social anxiety meds?

[Ripper Jack]

I love these silly responses telling you to stay away from benzos when some of these guys are probably taking excessive amounts of Anabolics. Not to mention, I have also noticed that the people that are pointing fingers are generally snorting a ton of cocaine or meth. However, I'm NOT saying everyone is guilty of doing this….but if you are offended…you might be that guy..

Have you ever been on valium, Xanax< Ativan or klonopin for an extended period of time? It will sneak up on you quick and you have no idea what it will do to your mind and body if you haven't. First you can't sleep without it, then you become more anxious than you ever were without it, then your ears ring so loud you hate it, you become so sensitive to light and sound you can't sit in a completely dark place and pick up light as if someone was shining a light in your eyes. Your hearing becomes as if sound bounces off of every wall and you have no idea where it actually came from. Then keep going and let the seizures put you in the hospital until the authorities take your drivers license because you are now a danger to the public. Benzos are not to be taken lightly and I strongly recommend to not take them for more than a script or 2. Find another way to deal with your anxiety and do not depend on ant benzos. They will take over in a swift amount of time. I have lost 3 family memebers and 1 very close friend. Yes the benzo was mixed with another drug but that doesn't matter. They were comfortable enough and arrogant enough about the drug that it killed them. Do not take it lightly. I only want to express how fast this drug can mess up a person. I don't mean to offend anyone.

 

[OuchThatHurts]

To the OP, did you read the rules?

Well read them and then look at the title of this thread. We can talk about social anxiety but we start talking about scheduled narcotics that are HIGHLY addictive (even dangerous when not used properly), someone has to have the sense of mind to step back and ask what the hell we're trying to do here.

Nobody wants to be dependent on substances for anxiety although I'd venture to say everyone in this thread is physically or psychologically dependent on something.

You need need therapy, whether CBT, medicinal, whatever. Your problem is very fixable in THE PROPER ENVIRONMENT but not on professionalmuscle. We just don't do that here.

Talk to your doctor and see if you can get a good referral or ask around. They even have numbers in your state or area to get a referral if you can't get one from your doctor.

 

[OuchThatHurts]

Oh, and thanks everyone for the heartfelt responses. As you can see, none of you are alone and almost everyone has experienced or closely knows someone that has experienced these problems. Debating about the merits of meds is difficult for the simple reason that we are all at different stages and situations in our lives. One person may be a 30-something with 3 kids working two stressful jobs to support a family that is struggling just to keep their head above water. Is is silly to suggest that this person may need or perhaps would benefit from some medicinal relief from that discomfort? Sure.

On the other hand, you may have a 40 or 50-something individual that has now raised his kids and his position is secure with his company and his retirement is coming and now he wishes to be rid of that medication. Ooops! Not so easy to stop. And it can take a while. Some guidance suggests with clonazepam that withdrawal from the medication should be done in .125 increments every two months! That can be a two-year withdrawal. Others are more aggressive but I assure you, for regular users, the more aggressive, the more discomfort it will be.

My point is that you both are right, just rather the question is WHEN you are right. I'm glad to hear some of you are med-free and to those that are currently suffering severely, it's good to know that we have at least something to treat the discomfort. But let me be clear: our list of meds to treat acute anxiety is EXTREMELY limited. Much more research needs to be done in this area.

And to the guy that said, "It's all in your head." LOL... I disagree. It's all in your knee. What the fuck? Of course it's in the head. Where the hell else would it be?

 

[Jefe]

Dude why would you ever want to depend on meds to be able to talk to people? Yes, social anxiety exists.. Even I have it sometimes and it's natural. The more you just say fuck it and be yourself, then the more it goes away and that's the only way it will. Sure you could take anti-anxiety medication, but what's that worth if you can't be yourself? It's all in your head:banghead:

Would you advise against medication for an infection?

Anxiety disorders can be completely debilitating. Trust me, I'm on disability.

Some people need medication to not suffer. Living your life completely miserable 24/7 isn't fun.

Telling someone with a broken leg to "just suck it up" is retarded. Telling someone with mental health problems to "just get over" it is cruel and misguided, and equally retarded.

Wow.

 

[OuchThatHurts]

Would you advise against medication for an infection?

Anxiety disorders can be completely debilitating. Trust me, I'm on disability.

Some people need medication to not suffer. Living your life completely miserable 24/7 isn't fun.

Telling someone with a broken leg to "just suck it up" is retarded. Telling someone with mental health problems to "just get over" it is cruel and misguided, and equally retarded.

Wow.

I was just thinking that the 15th century called and they want their advice back.

 

[Jefe]

I was just thinking that the 15th century called and they want their advice back.

 

[jdog55]

This may not sound real but it is. I cured myself from horrible years of anxiety and panic attacks and depression.

