On Benzo/Anti Anxiety med for years?

I think in rather extreme cases/stable cases it can be done. It depends on the person. Any signs of abuse or over medicated behavior and I would pull the plug on them. As an alcoholic in recovery I avoid them. I used to take them for years prior to sudden onset of alcoholism so thankfully never mixed them. I didnt have any issues stopping. Now, in an acute situation I think its ok. When my 18 year old daughter ran away for nearly 4 months, I felt like I was in mourning for the first month so I tried valium and klonopin. I recently took valium for an MRI. But I an easily see myself liking them too much. Plus as a ten year successful post op gastric bypass patient I have become a rapid metabolizer. My doc did some genetic testing to confirm this. I process things so quickly I have to watch my tolerance. It happened with alcohol. Towards the end I was drinking three huge bottles of wine everyday to stave of the shakes and sickness. i think overall its safer to not take them regularly but I do not think doctors should be afraid to prescribe them nor do I think others should judge someone who does take them everyday. its the same for opiates. My husband has been in percocet for 2 months while waiting for his first surgery-ablation. His back issues are crippling. He is not addicted nor dependent and often will go days without taking them. But he was in pain management for a year jumping through all the hoops prior to getting them prescribed. So docs are afraid that everyone is going to get addicted and move to heroin. I am unsure if the causation is necessarily there. But at the same time in the AA circles I run in I know plenty of people who had pill issues prior to drugs. But also when they examined their historys they always had addict behavior so who knows really.

I took Klonopin, Ativan, Valium for many years and am now off of them because the mental health place I go to refused to prescribe them any longer for anyone. One of the reasons was memory loss. It was difficult to withdraw and they didn't let me do it properly and I felt pretty bad for a few mos. But then I felt better. Here is some information on Valium or diazepam:

Diazepam | Side Effects, Dosage, Uses & More

Did the benzo meds help at all?

I’m wondering what insurances don’t pay for them and why one would pay for them and another wouldn’t? I’m on regular Medicare the same that seniors are on. I can’t see them refusing to pay for it.

I worry about my Xanax being taken away. I don’t take it as prescribed. I usually just take one when I am prescribed two. But I get shaky and I get cold sweats if I go too long without one.

I do the same thing I have seven bottles of extra xanax saved up just in case I have to do a slow taper.

I have about 60 Ativan I’m hoarding and I’m not even prescribed Ativan anymore. I’m wondering if I have some sort of problem or something.

I have 420 xanax so if anyone has a problem its me lol

I counted mine today and I just have 40. But I can get it refilled in 10 days. If I just take one a day then I’ll have 90 in 10 days, and that’s if I don’t refill it a day early. So I can see how it adds up.

I can’t believe how dependent I actually am though. I thought I was having a reaction to the flu shot I got this afternoon. I was freaking out majorly and having all these physical symptoms. I thought I needed to go to the ER. It turned out I was just having 12 hour Xanax withdrawal symptoms. 30 minutes after one and I was fine.

Do you take it everyday? What dose?

I've been on valium(10mg)/clonazepam(0.5mg) for years, so far the only problem is dependency, else everything is fine, no damage to my body.

I take .5 once a day.

I've used Klonopin for about 3 years as needed at this point. Sometimes daily, sometimes not for a month. I think there are issues with long term use, but there's also issues with chronic anxiety... so... I think you have to weigh the pros and cons.

I've been on 2mg of Xanax for three years. Long term damage, affects your cognitive abilities and memory.

I dont think I will ever be able to get off them. Right now I do not have the inclination to try and change it again. Doesn't seem to be worth the backlash.

Dependent. Yes. Tolerance. Yes. Very occasionally I will increase the dose but it is not on a daily basis. I went to the ER a years ago and they gave me a small amount of valium. I can't remember why I was in there. I explained that what they gave me then would not help as I had developed a tolerance. It did not change their dosage.