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Benzos Abuse potential?

Man67

Bluelighter
Joined
Jun 25, 2022
Messages
374
I heard a lot about benzo recreational use but to be honest I still don't get it? I am on Lexotan (6mg) for several years and still haven't experienced any "pleasure". I take it daily (from 1 to 5 pills) but all I can feel is that sometimes they make me sleepy and less agitated. Can somebody please explain this mystery to me?
 
In my opinion substraction of my anxiety was the high / euphoria

If I wanted to make you feel better I could give you a positive experience but if I took away a negative experience your mood would also feel "higher"

If that makes sense
 
In my opinion substraction of my anxiety was the high / euphoria

If I wanted to make you feel better I could give you a positive experience but if I took away a negative experience your mood would also feel "higher"

If that makes sense
Please continue...
 
That's basically it . In my experience.

I mean if you want really technical stuff about it getting you high you could go on wiki and scholar.google.com and check out

Gaba
Gaba a
Gaba a1 a2 a3 a4 a5 receptors
Gaba inhibitory interneurons in the VTA
Nucleus accumbens


Basically (not an expert) I think benzos can indirectly cause rewarding effects by inhibiting things inhibiting your reward centers from firing

But in my experience this "euphoria" is pretty modest and the primary reinforcement for me was the subtraction of negative emotions esp anxiety and panic
 
Those plagued by anxiety will find themselves sitting ducks for benzodiazepine addiction. If you don't experience anxiety in the same way as someone who heavily struggles with the feeling on the regular, like me you would never develop the psychological thrill in benzos or even perhaps alcohol.

Its not like "one shoe fits all" but i have never heard from anyone with a benzo habit that they did not have anxiety issues beforehand xanax/klonopin/etc million other benzos addictions. Personally, I have tried benzos several times and just can't figure out why anyone would like them lol! For others, they find them incredibly enticing.. even "euphoric" due to the lack of anxiety that is a blessing for someone who cannot stop feeling anxious. Benzos do have a numbing effect like alcohol... which is a state that many want to feel.

I also suspect that benzo abuse in several cases can also be a result of a traumatic past experience--like sexual assault victims for instance. A traumatizing event like that would be difficult for someone to recover from w/ certain triggers reminding them of the assault. Its just that people see drug use of some kind and demonize them without sympathy when it could be said that yes--benzos also help deal with not feeling traumatic triggers or memories (although they do not entirely allow you to process trauma accurately and probably postpone the anxiety). Benzos have destroyed people's lives, so its definitely a substance that is more than enjoyable for some.
 
Hello... sufferer of anxiety/panic-disorder here, as well as long-time benzo (ab)user.

It's for sure that one can get pretty "fucked up" on benzos by themselves. Whether or not one finds this state at all pleasurable though, is a matter of personal taste, I suppose. Kind of like with DXM (or dissociatives in general); some people just don't like the effects, and so they wonder why anyone would ever use it recreationally.

But, for those of us on the flipside, these kinds of drugs, "downers" in general maybe, really appeal to us for their CNS-depressant effects. Calling it "euphoria" would be predicated on personal taste probably.

Benzos tend to put you in more of a "state" it has been said, rather than a real "high." Again... personal taste determines semantic thrust. But for those of use who suffer from anxiety, benzos (I dare say moreso than any other available drug that I'm aware of) completely ELIMINATE the anxiety/panic, replacing it with a feeling I can only describe as "normal." With higher doses of benzos, this "normal" feeling can become very dense and pleasant: euphoria(?). Benzos will not, however, eliminate depression, and so one can still become rather sad on them. The understanding that one doesn't have to worry about their anxiety for at least several hours, perhaps even a day, is a real blessing. For chronic sufferers, it is a miracle.

The miracle is a double-edged sword though, as we now know. Personally, I much prefer the option of having to deal with Benzo addiction/habituation for the rest of my life, rather than face an uncertain future with the possibility of no benzos whatsoever. The thought of having to live without them is horrific to me.

All that being said, I actually don't like getting really "high" on benzos any more, even if I do hope that I "feel" them when I take them (which is rare, due to habituation, and because I don't up my dosage -- I'm always trying to keep my dose reasonable, but every so often I allow myself a higher dose, especially when I really need one!).