What did i do? I smoked Marijuana and quit taking the ssri and xanax. Not just normally. I smoked it even when I didnt want to smoke it. When i way way too high and didnt want anymore, i smoked more. There were times that I thought I was going brain damage to myself and u know what I did? I smoked more. Im talking like a quarter everyday and did it by myself. I did this every day for almost 2 years and when I quit smoking Marijuana. I no longer had the issues.

It was a long time ago but it works.

 

[OuchThatHurts]

This may not sound real but it is. I cured myself from horrible years of anxiety and panic attacks and depression.

What did i do? I smoked Marijuana and quit taking the ssri and xanax. Not just normally. I smoked it even when I didnt want to smoke it. When i way way too high and didnt want anymore, i smoked more. There were times that I thought I was going brain damage to myself and u know what I did? I smoked more. Im talking like a quarter everyday and did it by myself. I did this every day for almost 2 years and when I quit smoking Marijuana. I no longer had the issues.

It was a long time ago but it works.

So go on a marijuana binge is what you're saying? Yeah, that will cure you of your anxiety alright. Because you'll be a complete stoner and constantly buzzed out of your mind.

That's like saying, "I cured my anxiety by drinking and drinking and drinking."

I realize that mj isn't nearly as harmful or addictive as alcohol and occasional use is perfectly fine and regular use as treatment for certain medical conditions is warranted. But mj can also make some people extremely paranoid and others to live life in a hazy psychosis. Some people don't mind that but if you want to be anxiety free AND have a clear head and active and professional life, mj MAY not be the solution for you. Others are fine with it all around. Obviously it helped you.

It's rough on the lungs if you smoke it so if you ever did decide to use it, vapor, oils, or extracts would be preferred.

 

[Flex2019]

I use MJ on a daily basis (and have for years). I agree that it's not the solution for everybody, but it keeps my mood very level and helps with sleep. Doesn't hurt motivation, as training is going great and my business is growing by leaps and bounds. I agree that smoking it everyday probably isnt the best idea. A vaporizor is a great investment. You can also look into cooking with it.

 

[OuchThatHurts]

I use MJ on a daily basis (and have for years). I agree that it's not the solution for everybody, but it keeps my mood very level and helps with sleep. Doesn't hurt motivation, as training is going great and my business is growing by leaps and bounds. I agree that smoking it everyday probably isnt the best idea. A vaporizor is a great investment. You can also look into cooking with it.

There are plenty of pros and top competitors out there that will burn one before going into the gym! Maybe I'll try it sometime. I wish I was one of those people that can burn it every day and not have any problems. But I have contacts and it's hell with the dry eyes and allergies and then it just makes me stupid. I'm forgetful and just a mess on it.

Not everyone is that way. But my primary point earlier is staying WAY baked day after day to alleviate anxiety well, there are better ways to go about calming anxiety.

 

[sdstealth]

No Klonopin, Xanax, Ativan, or ANY benzodiazepines. That shit will eventually kill you. They are nearly impossible to get off of after long-term use. Seriously, DO NOT FUCKING USE THEM.

Get your hormones checked, sex hormones as well as metabolic. You may have a deficiency that needs to be addressed.

Get some cognitive-behavioral therapy with a qualified therapist. It'll be the best money you ever spend if the person is good.

Consider Wellbutrin if you're insistent on medication.

 

[jdog55]

I guess most of you missed what I said. I smoked so much that I eventually quit smoking and when I quit smoking..i no longer needed medication anymore. I thought I would be an anti depressants forever but I have not taken any in 3 years.

 

[BEASTZ6]

I was diagnosed with anxiety disorder 20 years ago, and have been on a combination of xanax and effexor ever since. I have had no need to increase my dosage, and I function just fine. The problem is that I will probably be on these meds for the rest of my life, as I have tried to wean myself off with seriously adverse effects.

 

[jay_dub]

So I was the big Xanax advocate on this thread and due to some things that happened since I posted I wanted to put my situation out there.

First off, to say benzos will kill you is completely untrue.

Benzos alone can be consumed at astronomical amounts and not kill you. Its The combo of opiates and benzos that will kill you. Alcohol combined with benzos is very dangerous as well.

Drugs like xanax and klonopin alone are actually one of the safest and hardest drugs to overdose on.

The problem begins when life happens. One day you're a completely responsible person with above normal anxiety levels who happens to need relief in certain circumstances, like work, certain social interactions, etc. Then life takes a shit so fast and hard you can't begin to figure what went wrong. A fear quickly turns to a panic and the panic never stops. But you have these pills that you know fix your panic and slow your mind to think more clearly. But the shit is affecting all aspects of your life and you can't get any relief from its stench no matter what you do. And it's not going away anytime soon. So then begins the abuse. You up the dosage, then you buy off the street, you order online, whatever you can to have a safety net of numbness from the constant stress and pain that seems will never end. The light at the end of the tunnel is further away then ever, take some more pills. Your woman is leaving, take some more pills, the bills are coming in with late fees and the phone is ringing from collectors, take more pills.

