How to Overcome OCD That's Tied to Benzo Withdrawal Symptoms
Most people that take Klonopin / Xanax have some sort of Obsession Compulsive Disorder (OCD). Why is that? Anyone that takes a benzo type medication usually is on the meds because of anxiety in the first place. The benzos (Klonopin, Xanax, etc) are usually a band-aid to relieve the symptoms, not the root problem. Often, these anxiety based problems come in the form of OCD.
So what is OCD? Obsession Compulsive Disorder is basically having a thought in your mind that you just merely obsess about. They can range from checking the house door to make sure it’s locked multiple times to thinking that you ran over a person when your traveling from work. I myself have had OCD – but I managed to keep it in check. Please see HOW DO I OVERCOME MY OCD SYMPTOMS.
No doubt about it, I, along with thousands, perhaps millions of people, have OCD symptoms that get worse when withdrawn from Klonopin or Xanax. This is a toughie. Self-Hypnosis may work a little but not much. Regular exercise like walking on a tread mill or even stationary bike doesn’t work as well. Here’s what I’ve done and seems to work well:
I tell myself that I will not worry (or obsess) about whatever is bothering me, for the next five minutes. Once the five minutes is up, I tell myself to not worry about it for another five minutes – then I will allow myself to worry about it. Another five minutes pass – I tell myself, “Hey – let’s wait for another 10 minutes”. So on and so forth. Just promise yourself that you will worry about it, but not right now.
A variation of this would be to tell yourself that you will not obsess about something until (and let’s say) 8:00 pm tonight. Just promise yourself that YOU WILL WORRY at 8:00 pm. Now block the obsession out of your mind. If you can’t - there are a couple things I recommend you do that has really worked for me. Do intense exercise ( I use Insanity by Beach Body. I am endorsing this because it has worked well for me in forgetting and stop obsessing about certain things. However, as I said previously, regular walking on a treadmill or biking just doesn’t cut it. You need some type of exercise that will make you work. This will release chemicals in your brain that will give you a feeling of well being.
Another type of “getting away from your obsession” is to sit down and watch a movie that you really enjoy. I really haven’t tried this since I’m more of a “on the go” type of person – but try this – it should help you take your mind off of your obsession. Also, if you have a hobby, then do it. The worse thing that you can do about obsession is laying on the couch and rehashing these thoughts over and over again in your head. This is not helping you – in fact, it will just get worse if you just drift and do nothing at all.
So get off your butt and do something – and leave those obsessions and worries on the couch!