venga
01-23-2014, 09:45 AM
Please only positive feedback, experiences and advice.
Okay, so I've just recently started taking lorazepam (ativan), probably just over a month now. I was playing around a bit taking 1/2 during the day, then 1mg at night, before being told and realising this could be dangerous. So, I've settled on 1/2 during the day and 1mg at night.
What happened was, I was having problems with sleeping, and being in a foreign country, everything felt worse as well. So, I started taking zoplicone. Basically, I didn't enjoy it and after smoking marijuana one day, the anxiety that had been lingering truly hit off but thankfully I was able to switch to taking lorazepam. This all happened just before Christmas.
I'm now feeling much better, have realised self medication isn't the answer (as I was trying to do with the sleeping pills and marijuana) and am grateful that the lorazepam is assisting in allowing me to enjoy my time abroad. I've joined a local sport team, which is allowing me to exercise regularly and helping me to meet people and socialise. Another big thing I feel attributed to the anxiety was not knowing many people, spending all my time at work or sitting alone in my apartment. Similarly, I have just started meditation and tapping techniques to help with the anxiety.
Prior to taking lorazepam I was tired physically and emotionally from the strain of bad sleep and all of the anxiety I was feeling throughout the day. By the end of it, I was trembling, as well as heat and tightness in my shoulders and chest. I would wake up in the night shaking then not be able to get back to sleep. I'm sure many can relate and I hope this doesn't make anyone feel anyone uncomfortable.
Anyway, I am no longer experiencing any of these things and feeling much better. I'm going to return to see my doctor in about a month and was hoping to talk about tapering off of the medication. However, I have a friend in Portugal who is a psychologist and she has told me to wait until April to think about going off of the medication and to work on overcoming the little things, as I have been.
I've experienced anxiety off and on since a young age, but this is the first time I've taken medication without self medicating and I am committed to finding a cure now that I've accepted the anxiety, but feel I can do this without the medication. In saying that, the most anxious I feel is when I'm trying to sleep, and I don't want to over exert myself by pushing things. I'm also sure you can see that I'm feeling anxious about all of this as well, which could be a sign I need to continue taking things slow.
Basically, what I'm wondering is whether I'm better to follow my friend's advice or to talk to my doctor and see if she agrees about beginning to taper off of the medication? I mean, I'll talk to my doctor anyway, but just am wondering from other people who might of had similar situations. I return to New Zealand at the end of August, and was also considering staying on the medication until I get back in my own country and in familiar surroundings, but that would be about 8 months on the medication, and I am worried about forming a dependence and having issues tapering off (imagine being anxious about something happening in the future?! :D ).
I imagine that 1 1/2 mg a day is a small dose and that 8 months isn't quite as long as it seems, but I'm not sure? There seems to be different advice all over the place.
Another issue is finding therapy here as I'm not sure the best avenue and when I asked my doctor she told me it could be a month long wait, which would mean private counselling that I'm not sure I could afford.
Sorry, this has turned into quite a rant, but I hope that the more information available, the easier it is for you guys to give advice?
Please only positive feedback, experiences and advice.
Okay, so I've just recently started taking lorazepam (ativan), probably just over a month now. I was playing around a bit taking 1/2 during the day, then 1mg at night, before being told and realising this could be dangerous. So, I've settled on 1/2 during the day and 1mg at night.
What happened was, I was having problems with sleeping, and being in a foreign country, everything felt worse as well. So, I started taking zoplicone. Basically, I didn't enjoy it and after smoking marijuana one day, the anxiety that had been lingering truly hit off but thankfully I was able to switch to taking lorazepam. This all happened just before Christmas.
I'm now feeling much better, have realised self medication isn't the answer (as I was trying to do with the sleeping pills and marijuana) and am grateful that the lorazepam is assisting in allowing me to enjoy my time abroad. I've joined a local sport team, which is allowing me to exercise regularly and helping me to meet people and socialise. Another big thing I feel attributed to the anxiety was not knowing many people, spending all my time at work or sitting alone in my apartment. Similarly, I have just started meditation and tapping techniques to help with the anxiety.
Prior to taking lorazepam I was tired physically and emotionally from the strain of bad sleep and all of the anxiety I was feeling throughout the day. By the end of it, I was trembling, as well as heat and tightness in my shoulders and chest. I would wake up in the night shaking then not be able to get back to sleep. I'm sure many can relate and I hope this doesn't make anyone feel anyone uncomfortable.
Anyway, I am no longer experiencing any of these things and feeling much better. I'm going to return to see my doctor in about a month and was hoping to talk about tapering off of the medication. However, I have a friend in Portugal who is a psychologist and she has told me to wait until April to think about going off of the medication and to work on overcoming the little things, as I have been.
I've experienced anxiety off and on since a young age, but this is the first time I've taken medication without self medicating and I am committed to finding a cure now that I've accepted the anxiety, but feel I can do this without the medication. In saying that, the most anxious I feel is when I'm trying to sleep, and I don't want to over exert myself by pushing things. I'm also sure you can see that I'm feeling anxious about all of this as well, which could be a sign I need to continue taking things slow.
Basically, what I'm wondering is whether I'm better to follow my friend's advice or to talk to my doctor and see if she agrees about beginning to taper off of the medication? I mean, I'll talk to my doctor anyway, but just am wondering from other people who might of had similar situations. I return to New Zealand at the end of August, and was also considering staying on the medication until I get back in my own country and in familiar surroundings, but that would be about 8 months on the medication, and I am worried about forming a dependence and having issues tapering off (imagine being anxious about something happening in the future?! :D ).
I imagine that 1 1/2 mg a day is a small dose and that 8 months isn't quite as long as it seems, but I'm not sure? There seems to be different advice all over the place.
Another issue is finding therapy here as I'm not sure the best avenue and when I asked my doctor she told me it could be a month long wait, which would mean private counselling that I'm not sure I could afford.
Sorry, this has turned into quite a rant, but I hope that the more information available, the easier it is for you guys to give advice?
Please only positive feedback, experiences and advice.