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Benzos Can we please here some positive benzo stories?

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Mr-Tambourine-Man

Mr-Tambourine-Man

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Mar 30, 2009
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Ok, so it seems to be wildly popular to bash benzos as dangerous and insidious drugs with no positive merits. But c'mon now, think of the marriages that have been saved, the people who have finally been able to leave their houses, or fly on planes or approach a member of the opposite sex. All said and done and media hype aside, do you all think benzos have done more harm or good for soceity at large? Let's here some positive stories for a change.
 
I had severe social anxiety issues as a teen and was prescribed clonazepam. It worked wonders... I very rarely suffer from anxiety these days. But having said that, I've now been on it for 7 years and I'm very dependant on it. I think benzos can definitely be beneficial, but they're best used only over a short period of time to avoid addiction.
 
If used safely and responsibly, anything could potentially help someone and benefit their life. On the other hand, drugs of abuse like benzos and opiates can cause a lot of damage, just as easily.

Me, for instance, can apply to both categories when it comes to benzos. I have a diagnosed anxiety disorder, and have been prescribed benzos in the past. When I took them as prescribed, they helped me greatly. I was able to get things done, act sociable, and was in a great mood. I wasn't blacking out doing stupid shit. Then, when my inner drug addict kicks in and I start abusing benzos and blacking out, they definitely hurt me rather than benefit me. I have fallen asleep driving and crashed my car, gotten tickets, injured, got in nasty arguments/fights, all when taking too many benzos and sometimes drinking on them.

Not to mention, addiction to benzodiazepines is a bitch, and the withdrawal is total hell. I detoxed cold turkey off of a decent xanax habit. (1.5 yrs daily ATLEAST 3 mg a day, sometimes I would just munch 2 mg bars down like candy. Total black outs, chunks of my life just disappeared lol. Sucked when my source just up and left town. My friend had a seizure for during the same withdrawal from xanax.

It can go both ways.
 
^agreed

I was prescribed Vailum, 30mgs per day for about six months or so and it worked wonders but the withdrawls made me want to kill myself.
 
^ I'm currently weaning myself off Valium - I've been taking 20mg's a day for six months.

I'm doing it very slowly though to prevent withdrawals, and so far I haven't had any major problems.
 
I was diagnosed with GAD when I was very young, was prescribed almost every SSRI I can think of and none actually relieved my anxiety which was awful, (instant panic attacks in any open space, high ceiling area, very weird) I tried all sorts of therapy, etc, and nothing worked for me except benzos. It does suck that they're so addictive but they do help certain people like me, and other people for short term use.

Everything has a good and bad side like mostly everyone here has said.
 
Benzos can be used as a positive treatment, but not in the long term (except in cases serious enough that benzo addiction is worth the benifits of treatment, but those are very rare in my opinion). Benzos have helped a lot of people, but they're also very addictive and potentially dangerous on top of being neurotoxic (not as severly as a lot of things, but GABA system damage is no laughing matter, as I and many others know).

I have anxiety and depression, and I used to abuse benzos and alcohol (generally together) to make me feel good. Honestly I would have been better off using opiates, and perhaps a selective MAO-B inhibitor patch, which is something I recomend to folks who are on SSRIs or benzos and/or those of us with depression. Unfortunatly the only patch on the market right now isn't very good. The main problem with benzos is that they really can't be used as anything other then a temporary solution, or more harm will be caused then good by their use.
 
So, all parantheticals aside, have benzos been more positive or negative from a social standpoint? Also, do you think there are certain benzos that are more positive/negative than others?
 
besides being addicted to benzos and the potential seizures/death from the withdrawal if u stop abruptly, if u stick to the amounts you're prescribed and don't drink a lot on them, what are the harms of long-term benzo use? for example, i am prescribed 3mg lorazepam a day. i have taken pretty much exactly that for about 3 years, sometimes a little more, sometimes a little less. suppose i was to never stop taking them; what kind of harm would i be doing to myself really? honestly, i don't know... anyone?
 
stray cat said:
besides being addicted to benzos and the potential seizures/death from the withdrawal if u stop abruptly, if u stick to the amounts you're prescribed and don't drink a lot on them, what are the harms of long-term benzo use? for example, i am prescribed 3mg lorazepam a day. i have taken pretty much exactly that for about 3 years, sometimes a little more, sometimes a little less. suppose i was to never stop taking them; what kind of harm would i be doing to myself really? honestly, i don't know... anyone?
Click to expand...

i'll take a stab at it. basically, if you just remain on benzos, over time you will begin developing physical and mental health problems. here are some common ones that happen to people on benzos long term:


4. TOLERANCE EFFECTS (including toxicity):
- anxiety
- apnea (night)
- breathlessness
- dyspnea (breathing problems)
- fibrositis
- fatigue
- gait disturbance
- impotence
- leaden heaviness
- lethargy
- libido disturbances
- loss of self-confidence
- menstrual irregularity
- neurological problems
- panic attacks
- phobias
- severe muscle rigidity
- short-term memory impairment
- vasovagal attacks
- vertigo

