Can diazepam go the opposite way and make you more panicked?

[howdoibegintodeal]

On a bus home to my mum after several horrendous weeks, three hours down and one to go and really struggling . GP said to take diazepam, 2mg before and another 2mg start of journey and a further 1mg if needed but I feel off the bloody planet and have had a horrendous panic attack and everything very derealised . Which on a bus isn’t fun at all . What can I do to calm down?

Try to think of a time you felt really calm and at peace. Where were you? What sounds were there? What smells? What tastes? Now try to imagine you are there. Is it warm or cold? Breath in the air through your nose, breath out through your mouth. Now imagine you are breathing the anxiety in through your nose and blowing it out through your mouth as though you are blowing out candles. Keep repeating this until you feel calmer.

Are you wearing a mask btw? It might not be anything to do with the meds or your anxiety, you may be hyperventilating slightly and as this goes on you will become oxygen depleted, slowing down your breathing will help with your symptoms. Just try and slow your breathing down if you can't de mask. You can try using your senses in the present moment. What can you see? Smell? Hear? Taste? Feel? Do you have something tactile with you? Do you have anything you could taste like a chewing gum or sweet?

Put both your feet on the floor of the bus. Imagine that they are attached to the floor by strong magnets, that the bus is attached to the ground with strong magnets, that you can move only where the magnets will let you straight home to your family. You are being pulled firmly down to the floor and forwards home. There are no other forces which effect you. You are steadfast and grounded

Poor you. That must be horrendous.

Breath deeply (in through your nose, hold, snd out through your mouth)
and remind yourself that this is a panic attack snd will certainly pass. Try (I know it’s hard) to think of something nice (a holiday, friend,fun times).

Diazepam (all benzodiazepines) can trigger a paradoxical effect ie. you could feel worse/more anxious after taking it.

I definitely had that effect with diazepam a few months ago. I had taken it before on the odd occasion and all was ok in the past but this time it send me into the worst panic attack ever. I felt like I was losing the plot. It was ok when I took it but when it was wearing off, I was off the scale with anxiety.