My microtaper rant (last one) Negative post, sorry.

[[bu...]]

Oscar,

 

I am not a fan of miicrotaper as I think you never stabilise during one.

I posted on another topic some diagrams that I came up with calculating the alf time and concentration of the drug in your blood. For clonazepam someone reaches the current dose concentration after 10-12 days. Therefore a taper with holds of three weeks makes more sence. With a microtaper that will take a life time.

Look at my signature.

Last cut was 33% of the current dose and the symptoms were less than before what makes me think it was more the current dossage that was important. Since I kept holds of 16 days thiks got better. This weekend while haveing a road trip we realised that is the first time in two years that we are feer free. Both of us were relaxed and happy sign that thinks kept improving for quite a while.

 

If you are stable when you begin your microtaper, and taper at an  appropriate rate, you will remain stable.  You shouldn't need to "stabilize".

 

And if you do happen to over-taper and become symptomatic, then you can just hold until you are stable again, and resume your taper.

 

I started my micro (daily) taper from a stable condition, and was only briefly and mildly symptomatic at 2 points.  I held about 2 weeks at those 2 points, and then was fine.

 

 

[[os...]]

 

 

Well, these days I don't seem to be able to taper daily non-stop at all, in fact, I taper a tiny amount for 3 days and then hold for 3 weeks, this usually works out OK yet recently I overdid it with chores at home and it messed me up, I made a dose correction but I have been sweating profusely for a week now and not been feeling good at all.

 

I guess it all depends on whether or not I do actually stabilize... it must be said that in recent weeks I have tried to use weekly holds and even to taper a tad more than usual but it soon became apparent to me that this was not possible.

 

I mean, yes, with dose correcting and using looong holds, I am sure I would eventually stabilize but the thing here is I taper so little anyway and it will literally take me years to reach 2 mgs which cannot be right.

 

I see you builder, losing half a mg of Valium in a matter of a a few months... there is no way I could taper at that speed if I even tried.

 

I must admit, what worries me more than anything is still feeling like this as I get lower and no matter what I do, jumping will land me in a psych ward or something like that, some people are determined to get off this stuff and reinstate as soon as they hit zero simply because the proverbial sh*t hits the fan (pardon my use of profanity there).

 

It's just shocking to go from doing pretty well over all with pretty much no symptoms to grips about, to feeling like a heated up, sweaty mess again.

 

I suppose I had no idea that doing some housework would make me feel like this, I read somewhere last night that whilst in withdrawal, doing anything that stresses the body can cause a set back as we need much rest during this withdrawal, which pretty much rules out anything that is over stimulating also.

 

So, not only does it take years to get off this stuff but we are supposed to lie around and not do anything stressful for that time also... if you ask me, unless one has a spouse or friend that cares for them, this would be an extremely hard thing to achieve... I read of one member on here that bitterly regretted getting off the pills and asked if we were really supposed to sit in a quiet room for two years in order to recover.

 

Sorry this is negative but the guy had a point.

[[os...]]

 

I started my micro (daily) taper from a stable condition, and was only briefly and mildly symptomatic at 2 points.  I held about 2 weeks at those 2 points, and then was fine.

 

Well, I have to just wait this out and hope that I do get stable again, mentally I seem to be better since yesterday but I am nowhere near stable yet, it's still early days yet but what really gets me is that I am hardly tapering much to land myself in the weeds again and yet it seems it happens anyway...

 

This could be because I overdid the work at home but I must admit, this is one of the first times I have been this uncertain of getting stable again... this unstable feeling may just resolve after some weeks and if so, then I am good to go again but this is what I fear the most, not being able to get stable no matter what I do, I really don't want the rest of this taper to be agony... I am not low enough to drag this out for years and feel terrible at the same time, I would rather reinstate but for now.

 

I'll shut up and just see if I get stable again but I'll not lie, it's feeling pretty unlikely that a hold is going to fix how I feel... it seems every summer I get into difficulty, I wonder if my pills lose some of their potency and/or if the heat and the amount I perspire brings on withdrawals also...

