Are you addicted to tranquillisers? Poll.

[sunshine-lady]

I am addicted to Diazepam. I have been taking for years (along with Lorazipam at one point) I ang gradually trying to wean off them and have been trying to do so for 18 months. The max I used to take was 40mg per day, I am now down to 15mg each day. I think the longer you take them the less effect they have on you and you need more and more to get the same effect. My psychiatrist once said that I took enough to knock an elephant out!!

[Barbara B]

I have been taking diazepam for four years. I had side effects from them but didn't rea;ize what I diazepam was making my condition worse. I tried cutting in half and then quarter but had terrible withdrawal effects. A good homeopath is now helping me and using the Ashton Manual along with support and homeopathic help. I never knew how addictive these drugs were, and it was when I reached the low dose that I struggled to come off them. I have had to go back to 15 mgs and do a programme of very gradual withdrawal. Fingers crossed it will work.

[Auxman]

I used to take about 70mg a day of valium. They're beautiful when they hit the spot (not often enough,) now I'm down to 15mg a day. I'm trying to knock them on the head as well. I wish they had the same effect every day...beats drinking.

[tom1]

May I ask how you got repeat prescriptions for diazepam? This seems quite common from what I read on here. Yet, I have not found a doctor who will willingly prescribe me some for a short period of time. The only time I had some when I in hospital for an operation when they couldn't calm me down...

[lostsoul]

Tom

Lots of GP's will not prescribe them , trust me they seem like the magic pill but they're really really not -I've been on them for over a year and you end up in the endless cycle of working out where your next pill is gonna come from and all you are actually doing is taking the pill to avoid withdrawal symptoms. They do stop working very soon. It's for this reason that GP's are reluctant once you start taking them its very difficult to stop no matter how strong you think you are.

however if you are in complete crisis as i was you end up being refererred to a phychiatrist who will be in a better position to decide if you would benefit from the medicatio. Unfortunately by the time I was referred I had already got fairly hooked then after a number of stressful events I increased my dose myself - and thats how the cycle started.In the end of was honest with my doctor and they continue to prescribe it for me albeit at a gradually reducing dose.

You really dont want to go down this road though its not pleasant at all - if you run out early (as I have done a number of times-over a weekend) you may end up climbing the walls - just like in trainspotting the film.

The odd tablet works wonders but please dont even consider taking long term.

[macca78]

I was prescribed diazepam when I was also prescribed Prozac until the Prozac kicked in. This was about 70 days ago. The Prozac had the worst effect on me so I came off it and have just started to take Mirtazapine. I still am incredibly anxious but a lot less depressed. I have been taking either 1 or 2 mg of the diazepam every day. It has long lost its effect but I have to take it for security and reasurance. My GP is only prescribing this until the right anti depressant 'kicks in'. She is definitely not going to increase the dose (I get 2mg tablets). I'm scared to tell the doc I am feeling better because she might stop prescribing the diazepam. I'm contemplating buying higher strength from the internet which is unwise and stupid but I feel like I need to have this little amount each day. I wonder if this means I am psychologically addicted or dependent?

[jojo74]

I've just dropped from 8mg daily of diazepam (valium) to 6mg as i am pregnant. I have 3.5 months before baby is due, how the hell i am going to be off them by then i don't know. I've been advised that i must, but the consultant obsterician thinks it's a pill you can just stop. Like few others I am classed as low dose dependant and quite rightly not addicted, i don't crave them i would stop taking them 2mmrw if i could, but it is so hard to get off this drug. I appreciate some people do need these drugs, as with myself I cannot tolerate anti-depressants. Diazepam has helped dampen my anxiety, but feel after long ususage, my emotions are detached, can't grieve properly and don't feel like i exist in the real world. This is classic of long term usage. I want to get off but still worry about having this anxiety disorder and will i ever cope with symptoms if i come off them? Also i have forgotten what the real world is like and I will i be able to distinguish between the diazepam bubble i live in and reality....it is such a difficult drug to kick once on for a long time. I am going to try :$... It is an effective treatment of anxiety and panic, but i agree i does lose it's effectiveness after long usuage .

jo X

[carlos678]

i was just about to post a pro-benzo article that I've written, but after reading all your comments I've changed my mind- everybody will hate me. lol

[pigspeed]

I have been taking diazepam for about 4 years, not daily but for situations where I have acute panic attacks - mainly work related. Last year I started getting panic attacks for no reason which was really scary. I've noticed that my panic attacks are now much more intense and I have to take more valium to function. I think this is because my body has got used to the valium and also lost it's ability to cope naturally with anxiety. I now want to stop taking valium and have been taking 5 mg a day for the last two weeks. I went to see my Dr and he suggested I take chlonazepam instead as he said that this was far less addictive and I could take it for years - which is contrary to what I've read. Will I get withdrawl symptoms if I stop taking them altogether or should I decrease by 1mg a week. I live in Cambodia where medical advice is limitied so am feeling quite isolated and anxious.

[lotus]

I think I'm addicted and I constantly beat myself up over it. I feel a lot of guilt and desperation, and I'm very very worried about it. Why did I ever start taking these drugs, why didn't I know better, why didn't I research them ...

My benzo history started 3 years ago and is quite complicated. I've only been taking small doses, most of the time not even every day, but still ... I'm currently taking a quarter of a 0.5 mg Clonazepam/Rivotril tablet daily, which means 0,125 mg (I believe this is equivalent to 2.5 mg Valium). I hope I can withdraw, I really don't wanna take it. It doesn't help much, only takes the edge off. I'm taking it because I'm afraid to drop it and I'm barely functional as it is.

I keep reading this site about benzo withdrawal and it says it takes years to recover from long-term usage. This is so upsetting. And I read these people's stories about how terrible and unbearable their withdrawal is, how it lasts for months and even years, how you can get seizures and hallucinations, etc. It freaks me out and I'm heartbroken, who knew benzos were wose than illegal drugs.
This makes me feel so desperate, I had a sort of breakdown over it a couple of weeks ago. Don't know what I'm gonna do. :(

pigspeed - I'm not an expert, but I've read that Valium is relatively easy to taper off because it has a very long half-life. If I were you, I wouldn't take the Clonazepam.