smokeymcpot42088
Bluelighter
- Joined
- Dec 23, 2006
- Messages
- 2,619
so, i can only reflect my own experience. i was burned in a fire, 3rd degree, developed major clinical PTSD, also have GAD, my own course through this shit has been long, and difficult. I tried for many years medicating with ethanol, benzos etc. --- my experience is that i could not really take enough of any GABA agent to siufficiently medicate my symptoms (let alone the fact that in the US at least, people are being thrown systemically off of long term benzo rxes. they are coming after them as they did opioids 8 years ago. My mom is currently in process of being thrown off a 30+ year benzo Rx, ive had to do support for countless people across the country dealin w that shit) - and in fact that attempting to medicate the symptoms of the anxiety both kept me from pursuing some other solutions, and made my anxiety worse and worse as the GABA PAM agents did progressive damage to my GABA systems.
I was terrified when i was ordered off the benzos as well. What I have found though, is that it truly was keeping me from reaching deeper resolution on the anxiety issues, and making them worse over time. Since then, althought the withdrawal was crippling, I am glad i got a long taper/was able to take care of it in a reasonable way instead of been thrown off without time to deal with the taper. I have found that workin w therapists that i could actually work with (took me like 12 people to find people ACTUALLY versed in severe anxiety and trauma recovery) - CBT, EMDR and a few other treatment modalities really helped me towards resolution. Ibogaine was integral in repairing the PTSD/TBI damage. but long story short - i found no relief long term in the GABA agents, and indeed now for my life, I can see how treating the symptoms of anxiety was not handling shit. I really had to find ways to address my underlying issues to find good relief.
Outside of that, modifying diet, really increasing exercise, and getting my GABA receptors healed is what actually helped. Also I have found non-damaging relief in kava kava and amanita (the muscimol specifically) if i need help and don't want to damage my brain further. Also propranolol I find AMAZING for dealing w the physical side of my anxiety. which really assists me in using actual coping tools for dealing w the mental part,
Either way, I know this is a super personal journey, and I hope you get some resolution fr.
^This is alot of truth. Personally I feel I need the benzos long term......but like Cdin says this is a super personal journey and most often it isn't the user that chooses to stop. What they are doing stateside is criminal. Straight malpractice. I have heard (from pretty reliable sources) that in the UK they are just embracing the FACT you have been on benzos for 15+ years, you are probably a lifer....and yea that probably means some doc messed up at some point; but not always! --- I find in the US almost almost 9 out of 10 people are somehow "self diagnosed" by which I mean they saw an add on TV and thought; well yea I wanna be happier, that looks great. Or oh crap I can't sleep I should look into that. Im depressed, i think? (Nah I think you just see straight; the world is umm slightly depressing IMHO).-- Advertising prescription meds is REALLY MESSED UP, you don't show up at the mechanic and tell him/her/w/e(else) what is wrong with your car. You know that you can usually bypass the 'mechanic'.
Comparing an MD to a mechanic is obviously reductive but I think the metaphor holds well enough. Docs in the states are not that well informed. Trust me if you show up and tell them you are taking say 30mg xanax a day they will laugh and say its not possible (unless your uber rich I suppose?). They will give you an SSRI real quick no matter what the issue IME; which should be OBVIOUSLY IRRESPONSIBLE.