Posted by notfeelingthebest on January 20, 2006, at 12:44:44
In reply to Re: Older pdocs, posted by Cairo on January 16, 2006, at 22:34:37
I totally agree. Klonopin is the "gold standard." If you track down the people who are most involved in studying anxiety brought on by social situations, all you hear is clonazepam, clonazepam, and clonazepam.
Furthermore, they advocate life long use of it, whereas most docs are told that benzos should only be used for short periods.
I think the confusion arrises from the fact that most docs don't understand what the long term beneficial effects of clonezepam are, because they are actually among the list of side effects of the drug.
I'm no chemist, but I have been taking klonopin for about two or three years now. Initially, as with all benzos, you can actually feel the drug's effect and they give you considerable relief from anxiety. The anti-benzo "camp" seems to think that since this effect soon wears off, people are left dependent on a drug that has no use.
I personally feel that the side effects described as "clumbsiness" and "negative effect on motor skill function" (etc.) are actually what make the drug so effective over the long term. This seems to make sense since the drug is most commonly prescribed for epilepsy (which I've found confuses pharmacists when you go to fill you prescription, but don't have epilepsy).
Clonazepam has never made me more "pro-social," but it slows my system down. The anticipatory dread of social obligations, going to work/school, etc. is greatly diminished (and continues to be). I don't know why there is so much fuss about people abusing the stuff - I don't how the hell you would possible get high of it. I often forget to take it because I can't even tell that I'm on it; I only notice when I'm not on it.
There is this common line you hear about how benzos are bad, because once you're on them, you find it hard to cope without them. I don't see why its so hard for so many doctors to grasp that you weren't coping in the first place - that's what led you start taking them. If you stop, of course the old symptoms are going to come back.
What's my motto? Benzos for life (or even president).
P.S. Clonazepam isn't a cure for the clumbsily titled "social anxiety disorder" ("social phobia" r.i.p?). I personally think that we are just a segment of the population who have in common, to varying degrees, certain abnormal pathologies (don't you hate when pdocs counter "what's your idea of normal?").
Anyway, I guess the "no-such-thing-as-pure-disorders" argument is a bit redundant. My point is: clonazepam hasn't necessarily made me a happier person. I'm no more socially successful, and I don't feel any less different, but it removes an enormous amount of stress from my life. And I say with absolutely no professional qualifaction that the expensive seretonin bubble inhibitors/encouragers/shifters, etc. that idiots are just dying for you to try don't work.
poster:notfeelingthebest
thread:598894
URL: http://www.dr-bob.org/babble/20060115/msgs/601084.html