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Browse through 411.742 posts in 47.053 threads.

160,431 Members

Please welcome our newest members: Jgorilla, anna13, CCaballero, JJAY EVANGEL, VKATE DARLENE

Hey Im Mia..Ill tell you a little bit about myself :)


13 years ago 0 7 logo logo logo logo logo logo logo logo logo logo 0
Hey Davit-
 
Ok thank you for the tip. Yeah I havent taken any yet because I looked it up when I got them and it didnt seem like it was for anxiety at all. I think there are better alternatives too. Its 50mg and he prescribed it to me to use when Im having an attack. Yeah he really doesnt and exuse my language but hes a real *******. Like I said before he still thinks Im a drug addict and I dont think he will ever give me a chance. I told him Ive changed but he literally told me that I was bull****ting him. Like I said nefore hes a real prick. See I would do that but my family is very tight on money. Im on Medicade and the place Im going to is the only therapist office that takes Medicade. So its either see them or see nobody. I think thats a good method but I definently dont think theyll give me a chance. Ill ask again though just to see what happens.Yeah thats what I thought but my doctors think differently.  Yeah I definently never did that because it just seems like a stupid thing to do. Yeah thats exactly how I feel and I am so ready to move on and fix this. Yeah I know I dont have to be one because of my parents because their a prime example of how I dont want to end up. I mean I drink occasionally but I dont think Ill ever turn out to be an alcoholic. Well thats a pretty cool hobby :) Im glad you dont drink that much too. Yeah I have definently noticed that and I wouldnt be telling you guys these things if I thought you were going to judge me. Yeah I know but Im just really hope we can all get through this in the end :)
 
 
13 years ago 0 6252 logo logo logo logo logo logo logo logo logo logo 0
Mia.

Do not take Hydroxyzine with any of the benzo's, it will make you very sleepy, If you take it, do not drive. It is an anti histamine used in higher doses for anxiety. Personally I think there are better things. I would not think taking some thing meant to reduce itching in low doses is the right medication for anxiety. Seems your Dr, really doesn't trust you. If it was me I'd be looking for another doctor instead of playing Guinea pig. Problem is, likely that now that you are in the medical computer every doctor has access. That is how it works here in Canada. The only way they can tell if you are an addict is to let you try. If you were  taking Xanax only on the weekend you could hardly be an addict. Especially if you were mixing it with alcohol and weed. A very dangerous practice if your weed was cut with coke. A good way to get dead. But like you said, it is in the past. Time to move on and fix this. 
By the way, you only have a predisposition to addiction because of your parents you don't have to be one. I do too. Both my parents drank excessively, but I don't. I make wine and end up giving it away as I drink only the odd glass with company. It is a hobby I like.
I'm sure you have noticed by now that no one here will judge you. We are all here for good reason.

Here for you,
Davit.
13 years ago 0 7 logo logo logo logo logo logo logo logo logo logo 0
Hey Davit-
 
Yeah I will definently talk to my doctor about it the next time I go for a visit. I mean of course I could have lied and told them I never had a drug history so they wouldnt treat me as an addict but I was truthful and told them everything. Well Im glad you can do without it now. Wow thats a long time. Im sorry :( Thats good that youve only had panic attacks for 4 years and Im so happy to hear that you havent had one in a year! :) Ok Ill have to look into that one. My doctor actually prescribed me Hydroxyzine but Im so scared to take it because I really dont know what it is. And I hate looking up medications because when I read some of the side effects it scares the hell out of me. Thank you. I am definently going to stick with you guys and the program and I know Ill get better over time.
 
Hi CdnGuy-
 
Thanks! Well Im glad you dont have to rely on taking any medications. Its a pain but it helps me gets through the day most of the time. Well Im so glad it helps a lot for you. I love hearing success stories about overcoming anxiety and I really hope I can be a success story someday too. Yeah the people here are really nice and supportive and I love that. They always seem to give me such great advice too. Thank you for welcoming me though :)
13 years ago 0 7 logo logo logo logo logo logo logo logo logo logo 0

