Anxiety- I cant cope

[Ashie]

Hi there, has anybody out there suffered with anxiety? I'm suffering horribly with anxiety/panic attacks. I have tried to breathe through it but I still feel as though i'm smothering and I end up taking clonazepam to help deal with it. The clonazepam works really well for me, but my biggest concern is that i'm planning to get pregnant, and I don't think I will cope without the clonazepam. I'm worried too that if I continue to take it while I am pregnant, it will harm the baby. I have read from different sites on the net that it will cause harm to the baby and others say it is relatively safe. My psychiatrist says that there is a small risk of cleft palate. I'm very worried, please help.

[finding my way]

Hi Ashie! There are a great many on this site that struggle to manage anxiety. Have you had a chance to read some of the threads? Many of us are looking into relaxation or meditation techniques, and exercise is a proven help. Is your therapist helping you other than the prescription? I can't answer your question about clonazepam, but I've heard that most medications are not a good idea to take while pregnant.

[Mark]

You might want to read our stress management article (http://www.mentalhelp.net/poc/center_index.php?id=117&cn=117) for ideas about how to manage your anxiety without medications.

[Ashie]

Hi Mark, my overall diagnosis is borderline personality disorder are you familiar with that? Do you know if the anxiety associated with that illness is the same as the anxiety on its own or other illness that are maybe herediary? Are there any print friendly suggestions available to print off?

[Cynthia]

Ashie it looks like you have received a lot of good advice here already. I would definitely try and follow as much of it as you can. If you can get off the meds that would be great but it takes time and some effort. In addition to what others have recommended I will add that you may want to look into cbt. It is what has helped me immeasurably and there is a simple thought countering exercise in it called a tea form that helps you keep your thoughts from spiraling out of control. Good luck :)

[Cynthia]

Ashie, I thought I'd check back to see how you are doing? Let me know when you get a chance:)