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Ambien Addiction

I am horribly addicted to ambien. And before anyone says this, I am seeing my dr. tomorrow. But I wanted to see if anyone has had experience overcoming ambien addictions. I have been taking it almost every night for a year. I am treated for depression with wellbutrin and celexia. I think the ambien started to become a problem this summer, when I would take it on days that were particularly bad and I was anxious. This fall I went through a bout of depression and became very dependent on the ambien to make it through the day- it was the only thing I had to give me relief. I have since gotten a much better handle on the depression. I told my dr. several months ago that I was concerned I was starting to become dependent on ambien, but she told me I should not worry about it since the issue at hand was my depression and I should just be happy I was able to sleep with it. After a breakup a few months ago I started to abuse ambien. I would take it after drinking and completely black out, doing things I did not remember at all. that is how it started. I need to take it every night, not just to sleep, but because I am addicted to the sort of high it gives me, when I feel completely free of anxiety. I was given xanex for my anxiety but they do not produce the same feeling- they just make me groggy. I have started to take two pills instead of one (so 20mg a night), avoiding eating after dinner just because the ambien will work better, and a couple weeks ago I got so desperate for the feeling I blew it. I get the urge to do that when I do not feel it starting to kick in- most likely because I have eaten since dinner. I have only done that a handful of times, but I know it is very bad news. I knew the first time I did it I was crossing a serious line. A week ago I ended up taking 4, one every few hours because I did not feel like it was working. It causes complete amnesia once it starts to work- I will not remember conversations, e-mails, phone calls, anything. which is not too much a problem if I I stay in my room and actually go to bed. I crashed my car once when I decided to take it as I left work, desperate for it to be in effect by the time I got home. I do not remember anything about the drive and do not remember hitting the guardrail. I drove to a friends house in the middle of the night, an hour away, after taking two ambien and drinking an entire bottle of time. I do not remember getting there, and once there I tried to break into his house until he finally woke up and put me to bed. I hate not remembering things I do, making dangerous decisions and having people worry about me, but I truly cannot stop taking it. Has anyone ever been through anything similar? I am a 22 year old female in college
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Avatar universal
hi, I take AmbienCR 12.5mg, one pill at bedtime, never felt any high or an urge to seek one, not abusing it therefore. I might be dependent on it since I have been taking it for quite a few years(4 or 5). I think it might be a psychological issue and not a physical addiction, I have not checked for withdrawal effects and if there is any life threatening ones like seizures.Check on Google for that information, if there is no serious side effect I believe that if you want and you have will and power you can overcome your addiction quite easy.You mentioned that you were prescribed Xanax for your anxiety, who prescribed it, a psychiatric? They know better than that and such potent, short term lived in your system is no longer recommended by almost none psychiatric  cause they have realized FINALLY!!!! that this drug is highly addictive, very difficult to get rid off and with life threatening effects while withdrawing, like seizures.Believe me,Xanax was my drug of choice and was a nightmare to get rid of it.Nasty withdrawal symptoms, really unpleasant and some can last for months after discontinuing the Xanax. I'm still in recovery phase, taking Klonopin 2mg per day vs Xanax 8to 10mg per day addiction, both are benzodiazepines and both equal in potency, but the difference is that the Klonopin stays in your system longer than Xanax, so you will no get the urge or anxiety rebound effect that induce you to take another Xanax, losing effectiveness in a short period, as short as 6 months in some cases and making you physical  and mentally dependent of such drug. I had been there, no thank you, I don't want to be there again, starting tomorrow I'll drop to 1.75mg of Klonopin and every 3 or 4 days I'll drop another 0.25mg until it is over. I will like to know if this Klonopin or the past heavy use of Xanax will produce post withdrawal symptoms, then I'm in a hole deeper than now, but patience yield good awards.
Take care and good luck
      
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199177 tn?1490498534
ohhhh boooy this is so scary .I hope you ask your doctor for help you are so young you have your whole life ahead of you and right now you are headed down a dangerous path .PLZ let us know what happens at the doctors tomorrow we will be here for support.
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