medicine for anxiety?

[LoungingLizard]

I would like something I can take for a break from the worrying to the point of feeling ill nearly all the time with no break, but which doesn't make me drowsy or unfocussed as I want to be able to do my job competently. Do you think a doctor will be able to help me?

Ativan worked wonders for me - but you have to be careful to take it only when you are in the midst of a big worry - because it is addictive. Also, I found that if I used it as a preventive .. long term, about 1 month, it actually made me depressed.

But, I tell you what, the relief I felt the first time i took one was pure heaven. I felt like life was giving me a hug. It felt so good to turn of all the what-if thoughts and worst case scenarios running through my brain. I remember it was like watching a pleasant movie in my mind.

Doctors can prescribe it, but sometimes they don't want to, because of the whole addictive thing. Clonazepam is almost as good as Ativan, but easier to get prescription. I haven't used either since about 2 years ago - CBT (therapy) helped me to get to/correct the root cause of my anxiety. But, I tell you what, I really needed/benefited from drugs at the time.

Thank you for replying. That sounds good (except the addictive bit). The doctor has given me something else - Propanolol (beta blocker). I am going to take it for 2 weeks, then have a week off it, then go back to doctor to discuss how it went. My theory is that if I have a short break from feeling so anxious but everything still goes ok practically, it will show me that I don't need to feel the anxiety in order to get everything done properly (just in case the anxiety is kind of a habit).

Sounds like a good plan.

I think you've got a point - Anxiety may be a habit. The brain seems to want us to worry, but sometimes I've overdone it, I think. One therapist told me - allow yourself to worry for 2 minutes tops, then nip it.
Best of luck!