Anxiety medication

Benzo withdrawal IS bad but the people who go through it don't take the meds as prescribed. Same with opiates, if you take more than you need to get high, you'll get hooked, but if you take just enough to relieve the symptoms they're meant to, you should be fine. Take as little as you possibly need, and only when you are having an episode. I don't know how this stuff is different from xanax but you may not need to take it regularly if you feel ok without it.

>>18441229

Go make a checkup with another doctor and tell him what your previous doctor has prescribed you. Talk about your worries, inform yourself about the side-effects and ask about if it worth the trouble compared to what might happen if you don't take them.

>>18441238
Apparently I need to take it regularly (that's what's written in the box at least).
>only when you are having an episode
I don't get panic attacks. I get spikes of stress when I go outside where there's people though.
>>18441239
Should I see a psychiatrist for that or a regular doctor?
I've read up on the side effects but I don't know if they occur every time even if I take the pills reasonably, or only if I abuse them, as the other anon said.

>>18441247
>Apparently I need to take it regularly (that's what's written in the box at least).

Just ask your doctor (or a new one, whatever) if you can take them as needed to mitigate the side effects.

>>18441270
I'll do that yeah.

Dont take em. Just give em to me

>>18441229

I've been on alprazolam for about 5-6 years now, on average I'd say I take 1mg per day, which means sometimes I take more (not more than 2mg, personal rule), and sometimes I don't take at all for a period of time

I don't think I've developed addiction, because occasionally I take a week long breaks just to see if any withdrawal occurs, but nothing really happens, the anxiety is obviously increased because it's not directly supressed with meds, but it's not intense mind-blowing cravings

The worst thing you can do i be anxious about anxiety meds, let them help you, but don't depend on them so much that you can't go without them

>>18441286
>1mg per day
Is alprazolam particularly strong? How many mg is a tablet?
>be anxious about anxiety meds
Yeah, you're right, that's stupid.
Do you feel that the anxiety comes back full force when you stop taking them or has it improved?

>>18441298

"alprazolam" is just the name for the active ingredient in xanax, helex, misar, etc. basically same thing, different brands

>how strong
well, 0.25mg is the lowest possible dose in a single pill, I'm on 0.5mg per pill, I can tell you that from the start I did not feel any change with less than 0.5mg and 1.0mg in a single dose is for days I'm pushed a bit far. Generally, for sleeping I take 0.5mg, for functional effect, so that I'm not tense (both physically and mentally) I take 0.75mg, sometimes twice a day

I also forgot to mention the duration is shorter than some other drugs (like 3-4 hours), that's why it's so important not to get too reliant on them, otherwise you'll be popping them like candy

>does anxiety come back
Yes, but medication isn't the ultimate solution, it's like a crutch that you lean on when you're having a hard time because your brain is warning about danger where there is none, it's exhausting, but don't get discouraged, for example I found meditation to be effective if applied, most of the stuff I learned from a guy named Mingyur Rinpoche, not that I'm telling what you should do, just telling you what worked for me

File: 0110150800b.jpg (497KB, 2560x1440px) Image search: [Google]

497KB, 2560x1440px

>>18441229
not saying to stop meds but you should try meditation
the app headspace is a good start
and if you're a poorfag you can torrent it

>>18441345
I got 6mg per pill so I'm pretty sure the dosage isn't the same for what you take and what I have.
And yeah I understand, I'll ask the doctor and be careful. I'll try out meditation too.
>>18441355
Thanks.

is it even possible to get psychiatrist to prescribe any anxiolytic for us Eurofags? I've been trying to get doctor to let me try anything other than anti-depressants for two months now and I can't tell him I'm how bad things really are because I don't want to emotionally manipulate him

>>18441378
I'm OP and I live in Europe, so yeah. What country are you in?

>>18441384
Ireland. kinda bummed I can't even try non-benzos like pregabalin or buspirone. anti-depressants work on some of my symptoms but the negatives far outweigh the positives.

>>18441392
Can't really help you then, sorry. Are they really careful about prescription drugs in Ireland?
You should tell your psychiatrist your actual symptoms though, that's not emotional manipulation as long as you don't exaggerate.

>>18441358

>relative potency
No idea, that part, unfortunately you have to figure out yourself, try out with the lowest possible dose (if pill has 2 of 4 equal parts) and see how it goes, what I can tell you for a fact is that you aren't going to flip your shit and dance around naked in a drug induced psychosis, you're just going to feel a bit different, that's it

>>18441397
must be though they hhad no qualms about putting me on sertralineat age 15. I think for for any anxiolytic even the ones I mentioned they only prescribe for max 8-12 weeks if at all, so they're all lumped in with xanax.

>The most frequent side-effects reported with each drug were drowsiness, which tended to subside with time, and depression, which tended to emerge toward the end of the 4-week period
it doesn't sounds like there's anything to be too worried about. Just take as prescribed and contact pharmacist or psychiatrist if you get any the side effects listed on the leaflet and TRUST in your medications but don't be unrealistic, especially with a benzo where long-term use might not be appropriate. It's important you're confident in what you're taking and I'm sure psychiatrist would be happy to take a phone call from you if you're worried about starting.

Good luck.

