First of all, for those of you who are offended by the title of this post, you have obviously never had to go through withdrawal. If you had, you would know that there is no other way to put it.
Second, I had been on my anti anxiety meds for a few months before my shrink decided it was time to start the weaning process. All in all, I took those meds for 10 months and two weeks.
Third, I strongly suggest that you ONLY take anti anxiety meds under the supervision of a doctor.
Last month, I had told you guys that I was officially off of my anti anxiety meds (see old post). I was so happy because I hadn't had any withdrawal symptoms. But, I spoke way too soon.
On November 3, I had an "almost" panic attack before falling asleep. Man, did it scare the everliving crap out of me! I had to take a quarter of a pill just to settle down. The very next day I scheduled an appointment with my therapist. Obviously, I still had to work through some anxiety issues.
I have been able to work on those issues, but I really just want to share my experience with withdrawal symptoms in this post.
Those of you who know me know that I would never willingly have a problem with drugs or alcohol. For that reason, I never thought that I would ever have to face something as difficult as withdrawal. It is a very scary experience. My symptoms included uncontrollable (yet sporadic) twitching in my legs and feet, shaky hands, anxiety and restlessness.
The worst part is that I felt like someone else, but in my skin. I wanted to get up and run around or talk a thousand miles an hour. I wanted to keep my hands from shaking. I wanted not to get stressed out, and I wanted to take the pills to make it all go away. I could do none of the first three things, and I CHOSE not to do the last.
Let me just tell ya', that last choice was the hardest of all. The only thing that kept me from taking a pill was the thought of having to go through withdrawal again. It is not a fun process, and I'm glad a friend gave me a head's up before I started experiencing any symptoms.
Since Nov 3, I haven't taken any pills (though I have wanted to a couple of times). The shaking and restlessness stopped after about two weeks (thank goodness!) The twitching slowly subsided, and I have been able to manage my anxiety in a much more productive way.
For those of you who are taking benzodiazepine medication be aware of the withdrawal symptoms and consult with your doctor. For those of you going through withdrawal, a few weeks of symptoms is nothing compared to a lifetime of not having to take them. For those of you who are neither, I hope you never have to fall into the previous categories.
Take care and talk to ya soon!
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