Mental Health Valium for treatment of anxiety and depression?

[Brutal BMW Driver]

Hi,

About 8 years ago I became very depressed and have always been extremely anxious. That's when I went to a doctor for treatment. For about 3 years I was on lexapro, up to 40mg at one point. It worked great at the start, but after about 6 months the side effects became extreme. I was still very depressed for those 3 years, and eventually I decided on my own to get clean of this drug, started exercising and was generally feeling good. About a year later i went into another severe depression, and went back on lexapro, was on that, and was not getting any better, my doctor kept increasing the dosage till I was on 40mg. At this point, since there was no improvement he suggested I try Effexor. I started on that and felt great for about a month, but then the honeymoon period wore off and I started to get depressed again. He kept increasing the dosage until I was on 375mg of Effexor. At this point the side effects were so unbearable, headaches, inability to sleep, total agitation at work, thinking of killing myself every day etc. He suggested i switch to zoloft but instead I decided to ditch my psychiatrist and get off this absolutely horrible drug (I found it to be brutal compared to lexapro). Getting clean from Effexor was probably the most agonising experience of my life. Unbelievable that they prescribe this stuff considering the withdrawal symptoms.

Since quitting Effexor, I started self medicating with valium, taking 10-15mg after work (as this is when i get extremely depressed). I have been off effexor and on this dose of valium for about 3 months now, and I feel normal again, I no longer have that anti-depressant feeling like your just drifting through life in a bad dream, just waiting to die. Now i feel like im actually living. In terms of my depression and anxiety, valium has been by far the most effective medication. I experience no side effects at all. I could not function at work on anti-depressants either, as they made me into a wimp, and I have a job where I have to tell lots of people what to do.

Now I know valium is a highly addictive and frowned upon drug, and is basically not really used anymore for treatment of depression because the medical professionals think that there are newer better medications available. I know there is probably some brutal aspect of valium that I have overlooked, isnt there always?

Anyway my question is, can valium be used long term for treatment of depression and anxiety in patients that do not respond to anti-depressants? I have had such bad experiences with anti-depressants, and this valium just seems like a wonder drug for me in terms of treating my depression/anxiety.

Any help would be greatly appreciated. I am going to see my psychiatrist again shortly but would just like some advice from people who have experienced the various medications to help with depression rather than the medical professionals who have just read about them in a glossy promotional booklet from a pharmaceutical company and been explained their benefits by a hot 20 y/o drug rep in a mini skirt.

 

[Whosajiggawaaa]

Valium makes me more depressed FWIW and a lot of people I know too. So I wouldn't recommend it for treating depression.

 

[velmwend]

You really need to talk your psychiatrist about this. Maybe it's not the serotonin you are low on (hence the reason the SSRIs weren't working) but something else that the valium is helping control, like gaba. I've found that I respond better to gaba agonists for my depression than I do The SSRIs.

Good luck.

 

[spork]

Definitely talk to your doctor. Valium works on anxiety in the short term, but used long term it actually increases your anxiety levels and may make it more difficult to treat. Because of this and benzos being highly addictive, they should be used as a last resort.

 

[Vaya]

Valium (and Valium, of all the benzodiazepines, especially) will exacerbate depressive symptoms in the mid- to long-run. Based on my experience, it is my opinion and suggestion that you ought to avoid this medication.

 

[BadassMoFo]

Valium (and Valium, of all the benzodiazepines, especially) will exacerbate depressive symptoms in the mid- to long-run. Based on my experience, it is my opinion and suggestion that you ought to avoid this medication.

I agree with this and similar claims. Valium is a depressant that's how it relieves anxiety. Anxiety can be your bodies response to long periods of depression so the real problem may not be anxiety its depression.

 

[Lady Codone]

Benzos can cause depression as a side effect, not to mention the withdrawals are utterly unbearable. It's very effective for occasional use as an anxiety medication, but long-term use every day is baaaaad news. (I just quit etizolam, which is somewhat similar to Valium. It was the most depressing drug I've ever taken). Using it occasionally ensures that it maintains its effectiveness and doesn't cause physical dependence.

