Anti-anxiety pills

[closetohumping 17442]

Easiest way to get a doctor to prescribe them to you?  What's worked?  Disregard if you've never needed.

[hornbri 1398]

1) Schedule a virtual appointment with a doctor 

2) describe your symptoms and ask for a prescription.

3) ?????

4) Profit

Seriously, It's pretty easy and very common. Likely a 10 minute appointment. 

[TwiceHorn 31475]

Do you mean benzodiazepines?  Such as Xanax, Librium, or Valium?

I think docs are finally coming around to the idea that they're not really a good medical response to legitimate anxiety, as they just mask symptoms and have a high potential for abuse.

[XYZ 2154]

Some time back I was going through a period of high stress and anxiety and asked my doctor for a benzo prescription. She did it reluctantly and told me she considered benzos to be merely bandaids. Addictive bandaids.

Three years ago I was diagnosed with “generalized anxiety disorder”, for which I was prescribed an SSRI. I took that for several months and it did help me get out of that constant state of alarm I was in initially.

Look into yoga and meditation.

[TwiceHorn 31475]

2 minutes ago, XYZ said:

Some time back I was going through a period of high stress and anxiety and asked my doctor for a benzo prescription. She did it reluctantly and told me she considered benzos to be merely bandaids. Addictive bandaids.

Three years ago I was diagnosed with “generalized anxiety disorder”, for which I was prescribed an SSRI. I took that for several months and it did help me get out of that constant state of alarm I was in initially.

Look into yoga and meditation.

Glad the SSRI helped.  That's a pretty standard scrip these days, and I'm not sure how effective they are, but they can be for certain folks.

The other thing helpful for anxiety is cognitive behavioral therapy.  Generally speaking, anxiety is a processing disorder and you have to learn to process the stimuli better.  But any "mindfulness" training, to include yoga and meditation, can help with that.

[Gil Bang 25960]

jacking off helps too

[Bevo 13577]

3 hours ago, Gil Bang said:

jacking off helps too

Not on the doctor, though. That's frowned upon and probably won't get you the prescription that you need.

[LABEVO 928]

19 minutes ago, Bevo said:

Not on the doctor, though. That's frowned upon and probably won't get you the prescription that you need.

maybe the co-pilot though?

[XYZ 2154]

In the spirit of “can you help me with this?”, let’s keep the jackassery to a minimum.

[Harrison Stafford 3335]

Try Buspar.  It’s non-addictive and has fewer side effects than benzos.  The only catch is it can take 2 to 3 weeks to build up in the bloodstream before it kicks in.  Perhaps, a doctor can prescribe a benzo for the first couple of weeks as a bridge before the Buspar kicks in.  When I retired, my anxiety issues disappeared and I went cold turkey with the Buspar without any difficulty at all.  You do not want to get hooked on benzos because it is pure hell to try and kick that addiction.  Your body will go through very serious ch-ch-ch-changes.

[Gil Bang 25960]

When my marriage fell apart, I took Xanax for a month or two, and then I didn't need it anymore.  I only took it a few times a week, when I felt a panic attack coming on. 

[Gil Bang 25960]

16 minutes ago, XYZ said:

In the spirit of “can you help me with this?”, let’s keep the jackassery to a minimum.

are you new here?

[Sawbonz 27562]

Came here to post this 

9 hours ago, TwiceHorn said:

Glad the SSRI helped.  That's a pretty standard scrip these days, and I'm not sure how effective they are, but they can be for certain folks.

The other thing helpful for anxiety is cognitive behavioral therapy.  Generally speaking, anxiety is a processing disorder and you have to learn to process the stimuli better.  But any "mindfulness" training, to include yoga and meditation, can help with that.

and this

8 hours ago, Gil Bang said:

jacking off helps too

 

[Reagan1k 3024]

As someone who spent the better part of my lifetime treating symptoms and not the condition, I can report that for me, what @Sawbones, @TwiceHorn and @Gil Bang have said is good advice.  Xanax puts a bandage over a laceration that needs stitches, and it hurts like hell when you remove that bandage....only to find the laceration is still there.

Figuring out the source of the anxiety, and coming up with tools to mitigate it is a long term and healthy solution.  Xanax may be appropriate in certain circumstances, but one should tread carefully there and have a legitimate respect (bordering on fear) for the negative side effects.

Best of luck to you.  Work with a pro who's first inclination is to look at causation and solutions, with medication being a tool of last resort.

