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  • BDD Moderators: Keif’ Richards | negrogesic

Benzo or any Drug to help with Social Anxiety

J

jord33

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Joined
Mar 20, 2016
Messages
19
Just wanna say beforehand I'm taking active steps to try and help with my social anxiety, I'm not just sitting on my ass secluding myself from society and hoping to pop a few xanax and thinking it will instantly cure me and my life will be normal again. I've had this shit now since about 17 and have basically alienated myself from friends and family, can't say I've formed a relationship with a new person since this shit started and the relationships I already had, including family have just become total shit, I usually get anxiety from the slightest things that are just normal everyday things, I'm constantly quite, paranoid about the way people are judging me and just avoid social interaction as much as I can. On the plus side about two month ago after about a year of abusing codeine prescribed after I was jumped and had my leg broken in two places, I quit them and thought fuck this shit I'm not letting this social anxiety shit beat me anymore and I'm gunna live my fucking life, I got a job and have stuck at it now for nearly two month, tried my best to get along with people and be social and as we work away and all stay in the same hotel after work we will go for meals and a drink n shit and rather than avoiding it like I would usually do I've just been forcing myself to just yeah to it and hoping my social anxiety will go away after a time but I can feel myself sinking back into this shit and I feel like it's gunna get too much for me and I'll end up just quitting the shit and I don't wanna let it beat me cos in my own mind this is my last chance to deal with life and if I let it beat me I'm gunna give up completely.

So yeah I am trying to deal with life and social anxiety the best way I can, through facing my fears rather than jus solely abusing some sort of benzo or some shit and hoping everything will be better, but my question is, based on other peoples experiences and knowledge what would be the best benzo or some other sort of drug that would help me deal with this situation temporarily, I don't plan on abusing it and will probably take the odd day here and there without it as to not build up a tolerance and addiction as I know where that shit leads, I just want a little, aid if you like, to help me as I try and deal with this shit and be normal again, I want something that won't just numb me to the shit where I don't care though like the SSRI my shitty clueless fucking doctor keeps prescribing me. No one will probably bother reading this shit as it's long asf but for anyone that does thanks.
 
If you're only planning on doing it when you feel you're about to have a panic attack, I would suggest a very low dose of xanax. 0.25mg - 0.5mg.

If you're looking for anxiety relief for a full day I'd go with diazepam 5mg.

It's good you're trying to push yourself outside your comfort zone, it's really the best way to get over it - it just means you have to have a couple unpleasant experiences, but when you get through them you'll realise you are capable of doing it and it gets easier the next time / your confidence will build.

just try and keep the doses low and don't take them daily for longer than a month - the withdrawals are far more brutal than an opiate one. And you never want to get to the stage where you're taking them purely out of fear of having a panic attack or even worse a seizure.

Mindfulness meditation has been shown to re-wire parts of the brain that deal with stress, it's such a simple technique and can be practiced any time of day.

I know full well what it's like man, I was a total recluse for a long time. Benzos and opiates were my coping mechanism, up until they were going to be the death of me. I never thought i'd see the day where I wouldn't be an anxious mess that needed benzos.

But after having tapering off them, I haven't felt anywhere near as anxious as I used to be - it gets easier with age / exposure to situations you aren't comfortable with. Please believe me :)

CBT has been shown to work well for anxiety - I really recommend seeing someone you can talk to about your anxiety / the root of it whenever you have the time / money as it will really be far more effective in the long term and may stop you having to suffer unnecessarily longer than you need to.
 
Thanks once again mate, it's not really the panic attacks n shit that I get, it's more just wanting to hide away from people and not join in conversation or talk to people, I have 0 desire for that shit and it's fucking depressing, I just want something that will make me open up and be able to have a laugh and talk to people and make some fucking friends, as sad as it sounds that's how I'm living, I can't be the quite mouse in the corner watching everyone anymore, I'd rather not live if that's the way I'm gunna be living my life till I die, what a fucking waste that would be. So basically I just want something that will open me up and make me more talkative and socialable n shit that I can take now and again and hopefully eventually I will be the person that I once was.
 
