Not sure where to progress to

[[Sp...]]

Ok so I am new to this forum (joined 30 mins ago) but I just wanted to clarify something. Is everyone on here aiming to be completely benzo free? Or are some here to manage / moderate their use of benzos?

 

I ask because I am currently struggling with Valium and taking it too often, whereas I guess I envisage that ideally I'd like to have the willpower one day to just take it once a week or so

[Guest [Mi...]]

Ok so I am new to this forum (joined 30 mins ago) but I just wanted to clarify something. Is everyone on here aiming to be completely benzo free? Or are some here to manage / moderate their use of benzos?

 

I ask because I am currently struggling with Valium and taking it too often, whereas I guess I envisage that ideally I'd like to have the willpower one day to just take it once a week or so

 

Hi, Spooky.

 

Yes, this is a forum dedicated to being benzo free. The only way to manage the use of benzos is to safely come off them. Coming on and off benzos can cause a "kindling" effect in some (or many) people. This means that each time you try to come off the medications, it is progressively harder.

 

I used various benzos in the "bipolar cocktail" for 29 years before coming off everything but a very small dose of Seroquel. When I came off my meds in 2006 due to lack of insurance, I had a rough go of it, not knowing anything about benzo withdrawal. My symptoms were subsequently mis-diagnosed as a bipolar flare up and all meds we're re-instated.

 

When I tapered off of Klonopin this spring, I had the worst symptoms I'd ever experienced, including severe memory problems and depersonalization.

 

I would advise you strongly to make coming off these medications a priority. The long-term consequences of staying on them are not good.

 

I know you can do this and we'll be with you the entire time. 

[[th...]]

Ok so I am new to this forum (joined 30 mins ago) but I just wanted to clarify something. Is everyone on here aiming to be completely benzo free? Or are some here to manage / moderate their use of benzos?

 

I ask because I am currently struggling with Valium and taking it too often, whereas I guess I envisage that ideally I'd like to have the willpower one day to just take it once a week or so

 

Hi, Spooky.

 

Yes, this is a forum dedicated to being benzo free. The only way to manage the use of benzos is to safely come off them. Coming on and off benzos can cause a "kindling" effect in some (or many) people. This means that each time you try to come off the medications, it is progressively harder.

 

I used various benzos in the "bipolar cocktail" for 29 years before coming off everything but a very small dose of Seroquel. When I came off my meds in 2006 due to lack of insurance, I had a rough go of it, not knowing anything about benzo withdrawal. My symptoms were subsequently mis-diagnosed as a bipolar flare up and all meds we're re-instated.

 

When I tapered off of Klonopin this spring, I had the worst symptoms I'd ever experienced, including severe memory problems and depersonalization.

 

I would advise you strongly to make coming off these medications a priority. The long-term consequences of staying on them are not good.

 

I know you can do this and we'll be with you the entire time. 

 

Here, here!!!

 

G

[[be...]]

Ok so I am new to this forum (joined 30 mins ago) but I just wanted to clarify something. Is everyone on here aiming to be completely benzo free? Or are some here to manage / moderate their use of benzos?

 

I ask because I am currently struggling with Valium and taking it too often, whereas I guess I envisage that ideally I'd like to have the willpower one day to just take it once a week or so

 

Hi, Spooky.

 

Yes, this is a forum dedicated to being benzo free. The only way to manage the use of benzos is to safely come off them. Coming on and off benzos can cause a "kindling" effect in some (or many) people. This means that each time you try to come off the medications, it is progressively harder.

 

I used various benzos in the "bipolar cocktail" for 29 years before coming off everything but a very small dose of Seroquel. When I came off my meds in 2006 due to lack of insurance, I had a rough go of it, not knowing anything about benzo withdrawal. My symptoms were subsequently mis-diagnosed as a bipolar flare up and all meds we're re-instated.

 

When I tapered off of Klonopin this spring, I had the worst symptoms I'd ever experienced, including severe memory problems and depersonalization.

 

I would advise you strongly to make coming off these medications a priority. The long-term consequences of staying on them are not good.

 

I know you can do this and we'll be with you the entire time. 

 

Here, here!!!

 

G

 

:thumbsup:

[[Di...]]

Hi Spooky

 

It looks like you are on a fairly low dose of valium (5mg), so if you've been on it for a while it's probably not really doing anything for you anyway, so just taking it once a week probably wouldn't be helping much at all. You also risk the possibility of needing to increasing your dose, making it even harder to taper off it.

 

When I started my taper from 5mg valium I'd been taking it constantly for about 9 months and I know it was doing absolutely nothing for me, but I was not going to fall into the trap of continuing to take it because it would have meant increasing my dose, and that was just not going to happen.

 

When people are on the low doses of valium, like you are, I always think the best way to handle it is with a daily taper. There are lots of ways of doing that. Take a look at the first 2 links in my signature. That's the method that I used and I'm now valium free, and it feels great!!!