1. black skinhead- kanye west
2. howling for you- the black keys
3. like real people do- hozier
4. everlasting light- the black keys
5. wake me up- ed sheeran
6. you and i- ingrid michaelson
7. firefly- ed sheeran
Hey so uh. As someone who was on Klonopin for seven years, this is really genuinely serious. I can’t even get through the first five minutes of the documentary because it’s too emotional to think about, but let me just say the withdrawal is fucking terrifying. Do not go on benzodiazepines long-term. I would even argue don’t take them short term repeatedly, ever.
Physiological dependence on benzodiazepines is accompanied by a withdrawal syndrome which is typically characterized by sleep disturbance, irritability, increased tension and anxiety, panic attacks, hand tremor, sweating, difficulty in concentration, dry wretching and nausea, some weight loss, palpitations, headache, muscular pain and stiffness and a host of perceptual changes. Instances are also reported within the high‐dosage category of more serious developments such as seizures and psychotic reactions. Withdrawal from normal dosage benzodiazepine treatment can result in a number of symptomatic patterns. The most common is a short‐lived “rebound” anxiety and insomnia, coming on within 1‐4 days of discontinuation, depending on the half‐life of the particular drug. The second pattern is the full‐blown withdrawal syndrome, usually lasting 10–14 days.
I’ve been in the E.R. three separate times for benzodiazepine withdrawal symptom because I wasn’t tapered off properly. It is genuine fucking hell. I am speaking as someone who has had hallucinations, has C-PTSD and Dissociative Fucking Identity Disorder – the worst psychiatric episodes I’ve ever had in my entire life were from benzo withdrawals. The uncontrollable shaking. The uncontrollable failure to breathe. The lack of ability to sleep. The fact that it literally induces a panic attack.
The professors who were interviewed the documentary include Dr. Heather Ashton, who created the Ashton Manual for benzodiazepine withdrawal. She fucking pioneered the methods of getting off all of the benzodiazepines 100% with the least amount of withdrawal symptoms and the rate of relapse after following the steps was as low as 8%.
I want you to consider for a second the way American drug rehab works with its 12-step programs and the cold-turkey approach. I want you to consider that if I didn’t literally google a way to taper off of Klonopin made from a country that wasn’t fucking America I would still be on Klonopin right now. I want you all to consider how drug users are treated in this country.
If you want to do something about it, spread the word of the Ashton Manual. Spread it like fucking wildfire. My psychiatrist is graduating at the end of June and I had a conversation with her in which she asked if I was mad at her or held any resentment for the way the taper schedule worked - I told her straight up, I’m not mad at her, I’m mad at the failures of our system to include this in their resources and knowledge base. I told her to tell her colleagues about this so that nobody ever has to go through what I went through again.
I’m currently in the stages of weaning off of low-dose Valium but let me just tell you. I am clean of Klonopin. I am fucking free. I’m done with it. It is thanks to Heather Ashton that I am. Nobody in America should be suffering like this because of benzos. There are other treatments.
God, if you ever can, please avoid Benzodiazepines. I understand needing them for when you have a one-off panic attack. But do not ever take them long-term.
Triazolam (Halcyon)
Here is a complete list of Benzodiazepine medications and their brand names. Please please please stay away from these drugs if you can.
Benzos fucking SUCK.
If you’re desperate for anxiety relief esp if you have panic attacks or flashbacks or various other episodes, talk to your doctor about clonidine. It’s a safe as fuck BP medication that ramps down your wildly overactive sympathetic nervous system/stress response. Even if it’s just for short term, it’s a life saver.
Very low doses can be taken for relief, it’s non-addictive, fast acting, and it just “turns it down” to a manageable level for a while. If you need medical help for severe anxiety, always look to alternatives. In some countries it’s even OTC to prevent migraines, like in South Africa.
Propranolol is another one, very similar to clonidine. Another BP med used either long term for anxiety or acutely for things like stage fright. Talk to your doctor, ask about alternatives to the toxic shit they’re getting us addicted to.
Stay away from benzos. It’s never worth it.
Guanfacine is another great one! Also known as Intuniv, its an old school BP / ADHD drug and it’s wonderful for keeping your baseline anxiety just a little bit lower. Benzos are incredibly addictive socially and medically; and I didn’t learn actual coping skills until my prescriptions started getting refused. I still miss them but trust me life is better without Xanax.
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