alcohol and xanax /depression

[redsky1718]

I never really drank until i turned 21 . and when you first start to drinkn you love that drunk you fell ten feet tall and you can do anything. i used to smoke weed too until i got my first panic attack so i stopped smoking weed witch increased my alcohol use because i didn't smoke weed or cigs so booze was was all i had.but ever since that first panic attack i wasn't the same i would always fear the next one and also developed a little ocd just over thinkn situations. went to a doc told him about the panic, and he wanted to put me on SSRI's. I said no thank you i would rather try benzo's so i was prescribed xanax. started taked that every day around 1mg sometimes more. i am now 24 and have been drinking almost everyday since i turned 21 on and average of 4 or 5 beers/day i have been on my meds for over a year now and i feel like im falling into a deep depression. i feel fine on my meds but when i start to drink i get really depressed but i am addicted to alcohol. i am alone and have no one to talk to about this i don't want friends and family to know im depressed and have thoughts of dying sometimes that's why i looking for support here. does anyone out there have similar alcohol and benzo use and how has it affected you mentally?? thank you much

 

[Legerity]

I regularly consume alcohol and benzos (usually not together), although neither on a daily basis or in huge quantities. I tend to be pretty high strung and when I drink I want to be able to relax, but it usually takes around 4-6 drinks to take the anxiety away so I end up drinking more than I would like to when I do go out. The benzos are prescribed in a low dose and I take them only when necessary. I don't feel that my use of either has had any negative consequences for my mental health.

It sounds like anxiety may be the main issue here, and then the alcohol/benzos might be contributing to depression. That's just my guess though. If you are not comfortable talking with family or friends, would you consider therapy? It is one way of changing your thought patterns that are causing the anxiety, so instead of worrying about stress management you are actually getting to the problem and removing it.

I would also say to not be ashamed of how you feel. It's hard to open up but it doesn't mean you are weak. A lot of people are overwhelmed but just keep it to themselves, which makes it easier for the pain to increase. So be kind to yourself and don't think it's wrong to feel the way you feel.

 

[theseeker]

I've been told by a past therapist that anxiety and depression are two sides of the same coin. So having the anxiety/panic disorder is is just another expression of depression I believe. It may be that you were going to develop depression anyway no matter what drug you did.

That said- it's hard to believe that drinking alcohol on a daily basis is doing anything but harming your mental health. In fact, it's almost certainly exacerbating your depression. I think you should either find a way to cut back on the drinking, or stop drinking entirely.

As for the benzo's- since I have panic disorder, I asked my Dr. for benzo's. He refused and said that benzo's just make the depression worse. Therefore it is indeed possible that you benzo use, combined with the alcohol- is just a terrible combination for a person pre-disposed to depression in the first place.

For now: can you stay on the benzo's but cut out the alcohol?

 

[redsky1718]

yes i will try that as best i can

 

[queenscarlet88]

I've been told by a past therapist that anxiety and depression are two sides of the same coin. So having the anxiety/panic disorder is is just another expression of depression I believe. It may be that you were going to develop depression anyway no matter what drug you did.

That said- it's hard to believe that drinking alcohol on a daily basis is doing anything but harming your mental health. In fact, it's almost certainly exacerbating your depression. I think you should either find a way to cut back on the drinking, or stop drinking entirely.

As for the benzo's- since I have panic disorder, I asked my Dr. for benzo's. He refused and said that benzo's just make the depression worse. Therefore it is indeed possible that you benzo use, combined with the alcohol- is just a terrible combination for a person pre-disposed to depression in the first place.

For now: can you stay on the benzo's but cut out the alcohol?

My doctor claimed the same thing. The only reason they do so is to justify, in simplistic terms which those ignorant of chemistry can readily understand, prescribing antidepressants for anxiety.

 

[versd]

admitting you have a problem is the first step, congrats.

now you should go seek help from a professional on how to deal with your addiction.

i would think they would try take you off the xanax first (if you're still on it) because a short acting benzo like xanax is not helpful at all. they will probably switch you onto a dose of diazepam - long half life, which they will slowly taper down to nothing.

combined with dealing with the physical dependence, you should make sure you get some therapy to deal with the cause of why you turned to alcohol addiction.

good luck

 

[theseeker]

My doctor claimed the same thing. The only reason they do so is to justify, in simplistic terms which those ignorant of chemistry can readily understand, prescribing antidepressants for anxiety.

I'll have to say that I'm glad I never started on Benzo's. I trust my Dr's opinion as well. If you don't absolutely need to be on benzo's then I would stay the fuck away from them. I don't need another thing I'll have to withdraw from one day. Also, I found that antidepressants do indeed work on my anxiety. Throw some exercise in there and you've got a pretty potent cocktail of anxiety reduction.

I've found that using any drug to combat depression/anxiety is a temporary fix at best.

 

[Lolie]

I've found that using any drug to combat depression/anxiety is a temporary fix at best.

None of them are intended to be long-term solutions or even to be used alone. They're intended to help stabilise people while they learn other means of coping with anxiety and depression and address any underlying issues in their lives.

Unfortunately, they often end up being used as a longterm monotherapy - either because patients don't want to do the work involved in therapy or because their doctors don't insist on their patients learning other coping mechanisms - which simply masks the symptoms without in any way addressing the cause.

If anything, medication actual lowers people's anxiety threshold because when they've been totally anxiety-free for a period time, even low levels of anxiety seem overwhelming.

The quest for less addictive/less abusable psychoactive drugs has been around since the early twentieth century and it's going to continue as doctors are being held more accountable for the end results of their sub-optimal prescribing behaviours.

 

[thisisbatcountry]

another factor could be your age. a lot of mental illnesses either start to manifest themselves or the symptoms get worse when people are in their early 20's. you should really open up to your family about this because chances are that a depressive disorder of some kind runs in your family and you're not the first person to deal with this. i hid my depression from my family for a long time and when i finally opened up i was so surprised to hear that my grandma, aunt, and uncle all had struggled with depression. there was absolutely no judgment, only empathy.

if you do have a depressive disorder i would strongly urge you to taper your drinking and benzo use because they are both depressives and depressives make episodes of depression way worse and you're more likely to be suicidal. when i went through my worst episode of depression i drank heavily and it wasn't until i tapered down significantly that i was able to pull myself together. i like taking benzos recreationally, but i know better to take them when i'm feeling depressed because i know that they will make my depression go from mild or moderate to severe really, really quickly.

the best ways that i've found to deal with depression are to volunteer and go to therapy. volunteering gets me out of my head for a bit and helping people gives me a sense of self-fulfillment. it's damn near impossible to feel depressed when people are so grateful for your time and energy. therapy gives me the tools to help fix my problems constructively and a therapist can teach you how to cope with panic and anxiety attacks. volunteering and therapy both require more work than taking a pill or buying a bottle, but they're effective long term solutions. good luck to you and stay strong.