I guess we’re finally getting to this part—it’s about time, really. I’ve been sitting here thinking about how things have shifted lately, and honestly, it feels like we're just circling the drain of some very predictable patterns. Maybe I'm being too cynical—perhaps that's just my default setting at this point—but there's something about the way everyone is reacting that feels... well, a bit off. It’s funny, in a dark sort of way. You see these shifts happening in real-time, and instead of pausing to actually process them, people just rush headlong into the next reactionary wave. It’s a cycle. A repetitive, somewhat exhausting cycle. I don't know, maybe I'm overanalyzing it—that's usually the case when I start digging into these things—but it seems like we're all just waiting for the next inevitable bump in the road. Anyway, that's just my two cents. Don't mind me.
Kevin Bailey2 said:I've been on 6 mg for a long time, but sometimes I drop down to just 2 mg and don't even feel withdrawal symptoms or anything.
Personally, I think it's a great med.
I don't know how it works for everyone else... people accuse it of "drugging" them, but Clonazepam never gave me that high or made me sleepy... actually, it was the opposite. It helps my psychomotor skills big time; I feel like a beast. My multitasking goes through the roof... I get everything done in a heartbeat. I can systematize things easily, no complications, no nothing... just get it done. So, for pure functionality, Clonazepam gets a huge plus.
That said, does it cause heavy addiction? Oh, yeah... definitely. One time I snapped and flushed my Clonazepam down the toilet... by the third day, my vision started failing and I ended up in the ER at Johns Hopkins. It took two days of taking the Clonazepam again just to get back to normal.
But I figure... I'll probably be on it for the rest of my life anyway, so who cares if it's addictive? 😵
Either way, I prefer it over Lamal, which they tend to prescribe instead of Clonazepam. People say it's better. It isn't to me because it's teratogenic. And Clonazepam isn't quite as bad in that regard as Lamal. For example, if you get pregnant... Lamal is a massive NO.
When using Clonazepam during pregnancy, they just recommend higher doses of folic acid to lower the risk of neural tube defects or cleft lip in the fetus.
The thing is, Lamal can almost certainly cause those kinds of malformations, whereas with Clonazepam, it's more like... maybe.
Even though they're basically the same type of stabilizer, I'm definitely choosing Clonazepam over Lamal, which I also took for a while. I told my psychiatrist I didn't want it... it's stupid.
I mean, sure, that’s the dosage... but if you can actually function on 2 milligrams, why on earth would you be taking 6?
I had the exact same experience—it was my saving grace right up until the moment I stopped taking it. Once the reality hit me—that I actually relied on it more than I cared to admit—I just snapped. Honestly, I became incredibly bitter about the whole thing. I developed this intense resentment toward the medication itself, and frankly, I felt pretty much the same way about the psychiatrist who prescribed it to me in the first place.
I suppose what you're saying about functionality is fair—you just get the job done, whatever needs doing gets done. Dealing with things on-site isn't really an issue; I don't mind waiting in lines or tackling those tedious, soul-crushing tasks. As for being polite, that’s just how I am. There's basically zero chance of me losing my cool or acting out while I'm on Xanax, but still... there's always that "but."
I guess I should probably address what Maria Price3 was saying earlier—though I’m not entirely sure we’re all looking at the same picture here. It feels like there’s a bit of a disconnect between the actual experience and how it’s being described. Maybe I’m just being cynical, but it seems like some people are overcomplicating things that are actually pretty straightforward. Anyway, regarding the medication side of things—it’s always a bit of a gamble, isn't it? One day you feel fine, the next you're wondering if your brain is actually functioning the way it's supposed to. I've personally found that switching from something like Xanax to a different stabilizer can be... well, let's call it "interesting," to say the least. It's rarely a smooth ride. I suppose everyone reacts differently, but I’ve definitely had my fair share of trial and error with stuff like Luvox and Zoloft. You think you've finally hit a steady baseline, and then—bam—everything shifts again. Just my two cents, though. Not that anyone specifically asked.
