Help with anxiety

I have bad anxiety. The problem is I'm afraid of it. I read in a book the more scared you are of it the worse it gets. I can't stop being afraid of it. I feel terrible always crying. I'm on 21/2mg of klonopin and 50mg of pristiq. I was on 3mg of klonopin but about 5 weeks ago I had to cut back to 21/2mg. I have been feeling terrible. I don't know if I should stay on 21/2. Or call my doctor. He gave me enough for 3 a day but will I start to feel better if I stay on 21/2. My family doesn't support medicine so I can't ask them. Please help. Was anyone ever scared of their anxiety feelings and thoughts. My ribs hurt from trying not to cry and my back.

[Agora1]

Puppy11, I've been where you are. The meds take hold of us in such a way that it affects our body and mind to the point that we don't know what to do. should we go back up on the meds, should we waited out and stay on the lower dose? I cried every single day I was on the pills as well as coming off of them. You see, it makes no difference, our brain is dependent on these meds. (and not for the good) You need reassurance from your doctor of what is to be expected.

[Hidden in reply to Agora1]

But I'm not better yet. My anxiety is bad on the pills.

[Jeff1943]

Puppy, speak to your doctor if you're unhappy with the Klonopin, maybe ask him/her if a short course of good old-fashioned diazepam (valium) might not be more helpful. But in the end your cure won't come from tablets but by understanding how anxiety works - and how you can break the vicious circle of anxiety causing bad feelings which then cause more anxiety that then causes more bad feelings.

First, what you are experiencing is not unique, most of the people on this forum have felt what you feel. Second, it's not life threatening because your problem is not organic (your doctor would have spotted it if it was) it's caused by your nervous system becoming sensitised so every little fear becomes magnified ten fold.

We were all scared of our anxiety feelings like you but many of us have learnt there is a simple way to overcome it. I said simple but not necessarily easy, it takes perseverance. I'm referring to the method advocated in the books of Doctor Claire Weekes who herself suffered from nervous sensitisation when she was young and learned to overcome it.

To begin, some temporary relief - breathe in slowly whilst counting to 4, pause from a second or two, then breathe out slowly whilst counting to 6, then pause and repeat. Do this several times, don't hurry it, it will help your immediate anxiety to subside.

The long term plan as taught by Claire Weekes is first to Face that you have an anxiety disorder and there is no magic wand solution. Second you must learn to temporarily Accept the strange feelings that come you way and I mean utterly Accept them knowing that they can do you no permanent harm and are merely the response of over wrought nerves. Then you must get on with doing the things you normally do by letting yourself Float through them as if on automatic pilot. You'll still feel like rubbish of course but by Accepting those feelings for the moment you diminish their power to continually resensitise your nervous system - you begin to break the vicious circle of anxiety causing more anxiety that I mentioned before. Lastly. You must Let time pass, it isn't an instant solution but gradually you will take control of the situation because you understand what is happening and you are stopping First Fear becoming Second Fear.

So that's it in a nutshell, Puppy: Face, Accept, Float and Let time pass. But for true understanding you have to read Claire Weekes' first book available on Amazon called 'Self help with your nerves' in the UK and 'Hope and help with your nerves' in the U.S.

[Hidden in reply to Jeff1943]

That book is what scared me

[Jeff1943 in reply to Hidden]

Puppy, I've read that book a dozen times in the past 40 years and I've never noticed anything scary in it, I think what you're referring to is Claire Weekes' description of how fear begats more fear in a vicious circle which stands to reason. The reason people value her book(s) is she shows the way to stop fear causing even more fear, how to break the vicious circle, that's what makes her method such a boon. Other writers on General Anxiety Disorder have advocated similar things but Doctor Weekes said it first and she said it best.

[Hidden in reply to Jeff1943]

I can't stop fearing the fear that's what scares me. When I read that book the part where she said if you fear it it will get worse. That thought stuck in my head and won't leave.

[Hidden in reply to Jeff1943]

Don't I already have second fear

[Jeff1943]

Puppy, I'm sure that the late Doctor Weekes would have been mortified to know something in one of her books came across as scary. Her intention in writing these books is the opposite, to provide reassurance and a route to recovery. However, that was your impression of something she wrote and that's what you remember about the book. What about the other 99.9% of the book?

[Hidden in reply to Jeff1943]

I don't know it's been years since I read it

[Hidden in reply to Jeff1943]

I was panicking when I was reading and I told myself I couldn't stop fearing it and that has stuck with me I'm not blaming Dr. Weekes

[Jeff1943]

As the saying goes: Don't throw the baby out with the bath water, which means in this context : Don't ignore the benefit of recovery that Claire Weekes' book can bring you just because you have an issue with a page or two. Maybe find that book, tear out the offending pages and read it anew.

[Hidden in reply to Jeff1943]

Thanks but I threw it out