A little history, i've been diagnosed with social anxiety disorder/agoraphobia/panic disorder for the last year and a half. I've tried many modern anti depressants (effexor, remeron, paxil) and numerous benzodiazepines (valium, xanax, ativan, klonopin). I've gone to therapy sessions that dealt with CBT and i've done an incredible amount of my own research on the subject (some of you might know me from other boards).

If anyone has any questions about treatment or medications or just generally want to know about anxiety i can probably help. If you dont feel comfortable talking on the boards then feel free to PM me.

Is all this in addition to ADD? Which type of ADD do you have? Hyperactive, Inattentive, or combined.

I have a history of anxiety/panic disorder related to PTSD. I know counseling is the best help for me-the meds help me through the attacks, but the counseling helps me understand why and what is happening and that reduces the severity. I honestly believe having undiagnosed ADD for such a long time resulted in the situation that led to the trauma that caused my PTSD and is key to why I developed anxiety and panic problems. .25mg of xanax works fine right now. In high stress situations, I find .5 to be more helpful.

RADD-

Inattentive probably with limbic dysfunction.

Luckily im doing pretty well in the anxiety department these days and i cant remember the last time i had a panic attack that landed me in the emergency room. Im not so bad off anymore, i can generally judge my overall anxiety by my benzo intake and im down to 1mg of xanax daily compared to my 5mg of klonopin i was ingesting 6 months ago thats a good sign.

Thats far from a heroic benzo dose in the anxiety world but im sure it seems like alot to some people. Theres a guy on another board i read that takes around 10mg of xanax a day, i feel sorry for the guy.

Hi D.B. Cooper,

How did you overcome the agoraphobia? did you have to do exposure therapy? how long did it take? was medication helpful? was the CBT helpful? and what has helped you the most with the social anxiety?

Currently I struggle with agoraphobia (not sure but I think I might be close to what people call 'housebound'.) Plus I have social anxiety plus inattentive ADD. I don't know what to do about the anxiety. I did see my dr. in may (didn't tell him the true extent to which the anxiety was a problem though cos I was embarrassed) and he prescribed me clonazepam. I didn't like the side effects of it though so I quit taking it (i'm very sensitive to meds and was taking quite a low dose too).

I've been too afraid to go back to the doctor since then. Even if I did go I don't know what to ask him for. I've tried AD's in the past and did not find them particularly helpful except for paxil and I had such hideous withdrawal from it (that lasted 6 months) that I really never want to take it or any other AD again.

so yeah...I'd appreciate hearing what was ultimately helpful for you!

I have Panic/Anxiety disorder,Bipolar, Body dismorphia, Eating Disorders and ADD as well. I used to have to take many medications when I was a teenager. I have taken Prozac, Effexor, Zanax, Serzone, Celexa, Wellbutrin, Ritalin, imipirmine, Adderall, zoloft anything and everything. I hated everything but Adderall and Zanax. I still have the zanax but I never have to take it anymore. Nothing really worked for me and I have fainted many times from panic attacks.

Having so many of them has helped me learn how to cope with them and what triggers them as well.

Usually when I start to feel a panic attack coming on, I would take deep breaths. If I wasn't driving I would close my eyes and go into my brain for a moment. I tell myself in my mind that I am fine and I am not dieing and I am going to be ok, over and over again. It is amazing what the power of positive self talk can do for your physical state. I now only get panic attack 2x a month at the most and they always go away within 5 minutes. An accomplishment from having one atleast once a day.


I also find that water and tums does wonders for me.I usually feel light headed and a bad stomach pain when I have an attack. So I carry them around wherever I go just in case. Everyone has ways to make themseves feel comforted in times of stress. This is only what works for me. It might sound dumb to someone else. I know how debilitating it can be DB. My heart goes out to you and I hope you atleast know you are not alone. :)

Im doing fine myself but i was hoping i could help others who arent.

yes I reread and saw that .....it's that damn ADD kicking in again. Not reading things all the way! hahaha

Im still answering questions if anyones interested.

Do you find that your anxiety (and depression if you suffer from it) are exascerbated by stimulants? Have you found ways of controlling those symptoms while being medicated? Have you tried Zoloft, a mood stabilizer, or Strattera coadministered with a stimulant and if so, did any one of those combinations help ease your come down from the stimulant?

SSRIs/NRIs do nothing for me, i've taken them to extremes where they're not considered safe such as the effexor/remeron cocktail (california rocket fuel). Also its not known very often but amphetamine also works on serotonin, maybe not like SSRIs but to a minor degree. If i felt like i was going to have a panic attack that would get out of control 1mg of xanax would be what i would take. It would totally abort the effects of the stimulant but a panic attack is much worse.

As for day to day anxiety i use CBT and relaxation techniques. Exercising daily also helps.

Stimulants do aggrevate my agoraphobia and make me rather withdrawn and i end up wasting alot of time hyperfocusing/getting stuck in obsessive behaviour. This is something im working on with my shrink.

