As needed medication for GAD

[helpmerelaxplease]

I have been diagnosed with GAD. I've had it since I was a teenager. Can anyone recommend a medication or herb that is only taken when needed, not every day? I want something that has the affect of a couple glasses of wine minus the alcohol. Does that even exist? I'm afraid of the side effects of a daily medication.

[jusroc]

Hello.
I understand what you are asking, however, to be honest, it sounds like you are asking as you want to get high and not because you suffer from GAD.

People who suffer from GAD are just happy to feel normal. They are usually not looking for ways to get high.

I mean, most legal and illegal drugs that get you high are addictive in nature, so, be aware that you are at risk.

Non the less, 5mg of Diazepam for someone who has never used this type of drug usually makes people feel a little high. Although, be aware that Diazepam is very addictive and after long term use, harder to come off than heroin.

Also, the feeling that you will get off Diazepam will be unlike alcohol.
From my experience, Alcohol is the only substance that is like alcohol.
I mean, when i was younger I used a fair share of different substances in my ignorant search to get high. However, after seeing many of my friends die, or get ill, I wish i was never exposed to such substances.

As it was stupid. Natural ways of gaining a high are much more productive and spiritually fulfilling than any substance.
These Natural ways include objective achievement through hobbies / sport / employment. Being in a loving relationship and having loving family members around you.

Anyway, a legal supplement that you can take to relax you is L Theanine. This supplement will not get you as high as diazepam but will make you feel relaxed.

Alternatively, you could buy some beer and have a bottle or two.
I would suggest dope, however, after years of use and knowing many people who used to use. I have witnessed many horrors that are related to smoking pot. Shocking really, as when I was young I would have defended smoking dope to the death. In hindsight, I was just a mislead dope head, mashing up my own brain to the extent of messing up my future.

Be warned.

[helpmerelaxplease]

The only reason that I'm responding to your answer is so that another person who might read this will see that this is a serious question and will hopefully disregard your response. I'm not looking to get high. I don't know what kind of wine you drink, but when I have a glass it takes some of the pressure off of my chest and I feel like I can breathe. I want to try and avoid a medication that has to be taken every day. I've tried them and they make me feel numb. When I say herb, I'm actually referring to something you might find at a health food store. Please don't respond to this. Seriously, this response was not for you.

[mikel]

Helpme, I know what you mean. There are days that I'm completely fine and then other days where I feel like I'm just completely out of control. Those are the days that I wish there was something other than Xanax or the like that I could take just to settle me down a little. At night, when I can't sleep no matter what I try, I'll take Melatonin. That usually makes me feel a little more tired where I can focus a little bit and get myself under control long enough to sleep.

Unfortunately, I don't know of anything that will mimic the effects of a couple glasses of wine save for exactly that.

[Robbed]

Hello.
I understand what you are asking, however, to be honest, it sounds like you are asking as you want to get high and not because you suffer from GAD.

People who suffer from GAD are just happy to feel normal. They are usually not looking for ways to get high.

I mean, most legal and illegal drugs that get you high are addictive in nature, so, be aware that you are at risk.

Non the less, 5mg of Diazepam for someone who has never used this type of drug usually makes people feel a little high. Although, be aware that Diazepam is very addictive and after long term use, harder to come off than heroin.

Also, the feeling that you will get off Diazepam will be unlike alcohol.
From my experience, Alcohol is the only substance that is like alcohol.
I mean, when i was younger I used a fair share of different substances in my ignorant search to get high. However, after seeing many of my friends die, or get ill, I wish i was never exposed to such substances.

As it was stupid. Natural ways of gaining a high are much more productive and spiritually fulfilling than any substance.
These Natural ways include objective achievement through hobbies / sport / employment. Being in a loving relationship and having loving family members around you.

Anyway, a legal supplement that you can take to relax you is L Theanine. This supplement will not get you as high as diazepam but will make you feel relaxed.

Alternatively, you could buy some beer and have a bottle or two.
I would suggest dope, however, after years of use and knowing many people who used to use. I have witnessed many horrors that are related to smoking pot. Shocking really, as when I was young I would have defended smoking dope to the death. In hindsight, I was just a mislead dope head, mashing up my own brain to the extent of messing up my future.

Be warned.

From what I know about anxiety disorder and anxiety meds, I can tell you that this IS a serious question. And it is not likely that the guy wants to get 'high'. After all, if he was simply someone who wanted to abuse benzos, he would probably just go to one of those websites where you order them from abroad, and be done with it. Anyway, taking an 'as needed' medication has quite a few advantages over taking something that needs to be taken every day. Among them are:

1. No anxiety medication is without side effects. When a medication is taken daily, side effects in one form or another are experienced daily - even if you are not in a situation where you really need a medication to calm you down. This is one of the HUGE disadvantage of being on a daily medication like an SSRI. So, as a result, you feel MUCH more normal if you are not constantly medicated.

2. As anyone knows, dependence is a MUCH bigger risk when a drug is taken daily. It is completely possible to take, say, benzos ONLY when needed and not get hooked. However, if you get on a daily medication (like an SSRI), you run a risk of becoming dependent on them. And SSRI withdrawal can, for some people, be worse and last longer than withdrawal from pretty much anything out there.

3. Self-esteem can be an issue here. Say what you want about this. But it genuinely bothers some people to know that they 'NEED' (and I put this is quotes because few people actually truly NEED medication of ANY kind) to be medicated on a constant basis. You can say that there is no stigma to 'needing' a daily medication. But the fact of the matter is that this can be quite a blow to some people's self-esteem. It can also give some people the idea that they are 'hopelessly broken'. Of course, all of this can be amplified if one must also deal with constant side effects as well. NONE of this is good when it comes to recovery.

4. Although I am not exactly crazy about benzos, one thing is undeniable: benzos have a MUCH more favorable side effect profile than SSRIs. Even though they are not free of side effects, benzo side effects tend not to be as disturbing in nature as SSRI side effects.

Of course, it would be best to learn to deal with anxiety disorder without meds of any kind. Learning CBT or ACT (which is often considered a part of CBT) from either a good therapist or self help book will ultimately give you MUCH better results over the long term than popping any pill out there.