5. SIDE EFFECTS:
- abnormal behaviour or false beliefs
- aches and pains (muscle tension)
- aggressiveness
- agitation
- agoraphobia and claustrophobia
- anger
- anti-social behaviour
- apathy
- ataxia
- blood disorders (resulting in severe tiredness
and possible infections)
- blurred vision
- bradycardia (slow heartbeat/pulse)
- breast enlargement
- changes in appetite
- changes in libido
- changes in salivation
- chemical sensitivities, allergies
- cognitive impairment
- confusion
- daytime drowsiness
- depression
- diarrhoea and constipation
- diplopia
- dizziness
- dry, itchy skin
- dysarthria
- dysphoria
- emotional blunting
- exhaustion
- fatigue
- feeling afraid
- feeling unreal
- feelings of anger and anxiety
- flu-like symptoms
- hair loss
- hallucinations
- headaches
- hypotension
- IBS (Irritable Bowel Syndrome)
- inability to pass urine/holding of urine in the bladder
- impairment of motor co-ordination
- incontinence
- insomnia
- irritability
- jaundice
- jaw pains
- lack of concentration
- lack of confidence
- lethargy
- many people wonder why they have changed from being happy
and outgoing, to being over-anxious and unconfident
- memory loss or forgetfulness
- mild hypertension
- muscle weakness, spasticity, cramps, abnormal tone
- nausea
- nightmares
- numbed emotions
- oedema
- panic attacks
- personality changes
- poor muscle control
- problems with vision
- psychomotor impairment
- rashes
- reduced alertness
- reduced blood pressure
- restlessness
- shivering
- skin problems, rashes
- sleep problems
- slurred speech
- stomach and bowel problems
- stomach upsets
- suicidal behaviour
- thyroid disturbances
- tolerance
- tremor
- urinary retention
- vertigo
- violence
- water retention
- weight gain
- xeroderma (dry skin)

from: http://benzo.org.uk/

now obviously you won't get all of those and certainly not all of them at once. they are simply possible side effects or effects of long term use. but the longer you remain on benzos, the more likely you will begin to develop some of these symptoms.

then when you get tired of it and realize the only way you could ever get rid of the symptoms is to get off benzos completely, you face the literal hell on earth withdrawal syndrome which typically lasts 1-3 years and can in some cases last beyond that or even be permanent.

short term use benzos are fine. long term use benzos are absolutely terrible.
 
They make opiate withdrawal much less painful, but then again a lot of recovering opiate addicts end up getting a benzo habit...but taking them sparingly during withdrawal helped me get clean.
 
best way to keep benzos sweet, and them sweet with you is just to keep it infrequent.

Dont ever take one cos ur a bit stressed or whatever, just save them for after those heavy nights and no more ofetn and you and benzos can go on to have a very happy relationship
 
Im sure benzos have a lot of great effects. Medically I think valium is the best muscle relaxer Ive ever used, better than flexeril or baclofen etc. They are also great for anxiety and things like helping one to sleep. I have a family member prescribed xanax after having a major problem when a young very close relative died. Xanax was extremely helpful in helping her anxiety and grief also helping her sleep at night. I have used 2mg's of xanax maybe 5 to 10 times in my life recreationally and I loved it. It is great at helping one relax and also for anxiety. I would definitly recommend benzos to those under large amounts of stress or for some other problems.
 
Benzos have literally saved my life. I suffer from Panic Disorder and Agoraphobia. The area I now live in has issues prescribing Benzos. In NY State I was prescribed 12 mg of Alprazolam (xanaax) for 13 years ,when I moved to PA they would only give me 2 mg of clonazapam (klonopin) a day so I still lock myself in the house and have a hard time being in public. I am grateful for the dose I do have...it is better than none at all... it is too bad that I am going to have to move back to NY to get back to normal. Benzos really are needed and do help those with anxiety issues...I think benzos are wonderful
 
I don't know if this is the best place for this thread, if we deem it would be better in a different forum we can move it then.

As for right now I'll leave it open, as some other mods have been online since this has been open.

I have a positive benzo story but I will point out that I know some people who have become addicted to it like some people get addicted to crack, for instance (they can be highly addictive).

I have horrible insomnia and they have allowed me to sleep when I otherwise would have stayed up for multiple days at a time.

My sleep cycle is a lot more normal; I used to sleep for 12 to 24 hours at a time, and I would stay up for 1 to 2 days.

I also have used a low dose of lorazepam to help me sit still for up to 6 hours at a time - and I got an A in the class I utilized lorazepam in. :)
 
Ok, so it is stupid to use them every day we all know that. But what is wrong with taking them like tylenol? As needed. With caution and irregularly.
 
Mr-Tambourine-Man said:
Ok, so it is stupid to use them every day we all know that. But what is wrong with taking them like tylenol? As needed. With caution and irregularly.
Click to expand...

Nothing really. Of course, like any drug, they have dangers associated wit them: they're addictive (will be very hard to stick with occasional use), they impair judgement, etc. But aside from that, they're pretty safe when used on an occasional bases.
 
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