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naraburns  nihil supernum  1yr ago (text post)   2665 thread views

Friday Fun Thread for February 3, 2023

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Maybe better for the Wednesday thread but what are your experiences with clonazepam?

Ive taken a pill recently and it gave me a sense of calmness that will require years of meditation in a buddhist temple to acquire naturally.

I don't want to develop a benzo dependency so I might pop a pill only in the direst of scenarios such as high stakes social event or really bad life event. Just keep the door open.

Thoughts?

I've taken some benzos at time to get some sleep but while they work[1] , the sense of calm and clarity they bring doesn't compare to more .. natural and less pharmacological methods.

There's onw weird trick that brings great calm at little risk and little cost (except people will think you're weird) plus is unlikely to be abused.

Of course, really hard to pull off while single, and asking a roommate for a hand here would come across as extremely odd.

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[1]: I only ever use low dose benzos if I have withdrawal symptoms to get some sleep, or if I have to go to work next day and am too nervous to fall asleep (extremely rare). The sense of calm from them is.. rather mild. Comparing effects of low dose benzos to solid pain is like I dunno comparing a very mild breeze to a stiff wind.

It's terrific, if I had the self control to take it with moderation then I would take it all the time. (That's an AA joke)

Where I landed on drugs, and this especially applies to drugs like benzos that make you feel like everything is peachy, is that the rest of the world isn't doing them with you. Anxiety up to a point is useful to keep you from making an ass of yourself and I've seen a lot of people do this. That said, I've thought about doing the same thing and keeping one or two around for "break glass" types of emergencies. THAT said, it's the worst class of drugs you could possibly be addicted to, I think.

The only emotion that doesn’t deceive is anxiety, and anxiolytics are the most valid class of psychotropics. Benzo withdrawal is worse than alcohol as I understand it, so care is required. However some psychiatrists prescribe it to be take daily despite the possibility of tolerance.

Is its effects for you really the same type as those achieved through meditation?

I never had much apparent success with medication, but I don't think I ever stuck to a proper meditation schedule as I do for lifting.

I mentioned that more to highlight how calming it felt because I couldn't really think of any other relatable analog.

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