[spamizbad]

For benzos: There really is no drug alternative to benzos other than maybe SSRIs but most people perscribed them probably tried SSRIs in the past to no effect. Your other alternative is extensive psychotherapy, which your insurance is unlikely to cover. Perhaps in the future marijuana, MDMA or ketamine might prove useful.

Benzos generally require you to taper off them, as I believe the withdrawal side-effects include seizures. You cannot safely "cold turkey" them.... so I hope they don't get all heavy-handed with them like they are for people who rely on opiods to treat chronic pain.

[tnecniv]

> There really is no drug alternative to benzos other than maybe SSRIs but most people perscribed them probably tried SSRIs in the past to no effect.

Actually the two really serve different purposes. Benzos are commonly prescribed as a way to manage panic attacks or other acute occurrences of anxiety. SSRIs can help reduce your anxiety over time, but take a long time to build up in your system. Often people are prescribed both simultaneously.

[DanBC]

> Benzos are commonly prescribed as a way to manage panic attacks or other acute occurrences of anxiety.

That's how they're supposed to be prescribed, but in this threaad we see a few people who take a daily benzo and have done for several months.

[kls]

Just a note, ethanol is an effective alternative to benzos, for a grown adult male 3-4 shots of 80 proof liquor in rapid succession will quell a panic attack in the same or shorter time than Xanax (which IIRC is the fastest acting benzo). Ethanol is actually a broader spectrum binder than benzos.

I actually broke free of the "have to carry Xanax on me at all times" chain that anyone with panic disorder can relate to by constantly reminding myself while driving that there is a convenience store or bar around the next corner (being stuck in traffic or a crowd sets mine off).

That being said, I am not advocating using alcohol over benzos it's health impact is far more devastating, but it is an effective tool for breaking the mental chain of having to carry benzos on you at all times, by knowing that you can end one with it if you need to. As the fear of having panic attacks in and of itself is just as debilitating.

[jnovek]

For what it's worth, I have generalized anxiety and have used clonazepam as short-term treatment for panic attacks. I would love to see psychotherapy lose the taboo it carries because it's been the most effective treatment I've had (long term).

As I mentioned in another response, I think marijuana is probably promising in this area as well but it will take a long time for us to derive treatment from it.

[taurath]

Thats rather interesting, because the effect profile of clonazepam is that it takes longer to come into effect, and is longer lasting than, say, alprazolam, so I'd imagine it'd be worse for short-term treatment.

[penagwin]

It still starts it's effects within an hour, and this slower "start up" time gives it less of a "rush" that people like about xanax for example.

The longer lasting part is IMO better too, I have bad anxiety (and potentially on the spectrum), and knowing that I can take .25 or .5 (I'm prescribed .5) and get through the stress of something new or any other activity without a full on panic attack helps me out a lot. Just as an example, the idea of going shopping at the mall with a new friend (I'm in college btw) is already making me anxious as I write this(And this is just an example!).

Xanax seems like it'd be less helpful if I'm going to be hanging out for a while.

[copperx]

The other long-term side effect of benzos is that they have shown to speed up dementia in older people. This may be motivation enough to quit for some people.