It's a GAD GAD World
Saturday, August 27, 2005
 
BENZOS

Thanks Ian for your comment. It's nice to know someone in the crazy community is reading. :)

Here's what I know about benzos. Standard disclaimer: I'm not a doctor, I have no medical credentials, read and use this info at your own risk, blah blah blah. I'm not an expert, I'm just writing from my own personal experience.

"Benzos" is short for benzodiazepenes, a type of psychiatric drug. Drugs in this class include Xanax, klonopin, & valium. There are probably others, but those are the ones I know off the top of my head. Benzos work by interacting with a chemical in your brain called GABA. GABA promotes feelings of calm and relaxation. Alcohol stimulates the production of GABA, which is why many people with anxiety problems tend to abuse alcohol--it takes the edge off the anxiety. Your doc and/or pharmacist will warn you to lay off the booze if you're taking a benzo. If you combine the 2, you could relax yourself right into a coma. That's what happened to Karen Ann Quinlan.

There seem to be 2 schools of thought among pdocs when it comes to the benzos. On one hand, some believe that benzos are like a band-aid. They can get you through a crisis, and it's ok to take them occasionally, but they're probably not good for long-term use. Others believe that they're perfectly safe when taken properly, & they're just fine and dandy for long-term use.

There are some concerns about becoming addicted to benzos. Generally, unless you have a history of drug/alcohol dependency, addiction is something you probably don't need to worry about. But it can happen. There was an article in Glamour magazine a few months ago about this very subject.

As far as side effects go, the biggest one is that they can make you sleepy. My personal recommendation is that if you're given a prescription for a benzo, take the first dose at a time when you don't necessarily need to be alert. That way you have a chance to see how it will affect you.

My introduction to benzos came in January of 2004. Xanax XR had just come out, and my now ex-pdoc had some free coupons. Like an idiot, he wrote the prescription for a whopping 1mg. It put me out like a light. If I take the XR at that dosage, I know I'm going to be down for the count for a good 12 hours.

Eventually I tried Xanax XR at 0.5 mgs, and I also tried regular Xanax at 0.25 mgs and 0.5 mgs. The XR at 0.5 still puts me to sleep, but not for as long. The regular stuff relaxes me right away without knocking me out, but doesn't last very long.

My dinner has just come out of the oven, so I am going to end my post here. More later...

Saturday, August 20, 2005
 
WHY DO FOOLS FALL IN LOVE?

I've had a few opportunities to see CG in the month that has passed since I last posted. Most of which he was too busy to talk to me. Last time (which was 8/12) was the first real conversation I've had with him in a few months. It was nice. And it was nice to see that he's not so scared of me anymore.

Someone else was there. A groupie whom I've seen at shows many times before. I call her the Psychoslut, because if you've got a penis and you have any connection at all to the music industry, she'll throw yourself at you. It doesn't matter if she's just met you, it doesn't matter if you're married. Trust me, I've seen her do it.

As I said, Psychoslut was there last week. She was with a guy, which sort of made me let my guard down. But I should have known that being there with another guy wouldn't stop her behavior. CG was kind of giving her the eye after the show. My jealous curiosity piqued, I did some cybersnooping after I got home that night.

It's been said that those who snoop find no good news, and this was no exception. Thanks to Zabasearch and her blog, I learned that a) they live within 5 blocks of each other and b) she's been to his apartment.

CG doesn't strike me as being the kind of guy who spends a lot of time thinking with his dick. Although as my ex-friend at the tax firm showed me, EVERY guy is capable of it. And I think EVERY guy has been guilty of doing it at some point. Depending on the circumstances I don't necessarily see it as a sin, just a human weakness. But after seeing the way he looked at her that night...

I wish there was something I could do to warn him. But if it comes from me, it's just going to look like I'm jealous. Which of course I am, but it's more than that. If he had fallen for some nice chick I would have been hurt, but I would have dealt with it. Not the Psychoslut. She's going to break his heart, and that's going to hurt me almost as much as it's going to hurt him. He's such a sweet guy, & he deserves so much better than someone who only cares about him because he's a performer.

But how can I compete? I couldn't be sexy if my life depended on it. I'm not ugly, but I'm certainly not at all beautiful. If he's already hooked on her there's no way I can lure him to me. Even if he's not hooked on her, there's no way I could lure him. I don't know how to lure. I think I was absent from school that day. All I can do is be nice and warm and supportive and caring. Which guys don't really give a damn about. All they care about is how hot you look and how good you are in bed.

I almost never go to movies, but I'm seriously thinking about seeing "The 40-Year-Old Virgin". In just 5 years, that's going to be me. Maybe I can pick up some tips.

I don't want to get laid just for the sake of getting laid. If/when I have sex, I want it to be with someone who cares about me. I want it to be special. That doesn't mean that I expect it to be perfect. I just want it to be kind and loving and respectful.

I wish there were a wiser older woman in my life who's been successful at love, someone whom I could turn to for advice. But then, at this stage in my life I think I'm beyond help.

So here's what else is going on in my life...The day after my last post, I got a call from one of the employment agencies I registered with: "You have a job at Famous Hospital starting tomorrow." I've been there ever since. Friday 8/19 was my one-month anniversary, or it would have been if I hadn't been deathly ill (long story).

I work in one of the many pediatric departments. The job is BUSY!!!! It's all I can do just to answer the phone & keep up with patient correspondence. But the people are nice and they LOVE me. I was actually the 4th temp they called in. And I'm still here a month later, so I must be doing something right.

I'm seriously thinking about abandoning the idea of finding a permanent job and just temping. The only times I ever get my heart broken are when I think that the guy I like could actually like me back. The only times I'm crushed about losing a job are when I think it's going to last and I won't have to look anymore. It'll suck not having health insurance, but I'll be a lot saner. And I'll have more time to write, which is something I've been meaning to do for a long time now. I actually went & bought myself a voice recorder.

In GAD/depression news, I weaned myself off Neurontin, re-started Namenda (currently up to 10 mgs), and I'm trying to kick Klonopin. It's just too addictive. I don't think doing benzos every day is a good idea for me.

That's about it from here. Further bulletins as events warrant. :)


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