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Dr. Bob is Robert Hsiung, MD,
dr-bob@uchicago.eduShown: posts 1 to 7 of 7. This is the beginning of the thread.
Posted by Bud on March 17, 2008, at 21:54:05
I take .25mg of xanax as neeeded to tackle my anxiety. When I'm stubborn and don't take it because I'm anxious about medication my anxiety somtimes blows up and I than need .50mg to calm me down. My experience with xanax is a little different than what I've usually read. People always seem to get hung up on the half life of the drug and just wait for it to where off and than take the next dose. It seems that it's a never ending cycle. I use xanax as a tool to help me rationalize my irrational fears. I don't take it to feel better, I take it to get my mind back on the right track and help me relize that what I've been feeling has been irrational and in turn makes me feel better. This helps me feel calm long after the drug has worn off. Help train your mind while on the drug. Work with it!
Posted by Phillipa on March 18, 2008, at 12:05:52
In reply to Crushing Anxiety!, posted by Bud on March 17, 2008, at 21:54:05
Xanax worked in the same way for me for years. Then it made me just tired. So your're using it with theraphy to help horrible anxiety? Phillipa
Posted by dbc on March 18, 2008, at 13:42:19
In reply to Re: Crushing Anxiety! » Bud, posted by Phillipa on March 18, 2008, at 12:05:52
Xanax has a proven mood brightening effect even at low doses and this probably what you're experiancing. When i was on 3mg a day i wasnt even phased by anything but then again it might have been because i was on an obscenely high dose of a benzo.
Posted by rskontos on March 18, 2008, at 15:32:26
In reply to Crushing Anxiety!, posted by Bud on March 17, 2008, at 21:54:05
Bud, I was given xanax to take as needed for anxiety . I began to have panic attacks at the grocery store, at the mall, basically any time I went out in public. Why, we tried to explore it in therapy but still haven't figured out why. I too have .25 mg. to start and my p-doc says take up to 3 if needed. Well as needed you should just say be an ornamental device on my nightstand. So my p-doc amended it too every 4 hours or as needed. So I now take one during the day and one at night unless I get really stressed or mad. And the other night when I awoke in the middle of the night, I am now having nightmares I can't remember what they are when I wake myself screaming. (repressed memories.) Anyway, I actually finally thought to myself these thoughts are due to anxiety over the nightmare. Eureka for me, because I have not been able in all these years to recognize my anxiety. So I relate. My p-doc kept telling me take it before it gets so bad you have a panic attack. He did not know I did not recognize anxiety for what it is. I finally after this long saw or rather heard the thoughts. Due to this nightmare and the voices I heard in it. They were the only thing I remembered of it. Funny how we can deny so much to ourselves isn't it. I have found I am slowly being able to work with the flashbacks and hopefully the nightmares through the xanax. It is not so far for me addicting like I obsessed over in the beginning. I have needed the .75 at times to calm down so I related to your needing the .50 to calm down.
My p-doc kept telling me it was only temporary I would need this. Here's hoping he is right!
rsk
Posted by Bud on March 18, 2008, at 17:07:12
In reply to Re: Crushing Anxiety!, posted by rskontos on March 18, 2008, at 15:32:26
As long as I use xanax as a tool to help myself understand that this is only an irrational fear it is then that I feel comfortable taking the medication. Most people that I have read on the message boards take their pill and wait for it to do 100% of the work. Use it as a tool to help you learn how to deal with anxiety.
Posted by Phillipa on March 18, 2008, at 19:15:04
In reply to Re: Crushing Anxiety!, posted by Bud on March 18, 2008, at 17:07:12
Bud very well said as in the 70's when had first panic attack benzos were the drug of choice and therphy was never mentioned. Wish it had been. Phillipa
Posted by Molybdenum on March 19, 2008, at 22:18:48
In reply to Crushing Anxiety!, posted by Bud on March 17, 2008, at 21:54:05
I tried to post a reply to this earlier so if it turns up twice - please ignore my repetitiousness.!
OK - I take 1/4mg Xanax too sometimes. But I find that just keeping one 2mg tab in my pocket is a good security blanket. I know if I get REALLY anxious, I can just take it. And more often than not, I don't need it. Maybe this would work for you too?
Secondly, I read recently that clonazepam is better for generalized anxiety. It takes longer to work & takes days to get out of your bloodstream. The idea was that if you simply pop a fast acting Xanax when you feel anxious, you're more likely to think "thank god I had a pill with me".
Whereas if you take the longer acting & "less instantly noticeable" clonazepam for a period of a few weeks or whatever, the idea is that you are less likely to attribute your "handling of a stressful situation" to the drug & more likely to think "hey, I coped with that situation well".
The more positive experiences you accumulate without directly attributing them to a pill taken immediately beforehand, the more your confidence goes up & generalized anxiety goes down.
Nice idea. Maybe discuss it with your doc..?
Good Luck :)
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