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Why don’t anxiety meds work for me?

Depression & Anxiety | Last Active: 2 days ago | Replies (172)

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@dorothy1914

@rick98
Rick, the problem is I never went through a slow taper. I was a patient at the Detox center for a 7 day program. The medical personnel there claimed this was all it would take to detox me from 6 months of using Ativan or Xanax. While there, I never had a moment where I felt any different to when I was home. I saw alcoholics transform from hiding away in their rooms, only leaving to rush to the bathroom, and in a matter of days, they were eating their meals and watching tv in the common room and conversing with other patients. I kept waiting for something to happen to me. When I left after 7 days, I felt just the same as before I got there. Almost as soon as I was discharged, I had to start using the Ativan again. I don’t know what to do or whom to contact. I am stuck between a rock and a hard spot. This is getting to be too much for me and my husband who is bearing the brunt of my outbursts.
Claudia

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Replies to "@rick98 Rick, the problem is I never went through a slow taper. I was a patient..."

I can offer you complete understanding, empathy and compassion. This is the terrible situation that the government, the medical field and pharmaceutical industry has done to us. We are victims of their ignorance and giving these medications to us. You're absolutely right that the Detox harmed you and I am so sorry. We can not trust any of those detox centers ever because they have no understanding of Benzodiazepine tapering and the harm they do to people like us. It's awful every day and understand you perfectly. We're going through nearly the same thing. I'm not having the rages but my insomnia is very bad, my nerves are hanging on and I am not in panic attacks. I try to do whatever I can to not upset my nervous system more. Sometimes I just lie under a blanket with my head on a pillow focusing on breathing through my nose and gently out my mouth for hours just praying over and over. But I also have to force myself to do some things out of bed each day but then I have to lie back down. I try to stay hydrated with juice with water and I try to eat something as nutritiously as possible through the day. Trying to survive this each day. I know how hard it is because I am also living it. I can't be certain because of my lifetime history of debilitating mental health episodes but I think what's happening to me is due to the long-term inconsistent use of Clonezepam. I feel as you said caught between a rock and a hard spot every day sadly. With you always accompanying you in your suffering.🙏😥

Claudia I don’t know how old you are or really anything about you other than the fact that you suffer from anxiety and depression.
I can only tell you as I have posted before anxiety and depression are genetic and run in families. Much like any other disease it is nothing to be ashamed of but rather something to deal with. I went years not even knowing what depression was but realizing something wasn’t right. I would cycle in and out of this thing I didn’t understand until one day I was coming back on the train from Chicago on a business trip and picked up a Time Magazine to read on the way home
The cover of the Magazine featured a headline regarding Prozac. I read the article and finally had a name for what I had felt on and off through my Freshman year in college.
The next day I called my primary care physician and told her this article was about me. She prescribed Prozac but unfortunately it actually caused me to be more anxious. She switched me to Zoloft and over time I started feeling better. She also referred me to a psychiatrist who I started seeing on a regular basis. That psychiatrist became a friend in a professional way and over time he added Buspar, Wellbutrin and Clonazepam to make my Zoloft more effective.
Yes Zoloft had sexual side effects and I tried other antidepressants but always came back to Zoloft while staying consistent with my other medications.
Now I am almost 74 years old and I have cut my Zoloft in the last few years to 50mg from 100mg. I have kept my dosage of Buspar, Wellbutrin and Clonazepam the same and find it works for me.
I read all the posts about the terrible side effects from getting off Clonazepam and my heart goes out to all those people. I have been taking the same dose of Clonazepam for over thirty years and never once changed it.
The point of this post is yes it can be addictive much like smoking, drinking or taking Opioids. If that is the case by all means stop taking it. On the other hand if you have no side effects and you don’t find the need to increase your dosage be fortunate that you are one of the lucky ones.
I am blessed with a great primary care physician who rather than refusing to prescribe it for me says if it isn’t broke don’t fix it.
I watched my mother who suffered from terrible bouts of depression self medicate with alcohol and it made my childhood a living hell.
All medications have side effects and you have to weigh that against the positive effects they have on your life.
I wish everyone who took the time to read this post the best. There is no one size fits all and never will be. I hope you all finally find the peace I have found and enjoy your life.