 

I will spend the next weeks trying to distract with calm and hope for the best, if I can get stable then I will have a rest before trying to taper again... but seriously, a few tiny cuts and then this? It just makes this seem impossible at times and it takes a lot to make me feel like quitting but I admit, I have seriously thought about it lately because this taper is not affording me a life at all and that's pretty much my problem with it.

 

It is looking like I may just be on this med for life but we shall see what the coming weeks bring...

[[In...]]

Well, if all one needs to avoid "worrying" about stabilizing during a microtaper is starting out "being stable," then PROBLEM SOLVED.

 

What about all those people who just are not stable when they begin their taper? I remember being told on BDR that tapering ever so slowly and carefully would eventually even that out.

 

And plenty of people came to that forum in a non-stable condition.

 

Just had to say something about that reply. It was just too simplistic IMO.

[[os...]]

Well, if all one needs to avoid "worrying" about stabilizing during a microtaper is starting out "being stable," then PROBLEM SOLVED.

 

What about all those people who just are not stable when they begin their taper? I remember being told on BDR that tapering ever so slowly and carefully would eventually even that out.

 

And plenty of people came to that forum in a non-stable condition.

 

Just had to say something about that reply. It was just too simplistic IMO.

 

Had I known what I know now, when starting this taper, instead of thinking 1 year, I would have thought 5 years and gone VERY slow from the beginning, to allow my brain chemistry to reverse in a gentle manner...

 

As I have said before on here, I think the lower doses are harder mainly because we are already sensitized from a faster taper from the higher numbers, therefore the last few mgs can feel tricky as most are probably a little ahead of their own healing rate.

 

If I were to do this again, I would probably taper very slow from the very start... but I would not want to attempt this again.

 

My ONLY hope in ALL of this is that this starts to get better at 2 mgs... I really do feel that things will start to ease off by then but getting there might prove extremely challenging...

 

I am letting this go now... I won't be cutting again until I am stable no matter how long it takes... this may just be a blip and sometimes in this the only thing one can do is wait it out, of course it's frustrating and really annoying but for now I am just going to trust in my brain to sort itself out and if/when I feel better, I will have a break for awhile to make sure the wellness is solid and then start again but maybe use 4 week holds until I am past this tricky part.

 

There is not a lot more I can do at this point.

 

 

[[bu...]]

Well, if all one needs to avoid "worrying" about stabilizing during a microtaper is starting out "being stable," then PROBLEM SOLVED.

 

What about all those people who just are not stable when they begin their taper? I remember being told on BDR that tapering ever so slowly and carefully would eventually even that out.

 

And plenty of people came to that forum in a non-stable condition.

 

Just had to say something about that reply. It was just too simplistic IMO.

 

Well, lets clarify what is meant by "stable".  For Jana, "stable" did not mean symptom-free, it meant you were in a static state.  Either you were 1) non-symptomatic, or 2) your symptoms were steady and level, neither increasing or decreasing.  She and I had lengthy discussions about this.  When I first talked to Jana, I was still suffering sxs from my most recent failed cut-and-hold attempt, and was afraid to attempt another taper until I felt "normal".  She believed you cold begin a smooth  successful taper even if you were symptomatic. 

 

When I use the term "stable", I mean you are not experiencing significant withdrawal.  IMO, if you are already experiencing withdrawal sxs, then it seems obvious to me that any further reduction will likely exacerbate your symptoms.

 

For those who are already experiencing "tolerance (relative)" withdrawal, then I suspect any taper plan will be difficult and unpleasant.  But it is important to remember that "withdrawal" is NOT synonymous "tolerance withdrawal".

[[bu...]]

 

 

Well, these days I don't seem to be able to taper daily non-stop at all, in fact, I taper a tiny amount for 3 days and then hold for 3 weeks, this usually works out OK yet recently I overdid it with chores at home and it messed me up, I made a dose correction but I have been sweating profusely for a week now and not been feeling good at all.

