You always need to titrate off of your anxiety pills under the supervision of the psychiatrist who prescribed them to you. If your internist has been giving you anxiety medication you must ask for a referral to a psychiatrist who can assist you with this slow process. Never try this on your own and especially never suddenly stop taking them. Immediate discontinuation of all benzodiazepines increases your risk to a grand-mal seizure even if you have never had a seizure.

The other reason for having your psychiatrist help you off of your medication is to monitor withdrawal symptoms and to know at what rate is realistic for you to come off the medication based on those symptoms. In addition, your psychiatrist should realistically assess the tools that you now have in place to manage your anxiety. If s/he does not know you that well (which s/he should) your psychiatrist should work with your therapist to identify new strategies for you to cope with your anxiety.

You and your psychiatrist should look at triggers to your anxiety including generalized anxiety, but especially if you have a panic disorder. If you have a fear of flying what tools do you now have to get on a flight and not have to take an Ativan? If you have social anxiety what tools do you have to interact with other people and not have a panic attack? Are you taking yoga, have you learned to meditate? What are you going to do if you have a rush of anxiety and you don’t have the medication in your pocket or in your purse? You need to also be very honest with your physician as to why you think you can handle the anxiety on your own. Are you using anything else to self-medicate, e.g., alcohol or cannabis?

I applaud your courage and have had a number of my patients under my treatment with the psychiatrist I work with to come off of anxiety medication. Please be patient with the process and with yourself. Don’t enter a place of shame or increased anxiety if it takes a long time or if there are times in the future where it’s better to take a pill versus white knuckling something for hours on end. I have found that Cognitive-behavioral therapy with relaxation therapy and even hypnotherapy for stress management has been most helpful for my patients. Be Well!

Be Well,
Lawrence J. Schulte, Ph.D. C.Ht.

Ph.D. Clinical Health Psychology (1993-Present)
Registered Hypnotherapist (1996-Present)

Posted on Quora 3/27/18