Help How to cope with anxiety without benzos ?

[141592653]

Hey, as some of you may already know, I managed to quit benzos a month ago. This is a huge relief and I feel way better since I'm not on them and the withdrawals have gone. The thing is that I had benzos for a reason (even though I did abuse on them) and I am now coping quite hard with anxiety while I don't have so much stressful events happening in my life. Though, now is the time to either find a PhD thesis, or to find a job. With some personnal issues, this makes my anxiety crisis become more and more frequent. I had hard times every night now for a small week and I'm starting to fear this is going to come accross my recovery which was doing fine so far. So here are the non addictive solutions I found with advantages and inconvenients.

* Taking a lot of Hydroxyzine : after 30 min of taking approx 3 time the prescribed dose, I start to fall asleep.
=> This works really well but I can't use that when I'm not at home or when I need to get things done + it fucks up my sleeping pattern
* Shut down all social networks
=> very effective for social anxiety but I can't get any outside support when I'm feeling really bad AFTER having shut it all out and it ended really bad a few times. Though it works pretty well.
* Diaphragmatic breathing :
=> This has two sides. Sometimes it helps me calm down but sometimes it makes me actually realize that I can't properly breathe and I panic
* Overstimulation (hardcore multitasking for instance, I usually do6 or 7 "main" activities" at the same time
=> prevents me from thinking (which is good) but can excite me or annoy me. I'd say this just postpones anxiety.
* Understimulation : I try to focus on one only activity passive (movie, music or video game of a certain type)
=> If I can focus, then I won over anxiety. Though I can feel bored, I usually do a LOT of stuff in my day to prevent me from being bored. Boreness ALWAYS triggers my anxiety.

My problem is that trying those stuff out takes hours. Last month my anxiety really degenerated only once. Though when it degenerates I'm really dangerous for myself an the others and I can't tolerate it. I don't want to use drugs to cure my anxiety cauz it ended so bad with benzos that I want to take drugs only when I'm with people for fun.

 

[Frew]

What kind of anxiety do you experience? Is it more bodily anxiety/panic or cognitive worrying, or both?

I'm a couch potato tbh but exercise can help. I go out for walks sometimes if I'm anxious and listen to music or an ebook and pick mushrooms in the park or something, and it helps. Yoga is also very slow moving and focused on breathing, I'm sure there is yoga tailored for anxiety on youtube.

When I suffered badly from social anxiety I used to do this thing called 'stepping back' from my thoughts. I now realise this is a mindfulness like practice, where you observe your thoughts from a distance rather than sit in them. It helped a lot to distance myself from my worries at that particular moment.

 

[signifying nothing]

Diaphragmatic breathing :
=> This has two sides. Sometimes it helps me calm down but sometimes it makes me actually realize that I can't properly breathe and I panic

Yeah, this is what happens for me. I am a shallow breather/breath holder when left to my own devices. If I breathe too much it can set me off on a panic attack.

Current strategies for my anxiety are:

Alcohol, antihistamines or propranolol.

Throwing stuff away - I take the view that stuff in house is stuff in mind, so I've become a minimalist. And it just feels good to get rid.

Going for a walk (full on exercise is too much, makes things worse).

Sitting in a dark, empty room trying to meditate.

 

[GoneGoneGone]

Did you have anxiety before taking benzos? It sounds like you're having rebound anxiety. There are meds like beta-blockers or muscle relaxants that are not addictive, if your symptoms are mainly physical.

 

[141592653]

What kind of anxiety do you experience? Is it more bodily anxiety/panic or cognitive worrying, or both?

Well it depends. I have a lot of social anxiety under the form of paranoia. I also can have anxiety triggered by some art. I usually was ending up self harming but I can handle it for now.

Yeah, this is what happens for me. I am a shallow breather/breath holder when left to my own devices. If I breathe too much it can set me off on a panic attack.

Current strategies for my anxiety are:

Alcohol, antihistamines or propranolol.

Throwing stuff away - I take the view that stuff in house is stuff in mind, so I've become a minimalist. And it just feels good to get rid.

Going for a walk (full on exercise is too much, makes things worse).

Sitting in a dark, empty room trying to meditate.

OK thanks for the insights. I usually throw stuff too when I'm fully triggered. Usually make things worse cause I usually throw my phone and break it (that's why I only use recycled phones I get free from my relations)

I should go on a walk more often, this seems a nice idea

I don't think propanolol would help me but I should read about the stuff more carfully.

Did you have anxiety before taking benzos? It sounds like you're having rebound anxiety. There are meds like beta-blockers or muscle relaxants that are not addictive, if your symptoms are mainly physical.

Yes, I have anxiety as early in my life I can remember. I'm going to have a look about rebound anxiety on the internet. Thank you !

 

[signifying nothing]

I also can have anxiety triggered by some art.

That's interesting. I take labels off things to reduce the amount of unnecessary visual information around me, which I guess is similar. And also avoid things with patterns, strong colours.

 

[141592653]

That's interesting. I take labels off things to reduce the amount of unnecessary visual information around me, which I guess is similar. And also avoid things with patterns, strong colours.

Well it's not exactly a visual stuff but more when some art emotionally touches me. Maybe I have trauma, shrinks don't think I have and I'm not sure I have but could be. Nonetheless I get the impression I kinda processed the shit that happened to me.

 

[Lotus]

First of all, I'm so proud of you for getting rid of the benzos. The withdrawals must have been awful. I don't really have any good advice as I'm struggling with the same thing. I allow myself to use benzos for a couple of weeks at a time, typically before exams. But other than that I don't really know what to do. I don't know what triggers my anxiety, other than that boredom makes it worse if I'm already anxious, so I try to distract myself with something. But I have a hard time concentrating on something after depression hit me. I've tried to called help calling services, but I have a lot of different experiences, most bad ones. Good luck. Hope we both will be able to cope at last.

