r/Anxietyhelp • u/HopefulMama2025 • 3h ago
Need Advice A really terrible few days
I've been struggling really badly with anxiety and I'm hoping someone here can relate.
I'm currently tapering off clonazepam after being on it for over 6 years, and the last several days have been some of the hardest of my life. I've had panic attacks, cried for hours, barely slept, and I feel physically and emotionally exhausted.
The thing that's scaring me the most is these intrusive "what if" thoughts. They're not thoughts that I want to act on. They're more like, "What if I lose my mind? What if I snap? What if I hurt myself or someone I love even though I don't want to?" The fear itself is what consumes me.
The thoughts make me question everything. I keep wondering if I'm going crazy, even though I desperately want to live. I want to celebrate my birthday, travel, have a baby someday, be with my family, and enjoy my life. That's why these thoughts terrify me so much.
I even went to the ER because I was so scared, and they didn't think I was a danger to myself. I'm also seeing a therapist. But my brain keeps saying, "What if they're wrong?"
Has anyone else dealt with intrusive harm OCD or anxiety like this? Did it get better? Did you ever stop feeling like you were one thought away from losing control?
I'm not looking for reassurance that something terrible is secretly wrong with me. I'm hoping to hear from people who've been through this and came out the other side, because right now it feels like I'll never be normal again.
Thank you for reading.