Misc Are benzos and opiates more addictive compared to other drugs?

[KnowsNotWhatItMean]

Never had a psychological addiction to benzos, but I could see how if one is plagued by anxiety it would be your go-to DOC.

I've never understood why xanax is a glorified street drug. I suppose because benzos along-side a blunt is nice, but benzos don't necessarily have a social context to them. You're not going to be going to a party where everyone is benzo'd out like how socially MDMA, weed, alcohol, or LSD is something people enjoy partaking in with others. I think that either one's drug of choice is dependent on their brain chemistry, personality, or both. If you go around on the message boards, even though it's an online environment people tend to behave similarly depending on the specific drug forum you're on. Crack board threads tend to be very hostile, lol.

It's not like you're choosing it, it's when you're feeling like you need it to help something, whenever you're feeling mentally unstable and it makes you take it and this is what makes it hard to quit sometimes.

It's not particularly recreational at all, not like alcohol, but it does alter your personality or rather inhibits it, whatever it may be. There is social anxiety aspect that some people struggle with, which may also make benzos seem like a valuable drug from a 'social' standpoint. That's about it as far as recreational, because taking it recreationally is not even something worth considering, it's just not like that. I really don't see a point in it in all seriousness.

I feel like a nazi party member for trying to type this out.

 

[Lucy20]

Benzos and opiates withdrawal is hell but nicotine has been the hardest for me to quit

 

[GetMeOutOfThisCRAP]

It's not like you're choosing it, it's when you're feeling like you need it to help something, whenever you're feeling mentally unstable and it makes you take it and this is what makes it hard to quit sometimes.

It's not particularly recreational at all, not like alcohol, but it does alter your personality or rather inhibits it, whatever it may be. There is social anxiety aspect that some people struggle with, which may also make benzos seem like a valuable drug from a 'social' standpoint. That's about it as far as recreational, because taking it recreationally is not even something worth considering, it's just not like that. I really don't see a point in it in all seriousness.

I feel like a nazi party member for trying to type this out.

Yeah I see how if anxiety is a major issue for someone benzos are something easy to depend on. But xanax really is taken purely out of recreational value as if it would give someone euphoria like opiates would. Dunno if people are actually enjoying the benzos that much, or it's just about doing a drug for fun.

 

[KnowsNotWhatItMean]

Yeah I see how if anxiety is a major issue for someone benzos are something easy to depend on. But xanax really is taken purely out of recreational value as if it would give someone euphoria like opiates would. Dunno if people are actually enjoying the benzos that much, or it's just about doing a drug for fun.

Well I personally find it as boring as a drug can be, but it is only so much euphoric, in terms of being comforting as when things get out of hand then you might find this stress release enjoyable, opiates on the other hand seem to get you that kind of euphoria automatically, but as far as benzos you would first have to be mentally abused and force yourself into a truly fearful state of mind in order to find a tiny bit of euphoria in it, in other words no, I don't think it's a recreational sort of drug at all, but I would think it may depend on one's lifestyle.

 

[EphemeralOutlet141]

It's not like you're choosing it, it's when you're feeling like you need it to help something, whenever you're feeling mentally unstable and it makes you take it and this is what makes it hard to quit sometimes.

It's not particularly recreational at all, not like alcohol, but it does alter your personality or rather inhibits it, whatever it may be. There is social anxiety aspect that some people struggle with, which may also make benzos seem like a valuable drug from a 'social' standpoint. That's about it as far as recreational, because taking it recreationally is not even something worth considering, it's just not like that. I really don't see a point in it in all seriousness.

I feel like a nazi party member for trying to type this out.

Speaking as someone who enjoys benzos more than nearly any other drug, I agree with the points you guys are making wholeheartedly. What got me so dependent on them was the complete absence of anxiety and inhibition, as I'm someone plagued by too much of both. I never found xanax to be all that great though unless I'm combining it with something. My go to was always clonazepam or bromazepam.

 

[Wilson Wilson]

I've never understood why xanax is a glorified street drug.

It's purely because it's the most widely prescribed benzo in the US. That's it.

The most widely prescribed recreational prescription drugs tend to become the most abused.

In the UK it's Valium which is the most widely prescribed benzo, so guess which benzo is the most frequently abused over here?

I can't quite remember the details of this now but I also remember reading a German study which stated that a weak opioid about the same strength as codeine was the most prescribed there, and despite how weak it is, it's also the most commonly abused.

It makes sense really. People become familiar with what is easily available and then it becomes their preference when they look for a drug of abuse.

See also the popularity of oxy in the US compared to the UK. In the UK we actually still get OC80's but most people don't even know what they are. They know what codeine and tramadol are though.

 

[cowardescent]

Speaking as someone who enjoys benzos more than nearly any other drug, I agree with the points you guys are making wholeheartedly. What got me so dependent on them was the complete absence of anxiety and inhibition, as I'm someone plagued by too much of both. I never found xanax to be all that great though unless I'm combining it with something. My go to was always clonazepam or bromazepam.

I agree with recreation but when I first got prescribed them, I never knew they were addictive and what they were. Just thought they were sleeping aids.

