I'm currently taking 0.5 mg of xanax for anxiety as needed. I know that xanax can be very addicting. I was wondering which benzos are less addicting than others? I heard that valium has a longing half life than most benzos; would that make it less addicting than others?

Thanks, Nate

many doctors prefer klonopin (clonazepam) to xanax because it has a long half-life and people seem to be able to taper off it relativley easily.

xanax, sadly, because of its short half-life, can become addictive as you go through the ups and downs of break-through anxiety. xanax also has a mild euphoric effect for some, which adds to its addictive quality.

you may want to discuss klonopin or valium with your doctor if you are worried about addiction issues.
also, you may want to ask him/her about "medication holidays" to prevent habituation (addiction) to your eventual benzo of choice.

sometimes i'm too broke to buy my klonopin, so i go without it for some time before i can afford more. i usually take 3mg/day. i'm able to cut it cold turkey and i don't have any kind of side effects from quitting. it has a long half life and will prevent anxiety attacks. i'd vote for klonopin. i love the stuff.

adderall (a CNS stimulant) is a different story when it comes to side effects from going off of it...

but i won't talk about it!

klonopin isn't a problem for me though. ativan was a little bit of a problem, but still not bad. i've never had xanax (oh wait, i have, but it wasn't my RX!! )

I was on .5 mg of klonopin in the past but it didn't help with my anxiety at all.

Valium is another option for you. It is less addictive than xanax and safer for long term use. Valium isnt as strong as xanax, but it works quickly and lasts a a long time. If you are looking at a shorter acting drug then atvian might be worth a look.

Whoa, I went four days cold turkey from Klonopin and felt like Chuck Norris had been bringing the fu on me wen I wasn't looking. Gah....boy did THAT suck

Here again, it matters how BAD your anxiety symptoms really are. Take the Xanax if you are having panic attacks. I switched from Xanax to Ativan to Klonopin. I take Klonopin every day for the last 3 years. But I have bad anxiety problems.

SZS

Hey Nate,

As you are well aware, all benzos are physically addictive in the sense that our bodies get used to them and have "withdrawal" without them, particularly if we take them for longer periods of time.

Here's a link to Dr. Bob's benzo equivalency chart.

It might help you make a more informed choice with your prescriber about 'addictive' potentials based on how long the meds tend to work.

You might also want to consider whether you are taking it on a consistent schedule whether you think you need it or not (less potential for psychological addiction) vs. taking it solely on an "as needed" basis (more potential for psychological addiction).

One of the reasons benzos tend to be so psychologically addictive is they give us a little good "pleasure push" as well as taking away anxiety (well, when the darn things are working right, anyway). Sometimes we confuse the good feelings from the med with the decrease in anxiety. When the "pleasure push" wears off, we start mistaking the lack of pleasure for increased anxiety, and crave more of the pleasure push. Does this make sense?

Peace,
Wooster

I've taken Xanax, Klonopin and Ativan at different times. I've never gotten the good feeling that people describe that can lead to addictive behavior. However, I have experienced a mild physical dependence that required tapering off of Xanax the one time I took it daily for two weeks. The dependence manifested itself in the form of rebound anxiety. I have taken Ativan daily for a similar length of time and found that I didn't really need to taper off of it. So, from my anecdotal evidence, I'd say that Ativan demonstrated less addictive qualities for me.

Many people love Klonopin. I've always found it a bit strong. 1mg always feels like three martinis to me and usually makes me go to sleepy-bye-land. However, its longer half-life is definitely an attractive feature. 1mg of Ativan for me makes me drowsy, but I've found that 0.5mg of it is a perfect dosage for anxiolytic effects with no drowsiness. Perhaps you should give one of those two a try?

I'm taking .5 mg Klonopin as needed up to 2 a day. .5 is a small dose. Valium did nothing for me when I had my major manic episode, but Klonopin helped a little.

Anyway, my consumption of Klonopin is erratic, and I don't notice any side effects using such a low dose.

Hi Nate - All benzos are addicting or if you prefer, are at high risk for discontinuation syndrome
Some folks are fortunate and will not suffer from WD effects, but from what I have read and now suffer is that benzos are right up there (perhaps even one of the worst) for their addictive potential. You just have to visit a benzo WD site to understand the magnitude of the problem (some places are trying to severely limit their use). On the other hand, if you need them, you need them. Just understand, that should you try to come off them after prolonged use, it is a long and unpleasant road (for most of us). The one plus about Valium, is it highly recommended as the benzo of choice to taper off of, should you decide to quit them one day. Valium's long half-life is a major reason for those who wish to taper. Note: I never got any pleasure from benzos, except they helped me go to sleep and quiet my mild anxiety.