Opinions - Taking Benzo's as prescribed.

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the question is for the swims out there who do not abuse their medicine and take it as prescribed: in the long-run have they really helped swim make progress or were they temporary relief?

[GreatWonder]

I've cut and paste this from an older post, because it answers the question the OP has made (in as far as SWIGs view of benzos taken as intended and not abused).

"SWIG wants it known that since discovering Alprazolam his life has changed (SWIG suffers from intense social anxiety).

SWIG is very aware of the potential tolerance and dependancy but can say that the more he has experienced the relief this drug provided, the less he has had to rely on the drug. It's like he has been able to get out of a constant anxiety loop and his mind has once again found out what it feels like to be normal.

SWIG only occasionally takes Alprazolam (at a 0.5mg dose - which has never had to be increased) before a new, or not recently visited situation, it's then like his brain trains itself that the experience he is going through is nothing to become anxious about so the next time he does not get wound up anywhere near what he would used to.

SWIG is guessing or happy to believe that this is pretty much the way the drug is intended to be taken, giving the mind enough time to get off the anxiety treadmill to realise that the situations most feared are nothing to get worked up about. It's worked a treat for SWIG and he wishes he had found out about Alprazolam years ago!"

[lulz]

Originally Posted by GreatWonder

the more he has experienced the relief this drug provided, the less he has had to rely on the drug. It's like he has been able to get out of a constant anxiety loop and his mind has once again found out what it feels like to be normal.

I completely agree with this. My problem was always that I'd experience physical anxiety, which would make my mind go blank and make conversation awkward. I'm also extremely conscious of other people's facial expressions, so as they noticed that I was uncomfortable, they would start to feel uncomfortable too.

It was basically a matter of physical anxiety occuring first, and then mental anxiety being produced as a result. Since starting to take benzos, I no longer experience any physical anxiety, and therefore no mental anxiety. In my opinion benzos can cut off the problem at the root. Mental anxiety is more of a symptom than a cause IMO.