Benzos Social Anxiety Disorder

[DrugsInc]

Hi recently, I was diagnosed with Social Anxiety Disorder(SAD). My first assumption was that I would be given a benzo, but after researching I found that often Zoloft and SSRI are often the first choice, but they don't get you high and take months to work . Is there anyway to get a benzo for sure at my next evaluation? And in comparison to a SSRI, which works better to treat SAD? and I was also given a paper test to see if I have ADD/ADHD, and it was ridiculously easy so i'm sure Ill be given focalin or something like that.

 

[kleinerkiffer]

Bluelight will not help you score medication from your doctor
Benzos are pretty useful for stopping a panic attack, but in the long run they will make everything worse. Maybe try an antidepressant / find a psychologist

 

[doctorcodone]

If you were to get benzos(you probably wont) I wouldn't try and abuse them. You will run out early every month and feel horrible. A pretty decent anxiety medication is gabapnetin or its big cousin lyrica, they've helped me a lot through the years. I find it enhances my mood and makes conversations much easier to hold. I aslo do not feel like everyone is staring at me all the time. It doesn't take anytime to work so that's also a plus. It does have recreational value(some will disagree) but tolerance builds entremly quickly and it will not poop out as long as you keep your daily dose the same.

 

[Mracid]

Bluelight will not help you score medication from your doctor
Benzos are pretty useful for stopping a panic attack, but in the long run they will make everything worse. Maybe try an antidepressant / find a psychologist

Actually recent psychiatrist found that there is 2 types of depression because 2 neurotransmitters are in balance that can be disturbed; lack Acetylcholine (eadgy, jumpy, angry etc)
A bigher amount of ACh that can cause depression (sleepy,headache,sad etc)
They also found that using SSRI/SNRI will help get rid of the impact of ACh overflow that actually cures this type of depression but after years of use it begin to create the other kind of depression (Lack ACh) which will lead to cognitive disfunction, brain fog etc.
Which is not taken in consideration when prescribed.

So basically SSRI and SNRI are only good for to much ACh depression during precise period efficiency then it becomes bad by decreasing ACh too much. Which is where In my Opinion nootropics (promote ACh release and increase overall cholinergic system should be prescribed and cycled with antidepressants for a person in depression state.

 

[Ozle]

Benzos are one hell of a trap, particularly for unsuspecting first-time users. You think everything's fine at first, then one day suddenly realise that you can't live without them anymore, and end up getting sucked into a spiral of constantly raising your dose for increasingly diminishing returns. Benzos can be used responsibly, but IMO only really by people who already have a reasonable familiarity with and grasp of their disorder, at least enough to be able to distinguish between the times when using them is the best option and those when it's possible to "ride it out"; people who are overwhelmed by their anxiety and have little to no insight into it almost invariably end up abusing them and very quickly start to see benzos as the only thing that allows them to function normally. At that point psychological addiction has already set in, and it's typically all downhill from here; by the time physical addiction and withdrawal symptoms start to appear (which is often when people first start to realise they have a problem), you're already hooked, and quitting isn't going to be an easy process. Plus when you're feeling the effects of benzos, your reasoning and planning skills take a hit, so most people chose to continue to take them, regardless of the long-term consequences and that the longer you stay on them, the nastier the effects you'll end feeling when you finally do have to quit. Trust me, benzo withdrawal after several months or years of daily use of supra-therapeutic doses, is an absolute nightmare; some have compared it to heroin withdrawal, others say it's worse.

Ritalin/Focalin is often a bad idea for people suffering from anxiety disorders, and it can make them much worse. It's likely even worse if you're prescribed benzos at the same time, since you'll probably soon find that you're often also using them to counter the side-effects of the Ritalin, meaning you'll both run out even faster, and speed up the development of an addiction. Not to mention the cognitive problems associated with using benzos aren't going to do wonders for your ADHD...

Your doctor would be atrociously incompetent if he does prescribe you these two meds. Already, just the idea of introducing two new meds at the same time is in principle a terrible one and is generally considered to be poor practice. Moreover, this is a cocktail of uppers and downers, which are not usually recommended.

