Benzos Benzo withdrawal v Z-drug withdrawal

[candidsurprise]

I use benzodiazepines to manage my two anxiety disorders (social phobia and GAD). On average I use them about one day of the week, sometimes I dose two days in a row on the weekends, other times I skip a week entirely. I'm terrified of benzo dependence, and so I'm looking for alternatives. Although Z- drugs like zoplicone are not typically indicated for anxiety, I have come across many reports that it has been effective for some people. I'm considering alternating zoplicone with valium to manage two dates per week. I don't find GABA drugs addictive in a generalised sense, I only feel compelled to use them when I meet women. I get rejected 100% of the time if I do not take benzos, and rarely get rejected when I use them. Does anyone have any comparative experience or knowledge about the physical dependence liability of benzos as contrasted with Z-drugs?

 

[Burnt Offerings]

You will not become physically-dependent on benzodiazepines with the use pattern that you just described.

I think some people get the idea, with all of the addiction horror stories on BL and elsewhere online, that you can easily slip into a potentially life-threatening physical dependency on benzodiazepines just through normal therapeutic use of the drug, but that's not the case at all.

 

[Snafu in the Void]

I use benzodiazepines to manage my two anxiety disorders (social phobia and GAD). On average I use them about one day of the week, sometimes I dose two days in a row on the weekends, other times I skip a week entirely. I'm terrified of benzo dependence, and so I'm looking for alternatives. Although Z- drugs like zoplicone are not typically indicated for anxiety, I have come across many reports that it has been effective for some people. I'm considering alternating zoplicone with valium to manage two dates per week. I don't find GABA drugs addictive in a generalised sense, I only feel compelled to use them when I meet women. I get rejected 100% of the time if I do not take benzos, and rarely get rejected when I use them. Does anyone have any comparative experience or knowledge about the physical dependence liability of benzos as contrasted with Z-drugs?

I think your use is completely reasonable and the best way to use benzos. I'm surprised you aren't tempted to daily dose. You can't develop dependence on just 1-2 doses per week (assuming therapeutic doses).

I would be very careful using z drugs for "meeting women" or any other purpose other than sleep. This can get you in trouble very quickly and cause extremely unpredictable, dangerous or even illegal behavior. Even 10mg can cause delusional behavior.

If your only concern here is dependence, I would just stick to the benzos.

But to answer your question dependence from both drugs form similarly, they're fairly similar. Some z drugs are less addictive such as eszopiclone but don't help with anxiety.

 

[candidsurprise]

dfd

You will not become physically-dependent on benzodiazepines with the use pattern that you just described.

I think some people get the idea, with all of the addiction horror stories on BL and elsewhere online, that you can easily slip into a potentially life-threatening physical dependency on benzodiazepines just through normal therapeutic use of the drug, but that's not the case at all.

I think your use is completely reasonable and the best way to use benzos. I'm surprised you aren't tempted to daily dose. You can't develop dependence on just 1-2 doses per week (assuming therapeutic doses).

I would be very careful using z drugs for "meeting women" or any other purpose other than sleep. This can get you in trouble very quickly and cause extremely unpredictable, dangerous or even illegal behavior. Even 10mg can cause delusional behavior.

If your only concern here is dependence, I would just stick to the benzos.

But to answer your question dependence from both drugs form similarly, they're fairly similar. Some z drugs are less addictive such as eszopiclone but don't help with anxiety.

Thanks guys, it is reassuring to know that my usage pattern is quite safe from a physical standpoint. If I dose daily, my anxiety disorder gets triggered badly by the fear of dependency, even whilst on the benzos. So I end up feeling just as bad as if I didn't use them at all, it is quite a useful limiting factor. I don't crave for benzos in the same way that I used to crave for opiates, and still crave for kratom. Would you say that a twice per week pattern of usage would not worsen a person's baseline anxiety on the days in between? I suppose that this would effectively constitute a deterioration of the underlying disorder which would be highly problematic if real.

 

[Snafu in the Void]

Would you say that a twice per week pattern of usage would not worsen a person's baseline anxiety on the days in between?

Difficult to answer and everyone is different.

For me? No, it wouldn't. The simple fact that I know I have a pill waiting for me if I really need one gives me anxiety relief in itself. However, I also have a VERY hard time not taking benzos every day if I have them.

First, how long have you been taking benzos in this fashion?

Your fear of dependence is not unfounded. Benzo dependence is fucking hell on earth. However, if you can already limit your use like that, that's a pretty good sign. Most cannot.

 

[candidsurprise]

Difficult to answer and everyone is different.

First, how long have you been taking benzos in this fashion?

Since June this year or so. But I've had months long stints with twice weekly use in the past. I've often wondered whether a completely overlooked risk of benzo usage might be the deterioration of the underlying condition on the days in between usage. I don't see this concept mentioned anywhere, perhaps that is a testament to the possibility that it does not exist, but I wonder whether it is just a more convoluted concept that most people aren't familiar with. That is especially since long term once/twice weekly usage seems really uncommon, people tend to use it either not at all, daily, or once in a blue moon. I wish that there was some scientific research on this, we still lack so much knowledge about these things.

 

[Snafu in the Void]

Since June this year or so. But I've had months long stints with twice weekly use in the past. I've often wondered whether a completely overlooked risk of benzo usage might be the deterioration of the underlying condition on the days in between usage. I don't see this concept mentioned anywhere, perhaps that is a testament to the possibility that it does not exist, but I wonder whether it is just a more convoluted concept that most people aren't familiar with. That is especially since long term once/twice weekly usage seems really uncommon, people tend to use it either not at all, daily, or once in a blue moon. I wish that there was some scientific research on this, we still lack so much knowledge about these things.

Prolonged daily benzo use absolutely DOES make your anxiety worse in the end. Say if you took it every day for a year or two then stopped, you'd be worse off than you were before. Yeah, doctor's don't really mention this.

I think, over a long enough period of time, yeah twice weekly benzos would theoretically make the problem worse physically, however, the key to benzo use is to be productive about conquering your anxieties while you're ON the benzos, so when you get off it's not worse than before (I hope you follow me here)

Benzos are a tool not a cure, a tool to help a person do whatever it is they need to do to face their anxieties in the present. When you face your anxieties you become more powerful over them. That is the only real cure. Too many people use them, feel relief, but then aren't productive, they don't make changes in their lives to address the anxiety while it's easy on benzos, then they get taken off and they've done nothing and now its even worse.

If you are using them to talk to girls that's a commendable thing. That is really, the best and intended use for benzos. (assuming you're looking for an actual relationship which is a factor in life success)

I'm opinionated on it. I have severe anxiety as well.