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My psychiatrist thinks I should be on benzos for life


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My pdoc thinks I need to be on benzos for life due to my social anxiety/phobia and GAD. I got a 2nd opinion with an addiction psychiatrist & he agreed with my pdoc. :-[ This of course devastated me.  I have been on benzos for over 20 years and have been tapering for over a year (started at .50 mg clonazepam & hit 1.50 mg of valium yesterday) . I feel like I'm so close to the finish line.

 

It's so frustrating to have to defend my decision to taper at each visit with my pdoc. He is patronizing and sarcastic and attributes all of my symptoms to my underlying condition and not benzo wd. I guess I should just be happy that he is willing to prescribe liquid valium & let me taper at my own pace.

 

Does anyone here agree with my pdoc that it is okay for someone with social anxiety/phobia to stay on benzos for life? Psychiatrists in the US don't seem to believe in the development of anxiolytic tolerance after long term use. They argue the benefits outweigh the risks for someone like myself.

 

It will take me at least another 8 months to get down to zero from my current dose of 1.5 mg of valium. I am cutting. 01 mg per day & plan to start cutting .005 mg per day once I reach 1 mg. Even cutting at such a slow pace, I am suffering horrible anxiety, agoraphobia, derealization, etc.

 

Thanks for your support.

 

 

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Ask for proof. That will shut your pdoc up. Where does it say benzos remain effective indefinitely ? How does he know you have an "underlying condition" and are not in withdrawal ?

 

Your addiction specialist is an idiot. Anyone with even the slightest knowledge about addiction knows that benzos are the most addictive of all known substances and that you need to raise you dosage regularly to get the same effect, and that at some point you can't get any further.

 

There are plenty of non-pharmaceutical treatments available for social anxiety, and they work far better than pills. You're not going to get any of those alternative treatments from a psychiatrist, though.

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Did you feel better while on benzos? Was your anxiety gone? If not, he's not right. Besides that, telling someone he's ill for life is not what a doctor should do when it comes to a 'vague' diagnosis as GAD. He should encourage you to deal with your anxiety in a different way. Benzos can initially help you to actually do something, but they shouldn't be used for a long time. He should know that, it's even in official FDA papers.
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I agree with you. The addiction psychiatrist is a professor at Columbia medical school, which is ivy league. He told me with a smile on his face that "he's seen this before & that I won't succeed in getting off." I called another pdoc today who is also a professor at Columbia & he never even heard of Dr. Ashton & doesn't use valium. I've basically given up on psychiatry.
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As if tapering isn't hard enough, you get trouble from your dr.

 

 

So sorry. . .

 

 

Some people manage their taper themselves when they have an uneducated doctor.

 

Until you can find another dr, I would just keep tapering.

 

 

The problem with this scheme is that you need an uninterrupted, reliable supply of the SAME benzo for a long period.

 

 

If you can do this without creating additional anxiety for yourself, you are home.

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I too have/had social phobia as well.  I get really anxious around strangers and crowds.  However, I would never go to the aid of benzos IMO. 

 

There are way better alternatives to help with social anxiety.  There's all sorts of therapies, and ways to help with it. 

 

I'm not taking benzo's anymore, and I'm almost 6 months off.  During that time, I've been working on my SA, and I'm battling it and overcoming it.  Even though I still feel very uncomfortable at parties, I still go, just to prove to myself that my fears can be irrational and theres nothing to be uncomfortable about.  I also have a great counselor. 

 

People having a hard time going through benzo withdrawal, go through the exact symptoms of GAD.  This is why a person should not be diagnosed with GAD while going through benzo withdrawal. 

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I agree with you. The addiction psychiatrist is a professor at Columbia medical school, which is ivy league. He told me with a smile on his face that "he's seen this before & that I won't succeed in getting off." I called another pdoc today who is also a professor at Columbia & he never even heard of Dr. Ashton & doesn't use valium. I've basically given up on psychiatry.

My psychiatrist was also a very succesful specialist with his practice in the most expansive part of the city. He told me the same thing, I would die when I would try to get off Xanax. It seems like these people don't like people to think for themselves since they think they are better at it. They are wrong though, psychiatry isn't really science and basically comparable to pseudo science like homeopathy.

