Posted by Pattisun on August 23, 2002, at 15:54:24
In reply to Re: one more thing..Bromazepam... » Pattisun, posted by jay on August 23, 2002, at 4:03:56
Hey Jay,
I wasn't trying to say he should not take his anti-anxiety medication. If it were not for my Klonopin I would have not been able to LIVE, I am CERTAIN of that!!
I just meant that even with the medication's help that he should also work on some other avenues to help. At least for me my anxiety disorder is so bad that I needed both cognitive therapy and medication. And, since suffering with this since 1995 I find I still need help and have started in therapy again.
And, I am confused about the long term benzo use, I am having such a rough time withdrawing from the benzo (doctor's order) my husband had to be woken up about 2 a.m. this morning because I was sure I needed to go to the hospital because my chest pains were so bad. It was anxiety and it is crippling.
But even with an SSRI and Klonopin and cognitive therapy, etc. I usually end up with at least one ambulance ride per year to the ER because they are sure I am in heart failure. Anxiety is an evil, scary demon and it takes lots of resources to fight it!
Okay, now I'm rambling.... :-)
Patti
>
> Ok...I sort of understand what you are saying. I hope you understand I beg to differ. There is some (actually, a fair bit) evidence that taking consistent, long-term (indefinite) medication causes many of the important changes in many parts of our brain to deal with mental illness, and especially stress. As far as suffering long term effects of benzo use...I haven't seen much in the way of research on that. Used properly, they are one of the safest meds out there. It's been about 9 or 10 years for me using them regularly, and they have saved me when *nothing* else could..period. I *can* tell you of the long-term effects of untreated anxiety, besides major reduction in quality of life, is also possibly suicide. You can't get any worse then that.
>
> Would you ask someone with high blood pressure or congestive heart problems to just take their medications once in awhile? No, of course not....but your theory fits in here because as with those problems, you have to make some lifestyle changes also.
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> But, first things first...and that is the anxiety has to be brought down. If after so, and this can be determined by a person and a good doctor, other medications can be added to deal with both anxiety and anything from Bipolar disorder to depression. (Of all shades.)
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> Then, all of the books, the 're-learning', and changes can be utilized by a person who has been properly medicated, and feels somewhat well. "Proper" medication(s) may be hard as hell to find, but benzos are a good start. I think doctors are FAR too conservative with the half-dose, one-pill-at-a-time thing. Suicide is often (not always of course) the result of improperly or undertreated prescribing. I just doesn't seem the 'politically correct' thing to do, for a doctor to use all of the tools they have been given knowledge to use.
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> Sorry for my rambling...it's just my opinion. FWIW..
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> Jay
>
poster:Pattisun
thread:117455
URL: http://www.dr-bob.org/babble/20020821/msgs/117553.html