I highly recommend Cognitive Behavioral Therapy--there are books you can buy and practice on your own. Some of the exercises there provide me with immediate relief when I get stuck in an unhealthy thinking pattern that leads to anxiety.

I've also heard acupuncture can be very beneficial for anxiety if you are looking for other treatment options.

I just want to say that I applaud PPs who are managing PTSD and anxiety, however they are. I live with PTSD from an abusive childhood, generalized anxiety (with rare panic attacks), and low-grade depression. I manage without medication, but were I to lose any of my support team of therapist, spiritual leader, and acupuncturist, I wouldn't be surprised to need it. Parenting in particular has ramped up all these old issues and nobody who hasn't lived it really has any idea how challenging it is. If I were freaking out or screaming at my kids every day, hell yeah I would take Xanax to be a healthier parent! Drug dependency is real, but it's a known risk and better than many alternatives.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I wonder how many people who are criticizing OP's daily use of Xanax don't think twice about a couple of glasses of wine a night to "wind down". It is just a different drug, folks, only this one is prescribed by the doctor.

EXACTLY. This is a huge beef of mine. I know so many moms who have wine EVERY NIGHT. Alcohol and benzos are cross tolerant, one is OTC and one is prescribed. And you can drive w benzos, not alcohol. Alcohol is just more socially acceptable.

OP, I took klonopion for 2.5 YEARS daily. Prescribed by doc bc I have PTSD and horrible anxiety. Took me about 2 months but I weaned off and now it's been 2 months without anything and I'm fine. Sure there are times when I think I need one, but I just don't. Yes it's addicting, but yes you can get off it. Great luck.

People become dependent on alcohol, but the problem with prescription drug abuse is that the fact that a doctor is involved gives more cover. These two things aren't exactly comparable and pretending that they are is just silly.

Being able to walk into a store and get as much as you want at any time or having most social events involve mild to heavy drinking isn't enough "cover" for alcohol dependency?

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:People with real mental illness have to take meds for them. They are not"drug users"

True but you can still become addicted. A family member became addicted while taking Xanax under Drs orders.
Situationally it's fine. Daily is just masking the problem.

There's a huge difference between dependence and addiction. Educate yourself before you spout off. Otherwise you sound like an idiot and your points have no credibility. (And no, one family member's anecdotal experience does not count as educating yourself.)

Actually, there isn't any difference between dependence and addiction. They are just different words for the same phenomenon. See DSM-IV TR for more info.

Anonymous wrote:Judgemental SOBs, MYOB, and for those who suffer anxiety, please respond.

Shut your pie-hole.

Judgemental SOBs, MYOB, and for those who suffer anxiety, please respond.

OP, I take Zoloft and Xanax for anxiety. Despite my doctor's advice, I refused to take Xanax for a long time because of concerns about drug dependency. However, I grind my teeth in my teeth from anxiety/stress and I broke one of my molars. Repairing my molar required a root canal and $2000. I then decided that taking a Xanax when I was extremely anxious wasn't a bad idea.

I take .25mg before I go to sleep, if I'm feeling keyed up. It resets my emotional temperature, I get some sleep, and I'm less anxious when I wake up. I don't take it every night. I don't take it during the day because even a low dose of Xanax makes me goofy.

You do have to be careful with it. My doctor monitors me carefully for dependency and increasing tolerance. I see the doctor every 90 days for a new prescription. I haven't had to increase the dose and I don't suffer withdrawal if I don't take it for a few days. It seems to be appropriate and useful medication for me.

I also don't tell people that I am on Xanax because people are judgmental assholes about psychiatric medications. I have severe PTSD from a very abusive childhood. I've had reoccurring major depression and severe anxiety off and on since I was 11. I attempted suicide 3 times before I turned 15. I tried everything to deal with my mental health issues before I turned to medication. Medication keeps me functional at work and at home. I'm good with my decision to use medication to keep my brain healthy and I don't care to defend it to my friends, family or co-workers.

Anonymous wrote:We have a real Tom Cruise on our hands....

LOL. That was my first thought.

Remember everyone....Psychiatry is a "pseudo" science. It is all fake, it is not real. If you feel depressed, try my cocktail of sunshine + vitamins. Happiness promised.

