I'm a caretaker, for many years, of my partner, who was on them for 15 years. Too long, right? Correct. She was incorrectly prescribed them for way too long, as many people are. A very high dose (8mg+).

Being her caretaker means I get a lot of other people needing support and advice with benzos. I can tell you, they are slowly killing us. I understand some people need them or they'll not slowly-die. It'll be fast. I get that, and I'm not saying they don't have a place. OMG, so many times we're in the ER with seizures and of COURSE the EMT's reach for benzos first, because they work. I'm no science denier. But if one in four doctor visits results in a perscription for them, there's zero chance people are being told the risks.

To answer your question about treatment routes: yes, everything you can think of and 1000 things you never thought of. Journaling, therapy, support groups (BenzoBuddies.org is incredible; and she's called SAINT Ashton in our house), daily yoga, eating REALLY healthy, Kito diet (to help with the seizures). The symptoms... there's over 100 of them. My partner could at any time list 30-80 of them. It'd be easier to write the symptoms my partner didn't experience.

We all (esp. doctors) are optimists. We say, "that won't happen to me (PAWS)". And the scrips fly. Benzos REALLY work great in the short term.. so people get hooked REALLY quick, and those "possible side effects" are forgotten about. Then the up-dosing begins for efficacy after tolerance withdraw after a couple weeks/months... and that hell I would save people from.

Benzos. They delay suffering. Prove me wrong. I am now pretty good at reading medical studies, so sources! Here's some..
https://www.cnn.com/2020/01/20/health/benzodiazepines-prescriptions-study/index.html

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC8294026/

https://www.nytimes.com/2018/03/16/health/elderly-drugs-addiction.html

(let me know anyone wants more). Have a wonderful day, and thank you for coming to my Ted Talk!

Your increased chance of dementia/alzheimers (I can't spell) goes up 50% for long term users. Really, you may not want to hear this, but they are not a good long term drug. I'm sorry. These numbers should give anyone pause.

My biggest issue with ALL psych drugs, is dr.'s fail to get informed consent from patients. They don't tell them 1:5 over 2 months get prolonged withdraw. That this drug could lead to death, and commonly does. We lost Robin Williams, Prince, Philip Seymore Hoffman, Kate Spade, and untold others who were dealing with prolonged withdrawl from benzos (yes, and other things, but ask anyone who's done a number of diff. withdraws, and benzos are without a question the worst). They're 'involved' in 30% of deaths from overdose. They really are the next epidemic. You'll understand one day.

And PandorasFishtank, honestly, I hope you find something other than benzos, and do your research. They've cost me many years of my life, and many hundreds of thousands of dollars. I would wish benzos on no one. The "relief" is a prolonging, that is all.

Good luck w that.

Your question is absurd and insulting.

There's newer better less addictive drugs. over 20% of people on a benzo more than 3 months will go through a prolonged withdraw process that typically is all the symptoms coming back you took it for, multiplied. This can last years. Look up Ashton and BenzoBuddies.org Benzos are very very rarely the answer. Great tool for all kinds of things, but we over prescribed it.

Do you think one in four people that go to the doctor should be prescribed Xanax?

.. and not reach for the drugs! The drugs should be the last thing people reach for, but it's more often the first. One in four doctor visits results in a prescription for a benzo. Lemmie know if you want sauce w that.

To be clear, no one should take a benzo more than a couple weeks, couple months TOPS, unless you're terminally ill. They are over prescribed. Our medical industry throws psych drugs at anyone anytime, it's disgusting and will be the next drug crises we deal with (let me know if you want sources, the NYT calls this the next opioid epidemic...)

EDIT: the fact that I'm so downvoted to me equates with people loving their benzos. That's VERY dangerous, you're playing with fire. Read below.

This is so helpful. There's also a great article about panic attacks in the NYT last week.

Merry Christmas, from the NYC taxpayer

Its a very unique block.

No, these are carriage houses, not full sized townhouses. We live in the area, and peer into them all the time. They're like, ONE room deep. That's it. A similar carriage house on our block goes for $4500 rent a month. I bet these are more actually. Google satellite shows how narrow most of those buildings are on that street, this one included. You're right the two or three to the west of this are a bit larger.

They're TEENY. Wouldn't want to live in them. An now they're over $4k/month rent.

Got about 10 in our community garden today. They get BIG!

We call it opera alley. I took the same pic of the lantern flies. No actual ones in that park, but over in Columbia, there's a few.

So much this. Walk every day. We do at least 2 miles. This video I also just love.

https://youtu.be/snAhsXyO3Ck

This is so spot on. What others think of you is none of your business. And, remember to balance food, exercise, and work life. If you don't eat and exercise, you won't find peace. It took me way way too long to figure that fundamental piece out.

First thing i did. Its a pixel. Expensive pixel.

Dont forget the pitchfork!