If you think Effexor withdrawal is bad (which it is)...you don't want to see what benzo w/d can do to your psyche. And your cognitive abilities. And physical health. Terrifying stuff.

 

[BadassMoFo]

I agree with this and similar claims. Valium is a depressant that's how it relieves anxiety. Anxiety can be your bodies response to long periods of depression so the real problem may not be anxiety its depression.

I need to correct myself. Depression is the bodies natural response to long term anxiety, not the other way around. I was told by my Doctor that after long term anxiety and the chemicals/hormones it releases your body eventually temporarily gives up to recover, causing depression from the now lack of those chemicals/hormones. Whether it is true or not I have no idea but this is what I have experienced personally so I think it makes sense. The same doctor told me not to take benzos for long periods of time because now you have two things that will make you depressed. I know this doesn't sound good if you suffer from long term anxiety but benzos were really never meant to be used long term. You will have to try to use some other drug or method to deal with it long term.

 

[weekend addiction]

Valium is an excellent medicine and will most likely to wonders for you unless you abuse it. When I abused benzos my life was nuts. When I used them properly like I do now...man I tell I feel like a new person. I've been taking benzos for close to 4 years now. All and all I'm glad I learned to be very afraid of this drug. Trust me even if I broke my foot I wouldn't start taking extra. Just take it like the doc tells you, give honest feed back, and if you find you can't resist abusing the drug then switch to something else. Trust me the recreational side of thing dissapears quickly and you can't go back to your normal dose cause you have a tolerance then you run out of pills early. Its a vicious cycle and one I will never be part of.

This whole benzophobia thing is bullshit. Benzos are about the only safe and effective treatment for anxiety after 25 SSRI's fail (like they usually do). Only thing that really helped with my anxiety without a bunch of side effects that is a recognized medicine is: benzos, gabapentin, and cannabis.

Seriously guys lets not act like benzos are the worst thing on earth. I NEED something to get through today. My life falls to shambles un-medicated. I take less than one mg of klonopin a day so its not like I'm always in a fog. And I've quit smoking and made many lifestyle changes that will make my life less stressful so one day I may get off this med. If I don't I don't. Some people take 10mg of diazepam a day for 20 years and never have a problem or need an increase. I'm one of those people that can take a small amount of benzo and never need to increase the dose.

 

[Survival0200]

Benzos can sometimes bring up hidden depression in people who don't necessarily even consider themselves to be depressed. Benzos are generally not considered as the only medication for depression. In fact, benzos are not indicated for depression at all, but they can be used with anxiety related to depression. Personally I found that benzos made me not care about the depression anymore, so this way they've helped me. Sometimes some people require a long benzodiazepine therapy - because other medication won't suffice - even though benzos are only recommended to be taken for 8-12 weeks at most. But there are people who take them for years. You should talk about your situation to a psychiatrist - hopefully you'll find one that understands you.

 

[Vaya]

Valium is an excellent medicine and will most likely to wonders for you unless you abuse it. When I abused benzos my life was nuts. When I used them properly like I do now...man I tell I feel like a new person. I've been taking benzos for close to 4 years now. All and all I'm glad I learned to be very afraid of this drug. Trust me even if I broke my foot I wouldn't start taking extra. Just take it like the doc tells you, give honest feed back, and if you find you can't resist abusing the drug then switch to something else. Trust me the recreational side of thing dissapears quickly and you can't go back to your normal dose cause you have a tolerance then you run out of pills early. Its a vicious cycle and one I will never be part of.

This whole benzophobia thing is bullshit. Benzos are about the only safe and effective treatment for anxiety after 25 SSRI's fail (like they usually do). Only thing that really helped with my anxiety without a bunch of side effects that is a recognized medicine is: benzos, gabapentin, and cannabis.

Seriously guys lets not act like benzos are the worst thing on earth. I NEED something to get through today. My life falls to shambles un-medicated. I take less than one mg of klonopin a day so its not like I'm always in a fog. And I've quit smoking and made many lifestyle changes that will make my life less stressful so one day I may get off this med. If I don't I don't. Some people take 10mg of diazepam a day for 20 years and never have a problem or need an increase. I'm one of those people that can take a small amount of benzo and never need to increase the dose.