 

I guess it all depends on whether or not I do actually stabilize... it must be said that in recent weeks I have tried to use weekly holds and even to taper a tad more than usual but it soon became apparent to me that this was not possible.

 

I mean, yes, with dose correcting and using looong holds, I am sure I would eventually stabilize but the thing here is I taper so little anyway and it will literally take me years to reach 2 mgs which cannot be right.

 

I see you builder, losing half a mg of Valium in a matter of a a few months... there is no way I could taper at that speed if I even tried.

 

I must admit, what worries me more than anything is still feeling like this as I get lower and no matter what I do, jumping will land me in a psych ward or something like that, some people are determined to get off this stuff and reinstate as soon as they hit zero simply because the proverbial sh*t hits the fan (pardon my use of profanity there).

 

It's just shocking to go from doing pretty well over all with pretty much no symptoms to grips about, to feeling like a heated up, sweaty mess again.

 

I suppose I had no idea that doing some housework would make me feel like this, I read somewhere last night that whilst in withdrawal, doing anything that stresses the body can cause a set back as we need much rest during this withdrawal, which pretty much rules out anything that is over stimulating also.

 

So, not only does it take years to get off this stuff but we are supposed to lie around and not do anything stressful for that time also... if you ask me, unless one has a spouse or friend that cares for them, this would be an extremely hard thing to achieve... I read of one member on here that bitterly regretted getting off the pills and asked if we were really supposed to sit in a quiet room for two years in order to recover.

 

Sorry this is negative but the guy had a point.

 

Oscar-

 

You have had a long and difficult taper.  And I am frankly in awe of your perserverance.  You have also had periods were you were discouraged and wanted to give up, but have always come back to try to carry on.

 

But your experience is certainly NOT typical, and I would discourage other BBs from looking at your experience, and trying to apply it to their own situation, or to think that your experience is in any way representative.

[[ke...]]

Well, if all one needs to avoid "worrying" about stabilizing during a microtaper is starting out "being stable," then PROBLEM SOLVED.

 

What about all those people who just are not stable when they begin their taper? I remember being told on BDR that tapering ever so slowly and carefully would eventually even that out.

 

And plenty of people came to that forum in a non-stable condition.

 

Just had to say something about that reply. It was just too simplistic IMO.

 

Bingo!!!!

Perfectly worded. Stability will not happen for a portion of us until we are off and adequately treated for any comorbid conditions such as depression.

And Oscar...I know you don't appreciate some of my observations, but you have been writing the exact same posts for a very long time while your dose hasn't budged. It seems that you are in the tolerance stage. Its up to you if you want to stay that way for many more years. But I don't think that's good for anybody.

[[os...]]

 

Oscar-

 

You have had a long and difficult taper.  And I am frankly in awe of your perserverance.  You have also had periods were you were discouraged and wanted to give up, but have always come back to try to carry on.

 

But your experience is certainly NOT typical, and I would discourage other BBs from looking at your experience, and trying to apply it to their own situation, or to think that your experience is in any way representative.

 

The lesson here is don't stay on benzo's for 25 years.

 

I don't belong in protracted as I am still on the drug, so I post here but maybe I should not as I don't want to scare people, the reason why I am having a bad time is the duration of use, that must be the root cause.

 

As for this "wave", I think I did it myself, I felt good and wanted to start living again and being productive, the fact that I felt good enough to clean my whole house is a good sign but unfortunately, I set myself back.

 

I won't be doing that again in a hurry... it's just that after 38 months it gets kinda hard to not do stuff that normal people can do.

 

My plan of action is to hold, hold and hold and if I do not stabilize, I will make an updose to get stable (if at all possible) and try and do it that way... I will exhaust my options as I have hit walls before and once I have got past them I have been OK but to updose again would pretty much be the last attempt at this taper, if that does not work, well, I will have to think about whether or not I am prepared to fight this all the way down...