 

[GuyDude]

I was diagnosed like 3 years ago and i'm on prozac, it fucking sucks. Hopefully soon i'll be tested or prescribed medicine for adhd

 

[Moreaux]

Benzos are one hell of a trap, particularly for unsuspecting first-time users. You think everything's fine at first, then one day suddenly realise that you can't live without them anymore, and end up getting sucked into a spiral of constantly raising your dose for increasingly diminishing returns. Benzos can be used responsibly, but IMO only really by people who already have a reasonable familiarity with and grasp of their disorder, at least enough to be able to distinguish between the times when using them is the best option and those when it's possible to "ride it out"; people who are overwhelmed by their anxiety and have little to no insight into it almost invariably end up abusing them and very quickly start to see benzos as the only thing that allows them to function normally. At that point psychological addiction has already set in, and it's typically all downhill from here; by the time physical addiction and withdrawal symptoms start to appear (which is often when people first start to realise they have a problem), you're already hooked, and quitting isn't going to be an easy process. Plus when you're feeling the effects of benzos, your reasoning and planning skills take a hit, so most people chose to continue to take them, regardless of the long-term consequences and that the longer you stay on them, the nastier the effects you'll end feeling when you finally do have to quit. Trust me, benzo withdrawal after several months or years of daily use of supra-therapeutic doses, is an absolute nightmare; some have compared it to heroin withdrawal, others say it's worse.

Ritalin/Focalin is often a bad idea for people suffering from anxiety disorders, and it can make them much worse. It's likely even worse if you're prescribed benzos at the same time, since you'll probably soon find that you're often also using them to counter the side-effects of the Ritalin, meaning you'll both run out even faster, and speed up the development of an addiction. Not to mention the cognitive problems associated with using benzos aren't going to do wonders for your ADHD...

Your doctor would be atrociously incompetent if he does prescribe you these two meds. Already, just the idea of introducing two new meds at the same time is in principle a terrible one and is generally considered to be poor practice. Moreover, this is a cocktail of uppers and downers, which are not usually recommended.

^ +1000! Kicking a benzo habit is a painfully incapacitating experience. It can take years to get back to normal. If you feel like you have anxiety now you haven't lived until benzos really kick it into high gear. In long-term use, benzos will make the anxiety exponentially worse, imo. Long term use of benzos will make you a slave to benzos, and you can't run out and stop cold turkey or you risk a life threatening withdrawal and seizures. Add in some ADHD meds and you're looking at an unpleasant and volatile existence.

Please be careful. Soberly consider your options before you begin. Perhaps look into a beta blocker like Indural - helps anxiety and is not habit forming. Cognitive behavioral therapy works wonders as well. Good luck!

 

[Speed King]

Gabapentin or Lyrica will help a lot. A lot of the same rules apply that do with benzodiazepines.

 

[I B Profane]

Everybody's different. I'm prescribed 900mg Gabapentin per day for social and generalized anxiety (as well as just an all around mood stabilizer). It works pretty well, especially when you first start taking it. I'm also prescribed 1mg Clonazepam per evening mostly for GAD, stress, insomnia, back pain, etc. It also works very well at controlling in-the-moment anxiety, but long term use will definitely heighten your baseline anxiety levels. This is a combo that I've been on for a while (several years) and seems to be working well for me.

To all those saying not even to consider benzos - some people really do benefit from them if they're used responsibly. I may be quite in the minority here, but I treat it as a medication and take 1mg per night exactly as directed and never abuse it. I also take days off every two weeks or so, where i'll only take half or none of my medication. This way it maintains its effectiveness.

Beware the 'benzo trap' - constantly increasing the dose. This is what gets a lot of people in trouble. At 1mg Klonopin per day, I can go one night without it and be fine. People who take 6-10mg Klonopin per day, bless their hearts, absolutely cannot go a day without it, or they'll experience some terrible effects. I'm not sure where you cross the tolerance-dependency-addiction threshold, but long story short if you do go the benzo route, tread lightly. Cold turkey w/d from a high dose habit is definitely one of the most terrifying things I've ever been through (my benzo dose wasn't always this low.)

