Are Taking Benzos better than Being an Alcoholic?

[[Cl...]]

Say you're a naturally anxious, high strung, stressed person and alcoholism runs in your family. Is 1mg Klonopin better than having 4-5 drinks daily long term health wise?

[[Eu...]]

That will depend upon so many things for the individual.

The number of drinks per day is interesting to me. For years I was a one beer in the evening type of person. Then, a year and a half ago it was 2 per evening. Then, it slid sometimes 2 sometimes 4. That's what tipped me off about the  BZD's, I believe I was subconsciously trying to make up for the ineffectiveness of diazepam. It never occurred to me to take more of the pills. So, I told the doctor I don't think the meds are working. He was uncomfortable suggesting changes and had me seek out a psyk.

The psyk instantly seized upon my refusal of depakote (it will screw your liver drink or not) and branded me an alcoholic. Because I refuse to go along with his interpretation and stopped drinking(technically I'm allowed 2 beers per week) July and August 4 total. It is hard enough to deal with this BZD crap let alone his yammering to even enjoy a beer  . 

I mean since Egyptian history beer was made, and wine forever. BZD's not so- synthetic, given a legal status, and with all the horrors it creates if one even decides stopping its use. Others may feel differently...

[[Fl...]]

If anyone claims to be able to answer that question they are lying.

 

Both drugs have the potential to do very bad things if you are one of the unlucky ones who are prone to whatever makes them harmful to certain people. I have unfortunately seen the damage that both substances can do- I lived with an alcoholic for about 5 months awhile back, and I have firsthand experience with benzos. I wouldn't wish either problem on my worst enemy. Benzos can cause unbtold pain and suffering and alcoholism is just plain ugly from an outsiders perspective.

 

I'm not going to claim that everyone can be helped through natural means (although I do believe that the vast majority of people can be) but diet, exercise, therapy and just basically getting your life in order are the safest and most effective means to treat anything that a person would be inclined to take benzos or drink large amounts of alcohol for.

 

If I had to pick one to be "safer" I would probably have to go with alcohol, although this probably isn't the case for some people, especially if serious alcoholism runs in the family. The reality is that neither one is safe, it's just that certain people seem to be better able to tolerate one or the other.

[[Fl...]]

The number of drinks per day is interesting to me. For years I was a one beer in the evening type of person. Then, a year and a half ago it was 2 per evening. Then, it slid sometimes 2 sometimes 4. That's what tipped me off about the  BZD's, I believe I was subconsciously trying to make up for the ineffectiveness of diazepam.

 

You are absolutely correct. I had the same experience. I was a one or two beer a day kind of guy my entire life, right up until I got involved with benzos and AD's. During that time one or two beers became six or eight vodka grapefruits and I am sure that it had something to do with my body subconsciously avoiding tolerance from benzos.

 

THe strange thing is that I was fine with alcohol up until I was about 18 months off of all psych drugs. At that point I started to lose my tolerance and desire to drink, and by about 2 years off alcohol was flat out making me sick. I don't know what the deal was with that. Five years later I seem to be able to tolerate small amounts of alcohol, but I still have waves so I'm not even sure how it is affecting me so I still pretty much avoid it.

 

We aren't the only ones this has happened to, BTW. I have talked to several others who drank much more while they were on benzos.

[[Eu...]]

The number of drinks per day is interesting to me. For years I was a one beer in the evening type of person. Then, a year and a half ago it was 2 per evening. Then, it slid sometimes 2 sometimes 4. That's what tipped me off about the  BZD's, I believe I was subconsciously trying to make up for the ineffectiveness of diazepam.

 

You are absolutely correct. I had the same experience. I was a one or two beer a day kind of guy my entire life, right up until I got involved with benzos and AD's. During that time one or two beers became six or eight vodka grapefruits and I am sure that it had something to do with my body subconsciously avoiding tolerance from benzos.

 

THe strange thing is that I was fine with alcohol up until I was about 18 months off of all psych drugs. At that point I started to lose my tolerance and desire to drink, and by about 2 years off alcohol was flat out making me sick. I don't know what the deal was with that. Five years later I seem to be able to tolerate small amounts of alcohol, but I still have waves so I'm not even sure how it is affecting me so I still pretty much avoid it.

 

We aren't the only ones this has happened to, BTW. I have talked to several others who drank much more while they were on benzos.

FG's right, there are many that have seen illness post BZD use, from alcohol when there was was none before. What the actual action is I can not even guess.

[[gi...]]

Say you're a naturally anxious, high strung, stressed person and alcoholism runs in your family. Is 1mg Klonopin better than having 4-5 drinks daily long term health wise?