 

If I were off the drug and feeling like this, at least I would know it will pass eventually but it could just be that the rest of this taper will suck but I am hopeful I can right myself with patience... time seems to be the biggest weapon in this so we shall see what the next month brings.

 

Well done on your progress so far... I admit I am a little envious but I am really happy for you.

[[In...]]

Yes,

 

Builder, I definitely understand the differences between being in tolerance, being in withdrawl from tapering, and being stable yet symptomatic with sx being basically unvarying.

 

And I had my share of very interesting conversations with Jana.

 

Glad yours were so informative. The ones she chose to have with me took a different "direction."

 

Lucky for me that I didn't need to learn much from her is about all I should say and will, as she definitely wasn't interested in talking "shop" with me.

[[os...]]

Well, if all one needs to avoid "worrying" about stabilizing during a microtaper is starting out "being stable," then PROBLEM SOLVED.

 

What about all those people who just are not stable when they begin their taper? I remember being told on BDR that tapering ever so slowly and carefully would eventually even that out.

 

And plenty of people came to that forum in a non-stable condition.

 

Just had to say something about that reply. It was just too simplistic IMO.

 

Well, lets clarify what is meant by "stable".  For Jana, "stable" did not mean symptom-free, it meant you were in a static state.  Either you were 1) non-symptomatic, or 2) your symptoms were steady and level, neither increasing or decreasing.  She and I had lengthy discussions about this.  When I first talked to Jana, I was still suffering sxs from my most recent failed cut-and-hold attempt, and was afraid to attempt another taper until I felt "normal".  She believed you cold begin a smooth  successful taper even if you were symptomatic. 

 

When I use the term "stable", I mean you are not experiencing significant withdrawal.  IMO, if you are already experiencing withdrawal sxs, then it seems obvious to me that any further reduction will likely exacerbate your symptoms.

 

For those who are already experiencing "tolerance (relative)" withdrawal, then I suspect any taper plan will be difficult and unpleasant.  But it is important to remember that "withdrawal" is NOT synonymous "tolerance withdrawal".

 

I don't expect to be symptom free, I have pretty much always had derealization in this but it has been manageable in recent months and in fact I started to gain clarity by about month 22 from what I can remember and it has gradually increased.

 

No, when I say stable, I mean just not feeling heavy derealization to the point where I feel a bit... well, mentally unstable I suppose.

 

I can cope with sweats, vibrating legs and a general sense of not feeling too good but after cutting, I usually feel a spike in the derealization and sometimes I get a hijacked brain feeling where I don't feel mentally well and with that comes bad anxiety...

 

In my case, bad derealization together with fog and anxiety feels like a recipe to feel mentally unwell, I know what it is but when your mind feels like it's been hijacked and all your see feels weird and sinister, then throw in some bad fog and anxiety also, it's just a really messed up way to feel, I know it's normal in this but I get it bad sometimes and in recent days even the nausea came back and I have not felt this bad since a long time ago... so I define that as being unstable.

 

Stable to me is when all the mental and physical symptoms calm down considerably... as I say, I have always had derealization in this although it's been progressively getting lighter and lighter...

 

 

[[os...]]

Well, if all one needs to avoid "worrying" about stabilizing during a microtaper is starting out "being stable," then PROBLEM SOLVED.

 

What about all those people who just are not stable when they begin their taper? I remember being told on BDR that tapering ever so slowly and carefully would eventually even that out.

 

And plenty of people came to that forum in a non-stable condition.

 

Just had to say something about that reply. It was just too simplistic IMO.

 

Bingo!!!!

Perfectly worded. Stability will not happen for a portion of us until we are off and adequately treated for any comorbid conditions such as depression.

And Oscar...I know you don't appreciate some of my observations, but you have been writing the exact same posts for a very long time while your dose hasn't budged. It seems that you are in the tolerance stage. Its up to you if you want to stay that way for many more years. But I don't think that's good for anybody.

