Why aren't benzos/GHB more popular drugs?

[cowardescent]

I used to enjoy drinking alcohol but for some reason in the last year, it seems so 'dirty' that I simply stopped enjoying it. I can now only enjoy benzos or GHB. They ratio of pleasure/side effects is much lower for the latter.

I'm still surprised though that apart from drug circles, they are seldom used and heard of. Alcohol really seems like a drug someone takes if they've never tried anything before but once you take other drugs, especially GABAergics, alcohol is inferior IMO.

Most of my friends who use drugs though don't seem to know anything about these. Why is that? I live in Ireland so I know it's not a problem of accessibility. Perhaps the stigma of them as date rape drugs has deterred people from ever trying them.

 

[hydroazuanacaine]

benzos are hands down one of the most popular drugs, up there with dope and coke. ghb is hit or miss for people. i did not like it.

 

[cowardescent]

benzos are hands down one of the most popular drugs, up there with dope and coke. ghb is hit or miss for people. i did not like it.

Yea but I don't know where you live cause here in Ireland and in Europe in general, there's been a massive crackdown on benzo prescriptions in the last 5-10 years.

It's now nearly impossible to find a doctor willing to hand them out.

 

[EphemeralOutlet141]

I'll take a good benzo over almost any other drug. A good benzo to me is really any of the less hypnotic ones. Stimulants and psychedelics I'll almost always pair with a benzo. To me they are the best class of drugs.

 

[Xorkoth]

Yea but I don't know where you live cause here in Ireland and in Europe in general, there's been a massive crackdown on benzo prescriptions in the last 5-10 years.

It's now nearly impossible to find a doctor willing to hand them out.

Yeah this is because of how popular they have become as recreational drugs.

Personally I find benzos to be shit drugs for recreation, but amazing for anxiety relief. Which is, IMO, why they're so much more popular these days: people have a lot of anxiety in the world today. A pill to make you feel normal and take that away seems pretty appealing.

GHB, on the other hand... that stuff is super recreational, way moreso than alcohol. It's far, far less toxic than alcohol too, but unfortunately it's even more addictive. I can drink alcohol daily (if I keep to nights only) for long periods of time, even get drunk every night, and not get physically dependent. GHB gets me pretty quick though with daily use.

 

[4meSM]

Yeah many people don't find benzos recreational (I certainly don't), I noticed they're mostly used by polydrug users (and people with anxiety). Either to potentiate opioids or to comedown from stimulants.

It's true that they're much less toxic than alcohol but they're also less euphoric (to most people) and it's way easier to become dependent on them, you can drink everyday for months or even years without developing a physical addiction. If you're taking benzos even once a day or every other day you're done, you will probably become dependent after a several weeks.
I think they're even worse than ghb in that aspect because you could probably use a moderate amount of G every night without risking much because of its short half-life, as long as you're not taking it multiple times a day. I agree with Xorkoth on GHB being very recreational, it's not even in the same league as benzos.
It's not as popular because, despite being pretty safe if done responsible, it can also be very dangerous if mixed with alcohol or if you don't measure your doses correctly (it's not as forgiving as other popular drugs). Many uninformed drug users also think it's some kind of rape drug, which is bullshit.

Also alcohol is super engraved into western society, people have been drinking it for thousands of years. Most people aren't going to replace it with other less known drugs.

Edit: TBH I do find etizolam and alprazolam somewhat recreational when mixed with other drugs, specially weed or stimulants.

 

[EphemeralOutlet141]

I think a very small amount of benzos are legitimately recreational no doubt about that. I do have anxiety issues though, so that's a big factor in my enjoyment of even the less recreational ones. There is definitely a euphoria to taking away all of your anxiety instantaneously if you suffer from it often. In my experience taking a benzo like clonazepam, bromazepam, or etizolam alongside a medium to large social situation is a combination that results in me feeling like I'm on MDMA or something, only in a more conservative way of course.

I'm a very introverted and cold person, but on certain benzos I become a smooth-talking extrovert. Like I said though I think if you don't have anxiety or antisocial tendencies like myself then you won't get much out of them besides relaxation.