(****And, be brutally honest with them when you talk about what's up.  Don't hide anything.  They can't do their work if they don't have all of the information****)

[LABEVO 928]

friend takes Propranolol but took 2 or different ones before finding one that works for him. also i think atenolol is fairly common.

was super easy to get a prescription 

[TwiceHorn 31475]

Just for reference, I have never experienced legit anxiety.  In recovery from alcoholism, I thought I was experiencing anxiety, but it was really more just having to deal with life without booze to numb me and a monstrous thinking disorder.  I had a good psychiatrist that employed CBT techniques on me to help me process sober life.  As well as AA. That came easier for me than dealing with real anxiety disorder.

That said, for the last 20 years or so, I have dealt with other recovering people, some of whom had alcohol-recovery induced false anxiety, or a desire to find an alcohol substitute, and some of whom legitimately had anxiety issues once they got clear of the alcohol and most of the alcoholic thinking.

So, a lot of my experience is second-hand, but I have seen and heard what works for people pretty frequently.

Sidenote.  Cognitive behavioral therapy helps try to avoid thinking patterns that you have established over years and replace them with more rational and neutral thinking about events and stimuli.  It is often abbreviated CBT.  Don't google CBT, use cognitive behavioral therapy.

[victory88 5668]

Smoke some weed man

[Bevo 13577]

51 minutes ago, LABEVO said:

friend takes Propranolol but took 2 or different ones before finding one that works for him. also i think atenolol is fairly common.

was super easy to get a prescription 

Those are beta blockers and they are used to mask some of the outward symptoms of anxiety. They keep your heart rate down and decrease perspiration so if you are doing something like public speaking, your nervousness isn't as noticeable by others. Beta blockers do not work for the mental aspects of anxiety. But, if the heart rate slows and you aren't perspiring, it can help keep the event causing anxiety from cascading.

Edited June 4, 2021 by Bevo

[idigTexas 2288]

13 hours ago, XYZ said:

In the spirit of “can you help me with this?”, let’s keep the jackassery to a minimum.

Are you unfamiliar with the origins of “can you help me with this?” in surly/shaggy (may even have been hornfans) lexicon? 

[Gil Bang 25960]

3 hours ago, TwiceHorn said:

Just for reference, I have never experienced legit anxiety.  In recovery from alcoholism, I thought I was experiencing anxiety, but it was really more just having to deal with life without booze to numb me and a monstrous thinking disorder.  I had a good psychiatrist that employed CBT techniques on me to help me process sober life.  As well as AA. That came easier for me than dealing with real anxiety disorder.

That said, for the last 20 years or so, I have dealt with other recovering people, some of whom had alcohol-recovery induced false anxiety, or a desire to find an alcohol substitute, and some of whom legitimately had anxiety issues once they got clear of the alcohol and most of the alcoholic thinking.

So, a lot of my experience is second-hand, but I have seen and heard what works for people pretty frequently.

Sidenote.  Cognitive behavioral therapy helps try to avoid thinking patterns that you have established over years and replace them with more rational and neutral thinking about events and stimuli.  It is often abbreviated CBT.  Don't google CBT, use cognitive behavioral therapy.

cock and ball torture?  seems extreme. 

[Deej 76796]

On 6/3/2021 at 8:11 PM, XYZ said:

In the spirit of “can you help me with this?”, let’s keep the jackassery to a minimum.

In the spirit of Surly, no.

[BottleRocket 646]

On 6/3/2021 at 1:04 PM, Gil Bang said:

jacking off helps too

[closetohumping 17442]

On 6/4/2021 at 5:54 AM, victory88 said:

Smoke some weed man

Yes, but not always best for customer calls.

[mchookem 16336]

On 6/3/2021 at 8:27 PM, Gil Bang said:

When my marriage fell apart, I took Xanax for a month or two, and then I didn't need it anymore.  I only took it a few times a week, when I felt a panic attack coming on. 

similar...in 2007 experienced extreme anxiety and stress related to employment (couldn't sleep, bursting into tears regularly, etc). doc prescribed xanax which worked wonders at the time. i didn't find it addictive, but i was paranoid about that so was very careful with them.

situation passed...but i still get what i call extreme 'situational anxiety' which is probably just normal shit - job interviews, major presentations, family funerals, election nights. etc...half a microgram is perfect. no 'high', just a feeling of calmness and focusness. slightly drowsy but easy to deal with if i need to be awake.

i know they can be dangerous. but for those types of situations i call them magic pills lol. 30 of them will last me ~9 months...like i said, i'm paranoid about getting addicted. 

so i actually do recommend them, if that's the type of anxiety you're experiencing. if it's more generalized or frequent anxiety, another approach is probably better. 