Hey Flint-

Thank you and yeah I have found out that there is some really useful information here. Well Im happy to know that someone went through the same things I have even though it was a bad situation to go through. Well Im very happy to hear that you got off of it. Im glad you didnt go cold turkey because honestly it was hell. At first I didnt have any problems but then out of nowhere one night I had a bunch of seizures and had to be rushed to the hospital. Yeah I definently know Xanax is a very addictive drug. I mean I wasnt dependant on it but I took it pretty much every weekend for a couple years and I would take up to 4mg or more each time. I never had anxiety when I took it but I just liked the feeling it gave me. Well Img glad you switched to a different benzo and finally weaned off of it. Yeah I definently feel Im in control of taking Xanax. I only take a .25mg when needed and it really helps but I dont rely on them to get me through the day or anything like that. Yeah next time I go to my therapist I will talk to her about it. But like I said before she told me that most doctors think that once your a drug addict your always a drug attict and thats definently not the case with all people. But thanks I will definently talk to my physciatrist about it. No I honestly dont consider myself as a druggie anymore. I mean dont get me wrong I was to be a big partier. I smoked weed and took xanax and drank and did a lot of stuff but thats all far behind me now. I still drink occasionally when Im at a party though. Well thank you I definently know that was probably the smartest decision I have ever made. I will never consider myself as a druggie now but I used to be so when people tell my they wont prescribe my a limited amount of pills for my horrible anxiety it really hurts me. Its in my past and I want it to stay there. I probably do have a predisposition to addiction because both my parents are alcoholics and ex-druggies so its hard. Thank you so much for all your support.

13 years ago 0 89 logo logo logo logo logo logo logo logo logo logo 0
Hi Mia,
 
Congratulations on taking this step into learning about CBT. If you've read any of my posts, you'll know I don't use pharmaceuticals, so CBT is what I rely on. It does help. It is TOUGH sometimes, but it helps.
 
I hope for you that because you are taking steps to learn CBT and such at a younger age, that you'll have a long life ahead of you without anxiety attacks.
 
The folks here are really good. I've vented here a lot and everyone has been supportive and really given good advice. 

13 years ago 0 6252 logo logo logo logo logo logo logo logo logo logo 0
Hi Mia.

I agree with Flint. Valium in my case and opinion is safer than any of the other benzodiazapines  35 years ago I took 5 mg a day so I could go to work. I never did taper off properly, I just started getting up feeling okay and would forget to take it. I have had anxiety for 50 or more years but only panic attacks in the last 4 and have been free for over a year. CBT works, life is good.

Buspar is a non benzo anti anxiety with no withdrawal problems and is not addictive, but it has to be taken every day to be effective. If I remember though it made me sleepy.

Stick with us and stick with the program. You will get better.

Here for you,
Davit.
13 years ago 0 31 logo logo logo logo logo logo logo logo logo logo 0
Hi Mia,

Welcome to the site. There's a lot of great information on the site and kind, caring people with a lot of wisdom to offer.

I also was addicted to another benzodiazepine (Klonopin) after taking it daily for a number of years because I couldn't take other medications to control my anxiety/panic. I recently got off of it, but it was one of the worst experiences in my life. I didn't go the cold turkey route since it's one of most difficult and dangerous -- as you know from the seizures you experienced. Instead, I switched to an equivalent dose of Valium and tapered down over a period of months, then switched to Neurontin to get off the last bit. I still take Neurontin daily and have Valium on hand when my anxiety gets really bad.

In the class of drugs called benzodiazepines, Xanax has a high potential for addiction because of it's potency (.5mg of Xanax=10mg of Valium) and relatively short half life (time it takes for half the drug to leave your body, Xanax is 6-12 hours and Valium is 20-200). Half life is important because a drug with a short half life wears off more quickly creating more of a cold turkey effect, while a drug with a long half life wears off more gradually creating more of a tapering down effect.

That's why I switched to Valium to get off of Klonopin. It was really hard for me to get off the last few mg's of Valium but Neurontin got me through it. Neurontin is technically an anticonvulsant (anti-seizure), but it works in controlling anxiety for some people. It also has a low side effect profile and a low potential for addiction.

Ok, if you're still with me, a few suggestions. It sounds like you're in  control of taking Xanax since you're using good judgment before taking it. If you're really concerned about getting addicted again, you might want to ask your doctor about switching to Valium since it has a lower potential for addiction. I can't necessarily recommend Neurontin as an alternative to using a benzodiazepine since it's not considered an anti-anxiety medication, though it does work for me. If your interested, you can talk about it with your doctor (a psychiatrist will probably know more about it's properties than a GP).

