Stress Center Peer Support

Hello everyone,
It has been several months since I have been here on the fourm, I have worked this program more than once,and the skills that you will learn are life saving. Any way in regards to your xanax question, I don't recomend any benzos at all to help with anxiety. I have been taking ativain for almost 5 years and have become very addicited to it. Matter of fact these kinds of drugs just mask the problem they don't fix it.Esp benzos like xanax, ativain,klotiopn*(sp)They have a very short half life. That means if you do become addictited (which can happen very easy, with out you even knowing it.) You will suffer tolorance withdral from it. The symptoms of w/d from these kind of drugs are much more worse than any underlying anxiety I ever had.I am currently crossing over to valium ( longer half life to elemimate withdraw symptoms between doses) so I can taper off this poison. 1mg of xanax is = to 10 mg of valium. Really i'm not trying to sell anything here folks, i'm just trying to stress a point the these drugs are very dangerous. You can find more info at <A HREF="http://www.benzo.org.uk" TARGET=_blank>www.benzo.org.uk</A>

Dewey

In response to your question about xanax, you may wish to visit the following site: <A HREF="http://www.benzo.org.uk/manual/index.htm" TARGET=_blank>http://www.benzo.org.uk/manual/index.htm</A>
It explains what benzodiazapines do in your body.

Crunch,

We must have been replying at the same time regarding xanax. And how coincidental about the website. I too was Rx'd xanax for flying. I would only take them for a flight. Then, this past year I had a panic attack that put me in the hospital. I did not know what happened to me, nor did the Dr's! They thought it was an allergy attack! Long story short, I was later put on Clonipin because the half life is longer than xanax. After three weeks I was addicted to it, meaning, I stopped taking it and had withdrawal symptoms so severe that the Dr. thought I was just not controlling my anxiety and Rx'd me Paxil. Any drug like that will have withdrawal symptoms and now I am drug free, but it was the worst hell I have gone through. It took me 3 weeks to get off the drug and that is short compared to some that have been on either benzo's or anti-depressants!
I am faithfully following the MW Program so as not to take any drugs to control my anxiety and panic attacks. It seems to be working and I am on lesson 4.
Good luck,
NYStress

(read thinking of cancelling program topic)

NYstress,

That is great that you were able to rid yourself of the drugs, esp in such a short time!! You should pat yourself on the back for a job well done. Yes it is funny that we both mentioned the same site!! The MW program has really helped in my w/d from benzos, the coping skills i have learned here will be used for the rest of my life. One suggestion, I just wish the StressCenter.com would focuse more on the adverse reactions so many of these types of drugs cause. It was no longer anxiety or depression that was controling my life it was these damn pills. I was having to take 1mg every 3-4 hours just so i could finction. I tried on a few occations to taper directly off the ativain and failed. The half life of this med is so short that i was bed ridden until i reinstated them. Now that I am crossing over to valium, I am all most on an even kell. I am currently at 30 mg of valium, I plan to taper 2 mg every 10 days until i reach 15 mg then i'm going to slow it down to 1mg a week until im drug free. Are you a member of benzo.uk ?

I take xanax only when needed which isn't very often. It helps relax me and I feel better when I am anxious or in a panic. I have no side effects other than just being in a relaxed state of mind.