Bipolar Disorder Support Group

Bipolar disorder is not just a single disorder, but a category of mood disorders marked by periods of abnormally high energy and euphoria, often accompanied by bouts of clinical depression. This is the place to talk about your experience with bipolar disorder, learn from others' experiences, and find support.

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meme88 03/25/2011

So When I was 14 I was prescribed Lorazapam. The doctor never said they were addictive so me being a kid just thought Hey its makes the anxiety go away so i get anxiety i take one it goes away..simple! started me off at 0.5mg take as needed then i told him i was taking two to make it work..so he gave me 1mg...by the time I hit 15 I was taking 3 of the 1mg and it was starting to do nothing..when i told him he made me give him the bottle that second and tossed it in the hazard waste bin..I WAS NOT HAPPY to say the least... he said more a less i was becoming addicted to them and up to the next few month will be hard for me..Damn hard is a understatement !! so when i turned 19 (4years later and never touched one since the day he tossed them) I asked for a few cuz i was goin on a trip and taking a plane to get there..he gave me 3 1mg Clorazpam*less addictive he says*
first time he gave me those 3 i was fine..next year around the same time going away again..He give me a bottle of 60pill at 1mg..and shit for 2 years i barely only when i really really really needed them..last Friday I took half of one cuz of anxiety was really bad...then the next nite not even remembering i took one the next before i took one..then Sunday and Monday.. Tuesday i realized those sneaky little pills r causing this!! cuz i took them 4 days in a row..so i go Tuesday until today with out taking one..then today first day of new classes sitting there and the worst anxiety i have had in a really long time hits me so bad im to scared to walk cross the class to the door cuz people will see me..In the end i took one*half* but I really gotta stop this I know i can as i took them properly for 2 years.. Anyone else have horror story's to do with this sneaky little fuckers?

Cammiecat 03/26/2011

I have been on the same dosage of Clonazepam for years and it has done well to manage my anxiety. I also have a small amount for a PRN, which I rarely use. I know that these medications have an increasing tollerance level that can lead to an addictive state, but speaking as one that has come off of benzos completely a couple of times (different pdocs and their philosophies in Rxing benzos) If done right, benzos don't have to become addictive. They do have to be managed though.

Cammiecat 03/26/2011

oh, and I also wanted to say that I'm sorry that you've had such bad experiences with them. They help so many, and hurt some others too.

RhyRhy 03/26/2011

I've been on Lorazepam as needed for 6 years, and now am also taking Clonazepam at night for sleep. Did I over-take them a few times, yeah. In fact unknowingly I went through about a 60 or 90 day supply in the first two weeks after my mother died. Needless to say I don't remember much from those days. All I remember from the day of the services was being pissed that my cousin set next to my Dad instead of me, the police escort to the cemetery, and getting into the car at the cemetery and my cousin showing up and not knowing who he was because he had grown out his beard so long. I don't know how I drove home from the hospital when she died I had at least 2mg in me and I didn't even have my own script then.

meme88 03/26/2011

they have helped me tonz but i have an addictive personality on top of it. when i get to much anxiety and can't cope thats the easy way out..which i no better to only to use when im like losing it..not when it just gets abit hard..its just such an easy way to make it go away..

deleted_user 03/26/2011

Yes, we addictive people must be doubly careful with addictive medications. I either don't take them or under take them.

CarlaBent 03/26/2011

I like Clonazepam better than Lorazepam. Right now I'm on Xanax. I only take .5mg during the day and 1mg at night. I can take more during the day if I'm freaking out. I don't seem to build up tolerance to them. They just do their job.
Once I told my Pdoc that I took a Clonazepam during the day after taking a Xanax and he told me never to mix that class of drug again, so I don't know why lucky RhyRhy gets to do it!!! It worked really well!!!
I think I'd only get somewhat nervous if I had to go to a class, though. I'd be able to fake it that I was okay. For some reason, I get horribly anxious outside my house on my own property. I think I'd need 3mg for that!!!!
I wonder if there's any other kind of pill you could take that would relax you but that weren't so addictive?
I wish you luck. I've been anxious my whole life and I hate it!

Chanel22 03/26/2011

Benzodiazapines are addictive & there are plenty of studies to back this up.. I know people who were on Xanax for a long time and after awhile needed higher doses.. when they had to go off of them it needed to be done very slowly or they would have withdrawals and even more anxiety (like it would rebound) - one did it too fast & actually had a seizure (& she isn't an epileptic) Also surprisingly enough benzodiazapines are classified as depressants.. Personally I don't take them & won't unless I was having an actual panic attack - but that's just me.

doorknob 03/26/2011

Anxiety sucks.

I'm grateful that I do not suffer from anxiety. But I've heard horror stories. I think with these anxiety meds though it's a catch 22 I don't think they are addicting so much as you probably really need them but the with draw is making your anxiety worse than it is with out them so you start taking them more and more.

Sadly there has to be another way to manage anxiety because it sounds to me like meds are too risky. Unless you like being addicted to them. I'm not really sure what to tell you because I truly believe it is chemicals in your brain making you feel that way and it probably is beyond your control.

Still there's just got to be something therapeutic you can do to help manage it with out the meds.

I'm not saying convert to an eastern religion but I think that meditation would be very therapeutic for helping reduce anxiety. It teaches you how to relax your mind and put your mind at ease. All though I've read that aroma therapy can also help you relieve stress which can cause extra anxiety.

RhyRhy 03/26/2011

@CarlaBent I was too surprised when she put me on two benozs. But I only use .5mg of Lorazepam maybe 3 times a week, less if I stay home most of the week. As far as Clonazepam I only take 1-2mg to sleep per night. What I've been doing it taking 1mg at bedtime then when I wake up 4-8 hours later I take 1mg of Clonazepam or .5mg of Lorazepam depending on how much more longer I need to sleep. I honestly NEED to get 10-12 hours of sleep per night to keep myself stable-depressed, as my stable seems to be moderate to severe depression.

meme88 03/26/2011

honestly i rarely get anxiety to the point i have to take them its only been the last week..before that I manage it all very well shit no even knew it was apart of my life unless i told them..I guess the stress of this disabled girl i use to work with being in a coma(with 3ed degree burns everywhere) and then with start of a new semster new classes new people new spots..all of it just was overwhelming..i guess

deleted_user 03/26/2011

Thanks for your post. I have lorazepam and I will be extra careful.

deleted_user 03/26/2011

Have you ever taken Buspar? It is for anxiety and I don't think it is addictive. I took it for a short while. I don't think I took it long enough to find out if it worked or not.

Cammiecat 03/26/2011

I take BuSpar as well as my benzos. I never thought the BuSpar did anything until I mistakenly ran out one month. I forgot to reorder the refill. Wow. Did I have bad anxiety then. It builds up in your system so subtlety that you don't even know it's there working until you miss it. And yes, it is supposed to be non addictive. But I don't know what you would have called my anxiety ridden reaction when I ran out if not a withdrawal symptom.....

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