Jump to content
  • Welcome to the TransPulse Forums!

    We offer a safe, inclusive community for transgender and gender non-conforming folks, as well as their loved ones, to find support and information.  Join today!

Benzo's etc


ThiefOfAlways

Recommended Posts

The only way to get my head speeding around like crazy is with Benzodiazepines.

Where I live it is easy to get, but I don't want it.

 

But my dysphoria only goes away with benzo's.

 

 

Help....???

Link to comment
  • 2 months later...

I know this is necro'ing this thread, but I feel this is a really important question.  I've felt the same way, and used benzo's to manage my dysphoria, depression and anxiety.  The problem with benzo's is they're at best a short term solution and over the long run addiction to benzo's causes way more problems then the issues they were meant to manage.  They can have a place in managing difficult emotions, but they need to be a part of a systematic approach that includes learning skills that can help manage dysphoria and other issues, such as mindfulness practices or the skills that are part of cognitive behavioral therapy.  You should engage with a substance use counselor as well as a therapist and psychiatrist, who could prescribe any benzo's with medical support if they're appropriate.

 

I think of dealing with this kinds of issues as building a team to support me in meeting my goal of managing my challenging emotions and of maintaining my sobriety. I personally used not only benzo's, but heroin/oxycontin and cocaine.  6 years sober now, and if sobriety is what you want i feel its great to get people on your team, counselors etc. That means you're not alone.

 

You can do it!

Link to comment

@ThiefOfAlways sorry I missed this & sorry you didn't receive replies before. 

 

@Kerry_Autumn on the contrary (contrary to necro'ing, lol) I agree this is an important question. You wrote many things I relate to - benzo dependence, heroin addiction, CBT, mindfulness practices. 

 

Of all the substances I've withdrawn from, including heroin, benzos were by far the worst. (Incidentally, I'd rank cigarettes worse than heroin!) I wish docs would use greater caution in prescribing them. I do not believe they should be used routinely. They seem to allow any natural, physiological ability to manage stress to atrophy...geez, do you have to pay the piper with benzos. 

 

Indeed, methods Kerry mentioned are proven to help metabolize stress, including dysphoria. The difficult news is that it takes effort and a fair degree of providence to find a therapist/teacher/source that resonates with you. The very good news is that it is always possible to learn new skills, you are your own source of practice and relief, and the more you practice such skills, the greater your faith that "this too shall pass" becomes.

 

With the right guidance, some balance between "better living through chemistry" and skill in action may be found. 

Link to comment

@Vidanjali Thanks for the mention, I would reemphasize that finding other to manage ways takes time, often years.  I've personally found that things can really start to make positive changes after you've put in the groundwork to build skills to manage difficult emotions.

I love "better living through chemisty"!  Look, substance use is a part of life for the majority of people in the US, and much of the world.  Think about caffeine, nicotine (which i agree is totally harder to quit the either heroin or cocaine/crack).  Even sugar, with the high concentration corn syrup we use, acts almost like a drug in the human body.  Then alcohol, don't even get me started.  Benzodiazepine withdraw is the only type of withdraw that can outright kill you besides alcohol.  Throw in Rx meds like benzo's and opiates etc. and you can begin to see how many people have some kind of relationship to a mind altering substance in their daily lives.

Balance in all things, and just as it's said that nothing worthwhile is gained easily, the same hold true for finding ways to deal with difficult emotions and feelings.  Find support and put in the work, it's the only thing that works long term. (At least I keep telling myself that on the hard days! 😱

 

Btw; finding and giving support is why I'm on here so anyone reading this is already a step ahead 😁.

Link to comment

My GF (to my knowledge) hasn't dealt with benzo's, but she's a recovering narcotics addict.  From what I know of her experience, you have to have a goal, a reason not to use, and people to help you.  For my GF, I think her big reason was that she didn't want me to find out and not date her.  I only learned about it later.  But she's got our whole family in her corner, helping her stay clean. 

