again and the nurse even said thats a large dose to start someone on. I am also really shocked about how my body responded to all of this. I am still in disbelief. I never even imagined meds can cause such deblitating symptoms and for so long. The symptoms I have I could have never even imagined could exist in the human body. I was new to all of this. I took the zoloft once a day for 6 days. The ativan I can’t remember the dose but I took one the first night and was fine. Another the next morning before work and it triggered an extreme anxiety attack. A kind I never experienced. From there I went to the ER and all they did was give me another one to calm down😭. They told me they wanted me to feel comfortable at home taking it and advised me to keep taking it. I didn’t want to but in the moment was still so confused as to what was going on. Next day I was so bad off I just ended up popping another to escape from the pain. My mom is so uneducated about it too, I was so sick another day and she convinced me to take another because the “doctor” said to take them and she didn’t know what to do about the state I was in. I still ended up going to the ER. At first I wasn’t even told they were to be taken as needed. I thought it was to prevent. with all that said I probably took one a day for like 5 days but cannot remember the dose! Thanks so much for your well wishes and your response!

[[La...]]

@[Pa...] Yes it is very disheartening. I know I have become very repetitive to most. Its kinda to the point it just gets brushed off. its really hard for people to believe the extent and length of my symptoms. And nobody wants to keep hearing it if they are well and especially if they don't understand. You can’t understand it unless you experience it. But I don't wish this on a soul. I just try to keep it to myself nowadays as much as possible and bury it inside but it tears me up even more! Also it being prescribed to me and continuously forced on me even when I was a vegetable makes me so frustrated and angry but i know i can’t change things now so I just try to let that energy go. Thanks so much for that resource. I will definitely add this to my list of things to help le get through! You are very helpful. I would love to hear your story. I will go to your page to see what I can find. Also, you mentioned earlier that you know of people who was on for short term and struggled still. What is the longest withdrawal you heard of from someone on these meds short term? And what was the shortest amount of time they were on them if you don’t mind me asking! 

[[...]]

@[La...] 

Something similar happened to me but it was after i successfuly finished a slow taper and everything was fine, living life normally. I took about 5 sporadic doses til one triggered severe withdrawl hours after taking it, really severe issues i never had before that got me mentally and physically disabled and non functioning. Lost job and normal living, not myself anymore. I only knew it was the benzo causing this because 2 months later and out of desperation i took another dose that eased things for many hours and then a much bigger bomb exploded in the brain adding another layer of injury to the damage, as if i cold turkeyed more than once in a short period of time. Like you i'm still shocked and traumatized trying to fathom it all. Maybe i should have reinstated the benzo daily when this started with the goal of taper off later but was terrified due to what happened with those doses and theres no answers as to wether it would be a thing to even consider given what specifically happened. Maybe it would prevent all the on going damage with already some irreversible things that i just can't accept. Did the doses give you relief before it caused you issues? Did you or do you even consider reinstating to taper off slowly?

[[La...]]

@[...] The doses didn’t give me relief at all. I had an onset of symptoms the day after I took the first benzo. Maybe the benzo did like once in the beginning when I was having a crazy attack just from taking it and they gave me another in the ER to “relax” me. Also when I took one at home out of desperation of feeling so shitty and agitated. I figured my symptoms were all stemming from it and refused to take it anymore so I just went cold turkey after a few days and never looked back. I then waited a few days after that to take the zoloft, silly me. after 6 days of pure agony still, I decided to just stop that one cold turkey as well. The day I stopped I was completely fine for 2 weeks. I was so happy. I thought I escaped hell. Little did I know it was just the beginning 😭 I had no idea what I was in for. I was knocked down after those 2 weeks for like 4 days straight. Symptoms came right back in different forms, waves and lengths and they been doing so on and off for the last 3 1/2 months now. Some days are better than others but you know how it goes. When I did stop the meds that first day before the 2 weeks of normalcy, I was extremely liberated and flushed every pill down the toilet (both the ativan and sertraline). So to answer your question, I did not and do not consider reinstating to taper off slowly. Symptoms are ugly but I am so far ahead and too scared to swallow another one of those evil pills. I feel like it has to go away at some point I hope!!!! If not I don’t know what I would do. What damage do you think you have that is irreversible? I am so very curious. It may not be irreversible! You may just need time. I am waiting for the day I can write a success story😭

I am so sorry you have gone through something similar and are still dealing with it. We are in the same boat. This is not for the weak. Maybe you should start up another taper based on your situation since you do get relief when taking it. but I don’t have experience with tapering and don’t even know if it actually really does make withdrawals less agonizing in the long run

[[Ro...]]

