Agoraphobia and benzo withdrawal? HELP!

I came down with agoraphobia about a year ago. It was to a point where I couldn't leave my house and This happened during recovery from anorexia. Well the benzos were being pretty effective in helping me with it, but I abused them for the last year. Well I was taking 6 mg Klonopin and the doctor put me on a 4 day watch in the psych unit and cut me COLD TURKEY. He refused to acknowledge the addiction. No matter how many times I tried to tell him I was addicted. Well it's been a week since he cold turkeyed me and yesterday I couldn't take it anymore. I was in utter hell and barely able to get up the stairs. My girlfriend said I had to pack my bags and go back to the psych unit. So I did. And the anxiety and withdrawal was so bad she couldn't even drive me. I had to take an ambulance in order to feel safe leaving the house. Well the hospital called the psychiatrist and he prescribed me with 5 mg of Valium twice a day. I took my second dosage a bit ago and I seem to be getting a little better. But I have to take an hour drive on Monday and I am scared to DEATH. I have been sick to my stomach too which is my biggest fear in the world. Public sickness and humiliation. Or even getting sick in someones car. I am afraid I will get the diarrhea and not be able to make it to a bathroom on time or throw up. This has never happened to me. But when I was anorexic I did abuse laxatives a few times, which maybe that is how this happened? I just don't know what to do. How do you stop the thoughts from rolling??

1. It sounds like you are coming down with detox.
2. Also, the doctor should have put you on Librium

I am an alcoholic. About a year ago I went into psych because I was sufferering depressive symptoms that I felt could lead to something disasterous. I checked my self in. Checking yourself into a Psychiatric Hospital is different that being commited, but that's not what I am posting about.

There, they gave me drug called librium and I responded quite well to it. It help with the cravings. And it helps with detox...

I believe the doctor should have put you on something like Librium. Dtox is easier.

The reszt of this post is detox... and why it happens...so feel free to go to the next post.

If, you put something in your system that doesn't belong there, the body has no choice to accept it. You are putting it in... the body has no say... so it's there if the body likes it or not. The body is a balancing machine... everthing needs to be in balance. You put some strange or different balance of chemicals, it will change every chemical around to accept it.

Withdrawl and detox. Guess what? The body is no longer getting these substance or this level. You might have gradually built up those levels of chemicals, yet, the body is like...WHAT!!! Now it has to readjust and you feel like s**t. That's hangover ad detox. HAngover is not so severe. THe bosy will take it out of urine, sweat and so on. But, detox? Your whole body hase been changed

What ever fool said that detox is in the mind, needs to experience what we have experiences. You become really sick. :(

OK

Agoraphobia and meds.

If you stop taking meds when you have been taking it, you will feel withdrawn. Never stop taking those meeds because, just saying know to Meds is no-no.

1. Can a friend drive you? Sometimes if a friend can do the driving part it's better.
2. When you see many people around.. avoid them
3. Your three foot boudery rule
4. decensitise

Let's take number four. Do it enough, and you will find patterns. If you go to walmart, same people, same layout... the exsits and entrances are clearly marked... as long as nothing changes... you are OK.

Number one. A solution, though not the best because you will become depedent on them.
Number two. Avoid people... yet, you can't avoid everyone?

Number three: We all have a three foot boudery around us in a social aspect. examples:

Elevator: Person comes in, you move back.. three foot boundery. You walk across the hall and you move to the farther side of the wall... the boundary

You meet someone at a party, women or man... three feet boundary is where they should be

If any one comes father than there 3 ft boundary, it sets up a red flag they are not obeying the rules.

Any boundary infringement means that the person is trying to get closer to you than the should be...

If you are in a social situation and everyone is doing there own thing, not desturbing you... that is fine. It's actually like being alone lost in a crowd. But once they go beyond that boudary, then backaway Socialogical knowledge... just hope it helps :)

I went through a similiar thing, I had panic disorder and my psyc treated with 2mg Xanax once a day for about a year. I decided to quit because my mom was dying of cancer and I wanted to have a clear head (bad idea BTW) so I went cold turkey.. the worst of the withdrawl lasted about 6 months, wasnt able to leave my room, after about 6 months i was able to walk around the house and visit with family in my home. After about a year I was able to venture out to family members homes but that was about it, I think the withdrawl caused my panic disorder to turn into my agoraphobia now. It's been almost two years and I have only left my house maybe 10 or 15 times. The difference is I had panic disorder before the withdrawl so its hard to tell when my withdrawl ended and my normal crazyness began, but just go to a new doctor and tell them whats going on and that you need them to fix you ASAP because you may not be able to get the courage to go back again.