This is Torture

I'm anxious and paranoid for 3 straight days. Can somebody help me? I have no benzos and my new zyprexa dose hasn't kicked in. The after hours won't call me back. This is torture.

What kind of help are you looking for from us?

Call the "after hours" number again.
Someone should call you back.


WC

Has anybody dealt with this without a benzos? What did you do? Anybody remember any DBT? I'm at a loss.

You may find some relief, albeit little, in regulating your breathing. Slow, deep breaths. Counting, etc.

I'd try the after hours line a second time.


WC

I called them back. It helped a little.

Pdoc has been notified and will call me tomorrow

jumping in a freezing cold shower helps me.

worst comes to worst you could go to the ER. There's nothing a few milligrams of IV lorazepam won't fix

I hope you have a good night, despite the symptoms you'd encountered today.
I had hoped your pdoc would call you tonight; I'll bet you'd hoped so even more than I had. Sorry you are going through such a rough time, Moose.
Take good care of yourself tonight.
I'll be thinking of you, sending healthy vibes your way.


WC

Talked with my friend. It helped a lot. Just about whatever. And my son just came home so I know he's safe.

When I'm freaking out I listen to guided meditations for panic attacks on youtube, it really helps.

Thank you!! I'll let you know if Pdoc calls tomorrow. I feel sleepy now since I talked with Christopher so I think I'll be able to sleep.

Ooh! I'll try that!

I enjoy coloring. It always makes me feel better. So relaxing. I'm anxious every day, all of the time, and don't have a benzo either. So I have to do a lot of of that DBT stuff. Coloring and making my thoughts neutral has helped the most. I hope you feel better.

Whats this hotline you guys mentioned? Is it for anybody?

I called my psych dr's office. They have an after-hours service.

I'm sorry you are having such a tough time. It would have been nice if your pdoc could have called you back last night (I don't quite understand that). I hope he calls soon and provides you some relief.

how are you this morning moose?

Good morning, moose!

Just checking in on you.

WC

Good morning all! I'm at Starbucks chillaxin. I got the kids off to school but one missed the bus so I had to drive him. Hoping Pdoc will get the message that I called after hours yesterday and call me back. I still feel that I could be triggered very easily. I'm taking the meds just like she said but it's too little too late it seems. I can see how one could get depressed from this and I don't want to go there. I talked with my friend last night on the phone about diet and exercise. Was interesting. Of course I've forgotten what he said- something about kefir. At any rate, our conversation calmed me down a bit. I'm just worried about everything collapsing around me. The types of things that used to send me to the PES / ER.

Moose, in almost every thread where you mention anxiety you also mention the desire for benzos. Do you have some hope that your doc may prescribe them again, even though you said you attempted an OD with them? In some sense it seems your docs may not be taking your anxiety into account when prescribing, especially since there are alternatives such as buspar and gabapentin. I know they're not as quick and sure-fire as the benzo class, but if you haven't tried them they might be worth a go.

If you're not happy with your present doc taking your anxiety seriously or if they're not willing to do anything about it, then it might be worth looking around for another doc. I used to have serious anxiety issues - technically I'm diagnosed with GAD as well as BP - but my current combo has the anxiety well under control. I do have a script for Klonopin PRN, but it's for sleep and not anxiety - and I rarely take it even for that symptom. The other meds keep the anxiety at bay and aren't of the benzo class. I'm old enough and have been at this long enough to remember when docs used to hand out benzos like candy; however things have changed and pharmaceutical alternatives for dealing with anxiety have presented themselves.

Good luck with whatever you decide. If you're not happy with the treatment you're getting from your current practitioner, there are options. One other thing I thought of - there's a chance your GP might be willing to help you deal with it even if your psychiatrist won't. Whether that's a script for benzos or whatever else, medical docs are pretty used to dealing with anxiety issues as well.

I will try to make sure my Pdoc knows how this anxiety is affecting me. You're likely right: I took 5 Ativan once- no more than given at the ER- and now I'm punished indefinitely.

They had a problem with you taking 5 Ativan? Holy , no wonder you feel shafted. That wouldn't harm a fly.

Technically it was an overdose you see. Of course I've never been told any of this directly. I'm left to guess in the dark.