Posted by utopizen on February 16, 2004, at 21:53:47
In reply to Re: only benzos ? » francesco, posted by Chairman_MAO on February 16, 2004, at 18:51:35
Had this argument with my psychiatrist last year. He gave a funny look after I told him I felt smarter when giving my presentation on Klonopin.
All benzos will reduce your IQ, whether you have anxiety or ADD or not. The difference is, your ADD and anxiety both affect reaction time, a key component to determining your IQ. Reduce reaction time, reduce IQ. It's that simple.
In other words, if your ADD or anxiety is so clinically signifigant you're getting a benzo, chances are your IQ will increase, because it is affecting how you think so much that reducing this condition helps your IQ.
You go down a few points, but your disorders already have you so down already it's actually a net gain!
I had to look it up in the American Textbook of Psychopharmacology, which virtually said the same thing I told my doc (hey, it made common sense to me!) "Benzos certainly do decrease IQ. Yet anxiety itself reduces one's IQ, in effect allowing the patient with anxiety to .... blah-blah-blah."
poster:utopizen
thread:311780
URL: http://www.dr-bob.org/babble/20040215/msgs/314367.html