Also consider meditation, exercise, eating well and sleeping well. All these things really do help. But if you feel that benzos are something that you need, talk to you doctor about it. You'll probably have to try several other things first. Just bite the bullet and try them, the goal is to become more mentally stable, not to get high. But, as I've said countless times and will say again: it is much better to have a legitimate benzo prescription overseen by a legitimate practicioner of medicine, than it is to be an alcoholic or to be addicted to 'RC' benzos.

EDIT: To those who ask "aren't you retarded from taking benzos every day for years?" Actually I just made Honor Roll (GPA 3.6) at a reputable state University studying mechanical engineering, so no, I do not think using benzos has made me retarded.

 

[kleinerkiffer]

Actually recent psychiatrist found that there is 2 types of depression because 2 neurotransmitters are in balance that can be disturbed; lack Acetylcholine (eadgy, jumpy, angry etc)
A bigher amount of ACh that can cause depression (sleepy,headache,sad etc)
They also found that using SSRI/SNRI will help get rid of the impact of ACh overflow that actually cures this type of depression but after years of use it begin to create the other kind of depression (Lack ACh) which will lead to cognitive disfunction, brain fog etc.
Which is not taken in consideration when prescribed.

So basically SSRI and SNRI are only good for to much ACh depression during precise period efficiency then it becomes bad by decreasing ACh too much. Which is where In my Opinion nootropics (promote ACh release and increase overall cholinergic system should be prescribed and cycled with antidepressants for a person in depression state.

That's interesting, can you give me links to some papers about this ?

 

[Hodor]

Hi recently, I was diagnosed with Social Anxiety Disorder(SAD). My first assumption was that I would be given a benzo, but after researching I found that often Zoloft and SSRI are often the first choice, but they don't get you high and take months to work . Is there anyway to get a benzo for sure at my next evaluation? And in comparison to a SSRI, which works better to treat SAD? and I was also given a paper test to see if I have ADD/ADHD, and it was ridiculously easy so i'm sure Ill be given focalin or something like that.

SAD usually refers to "Seasonal Affective Disorder", i.e. depression brought on or exacerbated by the winter months.

Benzos should not be a first-line treatment for social anxiety due to the high risk for abuse/dependence/addiction - many of us here in this forum have been there & done that, so to speak, and benzodiazepine withdrawal is widely accepted as being even more unpleasant than opiate withdrawal.

I agree with those that suggested Lyrica (Pregabalin) - while it may also cause a physiological dependence, it has a much lower abuse potential, and IME synergizes well with Methylphenidate.

That said, it is not impossible to use benzos responsibly at lower doses as long as you are psychologically stable. The problem is when you reach a point where your mental stability deteriorates to a point where you feel you have to escalate your dosage to still be "functional" (unemployment/job stress, bad breakup...).

 

[SKR]

Sertraline did not take months for it to work on me - The day after my first evening dose I noticed a difference the next day, apparently this is unusual but I was in serious trouble with anxiety and suicide inducing panic attacks. You know when you need these drugs, I reckon many simply don't and just need a hobby or something. I was in life or death situations for over 12 months - I needed the drug or I was going to take the big jump - PTSD sucks.

If you want to get high then do Meth or MDMA, Benzos are NOT the answer if this is what you're after.

Plenty of good advice above though.

 

[Moreaux]

Everybody's different. I'm prescribed 900mg Gabapentin per day for social and generalized anxiety (as well as just an all around mood stabilizer). It works pretty well, especially when you first start taking it. I'm also prescribed 1mg Clonazepam per evening mostly for GAD, stress, insomnia, back pain, etc. It also works very well at controlling in-the-moment anxiety, but long term use will definitely heighten your baseline anxiety levels. This is a combo that I've been on for a while (several years) and seems to be working well for me.

To all those saying not even to consider benzos - some people really do benefit from them if they're used responsibly. I may be quite in the minority here, but I treat it as a medication and take 1mg per night exactly as directed and never abuse it. I also take days off every two weeks or so, where i'll only take half or none of my medication. This way it maintains its effectiveness.