 

[AutoTap]

I recommend this video: it's like the only coping mechanism that helps me

 

[Niftypoint124]

Diaphragmatic breathing with an app has been helpful (Android & iPhone: "Breathing Zone") - mostly because it gives me an image that moves and a choice in the tone to play to have me shift from inhaling to exhaling. The doctor I was seeing at the time suggested to start with 5 minutes at a time, so as to discourage falling into rumination habits.

Consistent light exposure: spending 30 minutes a day, roughly around the same time, in sunlight.

Cutting my caffeine intake. Stopped entirely for a few months, now I can have 1 serving of <whatever> -- never more than 4 or 5 hours after.

Sleep hygiene. My doc told me to stop using my bed for anything but sleep and sex - not reading, not watching movies, not hanging out. The transition was helpful because not only is it easier to fall asleep when I get in bed now, but it means if I'm feeling super low I can chill on my bed for a bit and it helps calm me down.

Propranolol. I was super clear with my doctor I don't want to take large doses, so I don't. One 10mg pill twice a day, though lately I feel like I don't need it at night.

 

[Sensei]

OP, you might want to try anxiolytic herbs. They're of course weaker than benzodiazepines, but they are on the other hand not addictive. They have helped me for sure.

A Guide to Herbs

 

[kohaku]

Pregabalin has been officially prescribed as a first-line anxiety treatment before with good results. Addiction only comes with abuse of the substance, and tolerance develops over several months (which is good, because that means it's slow). I've been prescribed it as my psych ward doctor said I have minor anxiety and it's quite amazing, helps take the edge off everything.

Propranolol is prescribed for situational anxiety, at doses of 40mg an hour prior to the anxiety-inducing event.

 

[GoneGirl]

www.ilovepanicattacks.com

There is a 14 week course on that website.. it completely cured my anxiety & panic attacks. I used to have multiple panic attacks a day now I'm down to zero & have been for about 3 years

 

[141592653]

Diaphragmatic breathing with an app has been helpful (Android & iPhone: "Breathing Zone") - mostly because it gives me an image that moves and a choice in the tone to play to have me shift from inhaling to exhaling. The doctor I was seeing at the time suggested to start with 5 minutes at a time, so as to discourage falling into rumination habits.

Consistent light exposure: spending 30 minutes a day, roughly around the same time, in sunlight.

Cutting my caffeine intake. Stopped entirely for a few months, now I can have 1 serving of <whatever> -- never more than 4 or 5 hours after.

Sleep hygiene. My doc told me to stop using my bed for anything but sleep and sex - not reading, not watching movies, not hanging out. The transition was helpful because not only is it easier to fall asleep when I get in bed now, but it means if I'm feeling super low I can chill on my bed for a bit and it helps calm me down.

Propranolol. I was super clear with my doctor I don't want to take large doses, so I don't. One 10mg pill twice a day, though lately I feel like I don't need it at night.

Thank you for all of this ! I'm going to try diaphragmatic breathing and light exposurewith Breathing Zone, I'm curious about any method to calm anxiety that I didn't try.

I don't take coffee so this doesn't applies to me, taking some usually is not a good idea for me.

Sleep hygiene : I'm doing my best those days, I know how important it is but you probably know how hard it is to keep especially with COVID when I spend 24/7 in my small appartment.

I'm very reluctant on puting myself on more anxiolytics such as propanolol, I have a tendency to take way too much of them when I have an anxiety attack and I'm very about the psychotic secundary effects.

OP, you might want to try anxiolytic herbs. They're of course weaker than benzodiazepines, but they are on the other hand not addictive. They have helped me for sure.

A Guide to Herbs

Thanks a lot ! I'm gonna look into it

www.ilovepanicattacks.com

There is a 14 week course on that website.. it completely cured my anxiety & panic attacks. I used to have multiple panic attacks a day now I'm down to zero & have been for about 3 years

I'm gonna look into it and start the free trial thank you !

 

[GoneGirl]

I'm gonna look into it and start the free trial thank you !

:) I hope it works for you like it did for me.. Honestly its amazing x

 

[kkatt]

I wear a smart band and one feature on it is a breathing technique. It shows a circle that indicates you should inhale or exhale as it gets bigger/smaller. It gets slower and slower and lasts about two minutes. I found it really helps

 

[Sherri]

I can't cope without it, but apparently some herbal products are good as, but I don't do well with it, take forever to have effect.

 

[141592653]

I wear a smart band and one feature on it is a breathing technique. It shows a circle that indicates you should inhale or exhale as it gets bigger/smaller. It gets slower and slower and lasts about two minutes. I found it really helps

Oh that's interesting, I'm going to go look into it. Tank you !

 

[kkatt]

I can't cope without it, but apparently some herbal products are good as, but I don't do well with it, take forever to have effect.

I am a firm believer in allopathic medicine buty most modern medicines do have their roots in some kind of herbal extracts.
In fact,I once tried a herbal remedy and after two weeks of taking it religiously,it did in fact have some effect,so colour me wrong

 

[Niftypoint124]

I'm very reluctant on puting myself on more anxiolytics such as propanolol, I have a tendency to take way too much of them when I have an anxiety attack and I'm very about the psychotic secundary effects.

Propanolol is a beta blocker, so what it impacts is your heart rate. It doesn't impact your mental/thought process; I chose to try this because "true" anti-anxiety medications like Xanax and Klonopin have too many side effects for my liking. (And, in my experience, only work if you take them ~every day~, which I'm not interested in.)

Good luck, I hope some of the suggestions in this thread prove helpful to you!