>>18441419
Yeah I don't expect anything magical
>>18441425
That's odd. I still recommend you be honest with your doctor though.
>>18441457
Temporary drowsiness should be fine. Depression seems like an issue though, especially since the recommended length of the treatment is 8 weeks.
I've planned to see my doctor tomorrow so I'll talk to him about it.

>>18441229
Benzos are always as needed. You only take them when you have anxiety. Taking them scheduled will make them work worse and cause dependency

Benzodiazepines should be used for the short term relief of chronic anxiety where it is impacting your ability to leave the house, sleep and just still racing manic thoughts. Like if your partner died and you needed something to get you through the next two weeks without killing yourself due to having a constant panic attack while not being able to sleep. Or freaking out because you can't get on a plane and you need to get on a plane. For the long term management of an anxiety issue they are absolutely awful because tolerance, dependence and habituation build rapidly and coming off them is absolutely evil. I could not in good faith tell anybody to take them daily for more than two weeks or infrequently for managing crazy panic attacks around three times a month.

They are like having 3-4 strong drinks without the blurred vision, slurring and other physical impairments of alcohol. Like habitual drinking to cope with problems they eventually weaken your ability to deal with issues without them and become a crutch over time where you can't deal without them.

That is why they describe rebound anxiety and insomnia for people who have been using them for a moderate amount of time. That is why the withdrawals for long term usage start to look as dangerous as alcohol withdrawals. The half life of some are so long (20+ hours) that if you take a daily dose they accumulate in your body to the point where you might feel ok, but you'll actually be quite under the influence and it will take a while to wear off and you are never quite sure if you entirely off of them if you take them every other day or every three days for example. Then after a few weeks baseline feels awful.

I've abused them off and on for over 10 years now and they come with similar issues to alcohol dependence. Poor impulse control, bad decision making, inability to cope/inappropriate responses to stress and pressure, memory loss, inability to sleep without them.

Oh and withdrawal is hideous.

>>18441574
Like laying awake at night in a pool of sweat with a racing heart clutching at the sheets feeling completely crazy and like you are going to die at any moment or like the world is going to put all its efforts into destroying you. Impending doom. Inability to sleep. Muscle aches and spasms, tremors, realising you felt great, but you spent all your money and have really bad memory and talked to everybody you love like complete shit. I feel like I became a connoisseur of withdrawal from various types (fast acting ones, long duration ones) and oh man is the withdrawal spicy.

I'd say worse than coming down off pills or other stimulants which is just a chance to get cosy and feel a bit like death. Worse than multiple day stimulant binges with no sleep or food and associated paranoia/psychosis which is just feeling like shit and death, trying to learn the lesson to get your life together. Honestly man laying awake all night in a semi conscious state, sweating and rolling around while having random auditory and visual hallucinations of shit like fairground music, voices shouting what a piece of shit you are, random sounds claiming to be from satan, feeling like you will never be able to return to normal. They have been responsible for the worst withdrawal of any drug I've ever had.

That said, like any drug they have a legitimate use. The temporary relief of panic/anxiety occasionally as needed (be aware of your coping mechanisms being co-opted) or for no more than a couple of weeks of regular use (be aware of rebound anxiety/insomnia/feeling crazy).

Basically like knocking yourself out with a quarter bottle of vodka every night and then going cold turkey after two weeks.

Is it a bad idea to take benzos right before a date?

>>18442012

You're good if you dont drink alcohol

>>18441238
This is a lie. As little as a month or two of everyday use can lead to months of irregular withdrawal symptoms and worse long-term anxiety.

OP look up mebicar and picamilon. Anxiolytics with much less dependence risk. You can buy them online cheaply. Fuck the pharmaceutical mafia; they just want another addict hooked on their supply.

>>18442075
Does the drug enhance the effect of alcohol that much?

>>18442213
>You can buy them online cheaply.

I know why you can't, but this doesn't help anybody if you don't post a resource.

>>18442356
Eh, not in my experience, but combining two central nervous system depressants at the same time is generally a bad idea and may be dangerous. How do you feel about suffocating to death?

>>18441392
Buspirone only works in a certain percentage of people anyway. For others it does shit all. Also it has the weirdest fucking side effects.

Pregabalin is interesting, but is basically just like gabapentin in the end, and isn't really a great anxiolytic. Great for certain types of seizures, which is what I was trialling both for, okay-ish mood stabiliser.

Have you tried L-theanine? Shouldn't need a prescription for that. You can theoretically just pick it up at those health food shops or the pharmacy. It targets the same receptors as benzos but isn't addictive, and is found naturally in tea. Also, valerian in the evenings might help?

>>18441229
If you can avoid taking benzos, do it at all cost. Addiction takes just a few short weeks, but the withdrawal can last years. I've been on klonopin (clonazepam) for the better part of a year because I was basically going to kill myself and my psychiatrist needed to prescribe me something to settle me the fuck down until he could try me on a new antidepressant (antipsychotics have adverse effects when combined with my antiepileptics, and we had cycled through all the SSRIs, TCAs, SNRIs, MAOIs, and vetoed the NaSSAs because I tried one type once and had 200 seizures in 24 hours and we were'nt looking for a repeat) and he put me on klonopin. I've tried to come off a couple of times but I usually give up by the time the akasthisia sets in. Looks like I'm a lifer. Try not to follow my example.