Come down? I retake my meds before the rebound effects. There are much worse things than rebounding from a stimulant. (like effexor withdrawal)

After many years attempting to find the correct diagnoses and the right meds? I am suddenly finding myself very agoraphobic, D.B. I am glad that you stated the stimulants add to this but I am loathe to give them up, especially the Dex that does calm me in the evenings. I would not say I have panic attacks in public? Just that I would do almost ANYTHING not to have to leave my house. Its not the most productive way to live, and my doc will hand me almost any medication within reason, but is extremely resistant to RXing me benzos, although I have taken them PRN for over 15 years in the past and managed never to become dependant or addicted...I just wanna say keep on fighting that good fight, man.

What made you decide to lower your dosages and manage your anxiety through natural means?

My panic decided to suddenly go into remission for no apparent reason. Plus AD/HD meds and benzos dont play well together.

Besides, feeling like a blissed out hippy from all that GABAa getting pumped into my brain all the time was starting to make me feel sick. I know some people would pay good money to feel like "everything is groovy" 24/7 but i was really starting to hate myself for it. 6 more months of xanax and i would have started collecting magic crystals and hanging out in the occult section of barnes and nobles.

Wow. Glad to hear that the panic is in remission. I sure would like to be like that for even 1 - 2 minutes but it never happens to me even with the meds...

I live in Tasmania and my sis has posted this for me...

Hey Db I'm hoping you may have some productive advice for me. I am a 38 male who has lived with debilitating anxiety /panic disorder for the last 15 yrs,

I have weaned myself back to 8mg of Xanax a day, in the past I have been regularly taking up to 18-20mg, as well as 30 panadine forte for pain relief of a back injury and to generally escape. I have come off the codine and as I said am down to 8mg xanax

I do know my habits aren't great, but I can not be around people without being medicated either with meds or alcohol so I may also have social anxiety as I have lived pretty much a hermit existence for the last 10 years.

I have been taking to my body with razors and knives in an attempt to feel better I know it sounds strange but I find relief in my head with this practice of self harm.

My sister and her son have been recently diagnosed with add/anxiety and she has put me on to this forum and you sound like the person I need to speak too.

She has suggested that maybe all these years I have been misdiagnosed and that maybe the depression/anxiety ect is a symptom of undiagnosed add.

Your thoughts on these matters or any help /suggestions would be greatly appreciated.

I went to a psyciatrist who said because I could focus there was no way i could have Add, my sister reckons that I tend to hyperfocus, I go to bed trying to solve the worlds problems and am still awake in the morning having created 2 new worlds.

I live in Tasmania and my sis has posted this for me...

Hey Db I'm hoping you may have some productive advice for me. I am a 38 male who has lived with debilitating anxiety /panic disorder for the last 15 yrs,

I have weaned myself back to 8mg of Xanax a day, in the past I have been regularly taking up to 18-20mg, as well as 30 panadine forte for pain relief of a back injury and to generally escape. I have come off the codine and as I said am down to 8mg xanax

I do know my habits aren't great, but I can not be around people without being medicated either with meds or alcohol so I may also have social anxiety as I have lived pretty much a hermit existence for the last 10 years.

I have been taking to my body with razors and knives in an attempt to feel better I know it sounds strange but I find relief in my head with this practice of self harm.

My sister and her son have been recently diagnosed with add/anxiety and she has put me on to this forum and you sound like the person I need to speak too.

She has suggested that maybe all these years I have been misdiagnosed and that maybe the depression/anxiety ect is a symptom of undiagnosed add.

Your thoughts on these matters or any help /suggestions would be greatly appreciated.

I went to a psyciatrist who said because I could focus there was no way i could have Add, my sister reckons that I tend to hyperfocus, I go to bed trying to solve the worlds problems and am still awake in the morning having created 2 new worlds.Its true some forms of AD/HD have co-morbid anxiety/panic especially it seems for Inattentives but so do many disorders such as high functioning autism. 8mg of xanax is alot but i've heard of panic disorders that take quite a bit higher so its not suprising. It seems like you understand the panic and know what works for you and i assume you've gone to therapy and taken some form of Cognitive Behavioural Therapy. Beyond that there isnt much i can tell you as far as panic aside from trying to live day to day and not obsess about the future.

What worries me is you talking about self harm, cutting etc. This can cause a pattern of violent self destructive behaviour thats hard to stop. This on top of using drugs in a recreational way can be a very bad combination. I realize you need xanax for your panic disorder, i've been prescribed up to 5mg a day so i know what its like. But you have to watch yourself with the benzos and pain meds because they do get out of control easy.

Personally, if i were you i would seek out a second or third opinion on whats going on with you, it may not be what you want to hear as far as AD/HD but may give you a better understanding. 3 different doctors can have wildly different opinions.

Also, it takes some bravery to post something like this, this could be the starting point in finding the help you really need. Im sure you've been silent a long time so be proud of yourself for sticking your neck out and taking a chance.