How old are you if you don't mind me asking?

I would have panic attacks but I'd also just be totally useless in social situations, always known as the really quiet person, or when someone would engage me I would get totally flustered and not be able to communicate at all (which made me even more self-conscious).

Just trust me that you won't be like this forever, I used to feel the same way. All it takes is putting yourself out there and facing your fears. You'd be surprised what you're capable of if you try and push through the anxiety and not worry what people think of you. You said it yourself, 'the person I once was' - you have it in you, you haven't always been like this, you can go back to how you used to be :)

Also careful not to dose too high, because benzos will disinhibit you and potentially make you say things you regret, just like alcohol - but you wouldn't even be aware that you're being rude or whatever, you feel totally sober at the time.
 
Hhahaha the job where I'm working at being rude is the way to socialize lmao it's called "banter" and I'm 24 so this is getting a fucking joke now being all timid n shit, if you don't mind me asking what benzos did you take when you was going through this shit? And also I feel like I've been this way for so long now it's become the person I am which I'd think I'd rather not live if that's the case. And yeah I am the same I'm fucking useless in social situations and get flustered n shit or just give really weak ass responses when people try n talk to me.
 
I was taking a whole lot of benzos - but mostly diazepam. I was also a heroin addict...my anxiety got really bad at the age of 19 and didn't get better till I was 27. Almost 30 now and it's only been in the last 3 years that I got off benzos that I managed to get any better. I had to just keep dealing with getting flustered / the embarrassment of it all / then eventually you realise people don't really care (and if they are judging you, then fuck them they're assholes) and nobody's perfect.

You just need to put yourself out of your comfort zone bit by bit, baby steps and you will be able to overcome this shit.
 
Fug said:
I was taking a whole lot of benzos - but mostly diazepam. I was also a heroin addict...my anxiety got really bad at the age of 19 and didn't get better till I was 27. Almost 30 now and it's only been in the last 3 years that I got off benzos that I managed to get any better. I had to just keep dealing with getting flustered / the embarrassment of it all / then eventually you realise people don't really care (and if they are judging you, then fuck them they're assholes) and nobody's perfect.

You just need to put yourself out of your comfort zone bit by bit, baby steps and you will be able to overcome this shit.
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I am trying exactly that and wow congrats on getting of heroin mate codeine tablets was bad enough for me so I applaud you on that, I think I'll try some diazepam as I hear they last pretty long, tried xanax the other day I had 24 drinking at a friends, shared them ofcourse and I was pretty much in dream world till morning, walked home and kept falling asleep in the street and being woken up in the street by random dudes n shit xanax is crazy asf and cannot remember a thing from the night before up until taking them, with alcohol though.
 
Yeah I hear you man on that shit... Got into a pretty bad place with a mix of benzos, opiates and anything else I could get my hands on at the time, but that was because I didn't listen to anyone's advice and just had a stupid mindset that more would make it better, along with an absolute despair that life sucked.
In saying that, xanax (Alprazpolam) is more helpful with stopping panic attacks as they're occurring oppose to reducing anxiety through the day and in social situations. Especially since it has a such a short half-life.

Valium is a much better option for helping ease anxiety through the day. Usually lasts most if not all of the day, and from personal experience, tends to remove the anxiety and just make you overall calm. Recreationally xanax doses (between 0.5mg and 4mg depending on past tolerance) can give a bit of a high and remove the anxiety but only for a few hours. In lower doses (0.25mg to 1mg, again depending on past tolerance) it still reduces the anxiety and helps prevent panic attacks but it also helps avoid blackouts and doing things without noticing or remembering them the next day. Personally the lower dose helps me dramatically medicinally, and then as I gradually reduced the days I used it, the positive reinforcements from socialising on the days without anxiety began to build my confidence on days without any benzos.