So..Brooke Shields went to an Ivy League College. What the hell does she know about mental illness?

Anonymous wrote:No but I would like to without any negative consequences.

For realz.

Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
I wonder how many people who are criticizing OP's daily use of Xanax don't think twice about a couple of glasses of wine a night to "wind down". It is just a different drug, folks, only this one is prescribed by the doctor.


EXACTLY. This is a huge beef of mine. I know so many moms who have wine EVERY NIGHT. Alcohol and benzos are cross tolerant, one is OTC and one is prescribed. And you can drive w benzos, not alcohol. Alcohol is just more socially acceptable.

OP, I took klonopion for 2.5 YEARS daily. Prescribed by doc bc I have PTSD and horrible anxiety. Took me about 2 months but I weaned off and now it's been 2 months without anything and I'm fine. Sure there are times when I think I need one, but I just don't. Yes it's addicting, but yes you can get off it. Great luck.


People become dependent on alcohol, but the problem with prescription drug abuse is that the fact that a doctor is involved gives more cover. These two things aren't exactly comparable and pretending that they are is just silly.

Yes, they are. It is "silly" to pretend one addiction is worse than another because it is medically sanctioned. Now go enjoy you bottle of wine...

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I wonder how many people who are criticizing OP's daily use of Xanax don't think twice about a couple of glasses of wine a night to "wind down". It is just a different drug, folks, only this one is prescribed by the doctor.

EXACTLY. This is a huge beef of mine. I know so many moms who have wine EVERY NIGHT. Alcohol and benzos are cross tolerant, one is OTC and one is prescribed. And you can drive w benzos, not alcohol. Alcohol is just more socially acceptable.

OP, I took klonopion for 2.5 YEARS daily. Prescribed by doc bc I have PTSD and horrible anxiety. Took me about 2 months but I weaned off and now it's been 2 months without anything and I'm fine. Sure there are times when I think I need one, but I just don't. Yes it's addicting, but yes you can get off it. Great luck.

People become dependent on alcohol, but the problem with prescription drug abuse is that the fact that a doctor is involved gives more cover. These two things aren't exactly comparable and pretending that they are is just silly.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I took Xanax every single day (sometimes 2 times a day) for almost two years for severe PTSD. I never increased my dose, never felt the need to take it more often, and had absolutely no trouble getting off of it when it was time.

And it saved my life.

And you no longer take it, right?

I fill my MIL's prescriptions. She takes Xanax every night to sleep. I do believe she's been on it for 40 years.

I haven't taken it in over a year. I have at least 30 pills in my medicine cabinet right now. No desire to take them at all.

Anonymous wrote:I wonder how many people who are criticizing OP's daily use of Xanax don't think twice about a couple of glasses of wine a night to "wind down". It is just a different drug, folks, only this one is prescribed by the doctor.

EXACTLY. This is a huge beef of mine. I know so many moms who have wine EVERY NIGHT. Alcohol and benzos are cross tolerant, one is OTC and one is prescribed. And you can drive w benzos, not alcohol. Alcohol is just more socially acceptable.

OP, I took klonopion for 2.5 YEARS daily. Prescribed by doc bc I have PTSD and horrible anxiety. Took me about 2 months but I weaned off and now it's been 2 months without anything and I'm fine. Sure there are times when I think I need one, but I just don't. Yes it's addicting, but yes you can get off it. Great luck.

Anonymous wrote:I took Xanax every single day (sometimes 2 times a day) for almost two years for severe PTSD. I never increased my dose, never felt the need to take it more often, and had absolutely no trouble getting off of it when it was time.

And it saved my life.

And you no longer take it, right?

I fill my MIL's prescriptions. She takes Xanax every night to sleep. I do believe she's been on it for 40 years.

Anonymous wrote:I wonder how many people who are criticizing OP's daily use of Xanax don't think twice about a couple of glasses of wine a night to "wind down". It is just a different drug, folks, only this one is prescribed by the doctor.

Sophistry. We're not talking about wine, we're talking about Xanax. But, yes, plenty of people become dependent on wine/alcohol. I'm not even sure why you brought that up, though. It isn't relevant to the question.