Sudden fear, terror, panic, anxiety, or sensory overload from withdrawal

[thecowisback]

exactly that- i'm scared of my family a lot of the time, especially the ones i don't see very often. i hide from the neighbours as i cannot bear talking to them - it's impossible without knotting up and sweating. i used to have so much confidence and now i can't say boo to a goose. 

[DMV64]

You are not alone. I experience the same. I can say that I now have some days where it is better. I also used to be totally confident. This is hard to accept. JanCarol has given me a lot of coping strategies (in my thread). Sometimes I use adult coloring books. Sometimes I use cold therapy which is really great. You either get in a cold shower or use ice on your face and you run it over your face or at least 30 seconds and hold your breath while you’re doing it and it brings down your nervous response. I also have taking up knitting but I’m not very good.

[thecowisback]

👍👍👍

[Vonnegutjunky]

Same here, crippling fear when I have to get up and use the toilet....just makes not one bit of sense....its the thing that keeps me thinking of going on a new med and just staying there forever....I get so desperate sometimes....

[DMV64]

Yes yes!! But remember it passes!  That’s what I try to do

[thecowisback]

yep, if i have to get up in the night it's a race to use the toilet and get back to bed before the thoughts kick in and start to terrify me. 

i hoped going back on prozac would lower this fear but no luck so far 😑

[DMV64]

@GiaK I live with it everyday. It is great to fine this thread and the links. Can't wait to read later!

[Tweet]

Topic title:  How does the anxiety fade away?

 

Does it lower in overall intensity and gradually leave, or does it happen fewer and fewer days?

I am in a cycle of high anxiety for several days until I just break down from it followed by a couple of days of relief where I feel totally normal except for being drained of energy.

I feel very near the end of this but I am so intensely anxious on those several days I feel like I might have a heart attack or something.

Hope someone can help with this.

 

Edited August 5, 2019 by ChessieCat
added topic title

[Avrgejane]

Hi there,

 

I seem to have moments where I get crazy anxiety out of no where, sensory overload almost like there is too much going on around me and it’s very overwhelming, which can cause the anxiety or feed into it and make it worse. Does anyone else have this? Is this normal? What do you do quell it? 
 

I was only on amitriptyline for a short time (2 months) but did not react well and was taken off very quickly now resulting in withdrawal symptoms. I will be at the end of my 5th month off in two days - March marks the start of 6 months. 

[Naomi007]

Hello,  just reading this thread,  I have intense fear, adrenaline surges in chest and stomach

 

Intense anxiety, panic and feeling fear of nothing

 

I am just past the 6 month mark off AD, and benzos

 

This feels like a new symptom that I have had for about 3 weeks, 

 

Will it get better?

 

I really sensitive to most substances still.

 

I'm still taking olanzapine -0.8mg at bedtime, this has helped with sleep and anxiety and nighttime

but horrific to try to reduce.

 

Love to hear how people are coping and any strategies that could be helpful?

Thanks so much

 

[ThatOneGirlStitch]

@Naomi007

 

On 4/28/2021 at 1:27 PM, Naomi007 said:

Hello,  just reading this thread,  I have intense fear, adrenaline surges in chest and stomach

 

Intense anxiety, panic and feeling fear of nothing

 

Oh definitely. Get adrenaline surges first thing in the morning. Nothing to do but wait for them to pass. If I feel it in the chest or stomach. Which I do half the time at least. I'll put a heating pad or heated rice sock on my chest. If there is any tightness it helps and if it doesn't then the heat may bring you some comfort. I recommend a rice sock as it is more flexible. https://www.oaklandcountymoms.com/how-to-make-a-rice-sock-33665/

 

Fear of nothing I hate. My brain starts looking for things. Best I can offer is distract distracted! Put on netflix or go on youtube. 

 

As for the panic try to get outside of your mind. Its hard as ****.  Meditation or zoning out if you can helps. I hate meditation, but I try to practice when I can. So I can use it when I need it. Have a focus. An object or a idea in your head or real life. Keep focusing on that object. Every time you wander, try to snap them back.

 

Also for general anxiety get an epson salt bath. Turn the water as hot as you can stand it (don't burn yourself). Put about five cups of epson salt in. Try to stay in the water for at least 30 minutes. Epson salt has an effect on anxiety. It might help you. I use it before bed on bad days.

 

For me it has died down over time.

I hope you are feeling better by the time you get this message.

[curiousnootropics]

Hello

I'm 16 months off and my anxiety in withdrawal are much worse.Any tips for me?

[ThatOneGirlStitch]

17 hours ago, curiousnootropics said:

Hello

I'm 16 months off and my anxiety in withdrawal are much worse.Any tips for me?

It sucks but WD is never consistent. Is it neuro-anxiety? Or does something trigger it? It can be so exhausting. I remember laying down for days(weeks?) because that was all I could do. How does your's manifest?

[curiousnootropics]

5 hours ago, ThatOneGirlStitch said:

It sucks but WD is never consistent. Is it neuro-anxiety? Or does something trigger it? It can be so exhausting. I remember laying down for days(weeks?) because that was all I could do. How does your's manifest?

