Been dealing with an anxiety disorder the last year.

[Happy Mask Man]

It's pretty much 24/7 generalized anxiety. It's not caused by anything going on in my life so much as it is my own irrational thoughts and paranoia/weird way of thinking. I've tried counseling, meditation, and at least a dozen different types of medications (Zoloft, Prozac, a ton of different benzodiazepines) etc. The only things that have ever worked at all where Klonopin and Ativan, and both only worked for about a week before losing their effectiveness. The first day I was on Ativan the problem was fixed almost completely and everything was fantastic, then by the very next day the effects had lessened significantly. I have had add and ocd since I was a kid if that matters. All other medications I have tried have had absolutely no effect. Even something like Xanax didn't work. Ambien does work, but that's a sleep medication and I can't use it during the day.

Oh and the symptoms are constant paranoia over absolutely everything, freaking out mentally to "the world is ending RIGHT NOW" levels all the time, increased heart rate, and having this combined with ocd to the point where my amygdalas (the part of the brain having to do with anxiety) feel like they are being ripped to shreds. I don't have sweating or shortness of breath or anything people talk about when they mention panic attacks, so I don't think that's it.

Is there anyone here who can relate to this or suggest anything that could help? I've been wondering if there is anything similar in the ingrediants between Ativan and Klonopin that isn't present in other drugs.

[bananxiety10]

Happy Mask Man, I suffer from OCD and GAD also. I was a severe OCD person who found minimal help from meds and therapy, so I decided to take it on myself by reading and understanding the disease and now it it almost 100 gone. You must read TORMENTING THOUGHTS AND SECRET RITUALS. Go online or to a bookstore and buy it and read it immediately. I would say if you read the book, you will love it, relate to it, and it will provide you with immediate relief and easy techniques for overcoming the ocd. There are personal testimonies, and you will see that there are thousands of people with the same thoughts and rituals you have. Then follow up on the internet with other peoples stories and learn to LAUGH at yourself. But read, research, learn and laugh, and in a few weeks you will be 1/2 way home or more.

Now as for anxiety, wish I could help you but I'm in the same boat. I'm on 4mg klonapin(clonazepam) and I'm still struggling.

Get that book, once you start reading you won't be able to put it down.

[Happy Mask Man]

Happy Mask Man, I suffer from OCD and GAD also. I was a severe OCD person who found minimal help from meds and therapy, so I decided to take it on myself by reading and understanding the disease and now it it almost 100 gone. You must read TORMENTING THOUGHTS AND SECRET RITUALS. Go online or to a bookstore and buy it and read it immediately. I would say if you read the book, you will love it, relate to it, and it will provide you with immediate relief and easy techniques for overcoming the ocd. There are personal testimonies, and you will see that there are thousands of people with the same thoughts and rituals you have. Then follow up on the internet with other peoples stories and learn to LAUGH at yourself. But read, research, learn and laugh, and in a few weeks you will be 1/2 way home or more.

Now as for anxiety, wish I could help you but I'm in the same boat. I'm on 4mg klonapin(clonazepam) and I'm still struggling.

Get that book, once you start reading you won't be able to put it down.


The ocd has pretty much changed over time from obsessive actions to just obsessive thoughts (24/7). I don't mind it too much and it's beneficial in a lot of ways besides this anxiety thing. The actions now are limited to the typical ocd symptoms like washing my hands, checking to make sure dishes are extra clean before I use them, checking expiration dates on everything excessively, etc. None of it is that big a deal, especially not in the last few years (I'm 22). Just now I'm in a constant state of freaking out and having crazy levels of adrenaline for no reason all day, every day. And the obsessive thoughts and anxiety are separate since the anxiety started about a year and a half ago and I've had the obsessive thoughts pretty much my whole life. Most people I know keep telling me to get out of the house and do things like exercise, which would be fine except I don't think they get it's a mental disorder that's causing it. If anxiety was that easy to fix (like normal anxiety) it wouldn't be a problem.

I'll check out the book though. Thanks.

Edit: I'm new here and apparently I can't get the quote feature working right.