Posted by ShelliR on April 14, 2001, at 13:00:18
In reply to To Shelli re: valium, posted by judy1 on April 14, 2001, at 11:30:58
> Hi Shelli,
> I'm getting off the main topic of this thread, but you wrote something that caught my interest. You mentioned taking valium that was beneficial for your dissociative states, better than klonopin. I am on klonopin for panic disorder (it works well) but I guess I never knew the role of benzos in dissociation. Are you referring to your anxiety benefitting from valium or actual dissociation? Thanks and sorry to get off topic- judyHi Judy. First I want to say there isn't (for me) a clear line between high anxiety and a dissociative state. When I become highly anxious, I dissociate. That's my coping mechanism. I still feel the anxiety, but actually perhaps I am feeling secondary anxiety, because I have gone into a state where I cannot feel the presence of my body (especially my face) and that is scary. Then I get more anxious thinking I will never get grounded again. So, it is hard for me to differential between the two states.
I believe that my dissociation is different from yours. When I have si(ed), I am aware that I was doing it, but I was very detached, and at times couldn't stop. So I am in a somewhat different state, but I am not "gone" and although I have trouble remembering afterwards how I got into that state, I know who I am, where I am, and what I am doing. I have young parts inside, but I do not attribute the action to them.
As far as valium vs klonpin, my experience is again probably not a common one. When I have been in the hospital on the dissociative disorders unit, everyone (!) is on klonpin--definitely the drug of choice for dissociation.
But, yes, for me, valium works more immediately to stop anxiety and thus dissociation. For example, when I used to go to dance class I would get scared to do combinations across the floor, and would lose the whole sense of my body. If I took valium, I was much more grounded, and able to fully participate. I do not find the same quick return to earth with klonopin, although some doctors say it is more effective to keep a regular dose of klonopin in your system, which I keep forgetting to try. The main thing is valium has never made me high. One of my friends once told me that she can never tell when I've taken valium, but she can tell when I had one beer or one glass of wine.
I think I may be unusual in my reaction to valium, but it is hard to tell because a lot of doctors won't prescribe it. Part of the reason is that it makes some people high, while klonopin seems not to. Anyway, I don't know how you would react to valium, as you are well aware, body chemistries vary. But I don't think it is known as a drug to stop dissociation.
One more aside on hospitals. I wish you lived on the east coast as far as hospitals. The unit I go into (not very often, and not for very long) feels very safe. It is only for people with dissociative disorders--the staff is absolutely respectful and there is no ect even available there. I had a horrible experience at on a general unit when I was in my early twenties and it took me ten years to again go into a hospital, but I'm glad I did. Now I feel that I have a safe place to go if I become (as my therapist puts it) unraveled, or the depression becomes suicidal. Unfortunately, they have cut back the number of individual hours of therapy you get there a week, so that is really bad news to me, and my last stay (6 days) was less helpful than any previous stay. But still not threatening.
Anyway, you could ask your pdoc about valium, but I wouldn't feel too optimistic about it stopping your dissociative states. But who knows?
Hope you are doing well, Shelli
poster:ShelliR
thread:57821
URL: http://www.dr-bob.org/babble/20010411/msgs/59831.html