Valium (Diazepam) on the other hand, can keep you relatively calm throughout the day with significantly less chance of a blackout or just falling asleep randomly- which was what I experienced on the higher doses of xanax. Valium in higher doses can have a bit of a recreational effect but not in the same way as xanax. For me, lower doses tended to reduce general social anxiety through the day and just reduce the paranoia and fear so I could interact with people and just feel normal. Slowly reducing the frequency of the dose didn't have any negative effects for me (but can in others), I found it helpful as it built my confidence knowing I COULD actually just be with people and enjoy myself. So when I just stopped taking benzos for a while after lowering my doses gradually (I still use either valium or xanax occasionally in periods of severe stress), I found that my anxiety has reduced significantly in general- without any benzos.

My circumstances were pretty different tho, as I sort of switched to benzos after having a bad oxycodone dependency for 3 or 4 months in the end of highschool.

I still use oxy or a benzo occasionally, but overall the benzos were a much healthier way to deal with my anxiety and slowly get to a point where I feel like normal person again without having to take anything.

Like Fug said- putting yourself out there can really help build confidence as you realise it's okay and that most people around you aren't judging you at all! Some are of course, but they're assholes and thankfully not very common.
 
Fischer said:
Yeah I hear you man on that shit... Got into a pretty bad place with a mix of benzos, opiates and anything else I could get my hands on at the time, but that was because I didn't listen to anyone's advice and just had a stupid mindset that more would make it better, along with an absolute despair that life sucked.
In saying that, xanax (Alprazpolam) is more helpful with stopping panic attacks as they're occurring oppose to reducing anxiety through the day and in social situations. Especially since it has a such a short half-life.

Valium is a much better option for helping ease anxiety through the day. Usually lasts most if not all of the day, and from personal experience, tends to remove the anxiety and just make you overall calm. Recreationally xanax doses (between 0.5mg and 4mg depending on past tolerance) can give a bit of a high and remove the anxiety but only for a few hours. In lower doses (0.25mg to 1mg, again depending on past tolerance) it still reduces the anxiety and helps prevent panic attacks but it also helps avoid blackouts and doing things without noticing or remembering them the next day. Personally the lower dose helps me dramatically medicinally, and then as I gradually reduced the days I used it, the positive reinforcements from socialising on the days without anxiety began to build my confidence on days without any benzos.

Valium (Diazepam) on the other hand, can keep you relatively calm throughout the day with significantly less chance of a blackout or just falling asleep randomly- which was what I experienced on the higher doses of xanax. Valium in higher doses can have a bit of a recreational effect but not in the same way as xanax. For me, lower doses tended to reduce general social anxiety through the day and just reduce the paranoia and fear so I could interact with people and just feel normal. Slowly reducing the frequency of the dose didn't have any negative effects for me (but can in others), I found it helpful as it built my confidence knowing I COULD actually just be with people and enjoy myself. So when I just stopped taking benzos for a while after lowering my doses gradually (I still use either valium or xanax occasionally in periods of severe stress), I found that my anxiety has reduced significantly in general- without any benzos.

My circumstances were pretty different tho, as I sort of switched to benzos after having a bad oxycodone dependency for 3 or 4 months in the end of highschool.

I still use oxy or a benzo occasionally, but overall the benzos were a much healthier way to deal with my anxiety and slowly get to a point where I feel like normal person again without having to take anything.

Like Fug said- putting yourself out there can really help build confidence as you realise it's okay and that most people around you aren't judging you at all! Some are of course, but they're assholes and thankfully not very common.
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I just ordered some diazepams but obviosul;y won't recieve them till next week as working away n shit, I was gunna go with xanax but ended up gettin drunk and taking all 24 of them with some friends and relized they arn't the best as you blackout n shit which is the last thing I need, they seem to be for people with sever anxiety and what not so I think diazepam will be the best bet for me, just wanna be normal again ffs why is life gotta be this way but hey you just gotta deal with that shit the best way you can, the doctors don't have a clue, you have a 5 min conversation with your gp and they just prescribe some BS pyscotic shit that don't do anything but make money for pharmasuetical companies so I've came to the conclusion I'll self medicate and deal with this shit my own way, by self medicate though i mean I won't go over board I'll just take what I need just so I can keep my job, like I said if I let this beat me and lose my job I think I'll lose all hope in life.
 
