Hi all!

[Richaf]

Thought I'f try this out to periodically interact with others who struggle with anxiety/panic disorder.
I've been fighting since HS (1984) and have been taking Clonazepam (Klonopin) 3mg daily since, ready?...1988!! (it would be great to chat with other Clonazepam users)
Needless to say, it doesn't work as well as it did for many years, probably due to increased tolerance. BUT, who the heck want to see a shrink again, go through the same barrage of questions that I've answered a million times! That got old in the 90s.
As with many, in the beginning, I've self medicated with alcohol but, never got into any illegal dope except my teen years with weed.
That's the long and short of my story!

[superchick22684]

Welcome Richaf! I'm a long term anxiety/depression sufferer myself. Hope you find the board informational and helpful.

[Richaf]

Thank you Superchick!

[Kuma]

Hey Rich. Welcome to our little corner of the internet. So if the Klonopin does not work so well these days, what do you do to deal with the anxiety?

[Richaf]

Hi Kuma and thanks for the welcome!
The Klonopin is working to an extent but, not as great as it did for many, many years. I'm not back to where I was in the beginning. I still go places, etc.. I do, however, feel as though I'm regressing. I worry a lot more about how I'm going to feel a do have occasional panic attacks that I just suffer and talk myself through. Also I find myself with a foggy head very frequently. A benzo tolerance thing? I don't know. I would just HATE to go back to a psych and go through the same garbage.
It does suck and I wrote in the Meds blog about changing things up.

[gypsylee]

Thought I'f try this out to periodically interact with others who struggle with anxiety/panic disorder.
I've been fighting since HS (1984) and have been taking Clonazepam (Klonopin) 3mg daily since, ready?...1988!! (it would be great to chat with other Clonazepam users)
Needless to say, it doesn't work as well as it did for many years, probably due to increased tolerance. BUT, who the heck want to see a shrink again, go through the same barrage of questions that I've answered a million times! That got old in the 90s.
As with many, in the beginning, I've self medicated with alcohol but, never got into any illegal dope except my teen years with weed.
That's the long and short of my story!

Hey again Richaf :)

Like I said in that other thread, I think there are lots of other things you can do to help anxiety. Mine got bad again recently because of personal circumstances (basically there are a couple of people in my life who I can't cut off who cause me massive anxiety) and I ended up in panic mode again. Well that was a few days ago and I've calmed down a lot by using a few simple ideas.

Take a look in the sticky posts in "General Discussion" at one called "Techniques I Used to Cure My Panic and Anxiety" by PanicCured. He gives lots of ideas there that I agree with (whatever I think of the guy himself lol). Especially look at Claire Weekes stuff online about nervous illness. Once you understand that anxiety happens because of a "sensitised" nervous system, it's much easier to work with because it becomes more of a physical than a mental illness. GPs and psychiatrists won't tell you this though (Weekes was a bit of a renegade). So then it becomes a matter of lifestyle changes and looking after your nervous system.

Obviously you still have to deal with the Klonopin but that's not impossible. It's not even that hard in my experience.

All the best to you,
Gypsy x

[Richaf]

Thanks, Gypsylee!
Thant's a lot of good stuff to take a look at, I'm sure.
I'm sure that going off the Klonopin in lieu of another drug will be nerve racking enough, let alone getting off all crutches.
But who knows, I may find my nitch.
I will check it all out as soon as I get home from my weekend away. No service in the woods of Vermont! I find hot spots but then have to read and type on the phone...ugh!
Thanks again!

[gypsylee]

Thanks, Gypsylee!
Thant's a lot of good stuff to take a look at, I'm sure.
I'm sure that going off the Klonopin in lieu of another drug will be nerve racking enough, let alone getting off all crutches.
But who knows, I may find my nitch.
I will check it all out as soon as I get home from my weekend away. No service in the woods of Vermont! I find hot spots but then have to read and type on the phone...ugh!
Thanks again!

Yeah just take it a step at a time :) there's always lots of support here if you need it.

[Richaf]

Yeah just take it a step at a time :) there's always lots of support here if you need it.

Will do! Thanks again!

[airiss]

Welcome Richaf!