 

Nothing worthwhile is gained easily, as @Kerry_Autumn said.  I would add that nothing worthwhile happens alone.  You need somebody...not always a professional, just somebody.  And even better is to have more than one somebody, if possible.  Real people understand that everybody deals with some kind of addiction in this broken world.  It is part of the human condition...whether is is narcotics, alcohol, online shopping, or political power.  Everybody has a struggle.  You're not broken, you're human.  A human with troubles, but also a human made in the Divine Image, which means you have eternal value no matter how today looks.  🥰

Link to comment

I love to hear examples of people NOT stigmatizing others for their history of substance use!!!  Internalized stigma is a big reason many people don't seek help for substance use issues.

Link to comment

Create an account or sign in to comment

You need to be a member in order to leave a comment

Create an account

Sign up for a new account in our community. It's easy!

Register a new account

Sign in

Already have an account? Sign in here.

Sign In Now
  • Who's Online   2 Members, 0 Anonymous, 90 Guests (See full list)

    • Hannah Renee
    • KathyLauren
  • Recently Browsing   0 members

    • No registered users viewing this page.
  • Forum Statistics

    • Total Topics
      80.5k
    • Total Posts
      767.2k
  • Member Statistics

    • Total Members
      11,944
    • Most Online
      8,356

    Melissa_J
    Newest Member
    Melissa_J
    Joined
  • Today's Birthdays

    1. Amyjay
      Amyjay
      (58 years old)
    2. bettyjean
      bettyjean
    3. Breanna
      Breanna
      (52 years old)
    4. Emily Ayla
      Emily Ayla
    5. JET182
      JET182
  • Posts