 

 

[TwiceHorn 31475]

38 minutes ago, mchookem said:

similar...in 2007 experienced extreme anxiety and stress related to employment (couldn't sleep, bursting into tears regularly, etc). doc prescribed xanax which worked wonders at the time. i didn't find it addictive, but i was paranoid about that so was very careful with them.

situation passed...but i still get what i call extreme 'situational anxiety' which is probably just normal shit - job interviews, major presentations, family funerals, election nights. etc...half a microgram is perfect. no 'high', just a feeling of calmness and focusness. slightly drowsy but easy to deal with if i need to be awake.

i know they can be dangerous. but for those types of situations i call them magic pills lol. 30 of them will last me ~9 months...like i said, i'm paranoid about getting addicted. 

so i actually do recommend them, if that's the type of anxiety you're experiencing. if it's more generalized or frequent anxiety, another approach is probably better. 

 

 

For the record, there is what is often called "physical addiction," and that means you take enough of them or become sufficiently reliant on them that you experience withdrawal symptoms, which can be very unpleasant.  Every human being that takes enough benzos (or alcohol or opiates) is going to experience withdrawal.

It doesn't go beyond "physical addiction" if you can power through the withdrawal and either never take the things again, or do so in moderation.  When you have the "God, that was awful, I'll never do that again."

Where you get "full blown addiction" is when that withdrawal passes and, due to some probably genetic predisposiiton, you still want very badly to get right back on the things at the same rate that caused you to have withdrawal symptoms, and regardless of what fucked up shit starts happening in your life (money, relationships, etc.).  Full-blown addicts don't have the "God, that was awful, I'll never do that again" reaction, or if they do, it's fleeting.

I think there are a fair number of "physical addicts" to a lot of substances, to include opiates recently, that just can't power through the withdrawal and resort to heroin and fentanyl laced things and suffer overdoses and death.  And then there are flat-out junkies, that are "full blown addicts" that have real trouble staying off the shit no matter how many times they power through withdrawals.

I suspect the real danger of benzos for most of the population is "physical addiction."  Most folks don't have to worry about full-blown addiction.  But physical can be bad enough.

Edited June 16, 2021 by TwiceHorn

[RPM 26321]

On 6/4/2021 at 7:20 AM, LABEVO said:

also i think atenolol is fairly common.

That's a BP drug. Beta blocker. I take one daily along with verapamil to control irregular heart rhythm. Xanax is fairly easy to get. Just tell the Doc you get panic attacks. 

[troph 24804]

I like talk therapy, breathing, concentrated thinking / meditating and cbd.  I get needing meds tho if that’s you do it. Clinical research shows all the others work to a degree as well. 

[HRSchenker 2268]

I have severe public speaking anxiety and use propranolol. But all it does is hide the physical symptoms of it. I can control the mental side of being in front of people but the shakey voice and hands give off bad Parkinson vibes that fuck with me. I have a very pronounced sinus arrhythmia that follows my breathing so that also freaks me out. 

[Nolacycling 893]

Paroxetine, 10mg. A doc originally prescribed it and it works for me.. Those of us with children remember "the pink stuff", amoxicillin. We knew the child needed it but sat through appointments. I've no interest in dealing with a doctor. I cross the border and make a day out of it, including the pharmacia. It's not cheaper but more fun.

Edited July 4, 2021 by Nolacycling

[Dennis Taylor 18828]

On 6/4/2021 at 9:42 AM, idigTexas said:

Are you unfamiliar with the origins of “can you help me with this?” in surly/shaggy (may even have been hornfans) lexicon? 

 

On 6/3/2021 at 1:04 PM, Gil Bang said:

jacking off helps too

If you know you know 

[Buzzrock 14920]

I have a bottle of good old fashioned Prozac that I take occasionally when work life gets particularly stressful. Helps me stay asleep at night, and I use them sparingly. Easy to go on and off of.

I also like magnesium to help with sleep. It gives me crazy dreams but doesn’t make me feel dopey like melatonin. I order this stuff:

Life Extension Magnesium 500mg, 100 Vegetarian Capsules https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00A7HDABW/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_glt_fabc_R8Z7H4WZTB605VWYBEY0?_encoding=UTF8&psc=1

[closetohumping 17442]

On 6/16/2021 at 10:45 AM, RPM said:

That's a BP drug. Beta blocker. I take one daily along with verapamil to control irregular heart rhythm. Xanax is fairly easy to get. Just tell the Doc you get panic attacks. 

Mission accomplished.  Didn't say panic attack per se, but something similar.  I use them sparingly. I had propranol, and that just didn't do much for me.

[RPM 26321]

.

Edited July 11, 2021 by RPM
nm

[closetohumping 17442]

On 7/3/2021 at 6:10 PM, Nolacycling said:

Paroxetine, 10mg. A doc originally prescribed it and it works for me.. Those of us with children remember "the pink stuff", amoxicillin. We knew the child needed it but sat through appointments. I've no interest in dealing with a doctor. I cross the border and make a day out of it, including the pharmacia. It's not cheaper but more fun.

