Misc72

I was drinking but didn't think I had a problem at the time. It progressed with time as far as the drinking. Now that I look back it was always problematic.

tomsteve

i had a few ghosts of my past that haunted me for a long time. did some therapy for it, but i continued to be haunted.. after i got sober and faced them sober,learned about and from them, they stopped controlling me.

i really hope therapy sober will have great results for ya. you deserve to be free.

Misc72

Thank you Tom Steve. Very kind. I am definitely in a different mindset so I think it will be better. I do want to be free and happy without "pills or booze".

Misc72

Did not take Xanex last night. Of course didn't sleep at all either. Mostly because I couldn't stop thinking about not taking it. The only thing I feel as a side effect is tired.

August252015

So right there is what I see as the crux of the matter. For me, (rigorous) honesty with my drs is critical. I am still prescribed ativan (lorazepam) daily (1-3 tablets, 1 mg). I lately focus very specifically on my intent while taking them. Communication with my dr is key.

I do notice that on days I do not take any, I get a headache. 2-3 tends to be my best place. I have other meds in my tool box also meant to combat anxiety (my anti dep and my sleep med) and of course program tools so meds aren't my only recourse.

I'd need to have an honest talk with my dr if I were in your situation.

Good luck.

Misc72

Day 2 No Xanie! Slept a whole 3 hours solid though. That is good for me. Then just went into a deep relaxation. It's still rest! It's crazy how they say benzos aren't intended for helping one to sleep. Well it sure works for me. That's what I'm hooked on is sleep.

ThatWasTheOldMe

Xanax and Klonopin are both benzos. The only difference is onset time and half-life. Typically doctors will recommend a longer half-life benzo so you're not always on that roller coaster of staving off withdrawal. I would take their advice and taper off the Xanax.

You can replace benzos with the right anti-depressant (with doctor approval, of course) for long term anxiety issues. Benzos are bad long term due to their potential for abuse and potential for withdrawals... it has to do with how they interact with your brain.

It's always best to ask your doctor. This is not intended as medical advice, just PERSONAL EXPERIENCE. No one can give medical advice on these boards for good reason.

ScottFromWI

Glad to hear things are going well Sunshine, I think you'll be really happy that you've made the decision to get off the benzos in the not too distant future.

Misc72

I think I have not taken a xanex in 8 days. Really had no side effect or detox. Found an all natural supplement that has like HTP, Melatonin, Valarian, some other stuff... I find it so funny that I feel that 'drugged' feeling with the natural pill and total grogginess the next day as opposed to a .5 mg xanex. I just wanted to share that. The xanex simply helps me drift off to sleep and zero side effects the next day. I just don't get why 1 is better than the other... But I'll go with the popular opinion that society has set forth that 'benzos' are bad. Maybe the ones who really abuse it have ruined for the ones that really don't and really need it for what it is intended for. With or without it I still have insomnia. And I have proven I can live without it. And intend to. But I think there is some misconception about it.

ScottFromWI

Glad to hear that things are going so smoothly for you, I think you are the exception to the rule when it comes to Benzo withrdawal.

Take some time and read in our substance forums about the lives destroyed by benzos...the danger is very, very real unfortunately. It's not just a "societal" opinion. Benzos can destroy you physically ( liver ) and mentally just as easily as alcohol. People die from benzos, just like they do from alcohol.

Misc72

I totally understand that it destroys peoples lives if it is abused. My sister is in maximum security prison for her actions while on a heavy dose of Klonipin. If you are taking it because you are addicted to it then it will cause problems. If you are taking it as needed and as prescribed by your Dr. then it serves it's intended purpose. That's why when the shrink gave me a script for Klonipin I made the receptionist shred it. I go see my sister every 2 weeks and trust me it's in my face what the ugly side of abusing it can do to people.

JudicatorPanzer

Well done sunshine72!

Ricky112

I never realized how addicted I was to valium until the doctors wouldn't give me anymore. My jaw would lock up and my fingers would clench themselves - I couldn't control it. I was also in detox with a guy who had to wean off of his addiction to Xanax because of the real possibilities of seizures.

Good luck

Misc72

I'm sorry about that Ricky. I'm not trying to downplay the overall experience just my personal experience. I'm more upset that it was even given to me to begin with. I never asked for it. Never knew what it was. It's never been questioned until recently and so I'm like, wtf. Didn't even ask for it to begin with. Trying to figure out who the real problem is with, the person taking it or the person prescribing it. You know. Then we are made out to look like the ones dependent on it, and I'm like well I didn't prescribe it to myself.

ScottFromWI

All of those things you list are things that already happened and also things you cannot change. And to be quite frank that seems to be bothering you a lot, or at least that's the way it's coming across - I could be wrong. Maybe it would be healthier to focus on the fact that you are indeed successfully getting off them with very few side affects, if any. And you also have some better alternatives to get the same result. Just because you weren't addicted to them before it doesn't mean you couldn't have become so or that you would not have if you kept taking them. There's a lot of people who can drink alchohol in a "safe" manner for a long time too..and then kaboom.

Misc72

I never should have been relying on a Benzo to go to sleep. That is a fact. I'm happy I'm not relying on them any longer. However, the alternative natural supplement makes me fill drugged and groggy the next day. So I was having a hard time figuring out how that is better than a benzo. I'm very sensitive to drugs like this and I never like to feel that 'drugged' feeling so it's just confusing. So I'm back to not taking anything, since one is considered harmful and the safer alternative makes me feel like that. I've struggled with insomnia long before I discovered xanex. It's something that is unfortunate. When head hits pillow lights in my mind come on. A friend suggested a hypnosis video that actually does the trick sometimes. So for now I just lay there and think of how grateful I am to have a comfortable bed and home and family, and just make the most out of no sleep. A nice deep relaxation is better than some get I suppose.

Grymt

"just make the most out of no sleep. A nice deep relaxation is better" - exactly. Use it in a positive way. I regularly get insomnia and it's only through accepting it as natural for me in the moment that I get peace and since then I am more productive and have more energy during the day.