Hi (((((((Cyrano)))))))) I keep hoping to find some other magic thing that I can try too!! (even though I'm also wary of anything that promises to be a quick fix or miracle cure!)

It's great you're working with your therapist on mindfulness. It is hard. And I still find it almost impossible to sit with my feelings when my distress level is high. But I'm trying to practice mindfulness at other times throughout the day when I'm not necessarily super-anxious, in the hope that I can make it a habit and then it'll come easier to me during those really difficult times.

I'm so sorry you have so many external stressors right now. That just sucks. I am lucky in that my life is not that stressful externally. But for some reason, my inner life has gone haywire. It's like some switch got flipped in my brain and my anxiety response is always on. I've had problems with anxiety on and off my whole life, but, over the last few years it's become so much worse. I have become very neurotic about my health too and I keep thinking that I'm dying of something.

Were you doing ok before life got so very stressful? If so, then there is good reason to hope that you can get back to a better place again emotionally. Are you getting some practical support with the life stressors?? I really hope so and I hope things can be resolved.

I was also wondering if you're taking any other medication besides the Ativan? I take an anti-depressant (Zoloft) and it has helped with my depression. It's not all that helpful with my anxiety, though it does help a bit (I know this because I came off it for a while, thinking it wasn't working, and I felt 10 times worse once it was out of my system!)

Anyhow, anti-depressants can help some people with anxiety (as well as depression). I've taken Ativan a couple of times when I really thought I was about to drop dead and it did help. But I'm terrified of becoming addicted to it so I save it for absolute emergencies (even though every panic attack feels like an absolute emergency!)

I find it comforting too to know that I'm not alone with this. Thank you for being here! Sending you good thoughts.