    • Willow
      Good Friday Morning    I will be spending a good portion of my day at church today.  I don’t know how any of my family would have been with me.  They all passed before I figured myself out.  I often think my mother and sister may have figured it out before I did but maybe it was just my depression that they saw.  I don’t know and never will.  My grandfather Young unconditionally loved me but he passed when I was 9.   Same with my wife’s parents, both gone before.  We’ve never had the greatest relationship with my wife’s brother but we do see them occasionally.  They words and actions aren’t always in sink when it comes to me.   Sour kraut or boil cabbage were never big even with my parents so that was something we were never expected to eat.  Nor was anything with mustard.  My mother hated mustard and it turns my stomach. My wife tried to sneak it into things early in our marriage but I could always tell.  She stopped after a while.   well I wave to go get ready to go to church.  I have a committee meeting at 10 and then we have a Good Friday Service at noon.   Willow
    • Mmindy
      Good morning everyone,   @KymmieLI hope you're misreading your bosses communications. As you say keep plugging a long. Don't give them signs that you're slow quitting, just to collect unemployment.   I have a few things to do business wise, and will be driving to the St. Louis, MO area for two family gatherings.   Have a great day,   Mindy🌈🐛🏳️‍⚧️🦋
    • KymmieL
      Good morning everyone, TGIFF   It seems like I am the one keeping or shop from being the best. According to the boss. I don't know if my days are numbered or not. But anymore I am waiting for the axe to fall. Time will tell.   I keep plugging a long.   Kymmie
    • KymmieL
      In the warmer weather, Mine is hitting the road on the bike. Just me, the bike, and the road. Other is it music or working on one of my many projects.   Kymmie
    • LC
      That is wonderful. Congratulations!
    • Heather Shay
      What is relaxation to you? Nature? Movie? Reading? Cuddling with a pet? Music?
    • Heather Shay
    • Heather Shay
      Having just a normal emotional day.
    • Heather Shay
      AMUSEMENT The feeling when you encounter something silly, ironic, witty, or absurd, which makes you laugh. You have the urge to be playful and share the joke with others. Similar words: Mirth Amusement is the emotional reaction to humor. This can be something that is intended to be humorous, like when someone tells a good joke or when a friend dresses up in a ridiculous costume. But it can also be something that you find funny that was not intended to be humorous, like when you read a sign with a spelling error that turns it into an ironic pun. For millennia, philosophers and scholars have been attempting to explain what exactly it is that makes something funny. This has led to several different theories. Nowadays, the most widely accepted one is the Incongruity Theory, which states that something is amusing if it violates our standards of how things are supposed to be. For example, Charlie Chaplin-style slapstick is funny because it violates our norms of competence and proper conduct, while Monty Python-style absurdity is funny because it violates reason and logic. However, not every standard or norm violation is necessarily funny. Violations can also evoke confusion, indignation, or shock. An important condition for amusement is that there is a certain psychological distance to the violation. One of the ways to achieve this is captured by the statement ‘comedy is tragedy plus time’. A dreadful mistake today may become a funny story a year from now. But it can also be distant in other ways, for instance, because it happened to someone you do not know, or because it happens in fiction instead of in real life. Amusement also needs a safe and relaxed environment: people who are relaxed and among friends are much more likely to feel amused by something. A violation and sufficient psychological distance are the basic ingredients for amusement, but what any one person find funny will depend on their taste and sense of humor. There are dozens of ‘humor genres’, such as observational comedy, deadpan, toilet humor, and black comedy. Amusement is contagious: in groups, people are more prone to be amused and express their amusement more overtly. People are more likely to share amusement when they are with friends or like-minded people. For these reasons, amusement is often considered a social emotion. It encourages people to engage in social interactions and it promotes social bonding. Many people consider amusement to be good for the body and the soul. By the end of the 20th century, humor and laughter were considered important for mental and physical health, even by psychoneuroimmunology researchers who suggested that emotions influenced immunity. This precipitated the ‘humor and health movement’ among health care providers who believed that humor and laughter help speed recovery, including in patients suffering from cancer1). However, the evidence for health benefits of humor and laughter is less conclusive than commonly believed2. Amusement is a frequent target of regulation: we down-regulate it by shifting our attention to avoid inappropriate laughter, or up-regulate it by focusing on a humorous aspect of a negative situation. Interestingly, amusement that is purposefully up-regulated has been found to have the same beneficial physical and psychological effects as the naturally experienced emotion. Amusement has a few clear expressions that emerge depending on the intensity of the emotion. When people are mildly amused, they tend to smile or chuckle. When amusement intensifies, people laugh out loud and tilt or bob their head. The most extreme bouts of amusement may be accompanied by uncontrollable laughter, tears, and rolling on the floor. Most cultures welcome and endorse amusement. Many people even consider a ‘good sense of humor’ as one of the most desirable characteristics in a partner. At the same time, most cultures have (implicit) rules about what is the right time and place for amusement. For example, displays of amusement may be deemed inappropriate in situations that demand seriousness or solemness, such as at work or during religious rituals.
    • Heather Shay
    • Heather Shay
    • Heather Shay
    • April Marie
      Good morning, everyone!!! Two cups of coffee in the books and I am just feeling so wonderful this morning. Not sure why, but I'm happy and smiling.   Enjoy this beautiful day!!!
    • Heather Shay
      A U.S. dollar bill can be folded approximately 4,000 times in the same place before it will tear. -You cannot snore and dream at the same time. -The average person walks the equivalent of three times around the world in a lifetime. -A hippo’s wide open mouth is big enough to fit a 4-foot-tall child in. -Chewing gum while you cut an onion will help keep you from crying.
    • Susan R
      Love it! This is great news. We need more of this to combat the excessive hate-filled rhetoric and misinformation. 👍
  • Upcoming Events

Contact TransPulse

TransPulse can be contacted in the following ways:

Email: Click Here.

To report an error on this page.

Legal

Your use of this site is subject to the following rules and policies, whether you have read them or not.

Terms of Use
Privacy Policy
DMCA Policy
Community Rules

Hosting

Upstream hosting for TransPulse provided by QnEZ.

Sponsorship

Special consideration for TransPulse is kindly provided by The Breast Form Store.
×
×
  • Create New...