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I was put on 200 mg. of zoloft when I was taken off of klonopin cold turkey.  I told the Dr. at my last visit that I would like to get off the zoloft too and she said "no...you will be on zoloft the rest of your life for your anxiety".  Hello?  I think that is MY decision.  I started my taper that day.
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Did you feel better while on benzos? Was your anxiety gone? If not, he's not right. Besides that, telling someone he's ill for life is not what a doctor should do when it comes to a 'vague' diagnosis as GAD. He should encourage you to deal with your anxiety in a different way. Benzos can initially help you to actually do something, but they shouldn't be used for a long time. He should know that, it's even in oficial FDA papers.

 

I felt much better on the benzos compared to how I feel now. I decided to taper due to health concerns over long-term use & tolerance. To his credit, my pdoc is encouraging me to go for CBT, but I think it will be a waste when my DR/DP is this bad.  I feel so detached from everything. I will definitely reconsider CBT once I'm off the benzos.

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I agree with you. The addiction psychiatrist is a professor at Columbia medical school, which is ivy league. He told me with a smile on his face that "he's seen this before & that I won't succeed in getting off."

 

I have to wonder if these so called "experts" understand the real reason why these meds are hard to come off of. They give you a drug that makes you sick while taking it, even sicker when you try to STOP taking it, then they tell you that you need to be on it for life.

 

I would ask your doctor to define "need". Someone who has a seizure disorder might need a benzo, but I don't think need is the right word when we are talking about someone who has anxiety.

 

I started in clonazepam for social anxiety but benzo wd quickly taught me what anxiety really is. My problem was very, very minor compared to what the drug did to me.

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There are many ways of overcoming anxiety via non-medicinal means. I too have anxiety problems, but have found that there are methods such as Mindful Meditation to rewire and restore the areas of my brain responsible for calmness. At one point I was told I would have to be on SSRIs the rest of my life...WRONG...misinformed doctors who just didn't know any better. I was also told I may have to take Ativan forever...WRONG AGAIN.  Thank goodness I found a pdoc who believes these meds should be used sparingly, if at all. As long as they keep letting you taper, you can find your own alternative means to overcoming your anxiety issues. You can be benzo free AND anxiety free, and that is a FACT. Stay the course...you are on the right path. Please don't let misinformed doctors mislead or discourage you. They simply don't seem to know any better and haven't really kept up with the new changes in psychiatry where all psychotropics are now undergoing a major rethink.
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i dont know why they dont help us.

did you ever get any help on how ro deal with social anxiety, gad, etc?

i know i didnt.

looking back, a yr of good thdrapy mightve helped more than telling us to take a pill.

now look at the mess we are in.

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Thanks for all of the support & encouragement. I will try mindfulness meditation & CBT for my anxiety once the DR subsides. I hope to prove the pdocs wrong.
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Did you ask him about tolerance?

 

Keep the Faith!

 

I don't think my pdoc believes that benzos cause anxiolytic tolerance over the long-term. I tried searching google scholar for journal articles that validate anxiolytic tolerance but couldn't find any. It can take years for anxiolytic tolerance to develop so maybe that is why there are no definitive studies with human subjects. If anyone knows of a study I missed, please let me know the citation. Thanks.

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My pdoc thinks I need to be on benzos for life due to my social anxiety/phobia and GAD. I got a 2nd opinion with an addiction psychiatrist & he agreed with my pdoc. :-[ This of course devastated me.  I have been on benzos for over 20 years and have been tapering for over a year (started at .50 mg clonazepam & hit 1.50 mg of valium yesterday) . I feel like I'm so close to the finish line.

 

It's so frustrating to have to defend my decision to taper at each visit with my pdoc. He is patronizing and sarcastic and attributes all of my symptoms to my underlying condition and not benzo wd. I guess I should just be happy that he is willing to prescribe liquid valium & let me taper at my own pace.

 

Does anyone here agree with my pdoc that it is okay for someone with social anxiety/phobia to stay on benzos for life? Psychiatrists in the US don't seem to believe in the development of anxiolytic tolerance after long term use. They argue the benefits outweigh the risks for someone like myself.

 

It will take me at least another 8 months to get down to zero from my current dose of 1.5 mg of valium. I am cutting. 01 mg per day & plan to start cutting .005 mg per day once I reach 1 mg. Even cutting at such a slow pace, I am suffering horrible anxiety, agoraphobia, derealization, etc.

 

Thanks for your support.

