[nowandzen11]

I suffered from debilitating anxiety. I had a lot of terrible things happen to me in 1998 and after finding my mother dead, my doc prescribed xanax but didn't warn me of the dangers. I was taking it like candy and drinking red wine until I passed out. One day I looked in the mirror and said "enough". I made my doctor wean me off of the xanax and I stopped self medicating. The anxiety came up like a tornado. I could not digest food. I lost 40 pounds, My body was literally shaking all of the time, I constantly thought I was having a heart attack and made many trips to the ER to find nothing wrong but anxiety.

I sought therapy and gave in to antidepressants in 2003. I now am only on 50 mg of zoloft which I don't think is even a therapuetic dose but it helps. I take klonopin at night if I feel I need it and I am needing it less and less.

Meditation helps tremendously but you probably need meds (safe meds). Use the meds as a jump start and begin excercising and some meditation. Small steps. You can do this.

Yes, drinking is the worst thing for anxiety and anxiety is a terrible terrible thing.

I wish you the best and don't give up

love
n/z