| Mind you, this stuff is incredibly addictive... oh, yeah... I know how it sounds. I actually had one breaking point where I just snapped and flushed my entire stash of Xanax down the toilet. Big mistake. By the third day, my vision started failing me—everything went blurry—and I ended up in the ER at Johns Hopkins. It took me about two days of getting back on the Xanax just to feel like myself again. |
Yeah, that’s exactly where the issue lies. I’ve actually gone back on it again—since the last time I wrote about how this stuff is absolute garbage and should probably be banned entirely. 🤦Even though my dosage is relatively low right now, it seems like it’s ramping up incredibly fast—probably much faster than it should be—and, honestly, that doesn't sit right with me at all.
It’s like when you have a bar of chocolate sitting in front of you—you could tell yourself you’ll just have one square today, maybe another tomorrow, and stretch it out over ten days to make it last... but let’s be real. I don't have that kind of self-control. I'd probably just polish the whole thing off in one sitting.
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| But then again... I’ll probably be stuck on this stuff for the rest of my life anyway—so who really cares if it's addictive? 😵 |
a 😍.
I guess I should probably weigh in here—since apparently, we’re all just shouting into the void today. Looking at what Maria Price3 said, I can't help but feel like we're circling the same drain. It’s interesting, in a sort of exhausting way, how much we tend to overcomplicate things when the answer is usually staring us right in the face. Maybe I’m being too cynical—it's a habit, I suppose—but there’s a certain predictability to these discussions that makes me wonder if we actually want solutions or if we just enjoy the debate itself. Anyway, my two cents. Don't hold me to it.
Anyway, I personally prefer it over Lariam, which they seem to hand out quite a bit instead of Xanax. People claim it works better—which is their prerogative—but I’m not buying it, mostly because of the teratogenic risks. Xanax just doesn't carry that same level of concern for me compared to Lariam. I mean, if you happen to get pregnant... Lariam is basically a massive, hard no.
If you happen to be using Xanax during pregnancy, I guess the general consensus is that you should probably bump up the folic acid dosage—just to be safe. It’s mostly about trying to lower the risk of things like neural tube defects or cleft lips in the baby. It seems like a necessary precaution, though I suppose everyone's situation is different.
I mean, let's be real—Lariam can almost certainly cause those kinds of malformations or deformities, whereas Xanax? I guess that’s more of a "maybe" situation.
Even though they’re both basically the same kind of stabilizer, I definitely lean toward Xanax over Lariam—which I was on for a little while, too. I actually told my psychiatrist that I wasn't interested in the Lariam, though... honestly, I think he's being a bit thick. |
Thanks for the heads-up, but I don't see myself trying to get pregnant until I actually have my life together—at least not right now. I just can't picture myself as a pregnant woman constantly relying on pills; I think the guilt would be way too much to handle. Though, I suppose I'm aware that being under constant stress isn't exactly great for a baby's development either. It's a bit of a catch-22, I guess.
[Quetiapine]
restlesstrucker15 said:Why are you so against Clonazepam? Please elaborate a bit. I personally haven't heard that it is as bad regarding withdrawal as Xanax is. I took it for a very short period at 0.5 mg based on a neurologist's advice for a different non-psychiatric issue, but it didn't work (she told me higher doses wouldn't help either), and I admit I wasn't even particularly anxious at the time. Still, I am glad I stopped because I realized it is actually a very effective medication for anxiety, provided it is used 🙂
I ask because I wonder about the poor people who have to take it for epilepsy, including children, often in much higher doses. How are they supposed to manage?
See you later
I can't really speak to what it's used for regarding epilepsy—that's out of my lane. I was prescribed this for entirely different reasons. Honestly, what gets to me is the whole dependency issue. It feels fundamentally wrong that a medication should be designed to cause addiction—I mean, addiction itself is a disease, right? So now I’m stuck in this ridiculous position where I have to choose which kind of dependency I want to live with. Is there actually a difference? If I just decided to go out and chase a high instead, would it be any different? For me, even something like speed has a calming effect, so obviously, that isn't exactly a viable therapeutic option.