Been trying not to take it. But I have to. My anxiety is disabling.I can't even do things I enjoy anymore without terrible anxiety. It ruining my life.
I use to like gardening and painting, can't even do that without being nervous and shaking. I HATE this. When is the best time to take it to help rid this HORRIFIC ailment?
Thank you.
Also if anyone can relate to this and has used Lorazapam, or similar..I would love to hear from you.
Hi Autumn, I absolutely hate when my anxiety makes my favorite things have no joy. I haven't been on that class of meds, but I think a few hours before the worst times if you only have one dose. I think you can split it into multiple doses too for the day. I hope that you can get to the root causes and enjoy your hobbies
I wish you peace, hope, and strength
In order to best answer this question I'd think you'd have to consider what's normal for you and how the medication effects you. If you notice trends before having an anxiety or panic attack, make note of them and take a pill when you notice those signs becoming common.
I am not against Benzodiazepines for anxious people, I'm totally for them- but I think they need to be accompanied with numerous mental tools, like deep breathing exercises, positive self-talk or maybe something meditative and distracting (but not ignoring anxiety, just something to cope).
Have you ever tried Klonopin? I take 2mg a day. One in the morning and one in the afternoon. It works for me. Does make you drowsy.
Klonopin is awesome, I hated the ups and downs I got with Lorazepam
Klonopin is also a Benzodiazepines, like Lorazapam . I don’t think it’s good! Can cause paranoid or suicidal ideation and impair memory, judgment, and coordination. Klonopin stays longer in your body up to 60 hrs, verses Lorazapam about 20 hrs.
The fact that it is longer lasting is something I like. As I said, with Lorazepam there were too many ups and downs. I have never shown any signs of being paranoid, suicidal or having any impairments mental or physical, rather Klonopin has given me a chance to combat my anxiety.
What do you suggest? I've heard plenty of doomsayers who belittle benzodiazepines but have zero alternatives that are as effective.
I take an Ativan first thing in the morning. .5mg. Morning anxiety for me always leads to an anxiety ridden day full of panic attacks. I can feel it creeping up the moment I open my eyes. Sometimes I need another around 7pm, sometimes not. My doctor doesn’t want to continue the Ativan but for me I’m willing to fight for it. I feel normal for the first time in forever. I had forgotten what normal even felt like. I do have days where I’ll try to go the entire day without one just to keep tolerance down. I’d love to be at a place where I only take it on bad days or when I know I’m going into something that causes anxiety and being back in CBT I am hopeful I’ll get there. But I’m not there right now. I can cope through the anxiety but once I have a panic attack it’s like it just triggers a cycle and I can’t stop it with my tools anymore. I wish you all the best.
Thank you everyone for your reply, and best wishes to you all!⚘️
While I don't tale the same medication you do, I also suffer from the "joy robbers" that can make everyday existence such drudgery. My heart goes out to you, and I wish you a renaissance of joy and a revival of hope!
I found that meds (klonopin) helped reduce my anxiety/panic but it also took learning what was really going on and how best to deal with it. Anxiety is essentially a paradox and the more you resist it the more it persists so the solution is to learn to tolerate the feelings and know they will pass and to go on about your day. It takes time and commitment but really helps. You can check out on youtube the videos of Therapy in a nutshell, Paige Pradko and the DARE Anxiety videos, they all have good clear advice.
Because benzodiazepines can be addicting, I would avoid taking it daily if at all possible. I take mine AS SOON AS I START to feel anxiety kicking in. My psych gave me the the tip that if I put it under my tongue, it dissolves and enters the bloodstream faster, which means I feel it more quickly - usually in 15 to 20 minutes. Because my anxiety varies from day to day, that means the peak effectiveness matches up with the time when my anxiety would be ramping up - but instead, it is ramping down thanks to the med. Another trick I use is to only take 1/2 tablet (try this and see if it is enough for you) so that I am taking the absolute minimum that helps me. I can always take the second half in 30-40 minutes if the first one isn't enough... but I honestly never have to. Hope this helps!
You're doing even better than me! 
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