Wednesday, August 5, 2009

Is Klonopin an Effective Treatment for Anxiety?

When I was at the height of my battle with Generalized Anxiety Disorder, many of those close to me admonished me for taking the drug Klonopin or Clonazepam. At that time, however, I didn't want to hear it. They had no idea what I was going through and this was the ONLY thing that made me feel better. If you too are treating your anxiety in this manner, I certainly will not admonish you, but I will admit that my loved ones were correct--Klonopin was not the ideal treatment for me.

While Klonopin was part of my medication regimen I never missed a dose. There was never a time when I just forgot or even took it one minute late. There was a reason for this: I had become addicted and both my body and brain would scream out at least an hour before dose time, reminding me that I needed my "fix." I know that sounds awful, but that's how I felt.

Waking up in the morning was the worse. I did nothing--and I mean nothing--before I got that dose down my throat. I felt shaky and agitated and this would continue until the Klonopin finally entered my bloodstream. It was horrible, but I didn't know what to do. I couldn't be addicted, I told myself, I am only taking the amount the doctor prescribed. That didn't matter though. I had become dependent upon this narcotic, and without it, withdrawal was inevitable. This drug that was supposed to be helping me was just causing more problems

I never thought I would be free of Klonopin, in fact I never even planned to be. Any kind of life in the absence of Klonopin was not one I wanted to face. But one day, due to an unfortunate event--an event that I won't mention except to say it was a blessing in disguise--my Klonopin was discontinued. The next two weeks were absolute mental and physical torture. This wasn't anxiety I was feeling, but narcotic withdrawal, plain and simple.

After that two week period, however, the horrible symptoms began to subside. I couldn't believe the way I was feeling. The morning shakiness and the routine of rushing to the medicine cabinet were gone, and everything seemed brighter, clearer and much,more calmer. Two years later I am still Konopin free, and I vow never to be a prisoner in its grip again.

I am not faulting anyone else for their own particular medication regimen, nor am I trying to pass this off as medical advice. I am just relating what worked for me, and hoping my passion might help others facing similar circumstances. If you find yourself looking forward to "medication time," you may want to consider this testament and make some changes. (Under the advice of a doctor). The book shown in my sidebar "How to Get Off Klonopin Safely," is a good source.

3 comments:

A DiClementi said...

"Thanks for the post! Deep breathing exercises are excellent for anxiety and many people report positive results from meditation. Some other natural anxiety remedies to look into are St.John's Wort, SAMe, L-Theanine, and Tryptophan.
"
http://www.sociatropin.com

panic away said...

Yeah. Right breathing technique is very effective in reduction of anxiety. And people think that it is not, just because its simple and easy. Anyways very informative and well written post. Thanks for sharing.

klonopin said...

Even though I have narcolepsy I suffer from insomnia as well. My doctor prescribed me a very low dosage 0.5MG to help me sleep. They are typically an anxiety medication. I do have anxiety but this medication knocks me out when I take it. Normally take two tablets out of the four it says I can take a day. I dont use it nightly though. Only when I feel its needed.

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