Anxious Girl Reaching out to Strangers for the First Time

[anxiousgirl79]

My name is Kaley, and I suffer from Panic Disorder and Obsessive Compulsive Personality Disorder...I don't obsessively wash my hands or check door locks. I just finished a month long outpatient group therapy program. I am taking anti-anxiety meds (been on 5 different SSRIs and 3 different Benzos in the last year.) My psych now has been on 40 mg Celexa (actually already lost 10 lbs in 3 weeks on it), Xanax XR .5mg twice a day, and Restoril 30 mg to remain asleep.

I have always been panicky, a people-pleaser, and had complete black and white thinking. I am scared that now that my program is over and I am home alone all day until my husband comes home from work that my mind will go back to racing all day. Until last year, I had a good job as a Business Banker until I got fired fired for getting a DUI (self-medicating at its finest). I am an overachiever, and I lost much of my identity through this.

I am reaching out for the first time on a public forum. I have never joined any site like this, but I know I need help and to help others like me. Any comments or suggestions are greatly appreciated.

Every morning I have been finding a positive quote, and then reflect on how that quote evokes emotion in me. This has gone from being a journal to a blog. I am trying to remain hopeful and hopefully help others. I left it open for anonymous comments, as I'd like to see how others can relate to my feelings.

anxiouskaley.blogspot

Thank you for your time, and any insight you can give.

Kaley

[palow]

I would like to recommend the Linden Method. I went through it and managed to overcome a decade-old case of GAD. Charles Linden himself when through a nightmare with SSRIs and benzos for more than 20 years.

I have to warn you that for people on meds, the Linden Method focuses on getting you off drugs first. There is a very long section and a chart in the manual about weaning yourself off drugs with the help of a physician. The benzos especially will wreck your brain chemistry enough to sabotage ANY anxiety treatment you go through.

Linden has these rules called the 9 Pillars, which are his version of 10 commandents. You read these rules daily after following along some kind of odd hypnotic audio track, probably to programme these rules into your subconscious. One of his 9 pillars is that you have to get off drugs.

Linden uses a very structured diversion programme, meaning you distract yourself with something everytime your anxiety hits. You can also try other anxiety coaches like Joe Barry (Panic Away) and Rich Presta (Anxiety Lie, Panic Puzzle). They tend to use techniques that make you confront your fears and master them. Linden doesn't have too much of those and I think is one weakness of the programme.

Do not go back to group therapy with a psychiatrist. Psychiatrist treat anxiety like a mental illness. It is not. The one you found is not even a psychiatrist but a drug dealer.

Hope this helps.

Patrick