It is pretty much constant. Shakiness, tremors, chest tightness etc. How are you now?

[ThatOneGirlStitch]

 Haven't seen anxiety around for months.

 

I used heat for the chest tightness. I had a rice sock and a heating pad I would hold against my chest, almost all the time. I remember it being as hot as I could stand.

For being shaky I would wrap a blanket around me really tight. The blanket I guess was me trying to hold my body still. That one was definitely psychological. I also used a weighted blanket on me. It may have been phycological, but I thought if there was something heavy on me, it would be harder for my body to shake. It seemed to help a little. I hear magnesium calms people and is popular here. But I was to afraid to take it. I'm one of those people that can be affected by anything. 

 

Warning: Below was how it was for me.  I haven't seen anyone else yet that had it like this, I had it really really bad. So it's ok not to read.

 

I had anxiety so bad I couldn't leave my bed for a month or so. I would try to sleep as much as possible. I was awake for about 7 hours a day. I could feel my heart, My body was tired from the toll it was taking. I was so anxious I could only eat one bowl of oatmeal a day for that time. Food was brought to me. I don't know how my heart held out. It was constant. Never wavered. Than I was able to be moved outside on nice days. (It was spring) It really slowly dropped until my parents were able to put me on a blanket under a tree everyday. I would lie there. That lasted for a while. it felt shorter than the worst of it. But still couldn't do anything. It never stopped or lessened any time in the day, so I guess I just accepted it as a guest that wouldn't leave. Then I was finally able to do simple things, like make an account on this forum. It was almost gone by that time. But still adrenaline surges and chest tightness plagued me. Fear popped up for hours. Panic attacks. But the constant anxiety was really light. All of that slowly went away. 

 

 

Unfortunately after all that they pressured me into another med. (I had huge depression so it was hard to fight) so I got new problems, but the anxiety hasn't come back yet.  

[curiousnootropics]

On 3/29/2022 at 9:32 PM, ThatOneGirlStitch said:

 Haven't seen anxiety around for months.

 

I used heat for the chest tightness. I had a rice sock and a heating pad I would hold against my chest, almost all the time. I remember it being as hot as I could stand.

For being shaky I would wrap a blanket around me really tight. The blanket I guess was me trying to hold my body still. That one was definitely psychological. I also used a weighted blanket on me. It may have been phycological, but I thought if there was something heavy on me, it would be harder for my body to shake. It seemed to help a little. I hear magnesium calms people and is popular here. But I was to afraid to take it. I'm one of those people that can be affected by anything. 

 

Warning: Below was how it was for me.  I haven't seen anyone else yet that had it like this, I had it really really bad. So it's ok not to read.

 

I had anxiety so bad I couldn't leave my bed for a month or so. I would try to sleep as much as possible. I was awake for about 7 hours a day. I could feel my heart, My body was tired from the toll it was taking. I was so anxious I could only eat one bowl of oatmeal a day for that time. Food was brought to me. I don't know how my heart held out. It was constant. Never wavered. Than I was able to be moved outside on nice days. (It was spring) It really slowly dropped until my parents were able to put me on a blanket under a tree everyday. I would lie there. That lasted for a while. it felt shorter than the worst of it. But still couldn't do anything. It never stopped or lessened any time in the day, so I guess I just accepted it as a guest that wouldn't leave. Then I was finally able to do simple things, like make an account on this forum. It was almost gone by that time. But still adrenaline surges and chest tightness plagued me. Fear popped up for hours. Panic attacks. But the constant anxiety was really light. All of that slowly went away. 

 

 

Unfortunately after all that they pressured me into another med. (I had huge depression so it was hard to fight) so I got new problems, but the anxiety hasn't come back yet.  

Are you on a medicine now? What problems do you have now?

[BrainZapBuzz]

I believe I have these symptoms as well.  Sleeping a lot, afraid to run errands, afraid of driving long distances to places I been many times, afraid of certain people.  When I was on 60 MG of Paroxetine, I went everywhere.  Now, I'm having trouble leaving my house.  I attributed everything to COVID and the grieving of lost family and friends, but now, from what I've read on this site, and after two years off Paroxetine, it's definitely withdrawal syndrome.  Thanks to everyone who contributed to this thread.

[ChessieCat]

I have added these to Post #1 of this topic:

 

VIDEO:  The FASTEST Way to Stop a Panic Attack - Dr. Berg

Excellent Youtube video

 

Audio:  First Aid for Panic (4 minutes) Female voice - getselfhelp.co.uk
 

Audio:  First Aid for Panic (4 minutes) Male voice - getselfhelp.co.uk

[PortugueseSea]

I have 24/7 terror from the adverse reaction; it waxes and wanes but it is always there.

Over time, I have come to realize something. When I have a very bad cold or the flu, normally with high fever, the terror goes down substantially. I think in the past two years the days I have felt more at peace were when I was stuck in bed with fever.

Has anybody had this experience?

I have heard Martin Marin mentioning this on his videos but...