Benzos Bluelighters with anxiety

[Portrisland]

I myself suffer from some pretty anxiety, diagnosed with ocd, generalized anxiety disorder, and a retracted diagnosis of bipolar. Always noticed I?m prone to downer drugs which I think has to do with my ADHD and social anxiety. I keep benzos on me at all times, and prefer to have alcohol and opiates on standby at the house as well and my downer drug dealer on call at all times! Probobly has to do with my ocd that my drug use is so organized ? hoping this thread can shine more light on anxiety and the relationship of it on our fellow bluelighters drug use

 

[apocalypse_when]

I myself suffer from some pretty bad anxiety that comes and goes on a weekly basis, as well as being diagnosed at a young age with ADHD, as well as possible bipolar disorder which was later a retracted diagnosis. So with conditions going on with my brain the anxiety is probobly a part of that. I genially stay away from uppers because they just exacerbate anxiety so I stick with downers. Alparazolam is something that helps. But I need feedback and possibly some guidance as to others experience with Benzos, even though I?ve been on them for a while and have figured out to not get too physically dependent on them ( I?ve had binges where I?ve had rebound issues after stop taking them). How have you curbed your anxiety in the best possible way with medication?

side note: I do take these recreationaly as well too loosen up at a social gatherings rather than drinking alcohol

Pregabalin is reported to work very well for GAD (Generalised Anxiety Disorder). I've never really suffered with anxiety badly but on the few times that I have, taking 300mg of pregabalin kills it stone dead.

 

[Transcendence]

^That was my hope after going through most other medicines commonly prescribed for anxiety. Lyrica is approved for anxiety in the EU but not the US. Despite that, one of my psychs was willing to give it a shot. It was effective for maybe a month with little relief found at 600mg afterward without taking a tolerance break. The withdrawals are horrendous and were more debilitating in some ways than those from the valium I was taking with it.

I can't recommend it for anxiety unfortunately.

 

[Jekyl Anhydride]

Some others thoughts on the matter from the past:

• 376834-Best-Drugs-For-Social-Anxiety
• 608883-Best-benzo-for-anxiety
• 614398-The-novel-treatment-of-depression-and-social-anxiety
• 705377-What-The-Best-Benzo-for-social-anxiety
• 358142-The-best-bezodiazepine-for-panic-disorder
• 688488-Metoprolol-vs-Propranolol-for-severe-anxiety-and-GAD
• 545687-Natural-treatments-for-anxiety-insomnia-merged
• 628452-using-opiates-to-beat-anxiety-and-depression(not wild about this but some good discussion)
• 603737-The-best-drugs-to-treat-anxiety

I would also suggest that you check out the Mental Health sub forum as it's filled with some great resources and people as well.

Welcome to BL and Best of Luck Portrisland

 

[neurogal]

Thanks for all the resources above JA

Portrisland, I've been on xanax awhile for anxiety. Like you, I'm trying to be careful in order to minimize dependence. I've found that regular yoga does actually help my anxiety. A fast paced walk with my dogs helps too, or some time on a treadmill. Other than physical activities, trying to immerse yourself in something you really enjoy can get you out of your head. When my doctor cuts off my alprazolam rx, which is inevitable, I'm going to ask about gabapentin. I've read that it is used off label for anxiety. Hoping the best for you my friend and keep us posted on how you're doing.

 

[swilow]

^That was my hope after going through most other medicines commonly prescribed for anxiety. Lyrica is approved for anxiety in the EU but not the US. Despite that, one of my psychs was willing to give it a shot. It was effective for maybe a month with little relief found at 600mg afterward without taking a tolerance break. The withdrawals are horrendous and were more debilitating in some ways than those from the valium I was taking with it.

I can't recommend it for anxiety unfortunately.

Likewise. Pregabalin is a real double edged sword. In the short term, it's relatively helpful but honestly creates terrible rebound and interdose withdrawal. Plus acute withdrawal from pregabalin is a fucking nightmare.