44 minutes ago, [[L...] said:

@[...] The doses didn’t give me relief at all. I had an onset of symptoms the day after I took the first benzo. Maybe the benzo did like once in the beginning when I was having a crazy attack just from taking it and they gave me another in the ER to “relax” me. Also when I took one at home out of desperation of feeling so shitty and agitated. I figured my symptoms were all stemming from it and refused to take it anymore so I just went cold turkey after a few days and never looked back. I then waited a few days after that to take the zoloft, silly me. after 6 days of pure agony still, I decided to just stop that one cold turkey as well. The day I stopped I was completely fine for 2 weeks. I was so happy. I thought I escaped hell. Little did I know it was just the beginning 😭 I had no idea what I was in for. I was knocked down after those 2 weeks for like 4 days straight. Symptoms came right back in different forms, waves and lengths and they been doing so on and off for the last 3 1/2 months now. Some days are better than others but you know how it goes. When I did stop the meds that first day before the 2 weeks of normalcy, I was extremely liberated and flushed every pill down the toilet (both the ativan and sertraline). So to answer your question, I did not and do not consider reinstating to taper off slowly. Symptoms are ugly but I am so far ahead and too scared to swallow another one of those evil pills. I feel like it has to go away at some point I hope!!!! If not I don’t know what I would do. What damage do you think you have that is irreversible? I am so very curious. It may not be irreversible! You may just need time. I am waiting for the day I can write a success story😭

I am so sorry you have gone through something similar and are still dealing with it. We are in the same boat. This is not for the weak. Maybe you should start up another taper based on your situation since you do get relief when taking it. but I don’t have experience with tapering and don’t even know if it actually really does make withdrawals less agonizing in the long run

Hello again @[La...],

     I'd agree with your decision not to reinstate either drug.  Your detailed description of your drug usage really makes me think that you had what is known as a paradoxical reaction to both of them.  So instead of feeling a calming effect from them, you experienced the opposite.  

    It's hard to say whether you have been battling withdrawal or the lasting effect from this paradoxical reaction over these 3+ months.  Either way, it surely sounds like your CNS (central nervous system) is looking for balance and healing.  This will likely take time.

     I've read thousands of posts related to withdrawal of benzos and antidepressants and can't recall any describing a situation like yours, especially if withdrawal is involved in your symptoms.  You were on these two drugs for a very short time.  But we do know that psych drugs tend to be potent, so you could be hypersensitive to them.  Had you been a long-term user of benzos or ADs, I wouldn't be surprised about a harsh withdrawal following a cold turkey.

       Please keep us updated on how you're doing.  We're here to try to help each other.

[[...]]

@[La...]

I've seen others on the benzo groups with a story similar to yours, you're right about not wanting to reinstate and i believe you'll get out of there sooner than later. I myself cant even look at the pills or ever take another med again if i need to. Benzos are totally unpredictable once you're harmed by it, so i'd never know how it would work now, plus the damage is already done because i didnt reinstate to prevent it. To ask your question i lost all muscles and colagen overnight when this started almost 10 months ago, even in the genital area its all lose skin, sorry if TMI. My posture is ruined from the weakness and stiffness, i have a big hunchback with bones sticking out with the neck forward, it happened rapidly and theres nothing i can do about it as i"m unable to exercise due to other issues caused by this. Can't walk or do anything. My feet soles are damaged, i used to walk long distances everyday before this, if i can have that i'd rather not be here. My face also completely changed like i have a new identity and theres no turning back from this. I used to look very young, all gone in a matter of weeks and counting. These aren't my biggest concerns, it just shows the damage extent and how traumatized i am and will be if i ever get out of here. 

[[La...]]

@[Ro...] thanks so much for your input. I do believe it could be a lasting effect. I am just hoping it is not a permanent one. This is brutal and has my mind going everywhere! If only we can turn back time. The fact that I was on them for such a short time definitely confuses me even more. But knowing the reaction I had to them regardless, it also makes sense for me not to bounce back so quickly. I would have been extremely surprised if I did. I’m really not sure what is happening to me and it is currently ruining my life but where there’s life there’s hope right?

[[La...]]