Beware the 'benzo trap' - constantly increasing the dose. This is what gets a lot of people in trouble. At 1mg Klonopin per day, I can go one night without it and be fine. People who take 6-10mg Klonopin per day, bless their hearts, absolutely cannot go a day without it, or they'll experience some terrible effects. I'm not sure where you cross the tolerance-dependency-addiction threshold, but long story short if you do go the benzo route, tread lightly. Cold turkey w/d from a high dose habit is definitely one of the most terrifying things I've ever been through (my benzo dose wasn't always this low.)

Also consider meditation, exercise, eating well and sleeping well. All these things really do help. But if you feel that benzos are something that you need, talk to you doctor about it. You'll probably have to try several other things first. Just bite the bullet and try them, the goal is to become more mentally stable, not to get high. But, as I've said countless times and will say again: it is much better to have a legitimate benzo prescription overseen by a legitimate practicioner of medicine, than it is to be an alcoholic or to be addicted to 'RC' benzos.

EDIT: To those who ask "aren't you retarded from taking benzos every day for years?" Actually I just made Honor Roll (GPA 3.6) at a reputable state University studying mechanical engineering, so no, I do not think using benzos has made me retarded.

I'm glad benzos are working well for you, and you can take them responsibly. You're still young, I gather by the honor roll comment. Please report back in five to ten years how you are doing on your benzos.

Eventually, you will build a tolerance taking them long term. It's not if, it's when. This happens even when you take them responsibly and as prescribed (as I did). Surprisingly, over time, they do make the anxiety worse, as you continue to take them responsibly. They also have an extremely negative impact on cognitive function and memory in long term use - there are many scientific studies that have proven this. Ironically, I didn't have these problems from benzos in my youth when I was taking them responsibly. These problems happened years down the road when I was still taking them responsibly.

OP - benzos will help immediate anxiety but they should only be used short term. This is not a long term medication, and will cause you more harm than good in the long run. Please consider the other options that are available. Indural, a beta blocker, works very well for anxiety and it is not habit forming, tolerance building, or negatively impact cognitive abilities or memory. I used to have severe social anxiety and have since finished substantially with cognitive behavioral therapy, breathing techniques, and meditation. I do keep Indural on hand for when I have something out of the norm come up such as public speaking etc. At any rate, do serious research regarding treatment before beginning anything. Also Google benzo withdrawal. If you decide to go that route you should be aware of the consequences should you run out or decide you no longer want to take them. You don't have to abuse benzos to be subjected to the withdrawal, and the longer you take them the worse and longer the withdrawal is. Read accounts from a variety of sites, not just drug/harm reduction sites where users are more inclined to abuse them. I recommend saving benzos as the absolute last resort. Best of luck to you!

 

[strikealight]

Sertraline did not take months for it to work on me - The day after my first evening dose I noticed a difference the next day, apparently this is unusual but I was in serious trouble with anxiety and suicide inducing panic attacks. You know when you need these drugs, I reckon many simply don't and just need a hobby or something. I was in life or death situations for over 12 months - I needed the drug or I was going to take the big jump - PTSD sucks.

If you want to get high then do Meth or MDMA, Benzos are NOT the answer if this is what you're after.

Plenty of good advice above though.

Similar, it only took me a few days to notice the effects of Sertraline (mostly anxiety issues). Still taking 50mg.

 

[sekio]

BL is not really the place to ask for ways to get prescribed certain medictaion... especially abusable ones.

If you have anxiety than taking stimulants will probably not help you in that aspect. And as everyone else has pointed out, BZDs are only a temporary band aid, besides the fact that you can get seriously addicted to them...

 

[Mracid]

That's interesting, can you give me links to some papers about this ?

Heres one on the link between ACh deficiency and Depression http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/20170685

 

[Mycophile]

I'm glad benzos are working well for you, and you can take them responsibly. You're still young, I gather by the honor roll comment. Please report back in five to ten years how you are doing on your benzos.