At this point you are a zombie, unable to think right due to not feeling anything. Your ability to care is diminishing. Your ability to express emotions is almost nonexistent.

And you're dose is so high you can't fathom how it happened. You can't fathom much of anything other than continue day to day zoned out.

You can't stop because it can truly drop you dead from withdrawal. And you need to get back on path but can't do that cuz you're judgement is hazy. And you can't get your head right until you get off the meds, so you're stuck.

It's at this point that you're in for some hard times.

Benzo withdrawal will put you in such a dark state of being that your own home literally doesn't look like your home. Your city is not the same city. You are bombarded with such a strong sense of fear and impending doom that you can't make rational choices. I've been there.

Xanax was what did it after life had its way with me and put me in such a stressful panic that all logic goes out the window for some peace in popping pills.

I'm currently past that stage thank God, but still take low dose klonopin to keep me even keel. Eventually I'll be off that but lesson learned. If you aren't strong minded with drugs or have addictive personality, truly exhaust all other ways and steer clear of Xanax. Klonopin is much more balanced and doesn't have the amount of abuse potential or tolerance buildup as xanax. I've taken some hefty doses looking back... Shit I've seen a friend take bar after bar of Xanax and it got so bad he'd pass out while filling his gas tank. I know someone who gets prescribed 8mg of Xanax per day by a doctor. It's a crazy world.

Do what you know is right and just be careful, know your realistic risks and evaluate if you really need to go down that road before you just agree to your doctors recommendation

 

[OuchThatHurts]

Medication for a mental condition is often misinterpreted. If someone has a condition, we'll use this thread as an example, if someone has a condition where medication is the ONLY thing left in order for that person to live their life in a reasonable degree of comfort, then it's simply required. If a person cannot work, support their family, raise their children because of a debilitating mental condition, then the medication to them is every bit as warranted as insulin is to the diabetic.

Nobody would ever think of saying to a diabetic, "You should try to get off that stuff or you'll have to take it for the rest of your life." Jay Dubs example above is obviously a case where he requires a minimal amount of medication to live a normal life or, at the very least, fulfill his responsibilities in comfort. What can we say to him? "Just shrug it off?" "Toughen up, dude?" No, that would be silly.

Many people take medication daily to live normal lives. We should be cautious not to hold psychotropic medications to a different standard just because they are psychotropic! That's exactly the kind of stigma that we need to grow out of. There is no reason to withhold and therefore force a person to suffer and miss their life while a scientifically proven remedy sits right there on the shelf! That's the dark ages there! I thought we had moved passed that. Doing THAT would be pure madness.

The real facts are that many of these people, because they are NOT medicated begin self-medicating which is a million times more dangerous. Overdoses, alcoholism, non-prescription drug addictions occur sometimes because that person is seeking relief from some form of discomfort. It's not always possible to cure an illness but modern medicine has provided us with the tools to TREAT many illness.

To not at least attempt to treat life-altering discomfort would be barbaric. Withholding medication should not be the equivalent of permanent house arrest or death sentence.

 

[lilgumby]

Sorry guys i didnt read the whole thread but did someone suggest tying selank ? I use it for tren sides but when researching information on it i found people on anxiety forums were using it to help treat it

 

[ShortStop]

I would talk to a professional before I self medicated. I know so many people that are addicted to anti anxiety medication. That may not be the answer something else might be going on here.

 

[OuchThatHurts]

NO! Do not try until you talk to your doctor. That's exactly why these threads are against the rules! You're going to inject an unknown peptide into your body before see if you can just get something simple to take the edge off?

 

[JKeller81]

No Klonopin, Xanax, Ativan, or ANY benzodiazepines. That shit will eventually kill you. They are nearly impossible to get off of after long-term use. Seriously, DO NOT FUCKING USE THEM.

Get your hormones checked, sex hormones as well as metabolic. You may have a deficiency that needs to be addressed.

Get some cognitive-behavioral therapy with a qualified therapist. It'll be the best money you ever spend if the person is good.

Consider Wellbutrin if you're insistent on medication.

The problem is for those of us who had this since birth. I've done more than a decade of CBT, including sessions with Lucinda Bassett, who you probably know if you have anxiety or depression.

It's good stuff, it makes you feel good and I'm sure it's great for people with moderate issues... but as for me, I'm still completely useless without benzos. I was literally homeless without them because I can't function, I've thrown up in public places a bunch of times. Exposure therapy never helped, and yes, you can get fired from a job for constantly having to run to the restroom to throw up. Yes, benzos are terrible, but in some cases its the only option unless you want to rot away in some corner of an alley.

 

[carlos88]

I hear you, but I would still talk to a doctor about it