Best treatment I've encountered has been CBT. It takes a fair bit of effort and you may have to try and expose yourself to the things which trigger anxiety which is intense but it can be empirically demonstrated to work.

For me, the perfect cure is an opiate but we know where that leads...

 

[kleinerkiffer]

I used to have extremely bad anxiety and I tried quite a few drugs for it (like swilow said imo/ime medication can help but it's always a double edged sword), but in the end what really helped me was psychotherapy and reducing sugar and now I only had a few panic attacks in the last few month versus at least one a day a few years ago.

 

[Vastness]

As has been said there really is no chemical substitute for psychotherapy and positive habits like a good diet and exercise for managing anxiety.

That said, everyone has a different struggle in life and it's no doubt a harder road to getting anxiety under control via non-exogenous-chemical means for some than for others.

I don't have any personal experience using benzos to manage social anxiety, but I did use phenibut quite often until very recently (a few months ago in fact). However in my own experience this caused several problems even though I never developed a physical dependence. Firstly, while I was on it it made me too content with situations in my life that actually I was not happy with - and therefore prevented me from developing the motivation to actually take difficult actions rather than maintaining the status quo, which was quite tolerable while in a phenibut-induced state of artificial bliss.

Secondly, I started to feel that it was inhibiting my growth as a person after a certain point. I found phenibut useful up to a point, definitely, because it made me realise what I was capable of without these illusory barriers of anxiety and self-doubt, and what life could be like if I overcame them - and I would imagine benzos could be useful for the same purpose - but phenibut was a crutch, and I realised eventually that if I never or only rarely attempted to try to take difficult actions without this crutch, then I was never going to grow. I can't speak for anyone else of course but I found myself thinking things like "I must make sure I'm on phenibut for this", or "if only I was on phenibut right now!" during situations that I found psychologically challenging, and I think once you start having these thoughts then continued use of such "crutch substances" can be actually quite counterproductive, because you can start to talk yourself out of being brave, with the excuse that you're just not on your crutch substance of choice right now.

All that said - it's hard to say if this was a realisation that I could have had or should have had earlier, or if it's just taken as long as it did because that's how long I needed to develop the psychological resilience to abandon using such crutch substances. Everyone is different and as I said everyone has a different struggle, but I would just urge caution with using GABA-ergic susbtances for social anxiety except in the very short term, because even if you never develop a dependence or a problem I think there are more subtle negatives which are easy to overlook.

 

[swilow]

Firstly, while I was on it it made me too content with situations in my life that actually I was not happy with - and therefore prevented me from developing the motivation to actually take difficult actions rather than maintaining the status quo, which was quite tolerable while in a phenibut-induced state of artificial bliss.

Well said, I had a similar apathy-inducing effect from high dose pregabalin (1200mg+)- in truth, my life utterly fell apart around me and I barely noticed it. Its now that I am effectively sober that I look back and wonder why the fuck I let this happen????

Most GABA drugs inhibit learning to some degree, and this is absoltuely counter to what will solve anxiety problems; we need to learn new ways to deal with anxiety rather than simply mute the sensations.

In the long term, benzo's in particular are known for inducing greater levels of anxiety. Over the space of 6 months, users and non-user's on benzos were asked to rate their level of anxiety. Obviously, people actually on benzos scored lower but ended up with a higher overall rating of their anxiety due to rebound/withdrawal. Benzos should only be used in the ultra-short term or they will inevitably turn on you.

For anxious people, we make decisions under duress- the desire to feel anxiolysis can be overwhelming and benzos effect this feeling, and so it is hard to hear that they will not really help. I would love it if there was some chemical means to solve anxiety problems; it would be so much easier. The fact is, chemicals rarely work as the only treatment, and their general efficacy can be disputed- psychotherapy takes longer to work and requires dedication . . . but it geneuinely does work to help overcome anxiety in the long term and in a way that won't turn on you (you don't build up a tolerance to the effects of meditation for example).

