Another day of struggling

[Cammy]

June 29th: So what a fine mess I've gotten myself into. My secure anxiety/panic attacks were treated form six weeks with Lorazepam 2mg 3 times a day. Guess what happens to you even after such a short use? Well, first of all, after the first month these benzodiazepines stop working, then the anxiety/panic comes back much worse. To top it off, you are now an addict...no kidding...and if you suddenly stop taking the benzos life-threatening seizures are a good possibility. These are not like any other drugs out there. The withdrawal is long and brutal. First the benzo has to be slowly replaced with Valium. Then the Valium has to be very slowly reduced over months. I am in my 8th week of Valium reduction of 5 mg every two weeks. Then, I will eventually have to go through Valium withdrawal. The side effects of this withdrawal make take up to a year until the nervous
system restores itself to normal. Lots of insomnia, physical pain, anxiety, and then some to look forward to, not that I'm having any kind of picnic right now. This can happen even with intermittent use of these drugs - they are not like any other drugs out there. PLEASE: Don't make this mistake - don't use benzos at all. Cope instead with exercise, meditation, counseling, distraction, lifestyle changes, whatever, but if a doctor offers you a prescription for Lorazepam (Ativan), Klonipin, Xanax, or any other benzo...think REALLY hard about the long road of suffering that lies ahead. It is NOT
worth it. Thousands of people with anxiety disorders are going through Hell right now because they accepted a prescription that they thought was going to help them. Even after withdrawal, they suffer for years until their nervous systems normalize. And in the end, you still have the original anxiety/panic disorder to deal with. Deal with it now and do it without benzos. I wish I had known all of this before I put that first damn pill in my mouth. It's too late for me, but if my warning spares just one person this ongoing endless agony, it will make it all a little worthwhile.