Drug info - Does Valium (Diazepam) increase confidence?

[danielinthebed]

As far as I know valium is used to reduce anxiety - from my understanding it's anxiety and feeling reluctant which prevents us from doing the thing we want to do in life thus, if that emotions is reduced would valium not contribute to confidence to a degree?

[Oxymorphone]

Valium and other benzodiazepines like it do in fact increase confidence. A lot of the time one's lack of confidence in many things, especially social situations, stem from anxiety of some sort. SWIM's is from severe social anxiety, and taking alprazolam massively changes his social behaviour. He feels more natural and in control, and doesn't have the hesitation he has for years when he takes it. He spends less or no time thinking about what "others" think of him, and has an easy time saying what he himself thinks.

It definitely increases confidence in almost any cases I've heard of, SWIM's included.

[danielinthebed]

Cheers m8

danielinthebed added 1 Minutes and 36 Seconds later...

On that note which do people prefer Valium or Xanax

[missparkles]

Although it increases the feelings of confidence, it's only temporary.
Long term use leads to tolerance, tolerance means ever increasing doses, and this can lead right back to the anxiety that caused the initial benzo use.
It's always a good idea to look at all options before taking any benzo's, they might seem like the perfect solution, but they come with a mass of problems.
Tolerance, addiction, and terrible W/D symptoms, the worst one being anxiety.
Just saying.
Sparkles.

Reputation Comments on this post:

Thank you for pointing out the effects of long-term use. Neccessary information, it's far from a cure-all

[Amnesia]

SWIM has been on and off diazepam (valium) for three years due to a transient movement and muscle disorder. She has never noticed it to increase her confidence, the closest it comes is by stopping her from caring about anything. It makes her completely apathetic. She is not more confident, she just stops giving a crap.

She hates it when she has to take them. The cognitive slowing is horrendous and with the amnesia they cause, added to that which she already suffers, she often can't hold conversations, finish sentences, read, watch movies etc. They have never provided much relief from her anxiety execpt during the initial few weeks of treatment when they make her apathetic, an effect which doesn't last for more than 2-3 weeks. In fact, the cognitive impairment tends to increase her already severe anxiety in social situations.
Then it takes weeks to get off them. Withdrawal from benzos is extremely dangerous and can cause seizures and death if it is too abrupt.
In SWIM's opinion benzos aren't worth it unless there is absolutely no other option.

Reputation Comments on this post:

This is good alternate perspective and warnings of the drug's function and side effects.

[Boca Bitch]

.... I wouldn't use the word confidence so much... more lowering of inhibitions. It allows you to feel comfortable in situations where you normally would not, but this is not always a good thing. For instance, my friend SWIM tends to get a potty mouth while on his K-pins, and screamed "fucking bullshit" (as a joke) to my manager right in front of a customer. Thank God she laughed it off.... but yeah, be careful, as your inhibitions are greatly lowered.

[Oxymorphone]

Originally Posted by Amnesia

SWIM has been on and off diazepam (valium) for three years due to a transient movement and muscle disorder. She has never noticed it to increase her confidence, the closest it comes is by stopping her from caring about anything. It makes her completely apathetic. She is not more confident, she just stops giving a crap.

What you say is a good point as well. The only reason it increases SWIM's confidence is because he has had a severe lack of it forever, due to always thinking about what people think. He had a few too many groups of people gang up on him semi-daily for about 11 years until people stopped wanting to go to the hospital =-/ Idiots. The apathy is what can give confidence in SWIM's case because of the anxiety it gave him in almost every simple social situation that ...really aren't a big deal. SWIM just cared far too much and felt too worthless, felt like everyone thought the same of him.

But thank SWIY for pointing out that effect as it really can get one into trouble if they stop caring. About their job, or school work, or whatever they have going on in their life. I should have been more clear as to why it can increase one's confidence.

I should also point out that SWIM has given me tales of severe memory loss from taking too much of it. If your panda thinks it could really help him, see what his doctor thinks first so he can more appropriately weigh the pros and cons of the substance(s).