October 1, 2020

Dealing With Anxiety Without Benzos

Coping with stress and anxiety feels like an impossible task at times, and benzodiazepines like Xanax can make it significantly easier. However, these drugs are addictive and harm the body over time, making them unworkable as a long-term solution. Soon you will have to start looking for a Xanax substitute.

The Anxiety and Depression Association of America reports 18.1 percent of the U.S. population experiences anxiety each year. There are roughly 330 million people in the United States and about 40 million deal with anxiety. That means one thing for sure: it’s normal!

In the course of anxiety treatment, a doctor might prescribe drugs that calm you down. Benzodiazepines, such as Xanax, would be the most likely candidates. But despite their medicinal value, consuming these too often or unnecessarily can have a terrible effect on your mood, body, and mind.

If you or a loved one are having trouble navigating anxiety or functioning generally without drugs, we are here to help. Our addiction treatment resources continue to provide amazing services for individuals dealing with addictions all across Salt Lake City, with an unbiased and compassionate approach. Call us anytime at 385-327-7418 for guidance or treatment in your area.

Content

Are you struggling with anxiety? Do you want more information about benzos? Continue reading below for information about how to deal with your anxiety when you do not have benzos.

Got Anxiety?
Relief Comes With Risk
Beyond Benzos
Therapy Options
Let Us Help

Got Anxiety?

Anxiety is best described as an uncontrollable feeling of worry or fear. Fear of what? It’s not always clear. Unfortunately, anxiety can be severe enough to potentially ruin your day or even your daily living experience. Some people experience anxiety attacks in which the fear comes on so acutely that it can be crippling.

Noticing the signs of your next anxiety attack will not only educate you, it will also prepare you for your next action to overcome anxiety. According to the Mayo Clinic, these are some of the symptoms directly associated with individuals experiencing anxiety:

Feeling nervous, restless, or tense
Having a sense of impending danger, panic, or doom
Having an increased heart rate
Breathing rapidly
Sweating
Trembling
Feeling weak or tired
Trouble concentrating or thinking about anything other than the present worry
Having trouble sleeping
Experiencing gastrointestinal (GI) problems
Having difficulty controlling worry
Having the urge to avoid things that trigger anxiety

Anxiety is naturally connected to stress. Everyone stresses at some point. There can be so much going on in a single individual’s life: work is hectic, the kids are running and screaming, the car won’t start, the dog made a mess in the kitchen. Even seemingly minor problems can pile up enough that the strongest person might feel overwhelmed.

When stressed, you might experience tension or headaches. What’s going on internally is that the brain is having trouble releasing cortisol. Cortisol is a chemical released by the brain and body to regulate your mood. According to an article written by Rebecca Berstein of Touro University Worldwide, the body’s buildup of cortisol causes chronic stress. “This is when cortisol and stress can lead to trouble,” the article concludes.

Relief Comes With Risk

If anxiety continues to grow, drugs that make you calm down might seem like the next step for an anxiety-free life. For chronic anxiety a doctor will likely prescribe benzodiazepines. Benzodiazepines, also known as “benzos,” are prescription drugs that steady their uneasiness while anxious.

The History of Benzos, an abstract in the National Library of Medicine, written by Jeannette Y. Wick, says: “In 1955, Hoffman-La Roche chemist Leo Sternbach serendipitously identified the first benzodiazepine, chlordiazepoxide (Librium).”

Since the development of benzos, the drug has evolved. Valium and Xanax have become the most popular. As noted, they are considered legitimate treatments for anxiety, but many users tend to abuse these drugs, opening the door to drug dependency and inevitable side effects.

When taking benzos, the body will feel a sense of euphoria. However, the United States Drug Enforcement Administration warns that users may also experience amnesia, hostility, irritability, vivid or disturbing dreams, and more.

Each dose is different. When your body becomes dependent on benzos and longer-acting doses are taken, withdrawals’ experience occurs after a month. The withdrawals for shorter-acting doses, however, could occur within a week.

Eventually, the likelihood of overdosing emerges. With signs of dilated pupils, a fluctuating pulse, and shallow breathing, overdosing on benzos can easily be fatal.

If you need help with getting clean from a benzos addiction, then call us today even if you are only worried about someone else in your life. We are here to help. Our team of professionals will help you in any way that you need. Do not hesitate. Call us today.

Beyond Benzos

Benzos can help ease your anxiety while you work through it, but you will have to handle it sooner or later without them. Since anxiety is considered a mental health issue, it’s best to consider what can be done to keep the brain healthy.

“Adults who engage in regular physical activity experience fewer depressive and anxiety symptoms,” according to a report submitted to the National Center for Biotechnology Information. The effects of exercise on your brain chemistry are nothing but positive.

Remain creative in daily workout routines. Exercising doesn’t mean you have to hit the iron or participate in a triathlon (though if you do, good for you). Taking up yoga or joining a cycling class is equally great for stress as a Xanax substitute.

Maintain a healthy diet as well. Eating healthy provides the body with fuel for exercise and has a positive effect on mental health by itself.

Also, quality time and conversations are essential for social healing. There are so many things going on in the world and it can feel like a huge burden just to be aware of the news. It’s okay to step away from “the know” for a bit. Put your devices down. Spend time with family and friends. Have real talks with your loved ones or even a counselor whenever you feel anxious. Everything that you believe you’re missing will definitely be there if you decide to let it wait for another time.

Therapy Options

Exercise isn’t the only natural Xanax substitute. Psychotherapy is another popular technique used to combat anxiety and other forms of mental illness. Cognitive Behavioral Therapy, or CBT, involves speaking with a therapist about the thoughts, feelings, and behavior related to the feeling of anxiety and utilizing different anxiety coping strategies to handle it on a daily basis.

The first visit to a therapist will be an icebreaker meeting. As with anything in life, you have to find the therapist that’s right for you. Once you do, your therapist will work with you to find the root of your anxiety and address it with proven methods such as breathing techniques and thought readjustments. In the end, hopefully, you will find yourself coping with stress and anxiety with no need for benzos at all.

Therapists who specialize in psychodynamic therapy can also provide assistance with deciphering what’s going on in the brain. Per Harvard Health Publishing at Harvard Medical School, “the act of talking about problems can help people find ways to solve them or at least to bear them.”

Psychodynamic psychotherapists specifically concentrate on building a relationship with the client to understand their background personally. From there, a psychodynamic psychotherapist observes patterns associated with the client’s history, potentially linking both to anxiety. They will help you develop new thought processes and a healthier way of coping with stress and anxiety without relying on drugs that calm you down.

Interpersonal psychotherapy is similar to psychodynamic psychotherapy in that it depends on the relationship between therapist and client. However, it is different in focusing heavily on the client’s relationships with other people as both potential causes of anxiety and starting points for healing.

Let Us Help

Trying to explain anxiety to someone who doesn’t experience it can be deeply frustrating. Finding a Xanax substitute, especially by yourself, can feel like that too. It brings you down when people believe that anxiety is simply overthinking, and the solution is to relax. You might not know exactly what’s going on with your body and brain, but you do know how it makes you feel, and hearing someone say, “Toughen up” or “Just forget about it” brings you down even further. Although overthinking could be a component of an anxiety attack, it isn’t that simple.

We know what you’re going through. It’s hard dealing with anxiety alone. To be reliant on benzos because of it is even harder. Our professionals are here for anyone looking for help with a dependence on benzodiazepines. Every issue brought to us is taken seriously and handled with non-judgment and care. Please reach out to us at the number below and let us help you toward a healthier and happier future.