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Why don't people stay on benzos for life?

I got off benzos about a year ago because my suboxone dr wanted me to ! so i tapered down and had a few panic attacks through the process; however i still have anxiety but not as bad as it was when taking loads of benzos. I think that benzos actually caused me more anxiety. i do take a Beta Blocker now and it works. I also have a way better memory :)
 
A small percent blah blah damaged goods blah blah...that is about the broadest over simplification and I find you're lack of empathy saddening. There are some people that will be on fill in the space forever, if they live a slightly better life for it, then it would be worthwhile indeed. My opinion means more to me than yours, it's probably that way for all of us.
 
downerhead said:
I suffer from absolutely debilitating anxiety/panic disorder and chronic pain,both well diagnosed for decades and am RXd 8mg of Xanax and 40mg of hydrocodone a day.They make my life manageable and let me function as a normal person.I will most likely need them for the rest of my life and fully intend to stick to my dose.Having suffered from this for such a long time I've done my homework,know the risks and have done the cost/benefit analysis.I really don't give a shit what others may think or say about my use of these medications.It's my life and I have to live it.I'll be damned if I'm going to go through life hating it just so I can say "I'm clean and face life on life's terms" and other assorted NA-esque bullshit.I will happily take benzo and pain killer addiction/dependance (all my drugs are prescribed legitimately for real conditions)than suffer just to fit into what society thinks I should or should not do.Fuck that!My medications improve my quality of life.It's my choice to make and I've made it.
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Being prescribed a medication and taking it long term at a prescribed dose is not an addiction. Whoever is telling you are addicted is an ignorant fucktard. You may gain a physical dependence, but that is not addiction; that is simply your body naturally growing accustomed to the drug. It happens with a lot of medications, ie anticonvulsants, antidepressants, blood pressure medications - all of which have withdrawal reactions upon cessation. This does not mean addiction.
 
Be that as it may, its still a really high dose to be taking daily. Getting off such a dose of Xanax doesn't seem very pleasant to me.
 
Well, yeah it is a high dosage, and getting it off it, might not be pleasant. But many people can start and stop therapeutic benzos without withdrawal effects. Only 33% get withdrawal reactions upon cessation of therapeutic use of benzodiazepines.
 
Some people can. I was on 3mg of klonopin 3 times a day for three years and I abruptly stopped, because I just stopped seeing my doctor due to some problems I was having with cannabinoids at the time. I had no withdrawal effects to speak of. I'm in the population that can stop and start benzos without ill effect. There are people that can. Look up the percentage. I'm not making it up.
 
theGirlWithBlueHair said:
Some people can. I was on 3mg of klonopin 3 times a day for three years and I abruptly stopped, because I just stopped seeing my doctor due to some problems I was having with cannabinoids at the time. I had no withdrawal effects to speak of. I'm in the population that can stop and start benzos without ill effect. There are people that can. Look up the percentage. I'm not making it up.
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That is very dangerous fyi. You could've had a seizure from that.
 
I had done it multiple times before with benzodiazepines, on and off, different times, with different dosages. I must have been on and off them at least 20 times since I was 16. So it was no problem.

Thanks, I'll check it out.
 
I know a few people who have been on benzos/other Pharms for many many years and they seem fine. I personally wouldn't want to be dependent on any substance however. I quit caffeine for that exact reason.

On the other hand, I'm not nearly as functional and productive without them (benzos/caffeine/stims/weed). Without drugs I, more or less, hate life. Either way it's kind of a loss, you just have to decide which way you wanna lose.
 
theGirlWithBlueHair said:
Well, yeah it is a high dosage, and getting it off it, might not be pleasant. But many people can start and stop therapeutic benzos without withdrawal effects. Only 33% get withdrawal reactions upon cessation of therapeutic use of benzodiazepines.
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do you have a source for that figure? seems kinda low.
 
^Yeah, that does seem low. I'd think most anyone would get wds on a decent dose. Just a matter of how long everyone takes them I suppose. But a few months or more and I'd guess it's more like 80-90%.
bubblecola said:
try 8-12mg flunizatrepam fora yeae, and then quit cold turkey.
worst 8 months of my life.
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Yeah, I was on way more and for much longer. But I'm not gonna talk about amounts. Jumped down to 2.5mg lorazepam and 10mg Valium/day (was horrible in itself, it was a mere fraction of my usual dose) then quit after a week of that. That was pretty horrible too and lasted a long time. Now I take em again but just use a therapeutic dose as the recreational part of the drug-class has vanished for me. Taking more doesn't 'get me high' anymore. Just sleepy and sluggish.
 
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Burnt Offerings said:
I love them. I'm not sure if I plan on taking them "for life", but they're one drug that I never don't have with me, in some supply or another (sometimes it's Xanax, sometimes it's Klonopin, sometimes it's Valium, etc.) The only other drug I never am without is cannabis, and sometimes this fact has given me pause, like "am I addicted to benzodiazepines?" Maybe. Probably. But I've been able to maintain my usage on a "as needed" basis for years and have never strayed into physical dependency, so I'm not particularly worried about it from that perspective. Have they crippled my ability to interact socially sans-benzos? In all honesty I don't think they have. My social skills have gotten better since I started taking them but I think that's due more to taking psychedelic drugs & just forcing myself to be in social situations and get outside my comfort zone, I don't think it has much to do with benzodiazepines.

I don't know, I just really like the feeling of the drug starting to work it's way into my bloodstream...it's not a "rush" or anything like what most drug users are looking for, but for me it really hits the spot so to speak.
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It's weird that I actually felt this way about this class of drug 2 years ago.

Now I think they're boring and stupid. LOL. Nowadays they make me depressed, more than anything. Never got addicted to them or endured any physical symptoms of WD, thankfully.
 
Pretty impressive. I Am on 3mg a day and I have stopped on lower dose with the help of alcohol but always relapsed within a couple of months. I have severe PTSD so my stress is high when the wind blows. Klonopin is the only thing keppin me grounded.
 
I find, that in the long run, benzos will make you depressed, to the point of being suicidal. At least in my experience they do. Back when I had a serious alprazolam habit (30mg+ a day), I would frequently end up feeling hopeless, and feeling like my life is pointless. I would need the help of opiates and methamphetamine, to clear my mind and carry on with life. Ever since I tapered down and got rid of the benzo monkey off my back, I never felt depressed, and also I don't feel the horrible fatigue that I felt on benzos. It can easily be explained through the fact that benzos drastically lower your dopamine/serotonin levels.

If you feel like you need some peace in your mind, switch a benz habit for an opi habit, you'll be doing yourself a favour.
 
Pill2Chill said:
^Yeah, that does seem low. I'd think most anyone would get wds on a decent dose. Just a matter of how long everyone takes them I suppose. But a few months or more and I'd guess it's more like 80-90%.


Yeah, I was on way more and for much longer. But I'm not gonna talk about amounts. Jumped down to 2.5mg lorazepam and 10mg Valium/day (was horrible in itself, it was a mere fraction of my usual dose) then quit after a week of that. That was pretty horrible too and lasted a long time. Now I take em again but just use a therapeutic dose as the recreational part of the drug-class has vanished for me. Taking more doesn't 'get me high' anymore. Just sleepy and sluggish.
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I got it backwards, sorry. It's roughly, 70-40% who will get significant withdrawals after being on them for at four months or longer.
 
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