The best thing to do would be to go through therapy and use something like CBT techniques and exposure while using these drugs as needed. You're already abusing them, I find it difficult to believe you have the self control and will power to take them as needed but good luck to you.

I have suffered from social anxiety my entire life and am barely making a dent in it now because I waited so long and fell into addiction. You want to take care of this shit now the longer you wait the harder it gets.
 
noone1 said:
The best thing to do would be to go through therapy and use something like CBT techniques and exposure while using these drugs as needed. You're already abusing them, I find it difficult to believe you have the self control and will power to take them as needed but good luck to you.

I have suffered from social anxiety my entire life and am barely making a dent in it now because I waited so long and fell into addiction. You want to take care of this shit now the longer you wait the harder it gets.
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Like I said, no time for therapy as I work away all week and I'm not abusing anything at the mo, but yeah thanks.
 
Drugs that make you Social

Okay, so I'll try it this way. What drugs make you social and talkative and basically just enjoy being in other peoples company? Obviously not everyone cos some people are just horrible dicks who you can't stand, but basically I'm fucking sick of social anxiety, I can't mix with anyone in a normal way and it's fucking getting me down and has been for many years now, just forced myself to get a job recently and don't wanna lose it cos of this BS. And before ppl start with the "it can't be helped with drugs" and what noe, I understand, I am trying to overcome this shit on my own obviously or I wouldn't have took a job and would be still stuck in my bedroom day in day out like I was for so many years, I just want a drug to help cope and aid me for the time being in moderation, I've had to deal with addiction before and don't wanna go down that road again so dw. Thanks.
 
Damn Jord33, you sure know how to skirt the line of what is and isn't acceptable material for Basic Drug Discussion pretty well for a relative newbie ;). Generally questions like "What is the most recreational/fun/intoxicating/pro-social drug or combination of drugs?", we like to stay away from, as we're really more geared toward Harm Reduction on this forum. If you're looking to ask about or discuss topics that are a little more fun or loose, then Drug Culture and the Regional Discussion forums are great places to start.

The harm reduction aspect of your post comes into play, as it would seem that you're a relative new-comer to the world of recreational drugs, just based upon how you worded your question. Correct me if I'm wrong though. One thing your correct about; drugs probably won't ever make you a better person, but there's no reason you can't use them from time to time to help you be more social and have a good time.

Here are the obvious suggestions:

Alcohol - The perennial favorite and social lubricant of the masses. It can certainly help loosen you up and make you more social, but on the flip-side, it is indeed poison and is thus bad to consume in general and capable of making you feel terrible following excessive consumption.

Stimulants - Amphetamines are a good choice in low doses. For most, myself included, Amphetamines are pro-social and make mingling and conversation a little bit easier. You'll find Cocaine does most of the same, although it is shorter-acting and as a general rule, more intense than Amphetamines dose for dose.

Benzodiazepines/Sedatives - If you get really anxious and find yourself "locking up" in social situations, a small dose of a Benzodiazepine could be enough to curb your anxiety, making conversation flow a little bit more easily. You just have to be careful when combining Benzodiazepines and alcohol as in excess they can cause blackouts and amnesia.
 
I had horrible issues with social and just general anxiety around the time I was 16-21 years old and when I was 21 I asked my doctor if I could try something to help me out with it. I started taking klonpin (clonazepam) and it worked wonderful at first making it so much easier for me to go out and socialize with almost no worries but after a while I built up a tolerance to it taking 4mgs a day and asked to try valium knowing it was a long acting benzo like klonopin and it worked even better to me. Valium is with out a doubt IMO the most calming and relaxing benzo and completely erased all of my anxiety when I was still taking it, I would take 30-40mgs a day and was just much more open and talkative to everyone, but not overly talkative, just felt perfect all day long and slept perfect every night. I am now back on klonopin because of having to switch to a different doctor who for some reason didn't like valium but had no problem giving me klonopin instead. Valium is the best thing I myself have taken for social anxiety with klonopin being a very close second to that.. I would ask to try either of those from any doctor willing to listen to you about the ssri not working, they didn't do a damn thing for me, only benzos could help.
 
