5 ms·

Which psychiatric drug is addictive ?

50656E6973 8y ago
Xanax is one. Many anti depressants can have severe withdrawal effects as well, though I suppose that is more indicative of dependency rather than addiction.
- ddorian43 8y ago
  Yes, but xanax is only used short term I think. Withdrawal isn't the same as addicting, no ?
  - goldmouth 8y ago
    Wrong again, Xanax is prescribed for years at a time. Many people go decades taking a few mg of Xanax a day.
    - DanBC 8y ago
      In the US. In eg the UK it's somewhat difficult to get xanax, but similar meds should only be used short term. https://bnf.nice.org.uk/drug/alprazolam.html https://bnf.nice.org.uk/drug/alprazolam.html > Avoid prolonged use (and abrupt withdrawal thereafter); debilitated patients (reduce dose) (in adults); elderly (reduce dose) (in adults); history of alcohol dependence or abuse; history of drug dependence or abuse; myasthenia gravis; personality disorder (within the fearful group—dependent, avoidant, obsessive-compulsive) may increase risk of dependence; respiratory disease https://www.nice.org.uk/guidance/qs53/chapter/Quality-statement-3-Pharmacological-treatment https://www.nice.org.uk/guidance/qs53/chapter/Quality-statem... > NICE guidance provides recommendations on pharmacological therapies for anxiety disorders. Benzodiazepines are associated with tolerance and dependence, and antipsychotics are associated with a number of adverse effects. Therefore they should not be used routinely to treat anxiety disorders. > Healthcare professionals should be aware of circumstances in which benzodiazepines and antipsychotics may be appropriate, such as short-term care and anxiety disorder crises. Here's a website showing that alprazolam is not prescribed in the community: https://openprescribing.net/analyse/#org=CCG&numIds=0401020A0&denom=nothing&selectedTab=summary https://openprescribing.net/analyse/#org=CCG&numIds=0401020A...
  - hello_tyler 8y ago
    I've been on Xaxax 9 years, without it, I would be dead. I only take it infrequently though (10-15 days a month ?) so I can't comment on everyday usage and increasing tolerance. It does bother me quite a bit that my doctor only lets me be a functional human being approximately half the month, but, I'll take what little solace I can get. On higher regular (everyday) dosages seizure and even possibly death is a real possibility if you go into withdrawal, so I suppose I see where people are coming from. It doesn't make me feel any better the rest of the month though.... I suppose that's why I am so interested in these one and done kind of drugs, who wants to take a pill every day just to feel normal ? Nobody. I think the new study of these psychedelics (mdma therapy, psilocybin (especially), ketamine, dmt and their derivatives) really needs to be looked into so people can break the chains of the other medication they are on and live full happy lives.
    - ddorian43 8y ago
      You can change doctor and represent your case for a better outcome. And then change it again. Is it the "feeling" that you take pills ? Everyone wants to take-pill-get-fixed with no side-effects for every disease.
tonyarkles 8y ago
My guess is that they're referring to the part where you can't just stop taking them cold turkey without a spectrum of bad things happening to you. It's a slow slow taper process.
- ddorian43 8y ago
  That's not addicting. And kinda makes sense to tapper off (with many types of drugs).
  - tonyarkles 8y ago
    No, I agree. I think "physical dependence" would be a much better word. People don't keep taking Zoloft because they want the next hit.
    - penagwin 8y ago
      Funny you say this, because I moved, I've been out of my SNRI, and only took two in the last seven days. Last night I felt like a drug addict, I need to take it or I'll have withdrawals. The sucky part is the withdrawals won't go away for several days at least....
      - ddorian43 8y ago
        If it's an instant-release, you can lower the dose little by little.
        penagwin 8y ago
        I mean more so that now that I'm back on my medicine, it's going to be a bit before I'm back at it's full effect.
wutbrodo 8y ago
Pretty much every SSRI (the most commonly used class of psychiatric drug? Not completely sure) has really nasty withdrawal after only a few weeks
- ddorian43 8y ago
  But not addicting, your body/mind doesn't thirst for it.
  - goldmouth 8y ago
    That is false. Xanax withdrawal is extremely dangerous and suddenly stopping can cause death. Please google Xanax addiction before posting more nonsense.
    - bdamm 8y ago
      Addiction and dependency are two different things. Addiction is the "thirst", the cravings for a drug/behavior. Addiction can be a form of psychosis. Addiction by itself never kills anyone but drives people to behaviors that can be fatal, such as ignoring the dangers of acquiring the drug. Dependency is the adjustment of the patient's body to the drug, requiring both higher doses to attain the same result and a maladjusted state when the drug is not taken. Withdrawal is what happens when a person that is dependent on a drug does not get their drug, and in the case of Xanax, could be fatal. Addiction can cause dependency, and dependency can cause addiction, but they are not the same.
      - filoleg 8y ago
        Imo it is just semantics. I, personally, prefer to just separate those as "physical addiction/dependency" vs "psychological addiction/dependency". For example, xanax would qualify as physical, while cannabis as psychological. P.S. Not trying to say that one can't use cannabis without being addicted, it is absolutely possible. But psychological dependence potential is there. Realistically, almost anything can be psychologically addicting imo
    - 8y ago
drablyechoes 8y ago
Amphetamines (used to treat ADHD and narcolepsy) and Benzodiazepines (used to treat anxiety disorders) are both well-known to be addictive. Benzodiazepines in particular can have fatal withdrawal symptoms if a patient quits them cold turkey. SSRIs and SNRIs both have horrible withdrawal symptoms and can take months for patients to taper off if they decide to quit or change their meds. SSRIs and SNRIs do not really meet the threshold for being considered addictive, however, since they do not induce any kind of euorphia, intoxication or immediate relief of depressive/anxious feelings. Amphetamines and Benzodiazepines have a much higher potential for abuse, which is why prescriptions for them are carefully monitored by drug enforcement agencies.
deleted 8y ago
[deleted]