Finally, I hope you don't consider yourself a "druggie". You just chose a drug that has a very high potential for addiction and you were strong and smart enough to get off of it. There are a lot of people that are addicted to alcohol, and the only difference is that it's legal and socially accepted. There's no reason to carry the druggie label around for the rest of your life. At worst, you might just have a predisposition for addiction so will need to make sure you take things in moderation.

Take care,
Flint
13 years ago 0 7 logo logo logo logo logo logo logo logo logo logo 0
Hey Davit-
 
Yeah I think theres a difference too and I know. Yeah Im trying as hard as I can but sometimes it doesnt work. I definently feel confident that I will never use xanax again to get high and I told my therapist and physciatrist that and they dont beileve me. Like I said before I feel that their thinking once a druggie always a druggie and its not fair. I know lifes not fair at all but now when I need the help really bad Im not getting the support I need. They gave me about 10 pills a year ago and I still have like 3 left. So pbviously Im not abusing them but they still dont believe me. I try and do that all the time. When I get really anxious and feel that Im about to have an attack I hold out for awhile to see if it goes away and if it gets worse I take .25 of a xanax and if it gets better I get by without one. I know I dont need them but its just nice to have that security that if I get a horrible attack I cant take a small pill and make it go away. Im trying to build myself up to fight this but when a get really panicky all the things that Ive been telling myself just fall away and I get very anxious and scared. I try to replace negative thoughts with positive thoughts all the time and sometimes it works and sometimes it doesnt. I know I need to learn how to unlearn having negative thoughts and thats why Im here. I just feel that avoiding things is the easy way out and thats definently not the answer to my problems. I hope Ill get true this and Im sure I will but right now its just hard. Thank you so much for being here for me. :)
 
Mia
13 years ago 0 6252 logo logo logo logo logo logo logo logo logo logo 0
Hello Mia.
 
Ok this makes a difference. There are so many different levels of panic attacks. I'm glad you are trying. If you feel confident you will not use the xanax to get high then I would try to get it reinstated. Even if you can only have a limited amount. See, what happens if you need it and try to get by without it you build a terror of having a panic attack that just brings one on. But if you hold out a bit, not too long and then take the smallest amount that you can you build a core belief that says you will be able to go longer next time. And you will because you will install a feeling that you will eventually be able to do it alone, instead of a belief that panic attacks are going to rule your life. Sort of like using a chemical high to teach you how to have a mental high without needing the chemical. Here it is called replacing negative thought with positive. It is also related to mood and emotions since they are all tied together. We are not born sad or negative, it is a learned process. So we can unlearn it and learn happy and positive in its place. This is CBT and the program will show you how. Any questions just ask.

Here for you,
Davit
13 years ago 0 7 logo logo logo logo logo logo logo logo logo logo 0
Red-
 
Thank you so much for welcoming me to this site. Yeah its been really hard to deal with this as many of you know but Im trying my best to overcome this. Well I am so happy I came to the right place and its so relieving knowing there are people out there that are dealing with the same things I am. You guys all seem like such nice people and Im so happy Im not alone in this anymore. Im so happy I found you guys too.
 
Mia
 
Debi-
 
Thank you and Im so glad I joined this site too because you guys all seem like such wonderful people. Yeah its extremely hard to deal with at such a young age but I feel like I can get through this. These limitations put on me really suck but I know things will get better. I am so happy you know and feel what Im going through too. I am definently going to keep reading and thank you for welcoming me!
 
Mia
 
Hi Sunny-
 
Thank you so much for welcoming me too! I feel like I came to the right place too. :) Thanks! I am definently going to try CBT and Im glad there are so many people that have had great success with doing this. I am actually about to start reading Chapter 1 now and Im happy to know that I can study at my own pace. I will definently practice those exercises because that is exactly what I need to learn to calm me down when I start getting anxiety. And Im so glad they worked for you so well! Thank you! I do have determination and faith and I will believe but sometimes when Im feeling down its hard to believe Ill get through it. Thank you again! Well Im so glad you guys will be here for me when I need help and I hope to hear back from you guys soon.
 
Mia

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