Please Help Me Answer this..How Can I Tell if I Am Addicted to Something?
Question by Thatoneguy2010: Please help me answer this..How can I tell if I am addicted to something?
I want to be honest, I am taking xanax as prescribed ..I have terrible panic attacks and anxiety… ever since I’ve been taking them they’ve helped ALOT.. but It’s not like I feel the need for them every hour or everyday.. They just help.. how in the hell can I explain to my doctor I am not abusing it, I know what abuse is like when it comes to drugs and it’s only helping me, not ruining me..
Best answer:
Answer by xXBrudu BXx
Abuse is taking them more frequently or in higher dosages than prescribed to you. If you are not doing this, you are not abusing it.
Answer by Jefferson
“Addiction” is a rather tricky word. Addiction and abuse are not necessarily synonymous. I take several medications, including Seroquel and Klonopin. I take them exactly as prescribed, thus I am not abusing them. I take Seroquel for bipolar depression, but one of the side effects is that it makes me incredibly drowsy, thus I take it at bedtime. I have taken it so long and I am so accustomed to going to sleep when I feel it starting to kick in, that if I don’t take it, I absolutely will not sleep. This is a type of dependence. I can’t sleep without it.
I have also taken Klonopin for years. I know that I cannot suddenly stop taking it. If I am ever ready to stop taking it, I will need to gradually reduce my dosage to prevent withdrawal symptoms. Xanax, another benzodiazapine, requires the same gradual reduction of dosage if you decide you don’t need it anymore. It may be the case that you are physically addicted to your medication (meaning that if you don’t take it you experience unpleasant symptoms) but so long as you are not abusing it (taking it in a way other than that which your doctor has prescribed) then it really isn’t a problem.
Don’t get too caught up in worried about whether you are “addicted” or not, so long as you are taking your medication according to your doctors recommendations. If the medication is helping you, then you need it, so don’t worry about it. When you are ready to stop taking it, your doctor will come up with a dosage reduction schedule for you to follow to prevent you from having withdrawal symptoms. Just stick to the dosage regimen your doctor has prescribed and you will be fine.
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