Xanax is one. Many anti depressants can have severe withdrawal effects as well, though I suppose that is more indicative of dependency rather than addiction.

ddorian43 8y ago
Yes, but xanax is only used short term I think. Withdrawal isn't the same as addicting, no ?
- goldmouth 8y ago
  Wrong again, Xanax is prescribed for years at a time. Many people go decades taking a few mg of Xanax a day.
  - DanBC 8y ago
    In the US. In eg the UK it's somewhat difficult to get xanax, but similar meds should only be used short term. https://bnf.nice.org.uk/drug/alprazolam.html https://bnf.nice.org.uk/drug/alprazolam.html > Avoid prolonged use (and abrupt withdrawal thereafter); debilitated patients (reduce dose) (in adults); elderly (reduce dose) (in adults); history of alcohol dependence or abuse; history of drug dependence or abuse; myasthenia gravis; personality disorder (within the fearful group—dependent, avoidant, obsessive-compulsive) may increase risk of dependence; respiratory disease https://www.nice.org.uk/guidance/qs53/chapter/Quality-statement-3-Pharmacological-treatment https://www.nice.org.uk/guidance/qs53/chapter/Quality-statem... > NICE guidance provides recommendations on pharmacological therapies for anxiety disorders. Benzodiazepines are associated with tolerance and dependence, and antipsychotics are associated with a number of adverse effects. Therefore they should not be used routinely to treat anxiety disorders. > Healthcare professionals should be aware of circumstances in which benzodiazepines and antipsychotics may be appropriate, such as short-term care and anxiety disorder crises. Here's a website showing that alprazolam is not prescribed in the community: https://openprescribing.net/analyse/#org=CCG&numIds=0401020A0&denom=nothing&selectedTab=summary https://openprescribing.net/analyse/#org=CCG&numIds=0401020A...
- hello_tyler 8y ago
  I've been on Xaxax 9 years, without it, I would be dead. I only take it infrequently though (10-15 days a month ?) so I can't comment on everyday usage and increasing tolerance. It does bother me quite a bit that my doctor only lets me be a functional human being approximately half the month, but, I'll take what little solace I can get. On higher regular (everyday) dosages seizure and even possibly death is a real possibility if you go into withdrawal, so I suppose I see where people are coming from. It doesn't make me feel any better the rest of the month though.... I suppose that's why I am so interested in these one and done kind of drugs, who wants to take a pill every day just to feel normal ? Nobody. I think the new study of these psychedelics (mdma therapy, psilocybin (especially), ketamine, dmt and their derivatives) really needs to be looked into so people can break the chains of the other medication they are on and live full happy lives.
  - ddorian43 8y ago
    You can change doctor and represent your case for a better outcome. And then change it again. Is it the "feeling" that you take pills ? Everyone wants to take-pill-get-fixed with no side-effects for every disease.