All the best

 

[NorwegianElkhound]

Grounding exercises. I have anxiety as well and at one point I self medicated with benzos, and it took me down a dark path because I relied on the pills to take the anxiety away.

Figure out what is wrong underneath the surface and work on actually fixing it rather than covering it up with drugs. It'll only cause problems in the long run if you don't.

 

[neurogal]

As has been said there really is no chemical substitute for psychotherapy and positive habits like a good diet and exercise for managing anxiety.

That said, everyone has a different struggle in life and it's no doubt a harder road to getting anxiety under control via non-exogenous-chemical means for some than for others.

I don't have any personal experience using benzos to manage social anxiety, but I did use phenibut quite often until very recently (a few months ago in fact). However in my own experience this caused several problems even though I never developed a physical dependence. Firstly, while I was on it it made me too content with situations in my life that actually I was not happy with - and therefore prevented me from developing the motivation to actually take difficult actions rather than maintaining the status quo, which was quite tolerable while in a phenibut-induced state of artificial bliss.

Secondly, I started to feel that it was inhibiting my growth as a person after a certain point. I found phenibut useful up to a point, definitely, because it made me realise what I was capable of without these illusory barriers of anxiety and self-doubt, and what life could be like if I overcame them - and I would imagine benzos could be useful for the same purpose - but phenibut was a crutch, and I realised eventually that if I never or only rarely attempted to try to take difficult actions without this crutch, then I was never going to grow. I can't speak for anyone else of course but I found myself thinking things like "I must make sure I'm on phenibut for this", or "if only I was on phenibut right now!" during situations that I found psychologically challenging, and I think once you start having these thoughts then continued use of such "crutch substances" can be actually quite counterproductive, because you can start to talk yourself out of being brave, with the excuse that you're just not on your crutch substance of choice right now.

All that said - it's hard to say if this was a realisation that I could have had or should have had earlier, or if it's just taken as long as it did because that's how long I needed to develop the psychological resilience to abandon using such crutch substances. Everyone is different and as I said everyone has a different struggle, but I would just urge caution with using GABA-ergic susbtances for social anxiety except in the very short term, because even if you never develop a dependence or a problem I think there are more subtle negatives which are easy to overlook.

Fantastic post. I find what you say about crutch substances to be very true. Thank you.

 

[apocalypse_when]

^That was my hope after going through most other medicines commonly prescribed for anxiety. Lyrica is approved for anxiety in the EU but not the US. Despite that, one of my psychs was willing to give it a shot. It was effective for maybe a month with little relief found at 600mg afterward without taking a tolerance break. The withdrawals are horrendous and were more debilitating in some ways than those from the valium I was taking with it.

I can't recommend it for anxiety unfortunately.

Sorry bro, i know you posted this a while back but ive only just read it.. I wasn't aware lyrica wasn't approved for anxiety in the US (I'm British) but you are spot on regarding the tollerance thing..first few days 300mg knocks you sideways then in under a week even 3000mg doesn't work..

I take it for nerve pain after being shot in the leg in Afghan and then injuring the same leg at home...I've got HUGE nerve damage and am on the max dose of 600mg a day but it does fuck all now...Im thinking of having a tollerance break but I'm scared of the withdrawls that everyone talks about. Argh!!! It's a horrible situation..

I hope you find relief soon one way or another brother,

 

[Transcendence]

Sorry bro, i know you posted this a while back but ive only just read it.. I wasn't aware lyrica wasn't approved for anxiety in the US (I'm British) but you are spot on regarding the tollerance thing..first few days 300mg knocks you sideways then in under a week even 3000mg doesn't work..

I take it for nerve pain after being shot in the leg in Afghan and then injuring the same leg at home...I've got HUGE nerve damage and am on the max dose of 600mg a day but it does fuck all now...Im thinking of having a tollerance break but I'm scared of the withdrawls that everyone talks about. Argh!!! It's a horrible situation..

