Alternative to Benzos

I stated in my introduction thread that it seemed that most people here are against benzos. My question is what are people here doing when there anxiety symptoms are to the point they are debilitating? Weather it be work or friends etc. If you don't recommend benzos, and things such as breathing teniques etc are not enough, what do you recommend? What other options really are there? And people that are getting of benzos, what are you doing now to treat the same exact underlying anxiety problem that you had before starting benzos? Just curious to see some input.

not everyone took benzos for anxiety. 

 

 

best way I found to deal with benzo anxiety was to confront the situations that made me feel that way and ignore them.

not everyone took benzos for anxiety.  

 

 

best way I found to deal with benzo anxiety was to confront the situations that made me feel that way and ignore them.

And if someones anxiety is bad enough that they cant confront the anxiety and it is debilitating.

not everyone took benzos for anxiety.  

 

 

best way I found to deal with benzo anxiety was to confront the situations that made me feel that way and ignore them.

And if someones anxiety is bad enough that they cant confront the anxiety and it is debilitating.

 

when I CTd benzos mine was debilitating, I forced myself to confront it and it gradually got easier.  I don't know what other people do.  I've seen some reinstate their benzo, be put on a slew of other random mind drugs, take all kind of supplements. 

 

Are you off your meds? are you sure it's "underlying anxiety"? how does it debilitate you? are you sure it's not drug induced? have you tried any kind of therapy?  what does your doctor suggest?

 

Hi

CBT (cognitive behavioural therapy) is great way to get rid of anxiety and panic attacks. Scientist didn't prove that people with anxiety and depression have some chemical imbalance in brain and that benzo's or antidepressant will help with their problem in long term. For CBT have to find good therapist. I can't find and can't afford it so I am using some self-help books.

 

Take care

I started taking Ativan when a doctor gave it to me for sleep while going through a tragedy. It turned out to be the worse thing that could happen to me and led to polydrugging. The people who access forms like BB are wanting to go off benzos as we've found out that they are not helping but harming us. I've found talk therapy to be very helpful while going through this process.

 

Frannie

I stated in my introduction thread that it seemed that most people here are against benzos. My question is what are people here doing when there anxiety symptoms are to the point they are debilitating? Weather it be work or friends etc. If you don't recommend benzos, and things such as breathing teniques etc are not enough, what do you recommend? What other options really are there? And people that are getting of benzos, what are you doing now to treat the same exact underlying anxiety problem that you had before starting benzos? Just curious to see some input.

 

With me it was acknowledging I had an anxiety problem. I was in denial up until the last episode which resulted in me being RX'd Ativan. My anxiety was situational. I was OK 95% of the time but when life's inevitabilities came a knockin' I often found myself handling it wrong. I wanted to be in control and if there was an instance where it was out of my hands I didn't handle it well. It seemed my thought-processes would gravitate to "what if?" thinking in a "prepare for the worst" scenario. Now there's nothing wrong with preparing for the worst but when one is doing that without rational cause or at the exclusion of all else it's going to spiral into anxiety. If I'm not explaining myself well, think of hypochondria. With me, I think it was a control thing. Anyway, I always rationalized my anxiety and, ironically, if the latest episode didn't happen which ultimately resulted in me being here, I probably would have kept that pattern of thinking going and suffered ad infinitum.

 

What I've done to address my anxiety is recognize the triggers and immediately cultivate a "step-back" rational reflection on what is really going on. I had a tendency to try to ignore my "what ifs" at first and apparently those thoughts didn't go away, they just went from my conscious to subconscious only to emerge later with a vengeance. That's my "theory" at any rate. What I've found is that acceptance that I can't control everything and the acknowledgement of the pitfalls of focusing only on negative "what ifs" has changed how I approach those situations. It seems to be working.

 

Other options, if self-help doesn't seem to address the issue, is therapy. I was prepared to see a therapist if I couldn't handle my own anxiety issue(s).

 

BTW, I'm not against benzos per se but think in those instances where a modified pattern of thinking is possible to address the core problem just treating the symptoms with a potent drug indefinitely is not the way to go. Look at it this way: If someone had chronic pain and it was something that could be fixed would just relying on painkillers result in a resolution?

