Is an anxiety medication addiction bad if it helps keep you sane?
21 June 2010
7 Comments
Tasia asked:
I have been taking Xanax for about 2 years for generalized anxiety disorder and panic attacks. I’ve read a lot on the internet that being addicted is a “bad” thing, but is it bad if it keeps me from going postal or being lousy company to my partner or getting no sleep? My psychiatrist thinks long-term use is ok, but most family doctors warn against long-term Xanax use. Do any of you have any experience with this drug?
I have been taking Xanax for about 2 years for generalized anxiety disorder and panic attacks. I’ve read a lot on the internet that being addicted is a “bad” thing, but is it bad if it keeps me from going postal or being lousy company to my partner or getting no sleep? My psychiatrist thinks long-term use is ok, but most family doctors warn against long-term Xanax use. Do any of you have any experience with this drug?
i have 5 words. it’s all in your head
I’m addicted to breathing.
Diabetics need insulin.
Asthmatics need inhalers.
Needing Xanax is no different.
If you are using it as prescribed then you have nothing to worry about. I personally would take 20mgs of xanax a day to get high and I got arrested and thrown in the mental hospital and fired by a doctor because I kept scamming him for more drugs. I also scammed a pharmacy for more xanax and even stole xanax from a terminal cancer patient. I am not proud of any of it, but it can get you into serious trouble.
as long as you are not “abusing” the medication by taking too much, taking it to often, or misusing it by snorting it, chewing it, or shooting it up. i wouldn’t say you have an “addiction”. if the drug is improving your circumstances and does not have negative affects to your activities of daily living (such as avoiding activities, friends, work, and family) it is beneficial, and working just how it is supposed to. i wouldn’t worry myself about what others think about it.
Negative emotions (like sadness, stress, anger, etc.) causes your Serotonin production to be low; when your Serotonin level is low, you are more prone to getting Anxiety, Panic Attacks, Depression, etc.
Medication like Antidepressants (SSRI – Selective Serotonin Reuptake Inhibitor) helps to boost Serotonin level.
But there are natural ways to do it without medication. There’s this strange herb called “St John’s Wort” – it is said to be more effective than Prozac. No, it is not for mild depression only and ignore those sayings. In fact, it does help anxiety and panic-attacks as St John’s Wort works like prozac. Other natural ways will be exercise, diet, more exposure to light, etc.
The problem is that, even if your Serotonin is balanced… you have that “learned behavior” in your mind. You need to break that initial cycle to destroy that learned behavior – Cognitive Behavior Therapy (CBT) does this. A technique that you can use without CBT will be Distraction… There are several other techniques to help cope them!
Ok, to use Distraction: Firstly, try to….
Extracted from Source.
Long-term Xanax use generally is not ok. It can make anxiety worse over time. When you try to taper off the medication or stop it, most people on it for that long experience “rebound” anxiety.
Additionally, you develop a tolerance to Xanax. That is never a good thing. It’s a vicious cycle.
Never stop it abruptly without talking with your doctor first.
Long term use can cause addiction – something to watch out for.
I suffered from panic attacks for years and found that the best cure was not the medication, but a technique that helps you cure the underlying fear that is causing your attacks in the first place.
This website may be helpful for you to look at.
All the best.
Tessa
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