Though benzos don't have euphoria like opiods there is something about them that I can't explain. A euphoric sense of calmness. Benzos just make the stressful insanely tolerable.

 

[GetMeOutOfThisCRAP]

It's purely because it's the most widely prescribed benzo in the US. That's it.

The most widely prescribed recreational prescription drugs tend to become the most abused.

In the UK it's Valium which is the most widely prescribed benzo, so guess which benzo is the most frequently abused over here?

I can't quite remember the details of this now but I also remember reading a German study which stated that a weak opioid about the same strength as codeine was the most prescribed there, and despite how weak it is, it's also the most commonly abused.

It makes sense really. People become familiar with what is easily available and then it becomes their preference when they look for a drug of abuse.

See also the popularity of oxy in the US compared to the UK. In the UK we actually still get OC80's but most people don't even know what they are. They know what codeine and tramadol are though.

Ppl in the US have really got the system figured out. Dealers have their grandmas going in complaining about minor back pain and then take most of the script to sell. The government knows about it to, but they're profiting off it so they turn a blind eye. I think the problem is that the script amounts are always overkill. There's no reason someone with minor backpain should have a solid supply of OC80s. They over-prescribe every kind of substance over here. I did need adderall but my doc doubled my dose for no reason after the 1st visit. Someone with occasional panic attacks does not need 60 2 milligram xanax bars lmao.

It's overkill and then the patient has no idea what to do with 3/4ths of their script, so the thought of profiting off it becomes appealing to them. And then you've got a wider area of people addicted to whatever.

 

[EphemeralOutlet141]

Ppl in the US have really got the system figured out. Dealers have their grandmas going in complaining about minor back pain and then take most of the script to sell. The government knows about it to, but they're profiting off it so they turn a blind eye. I think the problem is that the script amounts are always overkill. There's no reason someone with minor backpain should have a solid supply of OC80s. They over-prescribe every kind of substance over here. I did need adderall but my doc doubled my dose for no reason after the 1st visit. Someone with occasional panic attacks does not need 60 2 milligram xanax bars lmao.

It's overkill and then the patient has no idea what to do with 3/4ths of their script, so the thought of profiting off it becomes appealing to them. And then you've got a wider area of people addicted to whatever.

Well now I hear a lot of doctors (well mainly psychiatrists) are cracking down on anything even moderately addictive. I live in the US and I could never find any psych willing to RX anything better than shitty antidepressants and wellbutrin. Which is stupid because antidepressants also have a dependence liability, but just aren't pleasant.

On the other hand, I was able to get an insanely high amount of buprenorphine just for saying I used heroin. Can't comment personally on traditional opioids for pain, but many doctors are slashing pain patient meds. I know a few people personally who live in pain everyday because of the stigma created by the opioid epidemic.

In my conspiracy theorist brain I do believe the corporations and the government want most excessively drugged out and others severely undermedicated.

 

[GetMeOutOfThisCRAP]

That's also awful though for people who genuinely need chronic pain relief. Honestly, the dark reality is that a lot of patients with true and crippling chronic pain do contemplate suicide at times when they're cut off from their supply. The pain is actually that bad for them to the point that they don't find life livable without relief. So cutting off the supply in a way does help the opiate epidemic, but there's just not a clear unfiltered solution without hurting quite a lot of patients in general.

My opinion is that prescribing suboxone a lot more often (for people with absolutely no opiate tolerance) would help the epidemic a bit. Suboxone/subutex have a wall that prevents external opiate abuse and they also are long lasting. I know that subs are not the best pain relief medication, but for people with no tolerance to opiates it could be an option. I could totally be wrong in this theory though lol. I also don't know the cost of producing nalaxone in the US, but it would help a lot to prescribe patients with heavier opioid scripts a small nalaxone supply as well. I don't know if I'm spelling it right lol. I have heard that it is quite expensive to produce, but with all the overdoses going around we need more of it to be accessed to the general public imo.

I thought that gabapentin was a great development and would help patients avoid benzo/opiate abuse, but apparently it's been causing a lot of issues with patients and there is a seizure aspect to the withdrawal. Nowadays in the US, gabapentin is becoming more and more restricted, so in a way one could say that the drug failed. it's like politics though--everyone thinks they have an answer but the epidemic is so vastly complex that making any changes has major pros and cons. We're all aware that fentynal and other opiate analogues are the real culprit to overdosing. But when you've made patients sick and desperate for relief, there's heroin waiting for them as a cheap option. Many people don't know about poppy seed tea within the general public but it's not a viable option with it's variability in seed content. Also, kratom is absolutely great however most patients with prior tolerance to opiates tend to find it to be weak. Personally, kratom is a fantastic painkiller for me.

 

[EphemeralOutlet141]

Well in my experience, opioid tolerance is basically permanent. Suboxone never helped me with pain, and kratom just barely relieves any pain I have from my job and requires a lot of redosing. I'm not sure if either would help someone with, let's say, a worse than moderate to severe case of chronic pain. Kratom might be a special case though as I hear of it helping people with some bad cases. This is all purely conjecture on my part as I'm not a pain patient, just my opinion for the sake of conversation. I think something like opioids or similar pain relievers are necessary. I agree that fentanyl is fucking things up for people who really need that pain relief.

