.25 mg Xanax taken EOD helps me a ton;Consciously & mental health.ShouldIContinue?

[playdoh]

**^MODS: please allow question here. Resonates with me to be here in personal development, the mental health section doesn’t get a lot of views or replies. TIA***

I know I should answer this question myself but even though I’m much better I still get I paralyzed with fear from anxiety (like now) every so often & feel like I need the support. 

WHEN I TAKE .25 MG XANAX (every other day) THE NEXT DAY: 
I’m extremely silent. Seriously. It’s like I become a Buddha. I feel no need to talk with anyone. & at the same time when I do I become a social butterfly. I feel complete & self sustained. I complete all my tasks with ease & flow (I’m working on building a life. Currently having financial difficulties & getting a job difficulties & getting my life organized).

My life gets so much better when I take it. I know if I continue taking .25 Xanax every other day for the long term my life will get incrementally better (with the intention to eventually stop). 

Do you think it’s ok I continue taking it? I’m pretty responsible with staying on .25 (I have a history of taking meds). Thanks any help would be much appreciated ?

[Carl-Richard]

Relying on highly addictive meds to function is a dangerous path. I would seriously reconsider it if I were you. Besides, are you getting these prescribed from somewhere?

Edited March 22, 2023 by Carl-Richard

[BringBackBeige]

Taking benzodiazepines every day or every other day is a bad idea. Trust me, it will not stay at 0.25 mg for long.

Benzos can get you out of a pinch, but if you take them regularly you won't actually develop yourself. 

[playdoh]

8 minutes ago, Carl-Richard said:

Relying on highly addictive meds to function is a dangerous path. I would seriously reconsider it if I were you. Besides, are you getting these prescribed from somewhere?

I get them prescribed

[playdoh]

5 minutes ago, BringBackBeige said:

Taking benzodiazepines every day or every other day is a bad idea. Trust me, it will not stay at 0.25 mg for long.

Benzos can get you out of a pinch, but if you take them regularly you won't actually develop yourself. 

I’ve been doing this for a couple of months now & have felt no need to up the dosage. I’m pretty mindful about it. When I finish one supply I sometimes goes weeks/a week till I get my next one. And honestly it’s less then EOD. Sometimes go days w/out taking it (& sometimes I take it 2 consecutive days in a row so might average to about 2.5-3x a week). I like to microdose psilocybin & work w/ cacao medicine so I go through phases where I feel I don’t need the xanax ? Plus I exercise & eat healthy on the regular. 

[Philipp]

I know the magic of benzos, they are really impressive, but they are basicly a cheat right. They don't act on our cognitions, they just turn off the anxiety neurons. But getting off benzos is apparently harder than gettin off heroin. You can watch the videos of Jordan Peterson talking about his benzo withdrawal and I don't think a lot of people will even manage to go through such a hard process. 

Try to find something sustainable. Meditation I think is very powerful for anxiety. You can overcome anxiety in other ways, I know it from a friend who managed to improve significantly on her social anxiety. 

[playdoh]

On 3/22/2023 at 9:08 AM, Philipp said:

I know the magic of benzos, they are really impressive, but they are basicly a cheat right. They don't act on our cognitions, they just turn off the anxiety neurons. But getting off benzos is apparently harder than gettin off heroin. You can watch the videos of Jordan Peterson talking about his benzo withdrawal and I don't think a lot of people will even manage to go through such a hard process. 

Try to find something sustainable. Meditation I think is very powerful for anxiety. You can overcome anxiety in other ways, I know it from a friend who managed to improve significantly on her social anxiety. 

I’ve done/doing it all man. 

[Philipp]

@playdoh sorry to hear that, but don't give up. Meditation also can take time, it's a skill, not a medication. You have to find some long term solutions and benzos  are not. If you keep sticking to it, I am sure you will eventually find some things that can help you a bit. Don't let the hopelessness take control of you, there are so many people I ve heard, who struggled for years, to eventually get better.