was already dealing with increasing anxiety and panic attacks and then got the stomach flu (and I have a phobia of nausea and vomiting). this shot my anxiety through the roof and now it is completely out of control. I wake up at 3 or 5 AM with my stomach in horrible knots, feeling like the world is falling apart, feeling overwhelmed by dread and just wanting so bad to escape the discomfort but I can't move. I'm just paralyzed in bed until at least noon. I can't get through the morning without lorazepam but at the same time I'm terrified of becoming dependent on it and the awful withdrawal I've heard about. I hold out and try not to take it but eventually give in, after which my anxiety is slowly displaced by depression until it swells again once it's dark out and I know another morning is around the corner. After the stomach bug I was diagnosed with IBS. I can barely eat. I've lost about 15 lbs (and was small to begin within). I can't get anything done and my old agoraphobic tendencies are coming back. This vicious circle is sucking all the life out of me, I've been down this road before and I can't go back, but I don't know how to escape...