re: Health related anxiety

I've been through this. In my 20's I was having severe panic attacks every day to the point I couldn't function anymore. Went to the ER like 3 times.

Long story short, I went to see a psychiatrist and got on an SSRI. He gave me a benzo script to use in emergencies. Benzos will knock it out BUT if you are prone to being an addict it might not be the best option (I have no addictive tendencies and am fine taking a benzo every now and then. The people who talk about "benzo hell" and not being able to stop are mostly drug addicts, with many of them not even using them legally - they are buying them off the street).

SSRIs don't just work for depression but are pretty effective with anxiety as well. Their downside is they take around a month to start working.

After getting on meds and going to therapy for a few months I haven't had any real anxiety in over a decade.

Everyday anxiety is normal, but panic disorder is on a whole other level. My panic attacks could last an hour or so and were pure hell. It needs intervention.

EDIT: Who bumped this thread from 2016?