I used to get pretty high on them regularly though, and they can put you out for an evening if that is what one desires; sort of akin to binge-drinking for a night and then passing out. Except, with benzos, one doesn't get the nasty stimulant after-effects which alcohol is likely to give in the middle of the night.... or is that just me?

As always, a few rules should be kept in mind: don't take too much (blackout), don't take with alcohol (blackout), and don't take a huge amount for a couple days and then stop abruptly (seizures, coma, death?). In the latter case, taper down over a few days.

Be safe out there, and remember: If you're going to be stupid, be as smart about it as you possibly can.
 
Hello... sufferer of anxiety/panic-disorder here, as well as long-time benzo (ab)user.

It's for sure that one can get pretty "fucked up" on benzos by themselves. Whether or not one finds this state at all pleasurable though, is a matter of personal taste, I suppose. Kind of like with DXM (or dissociatives in general); some people just don't like the effects, and so they wonder why anyone would ever use it recreationally.

But, for those of us on the flipside, these kinds of drugs, "downers" in general maybe, really appeal to us for their CNS-depressant effects. Calling it "euphoria" would be predicated on personal taste probably.

Benzos tend to put you in more of a "state" it has been said, rather than a real "high." Again... personal taste determines semantic thrust. But for those of use who suffer from anxiety, benzos (I dare say moreso than any other available drug that I'm aware of) completely ELIMINATE the anxiety/panic, replacing it with a feeling I can only describe as "normal." With higher doses of benzos, this "normal" feeling can become very dense and pleasant: euphoria(?). Benzos will not, however, eliminate depression, and so one can still become rather sad on them. The understanding that one doesn't have to worry about their anxiety for at least several hours, perhaps even a day, is a real blessing. For chronic sufferers, it is a miracle.

The miracle is a double-edged sword though, as we now know. Personally, I much prefer the option of having to deal with Benzo addiction/habituation for the rest of my life, rather than face an uncertain future with the possibility of no benzos whatsoever. The thought of having to live without them is horrific to me.

All that being said, I actually don't like getting really "high" on benzos any more, even if I do hope that I "feel" them when I take them (which is rare, due to habituation, and because I don't up my dosage -- I'm always trying to keep my dose reasonable, but every so often I allow myself a higher dose, especially when I really need one!).

I used to get pretty high on them regularly though, and they can put you out for an evening if that is what one desires; sort of akin to binge-drinking for a night and then passing out. Except, with benzos, one doesn't get the nasty stimulant after-effects which alcohol is likely to give in the middle of the night.... or is that just me?

As always, a few rules should be kept in mind: don't take too much (blackout), don't take with alcohol (blackout), and don't take a huge amount for a couple days and then stop abruptly (seizures, coma, death?). In the latter case, taper down over a few days.

Be safe out there, and remember: If you're going to be stupid, be as smart about it as you possibly can.
Excellent explanation mate. Thanks a lot. I am also anxiety/depression sufferer. While Subs really help with this their real peak is up to 4-5 hours. Taking another dose doesn't help at all. So my day is divided in 2 parts. Morning - noon = 6mg Subs, Afternoon - night = 12-18mg Benzo (Lexotan). Am I missing something here or my Benzo dosage is too low? All I can feel is a mild sedation and that's all. I would like to experience just a mild euphoria but have no idea how to do it? Any advice is more than welcome.
 
Excellent explanation mate. Thanks a lot. I am also anxiety/depression sufferer. While Subs really help with this their real peak is up to 4-5 hours. Taking another dose doesn't help at all. So my day is divided in 2 parts. Morning - noon = 6mg Subs, Afternoon - night = 12-18mg Benzo (Lexotan). Am I missing something here or my Benzo dosage is too low? All I can feel is a mild sedation and that's all. I would like to experience just a mild euphoria but have no idea how to do it? Any advice is more than welcome.
I hear ya. Thanks for the kind words btw, much appreciated. :) Well, I'm not exactly sure of the conversion of that for that particular med unfortunately. I tried looking up a chart to help out with that, but I'm not sure if I just can't find anything appropriate right now, if I'm looking in the right place, or whether I'm just to slep-deprived at the moment to be of much help. 12-18mg of any benzo seems like a good enough dosage to have you feeling something from it. It could very well be, you've just amassed quite the tolerance. Really can't be sure unless I have a reference-point, like another similar benzo to compare what doses are what.