 

Hi LongRoad,

 

This is an interesting post - and I will share just my intuition - although of course I don't know you or your history like you do. :)

 

I'm going to be honest and totally open here - and share about myself.

 

I come from a family where my dad and grandmother are both diagnosed with GAD - they are functional and successful - but their nervous system is just heightened - in my own interpretation. My dad is very conscientious, honest, hard-working - was a military leader at one point and then a large business leader. I think the "weight of the world" rests on some people's shoulders in ways that others do not feel.

 

I am similar in that I am caring, intuitive, and empathic. I often feel that I can "feel what others are feeling". I cannot help but clue in to their facial expressions, tone of voice, to moods, nuances - things many people would just "Miss".  I dont' miss much.  I was a gifted student in school - warm, caring, humble, loving - all things that aren't super common always - at least openly so in society.  And between intellect and emotion, I felt "apart" a lot.  That is part of the curse of being gifted.  Along with that, I now feel that the term "GAD" would likely suit me - although - and here's the rub - I don't necessarily think it's a disorder - as much as set of heightened levels of awareness that an adult person must learn to balance and emotionally cope with.  I don't think "MOST" of the culture is intuitive and emotional - and as such - probably have no idea what I "experience" when it comes to how I feel around people.  I am a really good teacher for kids - because it as if I can understand exactly what they are thinking and feeling. That's a strength - but at the same time  - that level of awareness can be a burden.  It can leave me feeling drained and like I need to have some time out.

 

The term "Generalized Anxiety" can be a real thing if it truly affects you to the point of dysfunction or dysregulation - but if we look at that term  - it's describing symptoms - and not a cause.  And depending on the cause, the treatment is different. The brain really may undergo different reactions to stress - and this may be a physiological underlying cause of what is labeled GAD.  For instance, people with pyroluria (look this up!) have a hard time getting enough zinc and B6  - and something as simple as supplementing with appropriate doses and working with a practictioner who understands pyroluria, can test you for it, and can treat it,  can completely turn around the body's response to stress - rendering many with "GAD" "cured" as long as they stay on these supplements. In this case, "GAD" is likely a real physiological phenomenon  - but just like we wouldn't cure "anemia" (iron deficiency) with "benzos", we ought not cure pyroluria (zinc /B deficiency) with benzos.  Sure - the symptoms may be anxiety related - but the cause is physical and has a physical treatment.  There are other causes for sypmtoms of GAD, too - like trauma, heightened sensitivity based on intellect and personality type, etc.  So it's too broad in my opinion for everyone to just take meds.  Other things like exercise, yoga, church, and even just reading books and finding like-minded friends can make someone feel comfortable enough in life to not truly have dysfunction - even WITH this diagnosis.

 

We also have to remember a few things  - doctors are helpful and they intend to help.  But depending on your take on psychiatry - I feel that many labels are arbitrary - and many typical terms are easily thrown around that just describe the human condition in general.  Many people go through stressful times or may even be highly-sensitive - but the label of "GAD" is still a human-designed label. It is something that comes from psychiatrists all agreeing that a certain set of characteristics deserves a name. And I won't give a judgement on that -but that is up to each person to decide as to whether or not they feel beholden to that type of system.

 

Finally- it's hard to see this when you are on benzos and you feel SO insecure -the way I did - but try to realize that a psychiatrists only real "toolchest" is medication. That is to say - they are trained - for a good 10 years of their early professional life - to categorize and label people with disorders - and then to treat them with drugs.  Again - I'm not placing judgement on things. Sometimes these drugs are life-savers and I am actually glad they were there for me when my hormones flipped out post-partum. :) But also realize that it's not easy to expect a psychiatrist to look at a person and NOT prescribe something. That's almost all they do - and they aren't equipped to treat in other ways.  However - if you (after you recover from benzos) were to go to a PSYCHOLOGIST - they are trained the OPPOSITE. They are trained to treat people with therapy - and NOT drugs - so you might find a much more welcome, relaxed, validating warmth there. 

 

If it makes you feel any better, I had SEVERAL doctors tell me the SAME thing when I was still on the drugs and had hit tolerance. It was only my belief in myself that I was NORMAL BEFORE - (even if a little high strung) :) - and my research on benzos that led me to the VERY TOUGH decision to get off of them - even though I had NO support professionally and was SUPER insecure about the whole thing. I had lost 20 pounds and was getting too thin and was anxious, sick, completely messed up - and a basketcase. And here I'm telling my family "it's the drugs - it's not me" and NO doctor agreed- ... so yeah - I looked crazy. But here 2 years later - EVERYONE can see - after going on this journey with me - that I'm back to my old self. It WAS the drugs . The doctors were simply completely in the dark and still are.

