7 Ways To Handle Anxiety After Quitting Xanax

Xanax users going through withdrawal face a double whammy.

• Not only must they grapple with the typical stress of withdrawal; they must also manage life without anti-anxiety medication.
• It’s normal to feel anxiety, even of an overwhelming variety, during this difficult process.

The good news is that the stress of withdrawal is short-lived, and your willingness to navigate the process can free you from the pain of addiction—as well as the anxiety that often accompanies it.

Understanding Anxiety During Withdrawal

Withdrawal from Xanax, a process during which your body is adjusting to functioning without the drug, often triggers heightened anxiety levels. This reaction is not only due to the absence of the medication’s calming effects but also as a part of the body’s physical response to dependency reversal. It’s crucial to understand that experiencing anxiety during withdrawal is a normal, albeit challenging, part of the recovery process. These feelings of heightened anxiety are typically most intense during the initial phases of withdrawal and gradually lessen in severity as your body readjusts to its natural state. Patience and self-compassion during this time are paramount, as your system recalibrates and you learn to manage anxiety without reliance on medication.

1. Meditation Helps With Anxiety

Quieting your anxious mind might feel impossible in the midst of withdrawal-induced panic. Meditation, though, can calm even the most relentless of anxious thoughts. There’s no right way to meditate, but some simple options to get you started include:

• Take 20 slow, deep breaths, ensuring your exhales are at least as long as your inhales and that your stomach expands when you breathe in.
• Sit in a quiet room and clear your mind of all thoughts, focusing on your breath. When you think of anything, bring your attention back to your breath.
• You may even want to practice expressing gratitude for things in your life which you are grateful for. Mentally make notes or write them down. This can be a powerful practice of restoring our bodies and mind.

Sometimes, through practicing meditation or other stress-reduction exercises, one might encounter even more anxiety.

• Opening ourselves up to our internal state can allow difficult sensations and emotions to arise.
• If this is the case, ease up. You may need to find other ways to induce relaxation, such as exercising.
• Remember that learning to tolerate our anxiety is a gradual process that should be approached in a slow, incremental way.

2. Exercise

When you’re struggling with withdrawal, it’s easy to burrow under a blanket fort, cry, and focus on nothing but your anxiety. Withdrawal tempts you to do the very things that are most harmful to you.

• Aerobic exercise—the kind that gets your heart pumping, such as swimming, jumping rope, running, or walking—has been shown in numerous studies to Aerobic exercise—the kind that gets your heart pumping, such as swimming, jumping rope, running, or walking—has been shown in numerous studies to combat anxiety and depression. Exercise may also help speed up the length of the withdrawal process.

3. Attend a Yoga Class

• Focusing on a new exercise routine may be the last thing you want to do. If you can’t seem to get it together on your own, or you’re so anxious that you’ll do anything for a break, consider joining a yoga class.The companionship can lift your spirits, and the gentle instruction, relaxing stretching, and steady movement will distract you from your anxious thoughts.

4. Plan Your New Life

You’ve made a bold, brave decision, but even the best decisions can yield unpleasant consequences. Keep your eye on the prize by considering the ways your life will change for the better when you’re off of Xanax for good. Don’t just fantasize. Sit down and make a plan. The more detailed, the better.

5. Spend Time With Loved Ones

Relationships can be your saving grace when the challenges of withdrawal feel unbearable. Don’t shut yourself away to suffer alone. Reach out to the people who love you the most, who may not know you need help unless you ask. Keep your time together light; rather than focusing on your pain, do something fun and distracting together. Even just a few hours may help remind you of how good life can be without drugs.

6. Indulge an Old Hobby—Or Find a New One

Xanax takes you away from the things you love most. But now that you have more time, and don’t have to spend your hard-earned cash on drugs, reward yourself by embracing an old hobby or finding a new one.

• Sign up for a class. Join a local meetup.
• Watch online tutorials.
• The goal here is to master a new skill so you can feel more confident, less fixated on Xanax, and hopeful about a brighter tomorrow.

7. Give Fido Some Love