Amnesiac

So a quick backstory. I have mental health issues and am an alcoholic. I hadn't had a drink in over 6 months, and prior to that, I almost went 3 years without a drop.

I have social anxiety/social phobia, and this psychiatrist I am now seeing game me a limited prescription of klonopin just for when my anxiety is really overbearing before I go to work.

She mentioned that it could lead me back to drinking.

Well in the last month now after going over 6 months without a drink, I have gotten loaded two times (the last time just last Saturday).

Do you think the klonopin could have played a role in my relapse? Or should I look to other factors?

nez

My answer to both of your questions would be yes and yes.

On a side note, klonopin is highly addictive and caution needs to be exercised even if taking the prescribed amount. Any concern along those lines would be better off being directed to professionals.

ScottFromWI

I would agree with Nez, Klonopin is a Benzodiazepine which can be highly addictive in itself. Benzodiazepines also have very similar effects on the brain that alcohol does, which can very much lead to cravings for both more benzos or alcohol. Mixing them is also exceptionally dangerous. Does your doc know what’s going on? Maybe time for a second opinion?

There could also certainly be other factors, as addicts we are exceptionally good at finding excuses to drink :-)

Amnesiac

She is aware that I am alcoholic/addict. She told me it could lead back to drinking but I felt it was worth a try as my anxiety was that bad.

advbike

Please, please, find other ways to deal with your anxiety. Hard, aerobic exercise helped me tremendously, as did some workshops on GAD. Benzos are the worst - I know people who can't get off Klonopin, and if they try they get massive alcohol cravings. And guess what? After a year or two it has much reduced benefit, so then you are really in trouble. It is a dreadful drug. Hits the same basic GABA receptors as alcohol so yes, it probably triggered the drinking.

BullDog777

Having been addicted to Klonopin, you have to be VERY careful getting off of it. A medical taper is absolutely necessary for most people who take it for more than a couple of weeks.

I would say to you that any Benzo should be almost out of the question for any treatment. My addiction doctor couldn't even believe that it was prescribed to me given my history but I had a medical need for it. I had neurological disorder that caused muscle spasms that were unresponsive to any other treatment.

I have social anxiety, suffer from depression and was diagnosed with severe PTSD. I use therapy, exercise and meditation. It helps a lot.

Any meds a psychiatrist prescribes to you ought to go through your GP as well to make sure it's ok with your body chemistry. I fell through so many cracks trying to deal with my issues it took years to get me all figured out. I hope you have a much easier journey than I had.

doggonecarl

That was my thought. The doctor warned it could lead to drinking and voilà, you drank.

Gcesp

Short answer yes.

Benzos like clonazepam are extremely addicting and have no role in the modern world. Studies show they are effective for controlling anxiety for a couple months vs more conventional antidepressants but then you develop tolerance and like any addicting drug..... want or need more. Tranquilizers are just a band aid. Tell your doctor about your history of addiction and ask to get you on some much safer SSRI or antidepressant and start seeing a counselor to learn to deal with your demons. Long term you'll address the underlying problem instead of making it worse.

My father once taught me the two main rules in life and well into my 40's I have started to mightily agree:
1. There are no free lunches (because someone always has to pay for it) and
2. If it seems to good to be true, it is.

Mizz

It seems interesting to me that your psychiatrist would prescribe something to you that could lead you to a relapse. Im not sure the ins and outs of this situation, but I do know that remaining sober is going to keep us on an even playing field when it comes to our mental health. There are tools to be used and other actions to take aside from this western medication. Exercise, journaling, meditation, anxiety worksheets, deep breathing, and the list goes on and on. Did your psychiatrist talk with you about ALL of the other options?

I think it is very important to get down to what is creating the anxiety, or the episodes, and to work through this without the use of a medication that is highly addictive. Also, the fact you have consumed alcohol twice now shows that you are on very very shaky ground. I do hope you recognize the road you are walking down and get yourself off the road before there is too much damage.

There may be more going on then just the anxiety. Was there any thoughts of drinking before this? Was the prescription a way to open the gate to obtaining alcohol? Sometimes we are not conscious of what is really going on......

Anxiety sufferer here. I get it. Truly. Wishing you the healthiest solution to this.

Andante

On any thread regarding benzo drug use that threatens to devolve into a witch hunt, I feel compelled to share my experience -- which I submit is what others should be doing as well, rather than making blanket demonizing statements informed more by emotion than fact.

When I finally sobered up from alcohol for good in 2013, I developed severe post-acute withdrawal that went on for years. Crippling anxiety was one of the symptoms. My psychiatrist was fine with prescribing me a benzo drug, Ativan, as a last resort when I was unable to manage the anxiety using non-medical techniques. I used the Ativan as needed but never more than the prescribed amount.

After an initial get-acquainted period, I did not experience any escalating tolerance. I am aware of the overlap in receptors between alcohol and benzos, but I did not in any way experience the benzo as "alcohol in pill form" -- all it did was to help to calm an out-of-control nervous system. It provided none of the euphoria or relaxation of inhibitions that alcohol once did. It did not "lead me back to drinking" -- if anything, just the opposite, as it helped relieve the anxiety that contributed to my wanting to drink in the first place. When my anxiety finally began to abate after a period of years, I reduced and eventually discontinued my benzo use without any perceptible withdrawal issues.

I realize my experience may be something of an outlier, but it seems reasonable to believe that the people who have the worst issues with benzo addiction and withdrawal may be outliers on the other end of the spectrum -- just as with alcohol.

The bottom line is that to broad-brush benzos as "evil" and as "having no role in the modern world" is unfair. As with any drug, get expert opinions from your doctors and inform yourself of the pros and cons before making a considered, rational decision.

Gcesp

It is when you hold degrees, a license and work within the field, completed professional education specific to the problem and especially having seen the changes, studies, patterns and information of the last 15-20 years. 20 years ago we didn't know better but things have changed the knowledge is out there now.

One of the best things you can do is if you're on a controlled substance is talk with your provider about switching to something non controlled or working with safer options. The problem of course is all those things are more work and require effort in self improvement vs just swallowing a pill that numbs you down but knowing where the latter path leads it's worth considering very strongly.

RunningScared

I couldn't agree more.

Dee74

our medical advice rule:

Just a reminder on that, and that the OP asked a specific question.

D

Evoo

Thanks 🙏. I’ve never used a benzo, but I’ve had a similar experience with low doses of THC for medical treatment of Crohn’s disease. I’ve never experienced addictive or destructive experiences with it, so I just use it very carefully for the use my doctor has recommended (nausea reduction to help with weight gain). That’s between me and my doctor. That doesn’t mean other people haven’t and aren’t presently struggling with the substance; but early in my sobriety it really bothered me some of the sweeping, judgmental comments I’d get from other recovering alcoholics who told me my recovery “wasn’t real.”

One very good piece of advice for people here is to stick to your personal experience and never give medical advice. Even if you were a medical professional, you can’t judge someone’s situation from a forum post enough to give ethically sound advice.

To the OP — you must decide with your doctor, your counselor and yourself if something could lead you back to drinking. It’s not a drug, but I don’t go anywhere near N/A beer or wine because it’s lead to cravings and relapses in my past. I doubt it would now, but that’s a line I’ve drawn for myself. You’ll need to find your lines and hold to them.