As for GHB the first few times I tried it I had a really good time. After that though I didn't get much out of it besides using the rest as a sleep aid.

 

[4meSM]

I think a very small amount of benzos are legitimately recreational no doubt about that. I do have anxiety issues though, so that's a big factor in my enjoyment of even the less recreational ones. There is definitely a euphoria to taking away all of your anxiety instantaneously if you suffer from it often. In my experience taking a benzo like clonazepam, bromazepam, or etizolam alongside a medium to large social situation is a combination that results in me feeling like I'm on MDMA or something, only in a more conservative way of course.

I'm a very introverted and cold person, but on certain benzos I become a smooth-talking extrovert. Like I said though I think if you don't have anxiety or antisocial tendencies like myself then you won't get much out of them besides relaxation.

As for GHB the first few times I tried it I had a really good time. After that though I didn't get much out of it besides using the rest as a sleep aid.

I also have anxiety, that's the main reasons I decided to try benzos years ago. While I do find them useful to stop let say a panic/anxiety attack I've also noticed that I become more anxious whenever I start taking them regularly, it's kind of a vicious cycle. I feel like my anxiety has improved quite a bit now that I take them less often.
I didn't realize that at the time, only after staying away from them for a couple of months.

I'm definitely an introvert as well, I always need to spend some time alone to "recharge", but I don't think benzos help me be more sociable as opposed to stimulants, opioids and alcohol. Actually alcohol used to be very effective in the past, now it doesn't really disinhibit me for some reason, though I'm not really a big drinker, I can drink a lot and still act relatively normal (not that I appear completely sober, it's just that my mental state doesn't really change much).
It's interesting because I actually get some euphoria from other gabaergics but benzos don't really do it for me.

 

[Shady's Fox]

You should be glad, I am all for weed. Even in the rave scene, MD isn't that popular anymore

 

[JoEhJoEh]

Yea but I don't know where you live cause here in Ireland and in Europe in general, there's been a massive crackdown on benzo prescriptions in the last 5-10 years.

It's now nearly impossible to find a doctor willing to hand them out.

My GP prescribes me 50 pieces of Pfizer Alprazolam 1mg every months - and I never had a problem with not getting it.
It also is important how you appear to your doctor - you should be sober and "suffering" for things that indicate Alprazolam.

Greetz

JJ

 

[cowardescent]

My GP prescribes me 50 pieces of Pfizer Alprazolam 1mg every months - and I never had a problem with not getting it.
It also is important how you appear to your doctor - you should be sober and "suffering" for things that indicate Alprazolam.

Greetz

JJ

Can I ask where do you live in Europe?

 

[MajjBenzo42]

My GP prescribes me 50 pieces of Pfizer Alprazolam 1mg every months - and I never had a problem with not getting it.
It also is important how you appear to your doctor - you should be sober and "suffering" for things that indicate Alprazolam.

Greetz

JJ

Alprazolam isn't available in the UK so I guess you're not from here. The OP said Ireland and England, so I'll give you a little account of how difficult they are to get over here.
Four years ago I was diagnosed with cirrhosis and this year I was found to have lesions on my liver that needed an immediate MRI and blood test to see if they were malignant.
Now, I'd already seen my GP that week because my recent blood tests had come back that confirmed I was diabetic., blood tests I'd put in because I was bringing up blood and this was a part of a test on the varices in my oesophagus.
So, here's me going to the Dr because I have all these things and anxiety and suffer intense claustrophobia, before having to lie still in an MRI for twenty minutes.

To put this in context, I am bringing up blood which may be a sign of an impending ruptured varicose vein which often leads to death due to massive blood loss before you can reach a hospital, I have recently found out I have diabetes and I have lesions which may be liver cancer.
The liver cancer you get when you have cirrhosis is very quick to kill you and is apparently excruciatingly painful, and on top of everything else, as an anxiety sufferer for over 30 years, I have to get inside an MRI machine with claustrophobia.
With all this, my Dr gave me three 2Mg valium and said he was going to leave a note saying that I was banned from ever receiving any tranqs from their surgery ever again.