tonyarkles 8y ago

My guess is that they're referring to the part where you can't just stop taking them cold turkey without a spectrum of bad things happening to you. It's a slow slow taper process.

ddorian43 8y ago
That's not addicting. And kinda makes sense to tapper off (with many types of drugs).
- tonyarkles 8y ago
  No, I agree. I think "physical dependence" would be a much better word. People don't keep taking Zoloft because they want the next hit.
  - penagwin 8y ago
    Funny you say this, because I moved, I've been out of my SNRI, and only took two in the last seven days. Last night I felt like a drug addict, I need to take it or I'll have withdrawals. The sucky part is the withdrawals won't go away for several days at least....
    - ddorian43 8y ago
      If it's an instant-release, you can lower the dose little by little.
      - penagwin 8y ago
        I mean more so that now that I'm back on my medicine, it's going to be a bit before I'm back at it's full effect.

wutbrodo 8y ago

Pretty much every SSRI (the most commonly used class of psychiatric drug? Not completely sure) has really nasty withdrawal after only a few weeks

ddorian43 8y ago
But not addicting, your body/mind doesn't thirst for it.
- goldmouth 8y ago
  That is false. Xanax withdrawal is extremely dangerous and suddenly stopping can cause death. Please google Xanax addiction before posting more nonsense.
  - bdamm 8y ago
    Addiction and dependency are two different things. Addiction is the "thirst", the cravings for a drug/behavior. Addiction can be a form of psychosis. Addiction by itself never kills anyone but drives people to behaviors that can be fatal, such as ignoring the dangers of acquiring the drug. Dependency is the adjustment of the patient's body to the drug, requiring both higher doses to attain the same result and a maladjusted state when the drug is not taken. Withdrawal is what happens when a person that is dependent on a drug does not get their drug, and in the case of Xanax, could be fatal. Addiction can cause dependency, and dependency can cause addiction, but they are not the same.
    - filoleg 8y ago
      Imo it is just semantics. I, personally, prefer to just separate those as "physical addiction/dependency" vs "psychological addiction/dependency". For example, xanax would qualify as physical, while cannabis as psychological. P.S. Not trying to say that one can't use cannabis without being addicted, it is absolutely possible. But psychological dependence potential is there. Realistically, almost anything can be psychologically addicting imo
  - 8y ago

drablyechoes 8y ago

Amphetamines (used to treat ADHD and narcolepsy) and Benzodiazepines (used to treat anxiety disorders) are both well-known to be addictive. Benzodiazepines in particular can have fatal withdrawal symptoms if a patient quits them cold turkey. SSRIs and SNRIs both have horrible withdrawal symptoms and can take months for patients to taper off if they decide to quit or change their meds. SSRIs and SNRIs do not really meet the threshold for being considered addictive, however, since they do not induce any kind of euorphia, intoxication or immediate relief of depressive/anxious feelings. Amphetamines and Benzodiazepines have a much higher potential for abuse, which is why prescriptions for them are carefully monitored by drug enforcement agencies.

deleted 8y ago

[deleted]