 

I value your opinion and what you have to say but you always wind up being an asshole to me which is not very nice, so it's up to you, as a fellow benzo sufferer you can be supportive and nice or not but please don't go giving me a hard time on my lack of progress, I have made some progress and it's been hard enough as it is staying in this, I don't need forum members judging me on how far I have come... I am all too aware I have not moved much in my taper but I have moved a little and that is better than nothing at all.

 

 

[[th...]]

Oscar,

 

I have been following your posts and I am sorry you can't seem to find any solace. As far as stable goes, I came in with full blown tolerance and have tapered thru it in complete hell. Bedridden and unable to work or leave the bed for 95% of the time. I don't stabilize. Many of us don't. But we push thru. However, if you feel that staying on the benzo is better than getting off this is your decision to make. You have made progress and I would hate to see you back up to where you were with tolerance rearing it's ugly head at you with no way out but to come off, yet you are back up to your high doses. That is always the concern with these poisons. The problem with them causing more harm than good. I hope you can find some peace, your posts don't show this yet  :'(

 

Grinch

[[os...]]

 

 

Hi Grinch,

 

                  Thanks for the message, although not a great day, the sweats have not been so bad and I seem to have had less anxiety today... so who knows, I am just staying put for the next month... I need a break.

 

It's forecast to be hot here for the next few days, that never helps but hopefully I will stabilize soon but sometimes I have my doubts.

 

Hope you are doing OK.

[[Di...]]

Oscar, may I ask, what is (or was) the initial reasoning behind not holding during a micro? I too have been taught not to hold and continue tapering, but I haven't actually started a real taper aside from testing the pill-to-liquid response in my body and two cuts (with 14 days of hold intervals).

 

Who "taught" you not to hold while doing a daily taper? (sorry but I don't like the term "microtaper"). I don't know of anyone on BB who would say you don't need to hold while doing a daily taper, and if someone did then they need their bottom smacked.

 

Oscar has had a particularly difficult taper, but that does not mean that anyone else will have those same problems. Basically no one should take too much notice of someone else's taper because what they experience may not be what they experience.

 

The daily taper method is very successful and has worked well for many people. The fact that you read a lot more negative threads about tapering on BB is because it is those who are having more difficulties with their taper who are going to post the most. Those who have gotten on with their daily taper and are either doing well, or have finished, don't post very much. So the observations and experiences shown on BB are very skewed. I would really hate to see anyone be put off even trying to do a daily taper because they are scared by what someone else has experienced.

 

In my experience, and I've been helping people work out daily tapers now on BB for almost 2 years, the majority of people who begin a daily taper do very well, and have succeeded with their taper where they failed miserably on a cut and hold taper - and I include myself in that group.

 

I will be honest and say that I wish the admins of BB put more emphasis on the daily taper options, instead of just citing The Ashton Method as the "official" way to taper to our new members. While no one has actually done any actual "research" on the daily tapering methods I think there is plenty of anecdotal evidence on BB that they are a very successful and very viable alternative to the often touted Ashton or cut and hold methods.

 

Note - I am in no way saying that there is anything wrong with the Ashton Method, or the cut and hold method. There is a place for every kind of taper. No tapering method is right or better than another, but each individual person needs to be able to have all the information put in front of them so they can make their own decision.

[[os...]]

 

 

Anyone reading my posts should know I am a long term user and I started off pretty badly and was not versed well enough and should have held my doses from the start, I think, as a long term user, I tapered too fast to begin with, I suffered but thought that was normal so I ploughed on down in my dose and yes, I still suffered but thought I should be done within a year... I grossly underestimated the task at hand and eventually I crashed with symptoms that where overwhelming due to tapering non-stop for 7.5 months and i got slammed with acute symptoms of which were unmanageable to me, as a result, it took me a long time to pull myself out of that mess and I have tapered like a snail ever since.