 

I can't speak to anyone else's situation, but I want you to know that I consider myself rational, successful, "normal", and maybe someone (maybe so maybe not) that would "qualify" for a diagnosis of GAD. I dont' really know.  I DO know that there are many "normal" ways of "being" a "human being". Some of us are sensitive and intuitive and perhaps more "anxious" or prone to stressful responses nervous system-wise. I dont' know. I'm only in my body. I have no other body to compare it to. :) But I can tell you I'm TOTALLY able to nap, sleep, and relax again.  And while I am still one to overanalyze and think too much - and I always will be - LOL - I would not trade who I am. I am me and I am just glad to be alive after all of this. 

 

We are each individuals - each with our own beauty, flaws, strengths, gifts, and shortcomings.  We each have talents we take for granted and we each have challenges we have to face and find ways to live with.  There are many ways to cope with being prone to anxiety- and I don't feel it's an obligation to believe what a psychiatrist says per se. I think working with a doctor you trust is a choice - and it's ALWAYS *your* choice.  It's a soul-searching journey - but try not to be scared. There are many options EVEN IF you do "have GAD".  This is the conclusion I've come to for myself.  I hope it helps you feel at peace with who you are.

 

:)Parker

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I went to my dr. today and she said she thinks I should go back on a tiny amount of klonopin daily. I'm not seeing the logic in these doctors with prescribing these benzos. I just think that they get uncomfortable with seeing our w/d symptoms and want to make it go away so they don't have to put up with it. I could be wrong, but it just seems that way to me. They probably don't even know they are doing it.
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I went to my dr. today and she said she thinks I should go back on a tiny amount of klonopin daily. I'm not seeing the logic in these doctors with prescribing these benzos. I just think that they get uncomfortable with seeing our w/d symptoms and want to make it go away so they don't have to put up with it. I could be wrong, but it just seems that way to me. They probably don't even know they are doing it.

 

They are trained in med school to give you the "pill" that relieves your symptoms,  its the easiest thing for them to do, and it only takes 5 minutes, which is about how much time they allot to seeing you. Any more than that and they fall behind schedule. If you're going to be more trouble than that to them, well, most will make it seem YOUR failure, not theirs. it's much the same way with abusive relationships; if you expect better of them, they'll just say you are the crazy one. It's easy and gets them off the hook.

 

Sad condition of our medical system.

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I agree Onelove.  Thanks so much for your post Parker. My SA is a lot worse than my GAD unfortunately. I want to try yoga, meditation & acupuncture but have been procrastinating due to the anxiety, agoraphobia & DR. I also feel like I'm constantly in fight or flight mode. My CNS is raw despite my slow taper. I guess the fact I've been on benzos for 21yrs (half of my life) is not in my favor. I will try to stay positive though and hope for the best. Thanks again.
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Great post Parker!  Longroad we sound like we've lived the same story, same number of years, same age. I regret ever going on benzos. Like many I was told that I needed this drug like a diabetic needs insulin. "It's a low dose, you can be on this for life with no problems". How many time I heard this!

 

Every time my doc would c/t me he said "see, this is how u are without the drug. This is the real you".

 

Very sad.

 

W/d has been extremely difficult for me. I'm not gonna lie. I was down to 0.25 mg and was doing fine. Anxiety was low. Still had DR, but some windows.

 

One week after my last dose of 0.25 mg all hell broke loose. Anxiety through the roof, amidst a hose of many other s/x.

 

So what happened in one week?  The "real me" showed up?  I think not. It's benzo w/d.

 

Please learn from my mistake and taper lower and slower than I did. U have months ahead of u to learn many coping strategies for ur anxiety.

 

Wish u all the best! :)

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Doctors want you to stay addicted, if you don't there isn't much for them to do. Don't listen to them and keep appointments to a bare minimum. Isn't it interesting that before benzos came out people dealt with their anxiety without having to resort to drugs but now that we have them they are a 'must'. Total bullshit.
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I was told this as well - back when  I was "only" taking .5 clonzapan -- there are better way to cope with GAD- I am not even sure I have it.

Please let us know what you decide to do

Hugs

 

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