But, I totally understand dependence. Put it this way, after being up all night doing combos of speed and this red-capsule "mystery molly," I ended up having a panic attack around coffee time when my wife woke up. Coffee triggered it, then it just sort of lingered. JUst to give an idea, I normally take 15mg of Oxazepam a day (and when I can, I try to only take half). But the anxiety had me freaking out so bad (it lasted so long, like 5hrs altogether, and was still coming and going in waves) that I had to take 2x15mg's at once. I waited an hour, and when symptoms still weren't subsiding, I dosed another 3... or 4.... 4 + 1/2? I forget at some point.

So, try to be careful. Taper down from your current benzo dosage. If youcan do that for a couple weeks, you can allow yourself an indulgence or two, but keep it under wraps as much as possible. Believe me, you DO NOT WANT to be forced to cease abruptly from benzos. I assume you're well aware of those risks? What it entails?
 
Everybody is different. If you're experience is different from another persons doesn't really mean anything is afoot. It's just a result of the difference in various variables including genetics, past experiences and so on.

I like to say that Benzodiazepines can be euphoric for the right type of person. This person is someone who struggles constantly with high levels of stress and anxiety. For these people, just feeling the Benzodiazepine is a euphoric experience, as the rest of their life is what they would call a hell.

The Benzodiazepine experience, I feel, is best described as a numbing of the senses within and without. Everything slows down, you're less aware of things like heart palpitations or that troublesome feeling of electricity in the body that many of us feel when anxious. Your thoughts slow down. More shit just bounces off of you. For some people, this is the greatest possible drug experience. These are the people that really "love" Benzodiazepines.

A second group, would be those who have previously been dependent upon sedative/hypnotic drugs like Alcohol, Benzodiazepines, Barbiturates or to a lesser extent, Z-Drugs may interpret the experience of Benzodiazepines as euphoric, as they are locked in the trademark cycle of sedative/hypnotic dependence, withdrawal and kindling. Once they are primed by a dependency to one of these substances, they are locked in a cycle in which being without sedative/hypnotics is a nightmare panic attack and being on them is "normal".

Otherwise, Benzodiazepines are not really a "recreational" substance. Certain folks get a lot out of them, but I think this is very often tied to previous experiences is not an objective review of the drug.
 
I hear ya. Thanks for the kind words btw, much appreciated. :) Well, I'm not exactly sure of the conversion of that for that particular med unfortunately. I tried looking up a chart to help out with that, but I'm not sure if I just can't find anything appropriate right now, if I'm looking in the right place, or whether I'm just to slep-deprived at the moment to be of much help. 12-18mg of any benzo seems like a good enough dosage to have you feeling something from it. It could very well be, you've just amassed quite the tolerance. Really can't be sure unless I have a reference-point, like another similar benzo to compare what doses are what.

But, I totally understand dependence. Put it this way, after being up all night doing combos of speed and this red-capsule "mystery molly," I ended up having a panic attack around coffee time when my wife woke up. Coffee triggered it, then it just sort of lingered. JUst to give an idea, I normally take 15mg of Oxazepam a day (and when I can, I try to only take half). But the anxiety had me freaking out so bad (it lasted so long, like 5hrs altogether, and was still coming and going in waves) that I had to take 2x15mg's at once. I waited an hour, and when symptoms still weren't subsiding, I dosed another 3... or 4.... 4 + 1/2? I forget at some point.

So, try to be careful. Taper down from your current benzo dosage. If youcan do that for a couple weeks, you can allow yourself an indulgence or two, but keep it under wraps as much as possible. Believe me, you DO NOT WANT to be forced to cease abruptly from benzos. I assume you're well aware of those risks? What it entails?
Thanks again for the info. Very, very useful stuff. There are days when I don't take Benzo at all because I feel OK. Every single drug I am taking at the moment is very hard to come off. Antidepressants, Suboxone, Lexotan. I am trying to keep it under control but sometimes it's just not possible. For example I am not jabbed for the "China flu" and level of discrimination I experienced during the last 2 years is beyond imagination. In order not to punch someone in the face Benzo was my breakfast, lunch and dinner. I can write about this for hours but there's no point.
 
