[MatBell]

I suffer from a lot of anxiety because of work at the moment.
I'm on Venlafaxine now. However it doesn't do that much for how I'm feeling even though I take 300 mg. I've never tried benzos because I'm very scared of them. My mother was addicted for many years and it completely ruined her life in every way.

But, would you recommend possibly me taking a benzo before going to work when it's very bad. Just until it gets better. I'm not really sure about this, the thought just came to me. And to get rid of the horrible anxiety sounds so great.

No matter what I would only be taking them occasionally for a short period of time. I won't go down the path my mom did.

[Angelique67]

As someone who took Valium and Klonopin for over 30 years and then was cold turkey'd off of them, yes they do help extremely well. But it gets very hard to resist taking them because they offer so much relief. I almost died when a nurse practitioner decided she didn't want me to be on them anymore. It took 2 or 3 years to start feeling better after that. One idea is to ask your pdoc to only give you 5 or 10 pills at a time. Like maybe 5 pills per month. That might be "safer". I wish you the best of luck.

[MatBell]

Originally Posted by Angelique67

As someone who took Valium and Klonopin for over 30 years and then was cold turkey'd off of them, yes they do help extremely well. But it gets very hard to resist taking them because they offer so much relief. I almost died when a nurse practitioner decided she didn't want me to be on them anymore. It took 2 or 3 years to start feeling better after that. One idea is to ask your pdoc to only give you 5 or 10 pills at a time. Like maybe 5 pills per month. That might be "safer". I wish you the best of luck.

Yes that’s a good idea. Only a few pills to use when it’s too much.
The thought of a pill that takes away anxiety is really intriguing to me. But I also know how addictive and powerful they are.

What amount would you say is the threshold for when your body will get addicted?

[Angelique67]

Originally Posted by MatBell

Yes that’s a good idea. Only a few pills to use when it’s too much.
The thought of a pill that takes away anxiety is really intriguing to me. But I also know how addictive and powerful they are.

What amount would you say is the threshold for when your body will get addicted?

I don't know, because for some of my over 30 years I was on huge amounts. I don't think it's a good idea at all to be put on daily use of benzos. Prn is safer I think.

I started out being given a PRN and eventually grew to be dependent on them, because it was the fastest and easiest solution. After a few months I had to increase the dosage because it wasn't effective anymore.

I am now weaning off ativan because it has caused depression, which for me is not a fair trade off. My plan now is to get off the benzo and use other self-help techniques to assist with the anxiety, such as self-taught CBT, meditation, and exercise.

If you are prone to depression, I would say to start taking a benzo only if you have tried absolutely everything else and are not able to function. But use with great caution: For me it has been a nightmare and I wish I had never started them. I think quite a few people are attracted to the allure of a medication that will wipe away their anxiety instantly, and ignore the things that will actually help in the long run. Benzos are a bandaid at best, and can cause depression and dependency at its worst.

[Guiness187055]

There is nothing wrong with taking a benzo when needed. Thats what they are for. Just try not to take it everyday. Remember that everyone is different just because you take a benzo does not mean you will become addicted.

I have ativan and clonazepam. My doctor specifically told me not to take them every day, only when I absolutely need. I don't have a problem with that. I habitually carry an ativan with me every where I go. Just knowing that I have it just in case actually helps me calm down. I rarely take any.

[Guiness187055]

Originally Posted by TheSadGirl

I have ativan and clonazepam. My doctor specifically told me not to take them every day, only when I absolutely need. I don't have a problem with that. I habitually carry an ativan with me every where I go. Just knowing that I have it just in case actually helps me calm down. I rarely take any.

I carry a xanax everywhere I go for the same reason as you

[MatBell]

Originally Posted by Guiness187055

There is nothing wrong with taking a benzo when needed. Thats what they are for. Just try not to take it everyday. Remember that everyone is different just because you take a benzo does not mean you will become addicted.

I know. I just think of my mom’s troubles. And since I have her genes, I should be careful.

[MatBell]

Originally Posted by Angelique67

I don't know, because for some of my over 30 years I was on huge amounts. I don't think it's a good idea at all to be put on daily use of benzos. Prn is safer I think.

I would only use it as Prn too.

[MatBell]

Originally Posted by TheSadGirl

I have ativan and clonazepam. My doctor specifically told me not to take them every day, only when I absolutely need. I don't have a problem with that. I habitually carry an ativan with me every where I go. Just knowing that I have it just in case actually helps me calm down. I rarely take any.

That sounds like a good idea to carry one around. Do they make you “slow”, drowsy, in any way if you have to perform, like at work?

Originally Posted by MatBell

That sounds like a good idea to carry one around. Do they make you “slow”, drowsy, in any way if you have to perform, like at work?

In lower doses I have no problem. When I got higher doses in hospital I felt tired.

Originally Posted by MatBell

That sounds like a good idea to carry one around. Do they make you “slow”, drowsy, in any way if you have to perform, like at work?

It's actually called a "safety behaviour" in CBT. I carry Ativan and gravol on me and admit that these are safety behaviours. Basically by carrying around a safety net (whatever that may be), you are not allowing yourself to feel the anxiety and to learn that it will pass on its own, with or without the medication.

Safety behaviours are more band-aids that don't tackle the root problem of anxiety, and it allows us not to face our problems head-on. Unfortunately many people (including myself), give too much power to the anxiety and yet so little to ourselves and our ability to cope.

[kecanoe]

I carry Xanax and find that by having it if I need it, I can allow the anxiety to just pass most of the time, without using the meds. I have had Xanax prn for 7 or so years, and have gone for months at a time where I take .25 mg at bedtime. I have not had a problem with needing to up the dose nor with addiction. I am highly vigilant about addiction as I have a history of alcoholism.

In those small doses, it quiets my mind enough that I can read until I feel sleepy and then fall asleep. I only use it when my heart is pounding and my mind is racing.

If I am not headed to bed, I take just a teeny dose, .125 mg and see if that allows me to do whatever it is that I need to do that anxiety is preventing me from doing. It does not make me tired.

[Misterpain]

Well it doesn't sound like I am needed but i will weigh in a limited supply of prn for the month both insures your covered but it causes you to grow a devolope coping skills, heres a related example :

I have angina and a swallowing disorder with a side of anxiety sometimes , they all cause chest pain but i was reluctant to going back to carrying nitro again , needless to say my cardiologist over ruled me , but by having that stupid bottle of pills in my pocket and using them sometimes and nothing changing I learned to differentiate the angina from the swallowing disorder the angina of course responds to nitro , the swallowing disorder pain can be releived by taking sips of something about every 30 seconds , and the anxiety I have to ask myself what's wrong why am I suddenly do anxious is it people,place or my thinking thats causing anxiety , so by having the nitro to fall back on when i really need enabled me to figure out what was what .

So a benzo in the pocket could be as freeing for you because you'll be working to get to the root of your anxiety and if your overwhelmed you can call in the back up team for a little mutual aide, approach it that way instead of being a full time crutch , its a temporary support to get you through the real hard times.

[Monicaarogers87]

If they are used as needed I think they are fine to use. I have an rx for klonopin that I take everywhere with me just in case I need it even though I haven't filled it in ages. I took a half dose for the first time in a month or longer last night to help me sleep because I'm withdrawing from my SSRI and have been having horrible nightmares and trouble sleeping. I think they can be a good tool in times of need as long as you are aware of how often and why you are using them and keep yourself accountable and be honest with your doctor too.

[TicTacGo]

Yes, you could use it prn until the anxiety is sorted out with other means.