HDBobbers

Eh... i think you need to see the Therapist more than the psychiatrist. Throwing drugs at your issues is not an answer, especially when you don't have an understanding of how to deal with what ails you. IMO, the psychiatrist's diagnosis is premature, and further, the duo of Klonapin and Ambien seems wholly uneeded. The Klonapin ALONE should be plenty to help you sleep if indeed you are an insomniac, which, my guess is that you're not. My guess is that you just don't have a proper sleep routine. 1mg Klonapin is more than adequate to make you sleep. I spent 7 months with my therapist working on panic disorder, major depressive disorder, and insomnia before being referred to a psychiatrist who prescribed Lexapro, and later, Klonapin. The Lexapro (20mg) did away with the depression, for the most part, and took some of the constant anxiety away. The Klonapin (.5mg) was to bolster my sleep, allowing me to fall into a routine. It also allowed me to take steps toward learning how to control my panic in situations that trigger me (travel, loss of control). I've recently tapered away from the Klonapin. It's narcotic, and should only really be used for a short time, else the body becomes dependent upon it. I'd really look to see that therapist.

If you don't have the tools through practice and understanding, CW's books and tapes aren't going to do much. So, Ryukil has a point and I agree with him. It took me alot of work with my therapist to get to a point where i COULD benefit from what CW has to say. Once i had a better grasp on my what was going on in my head, i went back to the CW info. CW doesn't help everyone, but it's a good place to start.

Sorry... i haven't been checking the forum lately. It took about a month to get into my system, and i went in slowly. 10 to 20 to 30mg over the course of about a month. You have to just bite the bullet and bear with the onset issues. I definitely would ask your doctor to start you at a low dose, then updose a couple weeks in. It'll keep some of the issues down a bit.

Go to the gym or start working out within your home. I went through Paxil withdrawal after quitting cold turkey. The ONLY thing that had any noticeable impact on the symptoms was working out and exhausting my body. The exertion is what you need. Physically tire yourself out and the withdrawal symptoms will not be quite so bad.

Yes. I was taking melatonin and clonazepam in a morning/night overlap for a while. As long as you give the melatonin enough time to work its way out of your system with enough sleep, you shouldn't feel too much grogginess from the benzo. Have you thought about taking your benzo at night instead of the melatonin? I opted for this and no longer need the melatonin to sleep. I pop the benzo at about 9pm and i'm in bed by 10pm to be up at 5am. It helps me sleep and persists into the day.

I would definitely do some reading. If you can, find some local depression/anxiety support groups and talk to people in them. You might also find out if any local hospitals offer free sessions through a student trainee. I did that for a while myself here in Connecticut with a UConn student working under my therapist when my insurance was being denied. Meds alone will help, but you don't have the tools to help yourself. I can relate... i have panic disorder and major depressive disorder. I'm on 20mg of Lexapro every morning myself and .5mg Clonazepam nightly. I've been in therapy for the last year and have a psychiatrist on the side... they both talk to each other. A mixture of CBT and Exposure Therapy has helped me immensely. In the short term, i would do as Kylie suggested with the reading of Claire Weekes. There's links on this site to her books and audio, the idea being acceptance of your panic. Don't resist it and realize that the panic is going to hit you no matter what. The longer you fight it, the more difficult it will be to overcome. You can breathing exercises with counting. Try 6-8 seconds of inhalation and 6-8 seconds of exhalation through your nose. The point is to put yourself into a rhythm, slowing your breathing. Do this with your eyes closed. You can further attempt some guided meditation exercises with the same idea of counting and breathing. There's an app on Android and iOS called Insight Timer. I use it for short, 5 minute guided meditations. It helps center me in the morning and further puts me at ease. Self positive reinforcement helps a bit as well. That's about all i can say aside maybe trying some foods that may calm you. Mint/Spearmint helps me for some reason. I keep a tin of Altoids in my car. You can also try some teas, or maybe eating ginger, which you can get in chews, candy, or gum. Ginger also helps with stomach issues.

Out of curiosity, are you only taking the meds and foregoing therapy?

It's normal. I got that way with melatonin as well as now with the clonazepam that i take nightly. You have to be sure to take it at the right time to allow for it to work it's way through your system. I have to take my clonazepam at around 7 or 8 so that i can be up by 5 and not have the dizziness and severe drowsiness. You can try to cut the pill also. 5mg may just be too much.

