Much better day today..... Realized that remaining at rest and avoidance is no cure but getting out and functioning like I did before is going to take some time. I only have a very small support system where I live as my friends do not seem to understand the gravity of how this affects me and in many cases simply dismiss it. This seems to have energized me to do more and improve my situation with the help of this program. When I did feel anxious today I did the opposite of what I was normally doing, ie trying to sleep! Instead I got on the computer did some of the homework on here and read some of the uplifting dicussions that are all over the discussion groups. There are obviously some fantastic people on here with an abundance of knowledge. The last few days seem like distant memories now as some corner has been turned and my optimism is up that I can turn this around. I'm not a real "high" or real "low" type person, so I'm not blowing my new found enlightenment out of proportion!
Maybe some of the cure for anxiety/panic is to do the opposite of what you think you should do, and be conscious of it, like George on Seinfeld... Obviously this isn't the end all be all to the problem, and as I'm only on session 2 and I'm sure it's going to appear soon in a session soon, but it's my epiphany and I'm happy I found it! lol
I don't know how much help this will be but I wanted to let you know that I have also had very vivid dreams while taking Effexor XR which is in the same drug family as some of the meds you have been taking. I have read that this is a known side effect. I also find the most vivid dream is the the one that happens right before I wake up (I have young kids so I am often woken up early by them). I have found some of the dreams very disturbing but most of them I just find very interesting. I think when I get woken up before I was ready to get up the dreams are more vivid then when I wake up naturally. I know it is hard because when you wake up in the middle of the dream they seem so real and can be scary. May I suggest that maybe what you could focus on is not the dream itself but how you are reacting to it as the problem. If you can somehow learn to reassure yourself that the dreams are not real but just your brain "telling stories" while you are sleeping and not an actual threat to you.
The beauty of the online program is that you can move through it on
your own pace. If you are ready to go ahead, then please do! If you
feel you need more time on one exercise, than take all the time you
need to experiment and get comfortable before moving on the next. The
guidelines are set out as a suggestion on how to use the program.
As you move through each exercise you will be granted access to the
next one so just make sure you are finishing up all of your homework
before jumping ahead.
How long have you been taking the xanax? It usually takes a bit of time before the medication takes effect. I've only had experience with one, lexapro, but for the first month and a half my appetite was greatly reduced. Which isn't a good thing considering I'm already skinny. But I stuck with it a little longer and it ended up helping me enough to have my first full week free from anxiety.
And if you feel you need to go on with the course, 5 days sounds like a fair amount of time to wait between lessons. I think the wait is only so we can reflect and ingrain the lessons into our mind. I think it's been 2 weeks since I took my last lesson...might need to go back and do my lesson!
Very frustrated today, last dream of the night is always a quasi nightmare, and starts my day with strong anxiety. Don't know how to stop the vivid dreams all night and get out of this cycle. Also not sure if taking a zanax to quell the anxiety is the solution as it makes me feel fatigued and has started the avoidance cycle to perpetuate itself. I've only been on here for five days but I'm wondering if I need to go to next weeks lessons as I know what brings on the anxiety attacks and what thoughts trigger them and feel I need more proactive behaviour! Any thoughts?
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Yes it is nice to read Steve thank-you for sharing with us . 