 

I have had most symptoms but to be honest, the way I tapered through many symptoms without holds it's little wonder I ended up having a hard time, now it is really hard to get lower in dose unless I crawl down... it may be that this taper fails and if so, I will reinstate and come back and do it differently next time although for now, I am still going to try and make this work. I have heard it can get much better at 2 mgs and if this is the case for me, I would not care how long I take to get to zero but my taper length is not the norm at all, yet I was never going to be lucky from day one being on this drug for 24 years, I knew early on I would more than likely end up protracted and it seems I am but with the last few mgs still to lose.

 

 

[[In...]]

Don't give up, Oscar. You're not protracted at all. Protracted is just a word meaning "taking longer than expected."

 

And i think you're  young enough by far to have a very good life ahead. You just have "battle fatigue," and why shouldn't you?

 

You've been at this awhile.

 

You are going to stabilize. You have many times before, and you will again.

[[Di...]]

Oscar - you are obviously in a funk at the moment, and that is completely understandable. As Intend said, you've got battle fatigue, and all I can do is sit back and admire your determination, and feel bad for your pain.

 

I just want to remind you though of the posts you were making just a month or so ago. You were positive and upbeat. You were doing really well and you felt you had turned a corner. If you could feel that way before you WILL feel that way again, but the up and down nature of benzos is that it's never going to be all clear sailing. I wish for you it was, but it won't be. Please try to hang on to the positive feelings you had just a few weeks ago because they will return.

[[la...]]

Thank you Diaz-Pam and Builder for your posts on daily tapering and I agree with Diaz-Pam I do like the term "daily taper" better.

[[gr...]]

How can they have something called "daily" taper and then say a hold is needed? If daily is literally then the hold time is 23hrs 59 mins....this is very confusing and someone looking at changing to a daily dont understand?

[[la...]]

You have a rate you take out daily, if you feel symptoms you go back to the last day you felt the best  and take day's dose , hold at that day's dose until your symptoms go away and then try to resume that daily cut or adjust that cut if you need to go slower or faster. I have been doing it for well over a year. I don't see why this is so odd to people, at least for me it had cleared all my symptoms since I fell into acute withdrawal with the cut and hold schedule I was on.

[[Di...]]

How can they have something called "daily" taper and then say a hold is needed? If daily is literally then the hold time is 23hrs 59 mins....this is very confusing and someone looking at changing to a daily dont understand?

 

When you are doing a daily taper you are cutting on a daily basis. If everything is going well, and you aren't getting any unmanageable symptoms, then you continue to cut daily. However, there will be times when those daily cuts may start to get too much, especially as your dose gets lower, and that's when you need to be listening to what your body is telling you and you may need to do a hold.

 

Sometimes just doing a hold for a few days is all you need to do, but sometimes you may also need to reassess how much you are cutting on a daily basis. I think a rule of thumb there is that if you seem to be holding more than you are cutting then it's time to reduce how much you are cutting each day.

 

It's really not confusing at all. The difference with a daily taper is that you need to tune into what your body is telling you more than you do with a cut and hold taper. That may not suit some people, and that's fine. Most people who daily taper usually work out what their "early warning signs" are and that gives them a clue as to what is happening. For me I knew that when I started to get afternoon headaches that was when I needed to check myself.

[[Di...]]

I would also like to point out that for some people doing a daily taper can actually mean that they can cut quicker than if they do a cut and hold taper.

 

I will use myself as an example. When I tried to do a cut and hold taper from 5mg, initially I just cut 0.25mg, and it was horrible. I suffered constantly for over 3 weeks before I gave up and reinstated. However as soon as I learned how to do a daily taper everything changed and I was able to cut my first 1mg in about 8 weeks, which is much faster than I would ever have been able to do it if I'd stuck with a cut and hold taper.

[[al...]]

Oscar, may I ask, what is (or was) the initial reasoning behind not holding during a micro? I too have been taught not to hold and continue tapering, but I haven't actually started a real taper aside from testing the pill-to-liquid response in my body and two cuts (with 14 days of hold intervals).