 

That's a tough question, I really don't know.  I'm glad I'm off benzos, and I don't drink, except socially once in a blue moon at a dinner party or something, just for pleasure.  But I remember when I was on benzos and hit tolerance, I would sometimes use alcohol to ease the symptoms of daily interdose withdrawals.  It brought temporary relief, but it wasn't worth it in the long run, as it made the problem even worse.  But let's say hypothetically only, if I one was facing some catastrophic circumstance and had to deal with it, I think a rescue dose of benzo would be more effective than using alcohol, but again, that's an individual decision. 

[[Aj...]]

Unless you are a very heavy drinker alcohol withdrawal is much easier and much quicker so it clearly doesn’t damage the receptors in the same way as Benzos.  Of course alcohol can also fuck your liver, pancreas and contribute to weight gain, diabetes and cancer.

 

Also both of these things will, in the end, make your anxiety worse so neither are a real solution to that.

 

Your tolerance for either will increase over time and you will end up having to stop anyway or be a life long addict.

 

My father was an alcoholic. He is now a very severely brain damaged vegetable.

 

 

[[Eu...]]

Say you're a naturally anxious, high strung, stressed person and alcoholism runs in your family. Is 1mg Klonopin better than having 4-5 drinks daily long term health wise?

So, in sum, if you are considering ditching one for the other, and stating alcoholism runs in your family, I think you must ask yourself are you personally an alcoholic? If you are,

your choosing one poison for another.

Then, you owe it to yourself after long meditation, to stop one for the other and, live with the decision. Or, quit both  and heal as well as can be expected and live what life you have.

Those seem your logically choices but I may have missed something and be totally wrong. I'm hoping this works out for all of us.

Thanks for bring up a discussion that many of us have wondered about.

How we had "normal" lives and now everything we come in contact with while trying to get back to living becomes a source of decision making that we never thought about before this mess.

[[Aj...]]

Also there are hundreds of things you can do to help with anxiety that do not involve drink or drugs. They just require a lot of effort and time.

[[Eu...]]

Also there are hundreds of things you can do to help with anxiety that do not involve drink or drugs. They just require a lot of effort and time.

Quite true Adjusta! Depression and bi-polar sites are full of self soothing activities/diversions lists.

[Guest [sa...]]

Depends is it distilled or beer?  :laugh:Either way, it's better coping with your anxiety with weaker meds like Chamomile, or other weaker GABAA PAM, so as to not have as bigger a fall

[[Eu...]]

Depends is it distilled or beer?  :laugh:Either way, it's better coping with your anxiety with weaker meds like Chamomile, or other weaker GABAA PAM, so as to not have as bigger a fall

[/quote

Depends is it distilled or beer?  :laugh:Either way, it's better coping with your anxiety with weaker meds like Chamomile, or other weaker GABAA PAM, so as to not have as bigger a fall

That's funny, I have 5-6 bottles of hooch and never feel inclined. I guess beer would be my Chamomile? But, not until this end; beer is a one after a 4 week hold since last cut litmus test. And, I noticed by my third cut no difference except my beer didn't taste good but no deficit in my progress.

[[Fl...]]

Unless you are a very heavy drinker alcohol withdrawal is much easier and much quicker so it clearly doesn’t damage the receptors in the same way as Benzos. 

 

As a general rule this seems to be true but I have heard that it is possible to suffer from protracted issues from alcohol as well. It's not the same, but it can be very similar to benzo wd.

[[Ho...]]

Say you're a naturally anxious, high strung, stressed person and alcoholism runs in your family. Is 1mg Klonopin better than having 4-5 drinks daily long term health wise?

 

Dang it. Now you've got my brain going round in circles on this one.

[[se...]]

They will both eventually cause problems if they're being used to manage stress and anxiety long-term.  The benzos have less calories for sure but are much more insidious and will cause a lot of mental problems.  Alcohol will cause a lot more physical problems even short-term.

 

I have alcoholism in my family and I'm an alcoholic.  I abused it while I was on benzos.  Actually, I would use the benzo to detox myself from the alcohol - about 1.5 bottles of wine or 8 beers with high alcohol content a night for many many years.  I wouldn't combine at the same time but the benzo was still in my bloodstream from earlier in the day.  I would drink until I passed out or blacked out.  Over time my alcohol intake got worse because of the benzo use.  I might have been able to manage it but the benzos pushed me into full blown alcoholism I believe.  It was not pretty for a number of years.  I socially isolated myself so I could drink and drink uninterrupted.  I made it through my days at work with the help of the benzos.  Really f'd up way to live.