Posted by zeugma on April 20, 2004, at 20:47:31
In reply to Re: Why would my Doc stop my Klonopin? » zeugma, posted by almondjoy on April 20, 2004, at 14:56:39
> > > > Try learning some breathing exercises in the next month and tough it out >
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> > > Sorry, for saying "tough it out" ...that's bull... but i understand your doc's pov, even if politics are involved, benzos can't help you handle anxiety over the long haul...
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> > Why do you say "benzos can't help handle anxiety over the long haul"? Is there any evidence to suggest that benzos are ineffective anxiolytics long term?
> > >
> > > good luck however you decide to handle the situation
> > > Thanks, I have suffered from horrific anxiety- no, fear- all my life and simply want to stop feeling like my amygdala is having its 'fear' button pushed every minute. AD's help the panic but don't counter the visceral sensations of fear that I constantly am swamped with. I have been in many kinds of therapy all my life and none has yielded the slightest relief of these dysphoric sensations.
> > > d
> > > z
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> Benzos dont help over the long haul and I'm not talking about studies or stats but logic taking a pill won't FIX anxiety. You can take it for six months or 16 years and if you haven't found other coping skills or an underlying biological problem, should you stop taking benzos the problem is still going to be there, and maybe be even be worse because of dependency on the medication.Well, at this point I'm not looking to 'fix' anything. I have severe ADD and depression and probably narcolepsy as well, and the pills I take don't 'fix' these conditions, they are PART of the coping itself. i feel like every day I am trying to work out ways of coping with a lifetime of trauma, and this is the way i have felt forever. My anxiety has been so intense that i have suffered from malnutrition because i lose my appetite completely under stress. Even with Strattera I need to drink about six to eight cups of coffee a day to manage my lack of concentration and energy. I see a therapist weekly, but as i have told her, I have been in therapy since the age of 12, and on balance , it has done FAR more harm than good (this therapist is the first one i trust since one i saw in the hospital at 21). the only thing that has cleared a space large enough for me to function is the appropriate medication. So I disagree with your premise that dependency will worsen the underlying problem. The medications do treat the 'underlying biological problem.'
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> It's well known that benzos are highly addictive, and it's happened to me on ativan. After taking a benzo for months the same dosage might not help as much, or you might be extremely upset or afraid at the idea of stopping. Aside from quitting, once it starts it can only get worse.
>> I absolutely think that anyone with a medical condition should be knowledgable about it and involved in the treatment decisions, but at the same time we have to trust that our healthcare providers have objectivity that we can't have and knowledge that we might not have. If you're not satisfied with your treatment or you don't trust your doc then don't stay, but if it really comes down to whether or not your doc will give you a script for benzos then REALLY think about it. And it can't hurt to talk to your doc about it, too. Just tell them you think its the only thing thats helped and you might go see someone else...
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> take care
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> d
poster:zeugma
thread:336284
URL: http://www.dr-bob.org/babble/20040417/msgs/338223.html