@[...] Thanks so much for your encouraging words. It means a lot. I also am against taking any meds. Even an ibuprofen! I am so unbelievably traumatized. Also nothing is TMI for me at this point. I am so so sorry you have that damage. It is so unfair. We literally have to learn to live with this damage/trauma and it is so disheartening. Even though the permanent damage you speak of exists, I hope you can stray further away from actual pain or severe discomfort. That is what really matters. I wouldn’t even care how I looked if I didn’t have to feel this way inside 😭. What med did you take and how long were you on it if you don’t mind me asking

[[...]]

@[La...] 

Oh, i also wouldn't mind how i look if i could do the normal basic things again like listening to music, talk to people, preparing a meal, leave the house. I took 0,5 clonazepam twice a day for many years, the taper was very slow and confortable with no symptoms other than irritability that went away once i was off. The doses that caused me problems were 0,25 each. Time on the drug and dose are irrelevant in this, i've been on the benzo groups for years and know this for a fact. Many people are only a few weeks and develop all type of issues. The most important factors is how one gets off and if the benzo is taken again after prior consumption due to a neurological phenomenon called kindling, which is what happened to me. Not sure if you know dr. Josef on YouTube, he has some videos interviewing people that only took a few pills and got harmed. Dont mean to scare you, only let you know it happens and no doctor or anyone knows anything about it, which makes it all even worse.

Edited September 9 by [...]

[[La...]]

@[...] I am already scared anyway😭  I am so sorry that this is what life has thrown at you. At us. I seen a story on here about a guy who took ativan (one of the drugs I took) for 3 weeks and was in an agonizing withdrawal phase for 3 months then it just stopped. He thought he would be the one person who just would suffer permanently but he was not. He gives me hope but I am 3 1/2 months in and took it for a shorter time than him. Maybe it’s the zoloft mixed with it. Anyway. Oh how I wish I was in his shoes. He said he even was able to stop thinking about it because life just went back to normal. I wish mine would! it seems like it never will. Also another lady told me she suffered for 6 months. She said she used cbd oil during the withdrawal symptoms and helped a lot. Maybe you can look into that as well. It has a lot of benefits. I for one am terrified to put anything in my body that can possibly cause a chemical imbalance, but it may be worth it. No I have not heard of Dr. Josef but I will definitely look into him now! Thanks for that information! Did those people being interviewed ever bounce back? 😭

[[Pa...]]

23 hours ago, [[L...] said:

Also, you mentioned earlier that you know of people who was on for short term and struggled still. What is the longest withdrawal you heard of from someone on these meds short term? And what was the shortest amount of time they were on them if you don’t mind me asking! 

Its tough to make absolute statements because members come and go and sometimes we don't know their outcome, but I've seen short term users (less than 3 months) recover anywhere from a few weeks to a few months, some take years, we just don't know who will get hit hard.  But your use was so brief, I just can't imagine you taking months and years, that would be so wrong!

 

[[An...]]

@[La...], you only took Ativan for 5 days max, is this correct?

What problem were you having prior to the 4-5 days that you took it? People take drugs because they are struggling with some problem that is disrupting their lives. The only exception would be recreational drug users, I suppose.

[[...]]

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

@[...] I am already scared anyway😭  I am so sorry that this is what life has thrown at you. At us. I seen a story on here about a guy who took ativan (one of the drugs I took) for 3 weeks and was in an agonizing withdrawal phase for 3 months then it just stopped. He thought he would be the one person who just would suffer permanently but he was not. He gives me hope but I am 3 1/2 months in and took it for a shorter time than him. Maybe it’s the zoloft mixed with it. Anyway. Oh how I wish I was in his shoes. He said he even was able to stop thinking about it because life just went back to normal. I wish mine would! it seems like it never will. Also another lady told me she suffered for 6 months. She said she used cbd oil during the withdrawal symptoms and helped a lot. Maybe you can look into that as well. It has a lot of benefits. I for one am terrified to put anything in my body that can possibly cause a chemical imbalance, but it may be worth it. No I have not heard of Dr. Josef but I will definitely look into him now! Thanks for that information! Did those people being interviewed ever bounce back? 😭

It really varies a lot, i've seen some weeks, months or years. Also it would help to know if what you're experiencing is a result of withdrawl or an imediate adverse reaction to the med. No way to know for sure other than your own feeling and intuition. Are you seeing improvements even if small? If so, i think thats a good indicator that it will pass soon. If i remember correctly, people interwied by that doctor are long haulers.

I appreciate your sugestion about CBD but since this happened i cant take anything at all as the nervous system is very sensitized and every substance increases the issues and creates new ones. A single magnesium capsule made it all worse, as well as one painkiller pill and a muscle relaxer.

[[La...]]