With all of the downer posts out there, i figured i'd put up something positive. A breakthrough, if you will. I've been going to a therapist since last April to figure things out and put a label to what I was experiencing. Panic Disorder and Major Depressive Disorder. I started with a psychiatrist around July, at which time I was prescribed Lexapro which i dosed up twice on to 30mg daily. About two months later i was prescribed .5mg of Clonazepam, nightly. My therapist utilized CBT as well as exposure therapy to help me get to where I am now. My problems being, getting put in situations where I am not in control (someone else' car, bus, taxi, airplane) and issues with people. The exposures i've done have been gradually getting more intense, starting at driving myself to a movie and watching it, and culminating in taking a plane to another state where I would not rent a car, rely on public or hired transit, eat out for every meal, and stay multiple nights in a hotel of my choosing. So... I finally did that. I planned a trip to Washington, DC in December and flew out on January 15th. I took a multi-passenger van from the airport to my hotel. I treated myself to a very nice place right inside the city, just south of the National Mall. Friday afternoon, i visited the Smithsonian Air & Space Museum as well as the Museum of the American Indian. I treated myself to an expensive dinner at a great place in town, The Capital Grille. I ordered myself a New York Strip steak with saute'd asparagus and smashed potatoes (NOT a cheap meal), and sat, having a beer to watch a football game. I spent the night at my hotel, and the next morning got a nice breakfast. I walked up and spent 3 hours at the National Gallery (wonderful art). I got lunch at a little deli and sat munching on pickles with a woman marine who was telling me about her station in Kuwait. I spent another 2 hours at the Museum of American History, then walked to the Washington Monument, and then further past the Reflecting Pool to the Lincoln Memorial. I had another great dinner at a pub up the street from my hotel, eating at the bar. Cheap meal, but i couldn't go wrong with a plate of sliders and onion rings with a strong IPA. Spent the night again at the hotel, and then was up by 5am to get my return shuttle to the airport. Got my flight at 7:45 and got back to Connecticut by 9. All in all... ZERO panic or general anxiety throughout the entire trip. I'm actually extremely surprised that I came out so comfortable throughout the entire trip. My expectation was that i'd have experienced some sort of issue, but... nothing. I had a great time. I guess my therapy and the meds are working, because now i'm kinda looking forward for my next little vacation. Nice to feel good for once.

What i said in another sleep thread.

Zaps, severe mood swings ranging from bawling my eyes out to fury so awful that i got into a few fights, nausea, vertigo, de-realization, zero appetite, insomnia... I'm not trying to make you feel afraid of this... it's not my intent. You may not have the same withdrawal issues that I did. Mine were severe to the point that I wanted to kill myself, and i had to find help to get me through it. That's how i ended up at the gym. My buddy Mark got me into it while i was falling apart.

I had withdrawal symptoms for 5 or 6 months, and then i finally started to lose the weight i gained with the paxil. I'm on Lexapro and Klonopin now, and it's been a better duo than the Paxil.

I went through the withdrawal when i kicked Paxil. I'm so sorry you're going through it... i know that it is hell. The thing that helped me the most out of everything i tried was exercise. Something about the exertion reduced the withdrawal to a more bearable level. It felt like absolute shit at first, but once i got into the routine of going to the gym, i was better for it. You have to work out hard though. Don't just go through the motions. Get into it, and make sure you're fatiguing yourself. You can also try things like vitamin B1. It's available without a script. That's about all i can tell you. Try the exercise... i guarantee that it will help.

I'll also add. Shut off your laptop, put away your phone, and shut off the tv a half to an hour before bed. The light has an effect on you and will reduce your natural ability to become tired.

I've been working with my therapist as one of her specialties happens to be sleep disorders aside from anxiety/depression. You need to start a routine and stick to it. For one, if you're going to bed at 6am, you're already doing yourself a disservice. Go to the store and get yourself a box of melatonin. Take one tablet at 9 or 10pm. It should start to take effect within an hour. At the time where you start getting drowsy, go to bed. Make your bedroom into a place where you ONLY sleep or ONLY have sex. Don't use it for anything else. No tv. No reading. No laptop. No phone. Nothing. You unconsciously associate your bedroom with active things when you're using it for anything other than sleep or sex. If within 30 minutes you don't fall asleep, get up, exit the room, and go somewhere else. Read for 30 minutes or sit quietly, then go back to bed. This goes hand in hand with disassociating your room and bed from activity. Make yourself a sleep log and be strict with yourself about keeping your notes and following the routine. Follow: Time into bed Time it took to fall asleep Times awoken in the night Amount of time laid awake upon an awakening Time at which you awoke Time at which you got out of bed Total number of hours slept Your body will, by nature, want to follow a routine. You just have to put it into one, and sadly it can take a while. I used to get into bed at 1am and be up by 4:30am. It took me a half to a full hour to fall asleep. I was getting about 3 hours of sleep at night on a good night, but being an insomniac, sometimes i just didn't sleep. So, i started taking melatonin first at 11 to get me tired enough to get to bed by midnight. After every one week that went by, i pulled the time back by 30 minutes. 11pm melatonin went to 10:30 then 10, 9:30, and finally where i'm at now, 9pm. My melatonin has been replaced by .5mg klonopin taken every night at 9pm. I'm tired enough to get into bed by 9:45 or 10. It is further important to give yourself a permanent wake time. Mine is 5am. This is a part of the routine and it is important. Do not take naps regardless of what day it is. Melatonin is safe. Take it. Stick to your routine.