# whats the difference between alcohol and benzos



## Bosko (Nov 9, 2007)

in terms of the positive effects they have on dp and anxiety, is there any difference reallY? when u feel completley fucked the most effective treatment we have availablle is a bottle of jd.


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## Matt210 (Aug 15, 2004)

Absolutely there is a difference. While Benzos aren't perfect and can potentially be more dangerous due to strong potential for addition, alcohol is horrible for things like DP/DR.

You feel more grounded temporarily but the next day it feels like a mistake. Alcohol creates more problems than it solves. You can actually function and think clearly while on Benzos, whereas alcohol inhibits your judgment.

Just think about the things you WOULD do on Benzos and would not do on alcohol: Write exams, go to work, drive a car, etc.

Besides both being classified as depressants I don't think the two could be any more different.


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## comfortably numb (Mar 6, 2006)

The only thing alcohol and benzodiazepines have in common is that they are both CNS depressants and they both work on the neurotransmitter GABA though in different ways.

Benzos only work on gaba while alcohol works on gaba, dopamine, NMDA receptor and god knows what else. Hence why alot of people find alcohol to be euphoric yet many people find benzos to not be euphoric at all. Also benzos are not neurotoxic or toxic to the body at all while alcohol is both.


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## invisible.ink (Feb 2, 2007)

comfortably numb said:


> The only thing alcohol and benzodiazepines have in common is that they are both CNS depressants and they both work on the neurotransmitter GABA though in different ways.
> 
> Benzos only work on gaba while alcohol works on gaba, dopamine, NMDA receptor and god knows what else. Hence why alot of people find alcohol to be euphoric yet many people find benzos to not be euphoric at all. Also benzos are not neurotoxic or toxic to the body at all while alcohol is both.


Nice to see you here, comfortably numb!


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## jasongitar (Aug 18, 2004)

See I'm completely opposite, benzos did help me fall asleep, but they seemed to make me feel more foggier and dp'd. Alcohol on the other hand seems to make me feel totally normal and brings out the real me, I'm totally happy, and all the emotions I want to have I can finally feel, oh it feels so good, I see the world totally different, I feel totally confident and happy, and this is just after 2 or 3 beers and DP doesn't seem to be an issue, the next day I feel totally fine. Here's the catch it only works about once per week, which is great because I won't become an alcoholic, but bad because I can't get that feeling every day. So I give myself a beer day every week, it's the one day where I get to be normal for a few hours, it's usually Tuesday, before I go and play live music to loosen me up a little. I guess everyone is really different.


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## glosoli (Apr 29, 2008)

just been popopin 3 xanax and now drinking some 80percent rum. just wanna pass out. cant take this anymore.


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## Matt210 (Aug 15, 2004)

glosoli said:


> just been popopin 3 xanax and now drinking some 80percent rum. just wanna pass out. cant take this anymore.


I imagine you'd pass out after that combination whether you wanted to or not.

Don't mix the two - its really not good for you. Especially not as an escape.

Hang in there - trust me, alcohol is a quick fix escape and only harms you in the long run.


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## glosoli (Apr 29, 2008)

i sure did pass out, can't remember what i did last night. just had such paranoia and panic, also think i heard voices, can't really remember clearly. just wanted to escape for a moment, but feeling okay today.


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## Matt210 (Aug 15, 2004)

glosoli said:


> i sure did pass out, can't remember what i did last night. just had such paranoia and panic, also think i heard voices, can't really remember clearly. just wanted to escape for a moment, but feeling okay today.


Glad to hear you are okay! Try not to self-medicate to an extreme like that. I know its tempting when things are fucked up and scary. But you are playing with fire there. Could actually open up another episode that will send you further into DP. Not to mention the dangers to your physical health from screwing around with your GABA like that.


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## comfortably numb (Mar 6, 2006)

Don't drink on xanax or any other benzodiazepine. It is generally a very bad idea. Benzodiazepines are not lethal on their own but they are when mixed with alcohol in high enough dose and it might not take much. Xanax is also one of the worst benzos to mix with booze since it causes really bad blackouts on it's own in high doses let alone mixed with alcohol. In fact almost every story involving benzos that ive heard where someone did something stupid involved xanax.

A valium with a beer or 2 won't hurt you but benzos and alcohol are just generally not a good mix especially if you take a recreational dose of either. You can always have a blackout and forget how many pills you took and take more. This happens quite abit in people who mix alcohol and benzos.

Alcohol does not help mental problems at all trust me on that. I self medicated with alcohol for years and all it did was mess me up way more. Get some kind of help for your problems instead of trying to drink them away.


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