Newbie Intro

Hi all,
My name is Andrew and I have just found this forum by searching online.
I suffer with 24/7 anxiety and have tried everything to help, medications , self help books ,tapes cd's, The Linden Method, hypnotherapy, acupuncture etc.
My GP referred me to a phychiatrist who has tried all kinds of meds on me from lustral, buspar , effexor xl, zispin, seroquell and many more i can't remember all prescribed alongside diazepam, the only med that seems to help is diazepam, i have been on it for over 12 months and the phychiatrist says there is not a problem taking it as I have severe permanent anxiety and need the diazepam to control it ,at present I am taking up to 25mg a day and he has really given me free reign to experiment with this amount as to the best times to take and the strength.i.e I am currently on 5mg when I wake , 5mg at lunch and 15mg to try to help me sleep. I hat taking it , I know how addictive it is , I know all about tolerance withdrawal and having to up the dosage to obtain the same effect but I can't function without it . I have tried 3 or 4times to do a slow taper and come off it but just turn into a total wreck, anything and everything gives me severe anxiety to the point of vomiting.
I know all the literature and general advice is 2 - 4 weeks for extreme anxiety only but when a phychiatrist says I may need it the rest of my life and compares it to a physical illness , for example he says" if you had diabetes would you refuse to take medication or people with other physical ilnesses have to take drugs for the rest of their life so why should it be different for a mental illness like anxiety"
I have to admit I do feel better taking it , without it I wake and immediately have terrible fear etc before I even have chance to think "is there anything i should be anxious about today?"
I have purchased and studied the full Linden method and practice it daily along with making time for other relaxation methods , cd's etc but nothing helps.
I also work self emlpoyed and without the diazepam could not even contemplate getting out of bed let alone glancing at my work van or picking up the telephone to speak with a customer.
Anyway sorry for such long ramblings and after re-reading it it seems i am trying to convince myself it is ok to take these drugs but I also would like your opinions on it too.

Regards
Andrew

Did the Linden method help you at all?.
and what is in the package as i am going to purchase it very soon..
plus i used to take dimazepan for paranoia but came off them then about a year down the line anxiety kicks in..
I'm thinking maybe i should go bk on them again..
what do you think should i?.

Hi
The Linden Method does help in a way but I didnt find it the only system I would ever need to overcome anxiety, I think used in conjunction with other methods it will be a good help.
It consists of a manual , cd's with relaxation technique, Charles Linden Interview and story and a dvd or vhs of an exercise routine called Qi Kung, derived from Tai Chi.
As for the diazepam if there was anyway I could I would stay well clear of them and intend to do a very slow taper withdrawal following the professor Ashton schedule, I don't know if I will be successful and I may have to accept that I will have to take them permanently as I don't want to be an addict to them for the rest of my life although I do understand people who do have to take them. I know they make me feel better but I also know they are just masking the feelings and I would like to be strong enough to deal with this terrible fear without them.
My advice to anyone would be if you can possibly manage without them then do so but do not feel in anyway weak or a failure if you need to take them.
Regards
Andrew

Hi

anyone else that wants to introduce theirselves can feel free to do so in the introduce yourself section.

Welcome to the forum Andrew!

Andrew,
Sounds like your having a very difficult time and nothing works. Have you got the patience to even have given it all a good try.None of the programs do it for you you have to particpate They are work but well worth it. Have you thought of seeing a good psycotherapist along with your phyciritrist. If you are so tense it maybe helpful to do some talk therapy, which may calm you down enough to try another method.

Hi, your psychiatrist has given you free reign with your diazepam for dosage and when to take it, because he's WITHOUT A CLUE himself.

Fear is some odd creation of our brain. For me I have fear of experiencing anxiety or panick attacks, which I actually never really had in a severe degree, just muscle tensions, bad sight, sweating from armpits and not able to think straight, and a little shaking of the hands.

Maybe I haven't experienced it badly enough to just accept it and stop fighting or resisting it. Which would probably take away the fear to experience it again, and thus actually resolve most of the issues.

The Linden Method is sound and the content is great. I have it, and if it doesn't work it's because you haven't understood what it's saying I guess. At least here I feel that I do understand what it says and that this is the key to ridding me of anxiety, just applying it for me seems not obvious. Apart from that I'm also somewhat stubborn and lazy, so it'll take me longer to start adhering to the method fully.

At least it's not a con, the people ar real and so is Charles Linden himself. There's no hidden agenda behind this.

Greetings,

Peter.