Quote:
Originally Posted by June08
Welcome!
I just started seeing a therapist who uses a type of CBT called acceptance and commitment therapy. One strategy that she recently gave me that is helping me is, when anxious thoughts are filling my mind, to step back and say something along the lines of "I'm noticing" and then state what type of thought and/or emotions you have going on. I then tack on stating what the more realistic reality is.
For example, if I notice myself on a thought loop about a worst case scenario, I notice that I am doing this and then think of what one or two more realistic possibilities are. My "worst case scenarios" are usually pretty unrealistic so this strategy helps to reground me.
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The problem with that for me is when I was taken off lorazapam, when they had completely been out of my system, I starting having what's called rolling panic attacks. It's where you have a panic attack, it will feel like it's stopping, but then another one comes.. that would last for 4-5 hours. It was the worst thing I've ever been through. It lasted 9 months. I got a new psychiatrist that eventually put me on a whole bunch of sedating meds, but not a benzo. I eventually went into a mixed state and couldn't sleep. I was taking 30 mgs of Zyprexa nd still not sleeping. It's a really long story but I ended up going to the hospital. But t
he psychiatrist I have now has had to add more meds for the anxiety.
Sorry I rambled but the worse case scenario is if I get some really good techniques for dealing with my anxiety. The worst case scenario is the 4-5 hour long panic attacks. So I don't know how to reconcile that. Do you have any ideas?