I stated in my introduction thread that it seemed that most people here are against benzos. My question is what are people here doing when there anxiety symptoms are to the point they are debilitating? Weather it be work or friends etc. If you don't recommend benzos, and things such as breathing teniques etc are not enough, what do you recommend? What other options really are there? And people that are getting of benzos, what are you doing now to treat the same exact underlying anxiety problem that you had before starting benzos? Just curious to see some input.

 

This sums up my feelings about trying to get off benzos really.  I have already tried CBT and relaxation therapy in the past, but neither seem strong enough to over-ride the anxiety when it's bad (or else I didn't get a thorough-enough training in the techniques).  I tried these before I had a serious benzo problem, so my anxiety at that stage wasn't withdrawal related either.

 

Conventional wisdom around here seems to be that people just have to hack it/slog it out for weeks-months if they are having major anxiety (and insomnia) problems and if therapy doesn't help.  Either that or risk going back up in benzo dose.  A few may find antidepressants useful for anxiety.  Those who are slogging it out tell themselves it's all for the greater goal of healing from dependence and being free of benzos, and I'd be willing to physically salute anyone who can do this, as they are far tougher mentally than I am!!

 

Anticonvulsants that have been used as mood stabilisers are one other possibility, since these are said to offer bipolar patients improved anxiety and sleep treatment along with their mood stabilising effect, and maybe this could also work for non-bipolar anxious people.  Dr Jim Phelps is one doctor treating bipolar patients who mentions this benefit for anxiety, and he feels that carbamazepine (Tegretol) offers greater benefits for anxiety and sleep problems that lithium or valproate/Depakote:

 

http://www.psycheducation.org/depression/meds/carbamazepine.htm (read the 3rd paragraph in particular).

 

This could possibly be worth asking a doctor about, but you would have to find someone who specialises in this field most likely.  Other anticonvulsants said to be useful for anxiety are gabapentin and pregabalin, but many say they also encounter withdrawals with these when trying to stop.

 

Baclofen is another drug, a GABA-B agonist used as a muscle relaxant and experimental alcoholism treatment, said to effectively reduce/stop anxiety without requiring ever-increasing doses.  However my only "evidence" for this comes from an alcohol dependence forum, and my own experiments with it.  The supplement phenibut works similarly but many warn of dependence and tolerance with it.

 

By the way Tegretol has also been used as a Xanax withdrawal aid, which suggests it may be useful for anxiety during benzo withdrawal:

 

http://www.benzoliberty.com/information/xanaxwd.php

 

(Note---I am not recommending anyone take any particular drugs, just offering this information so that anyone reading it can work out for themselves, in conjunction with their doctor, if it could be worth giving a try.  I haven't personally tried this yet so I am not offering my own experience here either)

Hi and thanks for the response. Even though it seems as this whole forum is against benzo use, I have tried every other option there is with no help. So it's almost as if there is no other option. I can no longer work because of the anxiety. So that's why I ask, if you have used every other option, people still say no to benzo use?

Hi and thanks for the response. Even though it seems as this whole forum is against benzo use, I have tried every other option there is with no help. So it's almost as if there is no other option. I can no longer work because of the anxiety. So that's why I ask, if you have used every other option, people still say no to benzo use?

 

I don't what steps you already took to try to address this issue. Did you try therapy? I am not qualified (or permitted here) to tell you what to do but I can give you my opinion: I don't think benzos would be a viable long-term solution for anyone due to it's tolerance/dependency issues. I've also read that long-term benzo use can cause cognitive impairment that takes a very long time to leave after stopping the benzo.

Not sure - I get what you are saying and wish I too could find an appropriate answer.  My husband is severely suffering with anxiety during this final taper.  We cannot find ONE not ONE doctor that seems to have ANY knowledge of Ashton or withdrawal.  I wonder even if he finishes the taper successfully if he will be able to handle the anxiety and how. 

 

Today at a new doctor (I went to the visit) he was prescribed Tegretol as mentioned in the post above.  I am trying to see what others experience was on this.  I would love him to take it if it could help take the edge off but don't want to continue adding more when we are trying to add less!