There are portions of this response that I agree with; equally, there are portions I disagree with.

For oh, so many reasons, the responsible decision is to refrain from taking benzodiazepines. In the short-term, they have a high success rate at relieving anxiety. And, yes, for some people ('some' being the operative word) benzodiazepine treatment is effective with long-term use.

They are not cures, however, and their effectiveness has been clinically proven oh-so-many times to be dose-dependent and decreases with time. BZDs have also been clinically and anecdotally proven to produce a reduction in cognitive agility (there's a co-existing thread about benzos and deteriorating cognition going on right now in TDS).

The bottom line, as someone who has been a psychological and physiological slave to this class of medications for twelve years now, is that benzodiazepines are a bandaid solution. A 'bandaid solution' is a paradox, but it isn't actually a solution at all. And I think the following quote of yours underscores this point without my having to further elucidate:

I NEED something to get through today.

That does not sound like progress. I feel the same way towards my benzodiazepines, but am also cognizant of the fact that this is unhealthy and - dare I say it - fogged thinking. The brain is a powerful organ - the most incredible organ mankind has at its disposal. And here, in the Recovery Forums, we see tons of cause to promote dosage reduction.

For those few who benefit from long-term BZD therapy, I applaud their success. But the safety profile of benzodiazepines decreases with each new study that emerges about their effects on the human brain. They represent avoidance therapy - there are, however, two problems with this. It is a chemical therapy, and chemical therapies do not alter the way we think proactively. Instead, they create a neurological environment whereby one does not need to put in the work it takes to address serious psychological issues.

The second, potentially more deleterious, problem with BZD therapy are the multi-axis issues of dependence. Not only are we speaking of psychological dependence (example: a feeling of extreme uneasiness leaving the house without a few pills "just in case," or "NEEDING" something to get through the day), but also of physiological dependence.

I think that it is premature to turn this into a discussion about "benzo phobia." No one is bashing benzodiazepine as though they were SARS or influenza. More accurately, I believe this discussion revolves around "benzo awareness." In the latter paradigm, we choose to discuss (from personal experience, mind you) the potential dangers of long-term BZD therapy.

BZD's do promote the avoidance of negative feels.

In an acute sense, this is desirable.

With long-term, chronic exposure, however, this avoidance reaction becomes retroactive and the unfortunate patient undergoes learned helplessness; the belief that without medication management, they are incapable of facing emotional valleys, uncertainties, sorrows and anxieties - ALL of which come with the package deal called "Life." These emotions are just as natural as comfort, love, acceptance and serenity. Emotional weather is a reality. Sometimes, our skies are filled with dreary clouds. Sometimes it pours, and the thunder is frightening. But we accept it, knowing full-well that sunny skies are ahead. Though not every day can be cloudless, sometimes we adapt by taking the clouds as they are and instead of lamenting their presence, search for interesting shapes within them.

Every crisis spurs opportunity for self-sufficiency.

If you are one of those who takes small quantities of benzodiazepines chronically and without cognitive impairment, or impairment otherwise, then more power to you. Never, in this thread, was the impression given that all who are medicated with benzodiazepines ought to drop them as quickly as possible. The point we posters as a collective are trying to make addresses the OP's situation specifically. And, thus, whilst you may have seen some people exhibit "benzo phobia" as you call it, I cannot convince myself that that is enough of an issue within the context of this thread to warrant defense of the use of the drug in your life.

Objectively stated, benzodiazepines can and most certainly do augment latent depression in individuals predisposed to it. That is the information pertinent to the core discussion going on here.

There is a world of difference between being "benzo phobic" and making cessation suggestions based on self-experience. But, in the words of Lavar Burton, "Don't take my word for it!"

NSFW:

lol

• Benzodiazepines:
  Brain-Disabling Effects
  of Benzodiazepines
  
• The effects of benzodiazepines on cognition.
  
• Cognitive Effects of Long-Term
  Benzodiazepine Use A Meta-Analysis

Again, food for thought.

~ Vaya