I'm two hours from Tijuana.  My worry of course is the quality you get from those places.  Them folks aren't too heavy on regulating shit, amirite?  No racist.

[Nolacycling 893]

That is the risk according to the   internet. All I can say is I haven't had an issue and they are commercially packaged. 

I do have to agree with whoever recommended a telemedicine diagnosis and the local CVS pharmacy.

Edited July 11, 2021 by Nolacycling

[William Wallace 106]

If you use xanax or other, xanax  in my case, be sure not to drink, I had the EMS called on me b/c I passed out, I believe it was the xanax and drinking that night,   Be careful.

Edited July 20, 2021 by William Wallace

[TexasHooch 5122]

About 10 years ago I developed a mild agoraphobia (Feeling of being trapped) in planes and crowded theaters.  Went to the doc and was prescribed lorazapam (Ativan) to take in those instances.  It's perfect for me.  I very rarely take it (15 pills will last a year) because just knowing it's there keeps me from feeling the need for it in the first place.  I've considered cognative behavioral therapy over the years just to learn some techniques that will let me get rid of the crutch, but it's not a high priority and I just haven't gotten around to it.

 

[gurt 748]

I have been dealing with a good deal of anxiety lately. I am on Lexapro (escitalopram) daily, but lately it hasn’t done the trick.

I have had some good results from CBD oil. Take a couple droppers a day and it definitely has mellowed me out more than I thought it would.

[XYZ 2154]

On 7/20/2021 at 8:34 AM, TexasHooch said:

About 10 years ago I developed a mild agoraphobia (Feeling of being trapped) in planes and crowded theaters.  Went to the doc and was prescribed lorazapam (Ativan) to take in those instances.  It's perfect for me.  I very rarely take it (15 pills will last a year) because just knowing it's there keeps me from feeling the need for it in the first place.  I've considered cognative behavioral therapy over the years just to learn some techniques that will let me get rid of the crutch, but it's not a high priority and I just haven't gotten around to it.

 

I think the feeling of being trapped is called claustrophobia.

[TexasHooch 5122]

10 hours ago, XYZ said:

I think the feeling of being trapped is called claustrophobia.

Claustrophobia is specifically the fear of being trapped in enclosed spaces.  My anxiety isn't limited to that.

Agoraphobia, as defined by the DSM IV is:

Anxiety about being in places or situations from which escape might be difficult (or embarrassing) or in which help may not be available in the event of having an unexpected or situationally predisposed panic attack or panic-like symptoms. Agoraphobic fears typically involve characteristic clusters of situations that include being outside the home alone; being in a crowd or standing in a line; being on a bridge; and traveling in a bus, train, or automobile.

The updated DSM V is more specific.

A marked fear or anxiety about two (or more) of the following five situations:
Using public transportation
Being in open spaces
Being in enclosed spaces (e.g., shops, theaters, cinemas)
Standing in line or being in a crowd
Being outside the home alone.

For me it's public transportation, enclosed spaces (particularly when other people are present), and a bit of standing in line.

[XYZ 2154]

44 minutes ago, TexasHooch said:

Claustrophobia is specifically the fear of being trapped in enclosed spaces.  My anxiety isn't limited to that.

Agoraphobia, as defined by the DSM IV is:

Anxiety about being in places or situations from which escape might be difficult (or embarrassing) or in which help may not be available in the event of having an unexpected or situationally predisposed panic attack or panic-like symptoms. Agoraphobic fears typically involve characteristic clusters of situations that include being outside the home alone; being in a crowd or standing in a line; being on a bridge; and traveling in a bus, train, or automobile.

The updated DSM V is more specific.

A marked fear or anxiety about two (or more) of the following five situations:
Using public transportation
Being in open spaces
Being in enclosed spaces (e.g., shops, theaters, cinemas)
Standing in line or being in a crowd
Being outside the home alone.

For me it's public transportation, enclosed spaces (particularly when other people are present), and a bit of standing in line.

Thanks for the explanation. I did not know that.

[BBQ2Bayou 807]

Citalapram has helped me a lot over the last year. A lot of the built up anger/impatience/irritability, whatever you call it, gave way to more relaxed and reasonable responses instead of knee jerk reactions. I've tried to work on myself with that, too. I kind of feel like it's a lazy or easier or cheaper way to avoid CBT, which probably is the healthiest way. I'm in that same boat as far as talk therapy goes. I know it would be good. 

SSRI's can and do mess with your libido, boners and orgasms. It's a really shitty side effect.