I hope you find relief soon one way or another brother,

For sure taper down, and I say this as someone who didn't even taper a 7 year valium habit. I was able to get some 50mg samples from my doctor and I successfully tapered down with little trouble over the course of a couple months. Once I got down to around 100mg per day it was relatively easy to stop.

That said I wasn't dealing with the additional complication of nerve pain. I'm not sure what the options are for that. I also imagine switching to gabapentin would make it easier. Keep us updated. It's a struggle and it's hard to find doctors that know what you're going through. Some of mine even told me straight out that I wouldn't have withdrawals or that an SSRI would prevent them which obviously is B.S.

 

[zagor11]

Some good advises there especially CBT is good for anxiety. But is there anything someone could recommend for physical anxiety. Every day my whole body especially the legs feel like kinda restless but different.....cannot even explain. I feel it in the brain too.

I find gabapentin helps quite a bit but I'm afraid I'm getting close to reaching tolerance just like I did with benzos and klonopin and none of them work any more. I have GAD and my mental anxiety is not too bad but physical is worse.

 

[Jekyl Anhydride]

Some good advises there especially CBT is good for anxiety. But is there anything someone could recommend for physical anxiety. Every day my whole body especially the legs feel like kinda restless but different.....cannot even explain. I feel it in the brain too.

I find gabapentin helps quite a bit but I'm afraid I'm getting close to reaching tolerance just like I did with benzos and klonopin and none of them work any more. I have GAD and my mental anxiety is not too bad but physical is worse.

Are you talking about extrapyramidial type side effects like Akathisia?

Do you use any anti psychotics?

such as: Haloperidol, amisulpride, risperidone, aripiprazole, lurasidone, ziprasidone

 

[zagor11]

This is it Jekyl. For months I didn't know how to callet. I called it parasthesia and what not. Now it's real bad. Thanks for hellp though. Doctor put me on antipsychotics a week ago for my depression. Abilify. (ariprprazole). It was mild until I got opioid tolerence. I guess I must stop abilify or it will make it worse. It says people commit suicide when it becomes severe. fuck my life.

 

[Captain.Heroin]

Don’t drink alcohol. Ever.

I can take it daily for 6-13 days in a row and take 2 days off and I feel great the entire time but I prefer not to use it so frequently.

I have panic, ptsd. I think most people would begin to form a problem if they did this for 5 days in a row without at least 2-3 day break in between.

 

[kleinerkiffer]

This is it Jekyl. For months I didn't know how to callet. I called it parasthesia and what not. Now it's real bad. Thanks for hellp though. Doctor put me on antipsychotics a week ago for my depression. Abilify. (ariprprazole). It was mild until I got opioid tolerence. I guess I must stop abilify or it will make it worse. It says people commit suicide when it becomes severe. fuck my life.

If you're expreiencing extrapyramidal side effects from your medication you need to talk to your doctor about switching meds asap. And some vitamin B6 may help.

 

[apocalypse_when]

Don’t drink alcohol. Ever.

I can take it daily for 6-13 days in a row and take 2 days off and I feel great the entire time but I prefer not to use it so frequently.

I have panic, ptsd. I think most people would begin to form a problem if they did this for 5 days in a row without at least 2-3 day break in between.

Please excuse me for asking a personal question like this but are you suffering PTSD from military service?

The reason I ask is that I'm suffering from it after 1 tour of Iraq, 1 of the Balkans and 2 of Afghan... I tell people it's not from that and that i dont have any problems but that's not true...It's just my way of coping. I'm finding that using pills to try and cope with this isn't working and I seriously don't know what to do...

 

[Keif' Richards]

Hey guys, do any of you suppose that something like this is better suited for a sub-forum like Drug Culture? I understand that anxiety is a shitty thing to deal with and it can cause us to make some potentially unhealthy decisions, but I don't really think general anxiety is covered by our Harm Reduction umbrella. I'm just throwing it out there.

Pregabalin (Lyrica) is the most effective antidepressant, anxiolytic that I have ever used. It's never caused me problems and it works great.