Thanks DB Cooper for your reply. My brother is a great guy and I am hoping that in this vast world that we call cyberspace and with some persistent Doctor hunting we will find some answers. Im sure he will appreciate you taking the time to reply to him.. Sorry if we sent you a curly one.....You did ask...... lol

I'm not sure if this is along the same lines as the original post, but is there such thing as a Social "Not-as-bad-as-anxiety-but-don't-feel-like-I-understand-how-everyone-else-acts-and-responds-so-I-feel-very-uncomfortable-talking-to-people-so-much-so-that-I-feel-like-an-alien-in-my-own-family-growing-up-let-alone-trying-to-fit-in-at-High-School-or-College" Disorder?

I've written great dissertations during my lonely/hellish College year, (notice I didn't say "years"), on how there must be a piece missing from me that everyone else I see has, and without it I didn't understand how I would be happy or successful, let alone try to find someone to spend the rest of my life with.

I've been lucky enough to find someone who loves me, married me, and has given birth to two lovely future-ADHDers. She also feels a good bit out of place in the world around her too, although as far as I know she's non-ADD. She has suffered from panic attacks in the past, and what I feel is nothing like that.

Everywhere I go - Church, work, public, extended family functions - it feels like everyone understands something that I just don't. It's like moving to a foreign country where you understand the language, but don't understand the culture or comprehend the nuance of events going on or described to you. I feel either very young/immature for my age of early 30-something, or just naive. I understand what they are saying, but it feels like I just don't get the same emotional response to things as the general populus. Politics at work are the farthest thing from my mind. Any classes where I had to read material and comment about "how would it make you feel if you were in their place?" would kill me; if I could get through reading the book in-between falling asleep for daydreaming, I couldn't respond because I have no idea how I would feel.

I find "Awkward Silence" both awkward and comfortable at the same time, and am in no hurry to break the silence, even in my own home. I can be in a room with someone, and honesly don't even try to make smalltalk, because I can't think of anything interesting to talk about. Crowds of people at public functions like dances or Church are the worst. I can usually fake it with pointless small-talk, but I feel like each time I do I feel like they can see right through me, or I feel like I had to have my foot sergically removed from my mouth. I'm ok as long as I'm in a group of 4-5 good friends, where I feel I can sit back and add where I see fit, but don't feel the weight of trying to fill in the conversation. When I am backed into a one-on-one, I have to rely on non-verbal ques from the other person to get hints on how I should respond when they finish their story, or joke, or "Hey, did you hear what Joe did?!?".

Do I just have something missing in a neurological process standpoint, or am I just so boring I put myself to sleep? Maybe I'm just suffereing from major depression/dysthymia/alexithymia/introversion/Asperger's...

Wow - what a way to make a grand entrance to the forums with my first post... Cathartic much?

Still answering random questions in this thread if anyone cares to ask or wants to pm me.

Hi, D.B Cooper!

You seem to be the only one on the entire Internet that writes about a realistic way of using benzos long-term (by taking days off etc).

I had two terrible withdrawals (from 7mgs Xanax/day). So, I want to ask you about my plan to avoid most of the tolerance to Xanax. Currently I am using 1.25 mg/day on work days. The other days I am housebound and somewhat anxious even in my comfort zone. I don't want to live like that anymore!

The cycle (approximately):
7 days with 1.5 mgs/day.
2 days with 0.5 mgs/day.
7 days with 1.5 mgs/day.
2 days with 0.5 mgs/day.
7 days with 1.5 mgs/day.
3 days with 0 mgs/day.

I don't mind being without Xanax for three days as long as I have a good excuse for being alone. At the end of the cycle I would have about 1.6% Xanax left in my body (calculated with a half life of 12 hours).

Do you think I would lose the anxiolytic effects over time using this plan, or is the plan/calculation too careful?

db thanks for the thread

I was curious about how you realized you had a problem? did it happen gradually and you didn't realize it or did you know something was wrong? and did you seek help or did something happen that made you realize?

I am sorry if you've answered something like this already, and wouldn' mind a link to a post as a reply if so. Thanks again

OMG!!!!! Is D.B Cooper a sky jacker, hiding with $200,000? That was really disappointing.

http://www.proof7.com/p7nyc/2008/03/skyjacker.html (http://www.proof7.com/p7nyc/2008/03/skyjacker.html)

(I recognized the picture of him in an old forum).

We're not getting any response from him I suppose...

OMG!!!!! Is D.B Cooper a sky jacker, hiding with $200,000? That was really disappointing.

http://www.proof7.com/p7nyc/2008/03/skyjacker.html (http://www.proof7.com/p7nyc/2008/03/skyjacker.html)

(I recognized the picture of him in an old forum).

We're not getting any response from him I suppose...


happened near where I live. I suppose our Cooper is now in hiding with his millions.:) that's envy talking, from me here

I feel stupid... the D. B. Cooper story happened many years ago. Learned (once again) not to believe in everything on the Internet.

Well... I hope he survived!