Hey Nikki
I’m new to this site and I have found it helpful. I’m not a doctor or psychiatric professional so I don’t try to tell people what to do to help. Instead I try to relate to people who feel like no one understands them. I often feel this way and I think that when we share our thoughts and feels we have in our experiences it makes people feel comfort by knowing someone else out there feels it to. We all are similar and I think this site really shows us that. I find it helpful but I do agree some people try to give wrong advise and we should stay focused on sharing our own experiences and not trying to give advise. Your friend Pringlegal72

I share your frustration, Nikki. I am still pretty skeptical of on-line support groups because of it. If I believe *Good Advice* could solve all my problems, I will buy a self-help book, thank you kindly. In the live support groups I have healed with, advice giving is prohibited. This particular venting does a pretty good job of covering the list of the reasons why.

Thank you for putting my frustration into words. I feel less alone with ^it^ now.

For what it's worth
I use a nugget from my live support groups to help me cope.
"Take what works for you and leave the rest."

One of the best gifts in on-line support groups is that you can express your self in a post and people can read it, then choose whether they want to share their perspective, or move on.

When searches show similar responses, I have found changing a word helps me to find different ideas that may help me make different choices.

Venting here is a safe way to release your feelings.

As Arfie writes, "Take what works for you and leave the rest."

Sometimes, just knowing what we are feeling or sensing or thinking is shared by others help us to relax, find calm, and be comfortable.

What works for one person may not work for someone else. There is no "right or wrong", just different perspectives.

Anxiety is not a "one size fits all" and it is natural, a part of each of us.

Here's to finding a better balance.

I like this site and have taken a lot of support from it. I know that there is a repetitive nature of the advice. Often I need to read that advice again and again and again to let it sink in. If my PTSD could be cured with a few lines of advice on a message board, I would not need to pay for the TDoc I see twice a week and the PDoc I see every other week.

Thor, you have put it eloquently.

Here's to healing, no matter how we reach it!

Most people are just sharing what works or has worked for them. The site helps many however is not professional help by any means. I dont much comment on many post, and honestly don't like the site as much I use to. I journal more just to get my thoughts out than anything.

Wow I guess lack of sleep is taking its toll. People are only just trying to give you the help and support you asked for.

Yes, sometimes, in making changes, we really set off a series of consequences unintended.

Yes, a lot of people have been saying they do not like the this site much anymore as well. I think it has something to do with what I mentioned in my post about sites like this actually perpetuating the difficulties people are having. There was this one poster who said he/she is back after 6 years of being away from the site because she/he has been living free of the symptoms and managing just fine. That makes since to me, when people are doing well they do not seek out or need platforms such as this. And let me clarify, I think sites like these are amazing and I know platforms such as this help people and bring peace of mind in times of struggle and torment. However, I think it's good to evaluate our support at times to determine if it's really helping, or is it contributing to our problems because we are not doing anything new.

I think when others share on our posts, they are offering their best.... their best suggestions, ideas, and insights they have gleaned through personal experiences.

True... we need to question if our words will encourage and build others up, supporting as needed. If things are repeated, perhaps it bears to BE repeated?

Judgements and condemnations do nothing but instill fear or make others less-than-willing to share.

Again, I think we are all offering our best.

NikkiInTheDesert

Okay,,,,this is what I think.
People are being overly medicated by: Xanax, Valium, Klonopin, and other benzodiazepines. These drugs are highly addictive. ( you can become dependent within a month)
They are only really approved for short term usage, but are being prescribed for long-term usage.
When your body becomes dependent and you reach tolerance, the benzodiazepine withdrawal symptoms kick in.

Example: if you take Xanax, which is a short-acting benzodiazepine, the half life of this is 6-12 hrs. After 6-12 hrs your blood concentrations are at their half life, you will then begin to experience withdrawal symptoms. These symptoms will persist until you take your next dosage. (Or you increase the frequency of your dosage), However, you will always at one point in time become dependent and tolerant to the new dosage. You will constantly be dealing with "withdrawal" symptoms. This has been my personal experience also. These medications are more harmful than helpful.

Withdrawal Symptoms: anxiety, insomnia, depression, depersonalization, derealization, vertigo, tinnitus, agoraphobia, fearfulness, panic attacks, heart palpitations. etc... The list goes on and on.
These medications are the devil in disguise. IMO

Watch the Youtube Video: This is Life by Lisa Ling
The Benzo Crisis

Do your own research....Start with your medications- and see if they may be causing increase in symptoms, If you are taking any medications.

***You must never withdraw or stop taking a benzodiazepine without tapering. Seizures and death may occur.

I am not a medical doctor, nor is this intended to be advice.

Personally, I've been haunted by "withdrawal symptoms" for twenty years, not realizing my symptoms were related to "interdose withdrawal."
I am currently doing a slow taper off this medication with the assistance of my doctor.

Try the suggestions of others, along with doing some research.

Nikki,

I have been on this site only a short time. As others have stated,, this site is not a medical platform, but as the name support group suggests, it’s for support and to connect with those who have similar experiences.

I for one have found the group to be very supportive and helpful. I have no one I can talk to who understands what I am experiencing except for my therapist and psychiatrist. I truly felt like I was going crazy. Seeing posts on this group and feeling the connection with those having similar experiences has helped me. Medication, therapy and support are helping to calm my PTSD symptoms which have been pretty severe. I admit, I am having a rough time coping. You may hear repetitive information because we have similar experiences and the treatments available may be the same or similar in nature, therefore the information received is the same. I am very sorry to hear about your vitamin D deficiency and hope that you get the medical help that you need and find peace. Others can lend support, but only you can bring peace to yourself.

Venting online is sort of like journaling. Offering help to people, even though it may be often repeated information, is theraputic to the person posting it. I've been there, done that with most of it. A hard-core case of GAD with panic disorder is really hard to get a handle on. We're all looking for that magic phrase or that one person that posts something that we can hang onto to get some relief. I guess that's why we keep coming back. The ones that want to help and the ones that need help.

One of the best things about anxiety, is that the things that work to reduce it are similar for everyone.

Which means that when this does NOT make whatever is happening change for the better, it's time to look at what we are sharing, and make notes of other things happening.

Having multiple medical issues occur at the same time, and telling the medical team that whatever method they used that I needed the anxiety treated at that time, helped me to obtain the medical treatment needed to resolve the issue. However, as one nurse stated to me, "l learned more about how anxiety affects how the treatment works from watching you repeat time and time again, my anxiety needs just as much help as the rest of me."

A vitamin deficiency can be treated. Getting it diagnosed takes work.

Here's to healthy balances for everyone!

I completely empathize with your frustration. I have been battling anxiety/depression/mental illness for over thirty years and there is no “right” answer. at some times, one thing has helped, at another time something else has helped. It all boils down to learning how to cope and learning when to reach out for help and learning what works for you. We all have to find our way and learn every day more about ourselves. I am still earning at 50. I hope you a day of breathing deeper and finding more peace and less anxiety/depression. Just know that i feel you and that I hear you. I wish i could offer more.