Comments on: Coping with Panic Attacks as an Adult http://panicfreeme.com/57/coping-with-panic-attacks-as-an-adult/ Learn How to Stop Panic Attacks & Get Your Life Back Thu, 17 May 2012 21:09:44 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.3.2 By: JillG http://panicfreeme.com/57/coping-with-panic-attacks-as-an-adult/comment-page-1/#comment-20145 JillG Thu, 05 May 2011 12:05:29 +0000 http://panicfreeme.com/?p=57#comment-20145 Hi Jillian, Taking or not taking medication for anxiety is a very personal decision for each person. When I told my doctor last year that I wanted to completely wean off Klonopin and Prozac, his first question to me was why? For me, the dosage was too high and I was sleeping all the time. Plus I was still getting break through panic attacks. Together we came up with a withdrawal schedule and I followed it for over 6 months. <a href="http://panicfreeme.com/106/weaning-off-klonopin-is-the-choice-i-make-today/" rel="nofollow">The withdrawal was agonizing</a> and ultimately I decided to stay on small dose of Klonopin and totally discontinue the Prozac. My doctor was supportive of my decision. As far as how do you tell your doctors you want to be med free? Be forthright and honest, and tell them exactly what you told me here. Be open to listening to what they have to say. Some doctors are very good at supporting what their patients want while others are not. It does seem to me that if you were recently in the hospital because the anxiety had total control, it may be a bit too early for you to handle the anxiety completely on your own right now. Maybe you and your docs can come up with a plan to be slightly medicated with the goal of being weaned off in a few months or so. Tell them you feel foggy, etc- maybe they can adjust the medications so you feel ok in the interim. Anyhow, that's just my opinion, feel free to take what you like and leave the rest. As far as resources here are free <a href="http://panicfreeme.com/tips-help/" rel="nofollow">anxiety tips and help</a> for you. In order to conquer panic, you have to learn to face it and not be too freaked out over it. It takes determination and practice but you can do it. Best of luck to you, Jill Hi Jillian,

Taking or not taking medication for anxiety is a very personal decision for each person. When I told my doctor last year that I wanted to completely wean off Klonopin and Prozac, his first question to me was why? For me, the dosage was too high and I was sleeping all the time. Plus I was still getting break through panic attacks. Together we came up with a withdrawal schedule and I followed it for over 6 months. The withdrawal was agonizing and ultimately I decided to stay on small dose of Klonopin and totally discontinue the Prozac. My doctor was supportive of my decision.

As far as how do you tell your doctors you want to be med free? Be forthright and honest, and tell them exactly what you told me here. Be open to listening to what they have to say. Some doctors are very good at supporting what their patients want while others are not. It does seem to me that if you were recently in the hospital because the anxiety had total control, it may be a bit too early for you to handle the anxiety completely on your own right now. Maybe you and your docs can come up with a plan to be slightly medicated with the goal of being weaned off in a few months or so. Tell them you feel foggy, etc- maybe they can adjust the medications so you feel ok in the interim. Anyhow, that’s just my opinion, feel free to take what you like and leave the rest.

As far as resources here are free anxiety tips and help for you. In order to conquer panic, you have to learn to face it and not be too freaked out over it. It takes determination and practice but you can do it.

Best of luck to you,
Jill

]]> By: Jillian http://panicfreeme.com/57/coping-with-panic-attacks-as-an-adult/comment-page-1/#comment-20123 Jillian Thu, 05 May 2011 04:00:59 +0000 http://panicfreeme.com/?p=57#comment-20123 Thank you for writing this. I have been struggling with anxiety for almost 7 years (I'm 22 now) and recently self-admitted myself because I felt completely lost and my anxiety had taken TOTAL control. I refuse to believe that we, as humans, need medication to cope...there's got to be a better way. I was on Celexa for almost 2 years, and it helped, but the agoraphobia was somewhat still there ( although I'm at the point now where I'm realizing it really IS all in your head, and I may not actually be agoraphobic, I've just been isolating myself for fear of having an attack in public). I was diagnosed with GAD and panic disorder with agoraphobia and prescribed .5mg Klonopin in the am, 1mg Klonopin in the pm and Effexor upon release. While in the meds line in the ward, the med guy handed me my pills and I realized there was a new one (the effexor). No matter how I worded the question, he would only tell me what it would DO, not what it was, which was a red flag for me. THEN the woman inbound behind me whispers, "Don't take the blue and gray one." But I did that time and have not since. I don't trust it and everything in me is telling me not to take it. I want to wean off of the Klonopin I JUST started as I hate prescription drugs. I feel foggy already and I've only been on them for almost two weeks now, but I figure if I want off, I should do it sooner (while it's not fully in my system) rather than later. I am just curious as to how to go about telling my therapist and psychiatrist (whom I have yet to see) that I want to be med-free ASAP. I was also wondering what I can do in the meantime to learn how to cope without meds, and what resources I should try. Thanks again for writing this. Please contact me if you feel so inclined. Thank you for writing this. I have been struggling with anxiety for almost 7 years (I’m 22 now) and recently self-admitted myself because I felt completely lost and my anxiety had taken TOTAL control. I refuse to believe that we, as humans, need medication to cope…there’s got to be a better way. I was on Celexa for almost 2 years, and it helped, but the agoraphobia was somewhat still there ( although I’m at the point now where I’m realizing it really IS all in your head, and I may not actually be agoraphobic, I’ve just been isolating myself for fear of having an attack in public). I was diagnosed with GAD and panic disorder with agoraphobia and prescribed .5mg Klonopin in the am, 1mg Klonopin in the pm and Effexor upon release. While in the meds line in the ward, the med guy handed me my pills and I realized there was a new one (the effexor). No matter how I worded the question, he would only tell me what it would DO, not what it was, which was a red flag for me. THEN the woman inbound behind me whispers, “Don’t take the blue and gray one.” But I did that time and have not since. I don’t trust it and everything in me is telling me not to take it. I want to wean off of the Klonopin I JUST started as I hate prescription drugs. I feel foggy already and I’ve only been on them for almost two weeks now, but I figure if I want off, I should do it sooner (while it’s not fully in my system) rather than later. I am just curious as to how to go about telling my therapist and psychiatrist (whom I have yet to see) that I want to be med-free ASAP. I was also wondering what I can do in the meantime to learn how to cope without meds, and what resources I should try.

Thanks again for writing this. Please contact me if you feel so inclined.

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