I'd like to see ketamine and other dissociatives become more commonplace in this arena though. I've read promising things about it. Apparently the depression relief trials are going well too.

 

[GetMeOutOfThisCRAP]

I was pretty bummed out when I tried ketamine for the first time (from dating some person not the drug itself). I thought it was BS that a horse tranquilizer would ever cure depression. Maybe because it relaxes your body so the mind relaxes too?

I felt super refreshed the next day and in a pretty relaxed mood. Ironically I really don't like anti-depressants. Some of them work for people but they do have withdrawals of their own and rewire the brain in a way that makes you totally dependent on them. Opiates are sadly fantastic anti-depressants but we know where that leads. I just feel like anti-depressants do ruin lives for some people and cause weird side effects at times. The thought of needing a substance to be happy just makes me feel like anti-depressant dependency is no different from addiction.

 

[nznity]

They make the person who consumes them more dependent but not necessarily more addictive. Stimulants are more addictive than opis actually.
This is just my. opinion though not an actual fact.

 

[nznity]

Well in my experience, opioid tolerance is basically permanent. Suboxone never helped me with pain, and kratom just barely relieves any pain I have from my job and requires a lot of redosing. I'm not sure if either would help someone with, let's say, a worse than moderate to severe case of chronic pain. Kratom might be a special case though as I hear of it helping people with some bad cases. This is all purely conjecture on my part as I'm not a pain patient, just my opinion for the sake of conversation. I think something like opioids or similar pain relievers are necessary. I agree that fentanyl is fucking things up for people who really need that pain relief.

I'd like to see ketamine and other dissociatives become more commonplace in this arena though. I've read promising things about it. Apparently the depression relief trials are going well too.

Both ketamine and opiates/oids should be used for depression. They are far more effective than the whole antidepressant classes of drugs in every single way from side effects to efficacy IMHO.

 

[EphemeralOutlet141]

Both ketamine and opiates/oids should be used for depression. They are far more effective than the whole antidepressant classes of drugs in every single way from side effects to efficacy IMHO.

Hey you won't hear me disagreeing with that statement.

 

[nznity]

I was pretty bummed out when I tried ketamine for the first time (from dating some person not the drug itself). I thought it was BS that a horse tranquilizer would ever cure depression. Maybe because it relaxes your body so the mind relaxes too?

I felt super refreshed the next day and in a pretty relaxed mood. Ironically I really don't like anti-depressants. Some of them work for people but they do have withdrawals of their own and rewire the brain in a way that makes you totally dependent on them. Opiates are sadly fantastic anti-depressants but we know where that leads. I just feel like anti-depressants do ruin lives for some people and cause weird side effects at times. The thought of needing a substance to be happy just makes me feel like anti-depressant dependency is no different from addiction.

Why do people still refer to ketamine as horse tranquilizer still in 2020??? Ketamine is a drug that is both used in humans and animals, there's ketamine preparations for animals and ketamine for humans. sigh.

 

[nznity]

Lyrica cannot "make you borderline". It's a physical problem that shows up on MRI brain scans.

I'm not saying those meds aren't awful to withdrawal from - like I said I've withdrawn from that combination above which includes most of the worst drugs to come off - alcohol is just worse.
IMO anyway.
Withdrawals from different things is different for different people, obviously.

Yeah withdrawals are a very subjective thing, some people tolerate well some side effects better than other people. For example regarding opiate withdrawals the worst effect for me are the sweats and hot and cold flashes, for other ppl is the RLS, etc.

 

[ChemicallyEnhanced]

Yeah withdrawals are a very subjective thing, some people tolerate well some side effects better than other people. For example regarding opiate withdrawals the worst effect for me are the sweats and hot and cold flashes, for other ppl is the RLS, etc.

For me I get a strong feeling of boredom, like nothing entertains me. Really bad bowel cramps and diarrhea too. The diarrhea is also the first symptom I get which is actually a good thing because it's the equivalent of a "low battery" warning, letting me know I need to dose ASAP before I really get ill.

 

[KnowsNotWhatItMean]

I've never been hyperactive I always used to be quite the opposite, nowadays after a few years of dabbling with benzos I get hyper sometimes that it makes me feel like I'm going crazy and I need it and it's not like anxiety, just getting too hyper which is what feels like being normal, inspired, not feeling bored for once, but it's making me crave more benzos instead because I guess it has changed my brain so basically feeling normal feels like anxiety.

 

[NorwegianElkhound]

They make the person who consumes them more dependent but not necessarily more addictive. Stimulants are more addictive than opis actually.
This is just my. opinion though not an actual fact.

I read in a book called "Buzzed" that stimulants are the most commonly addictive drugs out there. They release the most dopamine, it would make sense. A lot of people actually find opioids to be boring.

Why do people still refer to ketamine as horse tranquilizer still in 2020??? Ketamine is a drug that is both used in humans and animals, there's ketamine preparations for animals and ketamine for humans. sigh.

Shit, ketamine is even used in small children.

Isn't PCP used as an animal tranquilizer? I mean they had to have kept it a schedule 2 for some reason?