All day long anxiety

[[An...]]

Ive ad all day long anxiety ever since fridaywhrn I experienced a traumatic event. I thought I was being posessed. I was put on Zoloft and Ativan but my anxiety and obsessive thoughts are all day long... HELP

[[Cr...]]

Anxious, it sounds as though you are suffering the aftershocks of a major anxiety attack.  If I understand you correctly, you have only been on ativan for 5 days?  I don't think your current issues are benzo withdrawal.  You are probably just traumatized from that anxiety attack.  You are certainly welcome on this forum, but a forum that focuses primarily on anxiety would probably be a better aid for you.

 

You can find lots of info online about coping with anxiety and the aftermath of trauma.  As for the Ativan use, I used Klonopin (which is twice as potent) for 30 days in a row back in 2004 and came off with little problem.  There is a chance people can become addicted in just a few weeks, but if this is your first use I do not believe that withdrawal (if you even get it) would be that intense.  Right now your mind is in obsessive mode as a result of being in an anxious state.  In your intro post you said you are obsessing about becoming addicted to Ativan.

 

Talk with your doctor or a therapist about ways of dealing with your anxiety without benzos if you are concerned about addiction.

 

Here is a list of anxiety coping tips.

[[pr...]]

Just a caution:  Everyone is not the same where benzos are concerned.  In studies, most people experienced increased panic and anxiety when trying to quit benzos after just four weeks of use.  I have met people who became dependent after two weeks.

 

I highly recommend finding other supports for panic and anxiety and getting off the benzos as early as possible, and even after only a week or two of use it's important to taper.  If you find after a 25% cut or so that you feel just fine then you can try a CT.

[[Wi...]]

Also when people start SSRI's (Zoloft) can feel heightened anxiety initially.

[[Be...]]

I tried Zoloft once, it did nothing for me but ramp me up for six weeks. I never tried other SSRIs. I am a firm believer that the only way I can deal with anxiety effectively is through cognitive behavioral therapy and spirituality.