And I have no issues with my Dr or have ever been in any clinics and they know full well that I am tee-total and have never been on any drugs programs or anything.
This is how hard it is to get a prescription of any benzodiazepines in the UK.

 

[4meSM]

With all this, my Dr gave me three 2Mg valium and said he was going to leave a note saying that I was banned from ever receiving any tranqs from their surgery ever again.

And I have no issues with my Dr or have ever been in any clinics and they know full well that I am tee-total and have never been on any drugs programs or anything.
This is how hard it is to get a prescription of any benzodiazepines in the UK.

That's terrible... May I ask what was the reason he gave you? I really don't get these kind of doctors, seems like they don't care about helping people. It goes against the very core principles of medicine.

 

[MajjBenzo42]

That's terrible... May I ask what was the reason he gave you? I really don't get these kind of doctors, seems like they don't care about helping people. It goes against the very core principles of medicine.

He basically said that they are addictive and there's better things to control anxiety with etc etc.
I asked him outright if there was anything right then, the day before my scan, that would stop the panic attack I will have, and he just said "no, but we should get to the root of your anxiety blah blah blah."
I think the only reason he even gave me that pithy amount was no matter how many times he tried to give me the 'feelgood' speech about talking to people and SSRIs I just said "great, now what are you going to d for tomorrow?"
So that's why he gave me them with a note saying I would never get them again as there are better things out there.

P.S This is the same Dr that once told me my life-long anxiety that has been triggered massively since I found out I have three life threatening conditions is the same as when he gets his mortgage statement for the month and it's too high.
He said he has to 'man-up' and suggested I do the same.

 

[JoEhJoEh]

Can I ask where do you live in Europe?

Hey

of course, I live in Austria. And since 2008 I get it prescribed until now.

JJ

 

[Joey]

GHB is actually really popular in the gay scene, second only to crystal meth. They’re often mixed. It’s a fuckin blast too.

 

[Xorkoth]

He basically said that they are addictive and there's better things to control anxiety with etc etc.
I asked him outright if there was anything right then, the day before my scan, that would stop the panic attack I will have, and he just said "no, but we should get to the root of your anxiety blah blah blah."
I think the only reason he even gave me that pithy amount was no matter how many times he tried to give me the 'feelgood' speech about talking to people and SSRIs I just said "great, now what are you going to d for tomorrow?"
So that's why he gave me them with a note saying I would never get them again as there are better things out there.

P.S This is the same Dr that once told me my life-long anxiety that has been triggered massively since I found out I have three life threatening conditions is the same as when he gets his mortgage statement for the month and it's too high.
He said he has to 'man-up' and suggested I do the same.

Your doctor sounds like a huge asshole, god damn.

GHB is actually really popular in the gay scene, second only to crystal meth. They’re often mixed. It’s a fuckin blast too.

Yes, the combo is insanely euphoric, it's bonkers, and also by far the best sex drug combo, by really far.

 

[MajjBenzo42]

Your doctor sounds like a huge asshole, god damn.



Yes, the combo is insanely euphoric, it's bonkers, and also by far the best sex drug combo, by really far.

Thank you, my friend. I really wish that I could say I was being hyperbolic or exaggerating for effect, but this one Dr is just a horrible human being.
He told my wife (who had been given Valium and Morphine from every Drs she had seen in clinic and in A&E) that people need to stop jumping right to strong pain-meds like Morphine and Oxycodone as they're way too much for something simple like a bleeding ulcerated colon.
The head of the surgery had phoned the chemist and changed the script with an apology before she even got to hand it in.
Makes me wonder why some people want to become GPs because it sure can't be a calling.
Especially when the head of medicine is phoning ahead to the chemist to change the script to Diazepam and Morphine sulphate!

 

[Xorkoth]

Wow, that's crazy! I'm glad it got resolved.

 

[Kara Kava]

Until i read here I didn't think people got high on benzos. Passing out relaxed is nice but not a high to me and I take them daily
But people get high off allergy medications so