Eventually, you will build a tolerance taking them long term. It's not if, it's when. This happens even when you take them responsibly and as prescribed (as I did). Surprisingly, over time, they do make the anxiety worse, as you continue to take them responsibly. They also have an extremely negative impact on cognitive function and memory in long term use - there are many scientific studies that have proven this. Ironically, I didn't have these problems from benzos in my youth when I was taking them responsibly. These problems happened years down the road when I was still taking them responsibly.

OP - benzos will help immediate anxiety but they should only be used short term. This is not a long term medication, and will cause you more harm than good in the long run. Please consider the other options that are available. Indural, a beta blocker, works very well for anxiety and it is not habit forming, tolerance building, or negatively impact cognitive abilities or memory. I used to have severe social anxiety and have since finished substantially with cognitive behavioral therapy, breathing techniques, and meditation. I do keep Indural on hand for when I have something out of the norm come up such as public speaking etc. At any rate, do serious research regarding treatment before beginning anything. Also Google benzo withdrawal. If you decide to go that route you should be aware of the consequences should you run out or decide you no longer want to take them. You don't have to abuse benzos to be subjected to the withdrawal, and the longer you take them the worse and longer the withdrawal is. Read accounts from a variety of sites, not just drug/harm reduction sites where users are more inclined to abuse them. I recommend saving benzos as the absolute last resort. Best of luck to you!

I wish people wouldn't talk about this like it's a set in stone FACT.

I have been prescribed Klonopin for 12 years now and have never needed to raise my dosage beyond 1.5mgs a day and it still works really well for me and I VERY much doubt it will ever go up if it hasn't in this amount of time.

I used to use it daily which I wouldn't recommend to anyone, but now I use it only 3-4 days a week and still see benefits and don't have trouble sticking to the same dosage.

I also haven't experienced negative cognitive effects and we should all keep in mind that only SOME people will experience them.

I agree that other solutions should be sought first BUT...some people just need benzos and they CAN be used responsibly under certain conditions without EVER needing to raise your dosage beyond a certain point if my case is to be considered legit, which I can't see why it shouldn't be.

I think there's a very real "war on benzos" going on these days and it's not just in the doctor's office, but also exists on this forum as well with people propagating the often false idea that if one uses benzos for anything other than the short term they WILL DEFINITELY have problems eventually.

I can see those who have had issues feeling strongly about this, but whenever you say this or that **WILL** happen you'd better be willing to consider the cases of those who never experience those negative effects.

Not that I've never seen that Klonopin can't be overused as it can certainly leave the user groggy or tired, but some people are able to use for long periods of time without a raise in dosage or serious negative effects and in those cases they can sometimes do more good than harm despite all the warnings.

 

[noone1]

If you mention panic attacks they might give you some short term. I had to try a plethora of different meds before they would give me just benzos. It also takes the right doctor. Some might just give them to you right away others will never use benzos ever, most are in the middle.

Theoretically I guess you could just fill the prescriptions look up the side effects and say with everything they give you it doesn't work. You have to be in it for the long term though. Like at least 6 months to a year if not longer. I don't recommend this... this is how I did it but I took the medication and really had the side effects. I just stick with phenibut now, completely gave up on prescribed medication for social anxiety.

 

[Mycophile]

^^^^

I'm surprised you have fewer side effects with Phenibut than benzos.

Several people on here have said they've gotten withdrawal from using Phenibut as little as 3 days in a row and that it led to auditory hallucinations and insomnia lasting for days...

I like Phenibut one day a week, but some of the stories here scared me from EVER using it more than once a week.

With Klonopin I'm not even concerned about it.

 

[noone1]

^^^^

I'm surprised you have fewer side effects with Phenibut than benzos.

Several people on here have said they've gotten withdrawal from using Phenibut as little as 3 days in a row and that it led to auditory hallucinations and insomnia lasting for days...

I like Phenibut one day a week, but some of the stories here scared me from EVER using it more than once a week.

With Klonopin I'm not even concerned about it.

I'm using doses that are like 250mg and I space it out only when I really need it.

I think when it's in powder form and not prescribed it's easier to over do. I try to follow the russian prescription guidelines..

At worse I get a hangover and a panic attack If I overuse it. Full Gaba withdrawal scares me a lot more. I've read you need a lot of phenibut before risk of seizures during withdrawal.