I still don't get it? I am on Lexotan (6mg) for several years and still haven't experienced any "pleasure".
The only "pleasure" I get from benzos is the freedom from any/all that is bothering me (dose dependent) and the attitude that there really isn't any "issues" and a dgaf kinda slant at that which does bother me.
And the pleasure of mended broken leg and ribs. :LOL:
There is freedom from thoughts, freedom to blackout and the freedom to sleep or just dont do it.
My excuse...? lol lets call it a more physical thing at this point and a work in progress.
Best in your journey.
 
I get it. You are right and there are some benefits. But I wouldn't call it "high". "Relaxed" is a much better term.
 
I like to say that Benzodiazepines can be euphoric for the right type of person. This person is someone who struggles constantly with high levels of stress and anxiety. For these people, just feeling the Benzodiazepine is a euphoric experience, as the rest of their life is what they would call a hell.
This is spot on, imo. I never thought of it that way, but it truly is a "euphoria" to be rid of that hell, even temporarily. There have been times where my benzo-tolerance wasn't yet so pronounced, where I could still get an effect out of one pill (let's say); and while under the sedation of the benzo, I'd have the thought "Ahh.... I'm never going to have another panic attack ever again!"

Of course... this was wishful thinking. The next day would be the same problematic anxiety/panic scenario, but then I'd take my med (finally!) and at some point, I'd have the same thought again! lol.

These days, I never feel just one of my pills. Tbh, I'd have to take about 4 or 5 of them to "feel" anything, but sometimes one will at least calm me down a bit. I don't exactly "feel" it, but I'll notice I'm a bit more mellow, and so I assume it's working in there somewhere. Especially after the other night where I had to take several, my tolerance will have to come down.

Another good reason to be prescribed Memantine, imo, as (according to what I've read) it lowers both benzo and opiate tolerance. They'll probably never give that to me though, but it seems like it could be useful for many things.
 
Thanks again for the info. Very, very useful stuff. There are days when I don't take Benzo at all because I feel OK. Every single drug I am taking at the moment is very hard to come off. Antidepressants, Suboxone, Lexotan. I am trying to keep it under control but sometimes it's just not possible. For example I am not jabbed for the "China flu" and level of discrimination I experienced during the last 2 years is beyond imagination. In order not to punch someone in the face Benzo was my breakfast, lunch and dinner. I can write about this for hours but there's no point.
I hear ya man, I'm right there with you. Thankfully, I've come off antidepressants some time ago (in 2017, I withdrew from Paroxetine [Paxil] for the 4th time in my life), but this year I had to withdraw from DXM as I got physically addicted. DXM withdrawal is like a combo of antidepressant withdrawal (due to it's SNRI properties) and opiate withdrawal (I guess, considering it's a dissociative-hallucinogen synthesized from Codeine).

In addition to that, there's the opiate withdrawal, which is why I'm in the program for Suboxone.... so I'll eventually have to taper from that at some point in the future. Yesterday they actually increased my dose from 12mg to 16mg. I have some pretty bad chronic back-pain, so they thought it might be able to help with that a bit.

And..... like you, I'm not jabbed either. I literally chose the position of "death before vaxx" back in 2020. Vein-snakes are real, yo. I ain't takin' that shite.

So, I totally feel you, and overstand the need to have benzos for breakfast lol.

On another note, I really wish I was able to find a stash of benzos on the side, other than my prescription. Just in case, on those days I do need to take more, I wouldn't have to worry about depleting my resources. That'd be really dope.
 
No I get "high" when not being crushed beneath the wheel.
Nothing lile true feeling of freedom. lol
Note: This freedom may come with jail time, broken skeleton and other not so good results if abused.
;)
 
The first couple times I took benzos I did feel some euphoria. After that, never.
I was hooked on benzos + alcohol for a few years in the 90s and it was rough. WDs were HELL.
Weird thing is, I rarely got any real satisfaction from the pills. Just always felt like I needed them. And more & more of them.
Never again.
 
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