> Benzos are pretty terrible. That second doc did you a favor.

I knew that when I saw the GP, hence the "last resort". My experience with the drug was morbid as well -- the world felt soft for an hour, after which I would pass out. I would wake up in 4-6 hours feeling normal again. Only later did I find out that the aforementioned side effects with the additional and overlapping prescription of codeine, I could have died in my sleep.

But the point being, I am no doctor and I was living in a confusing state of mind. So when I went to see him, I thought that benzos are the way to treat me. But instead of being referred to a mental health department or given beta-blockers as a less intrusive medication, I just received a no as an answer. It left me with mixed feelings. I mean, the doctor was right that the benzos were not the solution, but he should have told me what I need, instead of just declining what I want.

Luckily enough I was able to accept the fact that I could be mentally ill, so I sought appropriate help by myself. Luckily, my case was handled by psychiatric who taught me how to treat the pre-cursor to my anxiety, the panic attacks, instead of the anxiety itself. When I learned that I could handle the panic attacks just like any emotion -- and without drugs -- I was able to shrug the anxiety away.

Condemning a patient who seeks opioids as a treatment when they don't know for better is not much of a favor. I felt like I was treated like a drug abuser and my state wide profile most likely now states me as a possible one. All of this because I could not remember the translation of the drug and instead referred to it as what I have seen thrown out on the Internet from time to time. I would not be surprised if I would have received better treatment would I have had referred to the drug with its marketing name only, but I did not think that would have helped much in a foreign country.

Also thanks for the smoking tip! Although, I do not smoke, but I do moderate the amount of caffeine I consume nowadays. Getting over the panic attacks did require quite a few lifestyle changes in addition to self-reflection.