glyph: Introduction

[glyph]

It was requested on this thread that I create an introduction to explain my motivation for joining this forum. :-)

 

My wife, bless her heart, has extreme anxiety and hypochondria - has for years and years.  From my observations when she stopped her job, and started sitting at home reading on the internet is what started it all and it snowballed over years. 

 

Before every taking medication, we were in the ER many times for symptoms that do not logically warrant going to the ER.  A couple times we went to Urgent Care first, and they were unconcerned about her, but she insisted to go to the ER.  

 

When she was pregnant the anxiety turned into constant panic attacks, shaking, sweating, seeing stars, nearly passing out.  She was totally non-functional.  That's when she started clonazepam 2mg a day.  It was like night and day, she was functional again.   This was 2 years ago.  Within the first year she weened her self without incident to .5mg.  She had been on .5mg for over a year, steady dose.  Then as our baby started sleeping through the night and she stopped breastfeeding she started having problems with insomnia.  (A very common issue for moms based on the dozens from replies on a parent group about it).  

 

Since then she spends hours online working herself into a frenzy every day, first that insomnia would kill her.  She went back to psych and temporarily went back up to 2mg of clon - which has helped - but she continues to find something every day to freak out about. 

 

So after reading the post above, she was deathly afraid - like afraid to the point that she thinks if she doesn't take exactly the right dose, at exactly the right time, she will have a seizure and die.  

 

I'm not trying to rush her to ween from benzo's.... Im TOTALLY fine with a slow taper... but I don't want my wife literally shaking afraid of death because of statements, that might not have empirical evidence to back them. 

 

I also don't just want to assume that these statements are not solidly grounded in evidence, so I joined the forum to ask what the evidence is.   

 

I am a strong believer in polite and cordial debate/discussion. Text, unfortunately, does not convey tone :-)  and so anytime you question things in text I can sound combative.  But really I am just trying to get to the truth.  :-)  Even if the truth proves my current beliefs wrong. 

 

With my personal details and introduction out of the way in a separate thread, I will continue some discussion in my thread of interest, making sure as requested in the thread, to not bring my personal details into that thread.  :-)  

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[mammaP]

Hi Glyph, thank you for the introduction. I feel so much for your wife, it must be awful trapped in fear. For now it seems that your wife is better to stay with the same dose of clonazepam every day. Often people think it is better to use as needed but that has it's problems. I am sure you are aware that benzos cause rebound anxiety, they help it then cause it and it becomes a vicious cycle. Taking it regularly means a steady level in the blood and can then be tapered very slowly to 'sneak' it away without causing the brutal withdrawal that benzos  are notorious for. I feel for you too, it isn't easy watching someone you love suffer, she is lucky to have you! I guess you will have found the members only benzo forum?  You will probably find that very interesting. I am sure we will have some interesting discussions, you are right to do the research, you read all kinds of things on the internet! 

 

We ask all our members to fill in their signature with the drug and tapering history. It helps us when we can see it at the bottom of posts. You will find the signature box in account settings. 

[Madeleine]

If your wife hasnt tried cognitive behavioural therapy that might also help her manage her fears.?inalao was a hypochondriac and it has helped me but I have to keep working at it. Also I found praying and Then saying I will do what I can but ultimately it's in God's hands helped a lot too

[ChessieCat]

Hi glyph, and welcome from me too.

 

It would be very helpful to complete the drug signature as mammaP suggested.  Please put at the top that it is glyph's wife.  Please also remember to update it whenever a change is made so that it remains current.  This saves the mods from having to read back through the posts to get the information.  Thank you.

 

Here is the best format:

 

 A request: Would you summarize your history in a signature - ALL drugs, doses, dates, and discontinuations & reinstatements, in the last 12-24 months particularly?

• Please leave out symptoms and diagnoses.
• A list is easier to understand than one or multiple paragraphs. 

• Any drugs prior to 24 months ago can just be listed with start and stop years.
• Please use actual dates or approximate dates (mid-June, Late October) rather than relative time frames (last week, 3 months ago)
• Spell out months, e.g. "October" or "Oct."; 9/1/2016 can be interpreted as Jan. 9, 2016 or Sept. 1, 2016.
• Link to Account Settings – Create or Edit a signature.

[ChessieCat]

Dr Claire Weekes was an Australian doctor who suffered from anxiety.  She learnt and taught ways to cope.

 

This is link to SA's topic:  Claire Weekes' Method of Recovering from a Sensitized Nervous System

 

One of the things she talks about is the second fear, or fear of the fear.  There are many YouTube videos of her.