@[An...] yes I took ativan for 5 days max. was hell those 5 days. I took zoloft for 6 days a few days after stopping the benzo. Before taking these meds I was having some pretty aggressive panic/anxiety attacks that kind of came out of nowhere. had em for about a month or so on and off. For this I was prescribed these meds. 

[[La...]]

@[...] I’m not sure if I am suffering withdrawal or an immediate adverse reaction. I wasn’t addicted to neither so I am guessing a reaction? Either way the meds did some damage and that is what is causing my symptoms I guess. Whether it is a reaction or withdrawal I hope I still heal regardless. I just find this so crazy. To be honest I am seeing improvements. The frequency of waves have lessened and also the length of them. I still feel weird overall on a daily in many aspects. Definitely not safe to say I feel normal in between. I do still function in between waves though, but not like I did before the meds. This last wave was bizarre and frightening because I made it so far and I thought I was finally getting somewhere. But then I got really sick with like a flu or bronchitis and I think it exacerbated my symptoms and caused a huge wave so I am trying not to really count it. The first two months I didn’t go one to 2 weeks without being bedridden for 3-4 days at a time. 3rd month I was only down like 1-2 times while the other days I would just ignore the lingering discomfort. Some symptoms have diminished. Some are just still lingering or maybe even taking the place of others. I don’t know. My nervous system definitely is not in tact yet. I can say the same for my digestive system. All I have is hope and time. I am just taking it a day at a time. I am so tired of these ugly random sensations all over my body and head. Digestive system has been so weird and uncomfortable lately to the point im scared to consume anything. 

 

I am so sorry you can’t even take a pain killer or even consider cbd oil. Even magnesium triggered you. I am also scared to try cbd oil because my nervous system is just a mess. I have only taken one pain killer I believe since this entire situation and I was terrified to do that. Never tried anything else nor do I want to. I did was however taking a natural holistic herb blend to help support the brain and nervous system. It lasted about a month until I ran out and haven’t bought more. Not sure if it helped but it definitely didn’t hurt! This was during the time I had less waves so maybe it did help? Those types of things you have to give time and consistency also. Anyway, I wish I can suggest something to you. Maybe an herb blend addressing the brain and nervous system can help you as well! 

[[Pa...]]

I'm glad you're sensing improvement @[La...], notice I use the word sensing? Sometimes that's what we have to do because improvement isn't obvious when one symptom leaves and another takes its place.  The non-linear nature of our recovery is maddening, we never know from one moment to the next how we're going to feel.

 

[[An...]]

@[La...] said>>>

Quote

@[...] I’m not sure if I am suffering withdrawal or an immediate adverse reaction. I wasn’t addicted to neither so I am guessing a reaction? Either way the meds did some damage and that is what is causing my symptoms I guess. Whether it is a reaction or withdrawal I hope I still heal regardless.

I agree with you here. It is very unlikely you are suffering from a benzo w/d syndrome reaction b/c of the short use duration. An adverse reaction is a possibility but benzos are pretty safe meds to take short-term from a purely medical standpoint. Most ppl have taken them for very short durations or in one-off situations and the only side-effects are relaxation and some drowsiness. Adverse reactions are rare but possible but an adverse reaction from short-term use should be short-lived.

Also, keep in mind that panic disorder, once it manifests in your life, can make you feel like you are dying even if you have never touched a benzo. Severe panic disorder was the primary reason I started xanax over 30 years ago.

I think you can manage your panic and anxiety naturally w/o drugs but it is not just going to go away by not taking anymore benzos or SSRIs b/c you have not taken either that long. Have you considered things like CBT and Meditation? Can you / do you exercise aerobically? Exercise can help but it must be of the correct duration and intensity if you are struggling with an anxiety disorder.

[[La...]]

@[Pa...] You said it! Good way to put it! And sometimes your mind plays tricks on you about it. You ask yourself well “am I improving?” The doubts are up and down and all over the place. And when you are in the midst of the symptoms, that “sense” gets completely thrown off. It is a roller coaster ride. It is no way to live but thank goodness for hope. Sometimes I can’t even believe I made it this far. As bad as I just crave to feel completely normal again, I say to myself if I have made it this far I can keep going. The hard part is waking up day after day after dat and still feeling “it”. It makes your brain think you will never get well or feel human again.

[[Pa...]]

Your description brings back memories @[La...], I remember those days but they don't have the power to hurt me, thank goodness.  Your humanity will return, I still don't understand where it goes and why but its return feels miraculous, I'm excited for you to feel normal again.