 

Who "taught" you not to hold while doing a daily taper? (sorry but I don't like the term "microtaper"). I don't know of anyone on BB who would say you don't need to hold while doing a daily taper, and if someone did then they need their bottom smacked.

 

Oscar has had a particularly difficult taper, but that does not mean that anyone else will have those same problems. Basically no one should take too much notice of someone else's taper because what they experience may not be what they experience.

 

I mention in that very quote that I’ve been holding with 14 day intervals, regardless of what I was initially told. If you actually take the time to read my statement, you will also notice that I question the idea of not holding. Doesn’t matter who taught me, it’s what i chose to do. Of course, you also don’t have to “like” a particular term; it’s simply what I choose to call it. I won't succumb to answering your question by pointing the finger at any particular individual in this forum as it's certainly not my intention to cause anyone trouble.

 

I think most who have read about Oscar are aware of his particularly cumbersome taper so please don’t assume that those of us who are responding (whether or not we are new to BB) are doing so out of sheer ignorance. It could possibly be that we are simply scared to taper and are also experiencing pain, perhaps of a different caliber, but that’s irrelevant. Some of us are merely relating to the anguish and are compelled to post our own frustrations. Again, don’t automatically presume newcomers are unaware of Oscar’s particular situation.

 

——————————————————————————————————

 

Oscar,

 

In hindsight, I apologize if my posts here have caused you unnecessary trouble as this was not my intention.

[[Di...]]

Oscar, may I ask, what is (or was) the initial reasoning behind not holding during a micro? I too have been taught not to hold and continue tapering, but I haven't actually started a real taper aside from testing the pill-to-liquid response in my body and two cuts (with 14 days of hold intervals).

 

Who "taught" you not to hold while doing a daily taper? (sorry but I don't like the term "microtaper"). I don't know of anyone on BB who would say you don't need to hold while doing a daily taper, and if someone did then they need their bottom smacked.

 

Oscar has had a particularly difficult taper, but that does not mean that anyone else will have those same problems. Basically no one should take too much notice of someone else's taper because what they experience may not be what they experience.

 

I mention in that very quote that I’ve been holding with 14 day intervals, regardless of what i was initially told. If you actually take the time to read my statement, you will also notice that i question the idea of not holding. doesn’t matter who taught me, it’s what i chose to do. of course, you also don’t have to “like” a particular term; it’s simply what i choose to call it. I won't succumb to answering your question by pointing the finger at any particular individual in this forum as it's certainly not my intention to cause anyone trouble.

 

I think most who have read about Oscar are aware of his particularly cumbersome taper so please don’t assume that those of us who are responding (whether or not we are new to BB) are doing so out of sheer ignorance. it could possibly be that we are simply scared to taper and are also experiencing pain, perhaps of a different caliber, but that’s irrelevant. some of us are merely relating to the anguish and are compelled to post our own frustrations. again, don’t automatically presume newcomers are unaware of Oscar’s particular situation.

 

——————————————————————————————————

 

Oscar,

 

In hindsight, I apologize if my posts here have caused you unnecessary trouble as this was not my intention.

 

I'm sorry - you appear to have taken what I said in my post the wrong way. You did indeed state that you had been "taught not to hold and continue tapering". I'm not making that up, and that is specifically what I responded to. I don't particularly care who said it, but I am very concerned that anyone would give that kind of very prescriptive tapering information to anyone.

 

You may not know this, but the term "microtaper" is a term coined by Jana Hill who owns another benzo forum. She has actually tried to patent the term, although I'm not sure how successful she has been to date. That is why I don't like term. She also does not have much support from the owner of this forum. It's also basically a non-descriptive term that really doesn't describe what it is, but if you want to call it that, that's up to you, but I maintain the right to dislike it too.

 

I also never assumed that anyone was responding out of ignorance, but so often I see people getting scared because someone is having a particularly bad time, and I just try to redress that imbalance by pointing out that not everyone will have those same problems.

 

I'm sorry that my post seems to have upset you, but that wasn't my intention. I am merely trying to put some balance out there.