Benzos should only be used for short term relief of anxiety, simply due to the complications involved in getting off them once physically dependent.

In the short term they can help for extreme situations.

However, if you've had any issues with addiction in the past i'd avoid them like wildfire due to their ability to lull you into a false sense of security about your anxiety.
 
My social anxiety is so bad literally all your suggestions make me even worse, I suppose alcohol does make me more happy but still can't hold a conversation for shit.

Stimulants like coke make me paranoid ASF and make me go into myself even worse than normal and I literally cannot say a fucking word to anyone.

Benzos when sobre just sedate me too much which is no good as I can't even hold a conversation at the best of times as my mind is slow asf in social situations and just can't seem to keep up with conversations even though I am quite an intelligent person and don't have a slow mind I just become really confused in social situations. When I drink on them I just become nasty and wanna kill everyone I look at for no reason which is obviously no good. Tried Xanax the other week but went to one of the few friends I actually have and ended up sharing them all, getting shit faced, blacked out till 6am the next morning and woke up to some guy asking me if I was alright as I was asleep leant against a fence in the middle of the street. Maybe I'll try them again without drinking though.

As for being new to the drug world, yeah I am new to benzos n shit but if I try a new drug I'll make sure I research it 1st rather than just carelessly abuse it.

But everything I try I still wanna hide in a corner and ignore everyone it's depressing asf and that's not just drugs, that's taking pro active steps irl like getting a job and going to out at night and what not to expose myself to people after secluding myself for many years, but I just can't seem to get into the social swings of things.

EDIT: Also it kinda is harm reduction as if I don't sort this shit out soon I think I'll just kill myself hahaha it's pathetic :/
 
Hi, you mentioned before that your doctor put you on SSRI's. Mine did the same thing with Zoloft then switched me to Lexapro. Plus suggested CBT (cognitive behavioral therapy) I think talk therapy works okay, if you're inclined to try. I feel more comfortable just talking with a friend, honestly. Social anxiety sucks, I've suffered with it for ages, plus depression. Wish I had a good answer as to which drugs might work, it's been a crap shoot for me. I'm going to merge this with your other thread.
 
Thankyou, and yeah they put me on something, I forget the name, but it just basically dulls your emotions and makes you not give af even though your still anti social asf and depressed. I asked if there was anything I could try and she basically just said no and that was that, like out of all the drugs to treat anxiety and depression that is the only one you can prescribe me, really? Well it's an expensive drug and makes good money for big pharma so I suppose they're told to prescribe it and pretty much prescribe it for anything depression/anxiety wise I've heard, I think I may switch doctors anyway if they don't prescribe me something else next time. As for therapy talk I don't have anyone really to talk to irl (since I've alienated myself from the friends I did have and can't make any new friends anymore) apart from my mum and I even end up depressing her in the end not like she says that but I can tell and I don't wanna upset or depress my mum like that, forums like this is the best place for me really to talk about it and ask advice and what not really.
Thanks for the merge too btw :)
 
Sounds like you need to find a new doctor asap! the fact you told her that the ssri she gave you didn't help you at all and she just basically ignored that is not right. When you do find a good doctor just tell them you have such bad anxiety that its starting to make your quality of life bad and you just want to feel normal again. My doctor prescribed me klonopin the first time I mentioned my severe anxiety issues and each visit he raised my dose until I felt perfect. I was also given an anti-depressant called Lexapro along with it. The Lexapro proved useless to me and just dulled all of my feelings so I stopped taking it and was just fine with the klonopin alone. But if the ssri you are on gives you that kind of effect I would definitely find a new doctor asap who will actually listen to what you have to say and keep trying different ssri's that might suit you better than the one you take, and if that doesn't work try different benzos and doses of them until you find one that does. Good luck man, I know how shitty social and just general anxiety can be! I went through it for years untreated.
 
Thanks mate and yeah it is really horrible you just can't live your life like the way you want and should do, tbh it may be my fault to some extent as when I have an appointment I just wanna get it over and done with asap but next time I will make sure I deal with that shit properly and get the help I need.
 
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