Anti-anxiety medications

[Cat Dancer]

I have been abusing my Ativan like I abused my klonopin before it. I haven't done it for a couple of days and am trying really hard to stay away from it. The problem is the anxiety I'm experiencing is making me want to do self harm really extensively I took the anti anxiety medication as prescribed yesterday and it was helpful. Is it ok to take it if I take it as prescribed or should I just avoid it altogether since I have a tendency to abuse it?

 

[David Baxter PhD]

This is a question for your doctors and therapist, CD. High doses of these medications can be dangerous, as I think you know, not just in terms of lethality but also in terms of a potential for triggering psychotic-like reactions.

Used as directed, they are safe and arguably the best pharmacological treatment for anxiety.

Can you trust yourself to take it ONLY as directed?

 

[Cat Dancer]

Right now I do not trust myself.

 

[H011yHawkJ311yBean]

Hopefully you will realize that you can trust yourself again...

Is it possible you could get someone to either a) lock up the medication and dispense it for you only as prescribed (dunno who, maybe a social worker or assigned health person?); or b) can you have it dispensed once a day from the pharmacy? Not as convenient, but also you wouldn't be able to get more than you are supposed to each day. Don't know if this is possible to do, but I heard some medications are arranged that way by physicians/psychiatrists, like a note on the account at the pharmacy or something..

Best discuss with your therapist, sweetpea, maybe you can figure out what's causing these anxiety spikes and he can give you some other strategies to prevent yourself from over-medicating. ♥ I think other folks have pretty much said and I'm just echoing...

 

[rdw]

If you do not trust yourself with the medication then you need to give it to someone who will help you take it correctly. Do you have someone who will help you do that?

 

[Cat Dancer]

I don't have anyone to trust to help me and it would be way too far to go to a pharmacy every day. I'm just trying to take it day by day.