Voices in head during Klonopin Withdrawal

[[el...]]

I am in the late stages of tapering from klonopin (about 95% off) so now my cuts are > 10%.  Over the last week, while attempting to all asleep, my thoughts get 'hijacked' by other rambling thoughts and end up with the thought finishing with a shout inside my head, stopping sleep.

 

I'm sure this is w/d but I have had to take several other meds recently due to other medical conditions.

 

Please reply if you have any experiences like this...

 

Thank you,

Ellen

[Guest [Mi...]]

Oh, yes. I don't know about the other meds you're on, but that is definitely something that I went through coming off of Klonopin.

 

For a long time, I slept with my laptop on the bed. Not good sleep hygiene, but I used it to play guided meditations when I woke up because of scary dreams and intrusive thoughts.

 

Go on YouTube and look up "guided sleep countdown meditations" and see if they help. Or let me know if you're interested, and I'll give you a few links to the ones I have marked as favorites.

 

Hope you get some sleep soon. 

[[el...]]

Thank you, Mindseeker, for the reassurance that this is w/d.  I will check out the guided meditations and let you know if I need the links.

 

Ellen

[[ea...]]

Its unclear to me whether you are actually hearing voices in your head or just "thinking" voices. Both are common in benzo withdrawal. I had auditory hallucinations for about a month, followed by intrusive thoughts that disrupted much of my day. Something that helped me with intrusive thoughts is simple. It sounds silly but it worked for me. When I started having intrusive thoughts, I mentally said "Stop, I don't need you or want you. Go away." I also usually pictured a big red stop sign. This actually worked. Sometimes I had to repeat it a few times.

 

Only in withdrawal do we resort to such weird things.......

east

[Guest [Mi...]]

east, I've done so many bizarre things to get through withdrawal because it's such a bizarre process.

 

ellen, this is a guided meditation I listen to a lot to help me re-direct my thoughts and then learn to be "okay" with them.

 

 

I've been listening to Dr. Jon Kabat-Zinn, Claire Weeks, Mooji, and others for months now. It's really helping me learn to calm my mind as I try to live without meds. 

[Guest [Lu...]]

Oh GOD yes. The hypnagognic hallucinations. They're scary but they will leave. They did for me. I heard someone yell my name so loud one night and I was just about to go to sleep!

[[ea...]]

I just looked those Sleep Meditations, and will try them, maybe tonight. Ive been listening to Sleep Hypnosis things for a long time and they work great but these are new to me. Thank you!

 

A bizarre process indeed. It helps to be kind of inventive, and not afraid to try things that seem downright silly (in the privacy of your own home, who cares?!)

 

east

[[ea...]]

One night, just as I was falling to sleep, I heard someone yell "FIRE!!!" I jumped out of bed, started rounding up my cats, thinking we had to evacuate the house.

 

No one had yelled, there was no fire. It was "all in my head." Very scary, but it helps to know its pretty normal for us.

 

east

[Guest [Mi...]]

I just looked those Sleep Meditations, and will try them, maybe tonight. Ive been listening to Sleep Hypnosis things for a long time and they work great but these are new to me. Thank you!

 

A bizarre process indeed. It helps to be kind of inventive, and not afraid to try things that seem downright silly (in the privacy of your own home, who cares?!)

 

east

 

Exactly! The more bizarre, the better!

 

I forgot to mention Jody Whitely. She's got great guided sleep meditations that vary from a few minutes to a few hours. She's got this monotone voice that really helps relax me:

 

[[ea...]]

Jodi is my favorite!!! Ive been telling people here about her for over a year. Her "Sleep Stories" are a little weird...in one she talks about coming upon a giant frog. Well, that very night, I woke at maybe 3 am, and found a real, live frog on the bedroom floor! I was still in acute withdrawal, and for some reason, found this entirely frightening. The frog  was not a hallucination....I live in Florida and it was Spring...frogs all over the place. One of my cats "dispatched" it and I had to deal with the body the next morning. Ever since then, I have avoided her Sleep Stories and stick to the Hypnosis ones. Jodi is an alcoholic - not drinking anymore. I like her soft, whispery voice, its very soothing and gentle.

east (scratching head over my previous weirdnesses)

[Guest [Mi...]]

Jodi is my favorite!!! Ive been telling people here about her for over a year. Her "Sleep Stories" are a little weird...in one she talks about coming upon a giant frog. Well, that very night, I woke at maybe 3 am, and found a real, live frog on the bedroom floor! I was still in acute withdrawal, and for some reason, found this entirely frightening. The frog  was not a hallucination....I live in Florida and it was Spring...frogs all over the place. One of my cats "dispatched" it and I had to deal with the body the next morning. Ever since then, I have avoided her Sleep Stories and stick to the Hypnosis ones. Jodi is an alcoholic - not drinking anymore. I like her soft, whispery voice, its very soothing and gentle.

east (scratching head over my previous weirdnesses)

 

Wow. What an adventure and the timing on that particular meditation! I've been leery of the stories and the hypnosis (waking dreams type of meditations), so I've stuck to the simple ones. My poor brain can't handle anything complicated these days. 

[[ea...]]

Don't be. The hypnosis stuff is quite tame. Most have you take a couple of deep abdominal breaths to relax you. Jodi uses a couple of phrases which seem to trigger relaxation - really minor stuff like the words "right now." (Or so I think after listening to Jodi for so long!)  Most use positive affirmation things. Im not sure its fair to call them "hypnosis", because you don't fall into a hynotic trance. What they do is take your mind off worrying about falling asleep. Once you've  done that, its a lot easier to drift off to sleep. I believe its something to do with following the simple little instructions they give you.

 

Actually, Jodi's Stories are pretty entertaining. But, for me, they are TOO entertaining and don't help me fall asleep!

east

[Guest [Mi...]]

Don't be. The hypnosis stuff is quite tame. Most have you take a couple of deep abdominal breaths to relax you. Jodi uses a couple of phrases which seem to trigger relaxation - really minor stuff like the words "right now." (Or so I think after listening to Jodi for so long!)  Most use positive affirmation things. Im not sure its fair to call them "hypnosis", because you don't fall into a hynotic trance. What they do is take your mind off worrying about falling asleep. Once you've  done that, its a lot easier to drift off to sleep. I believe its something to do with following the simple little instructions they give you.

 

Actually, Jodi's Stories are pretty entertaining. But, for me, they are TOO entertaining and don't help me fall asleep!

east

 

Do you have a favorite one you would recommend? Not the frog one, though! 

[[Ra...]]

This is so frustrating for me as well.  Instead of thoughts though, they're songs.  I get a song stuck in my head when I'm laying down and it's like the chorus is on repeat.  It's so annoying I can't sleep.  Ugh!!

[[ea...]]

No, I don't have a favorite. Some nights I  put on one of the long ones, other times not. In some of them, the volume is way too low.

 

Looping music....I am so tired of it. Its been with me so long, and nothing I do stops it. Having music or a fan running helps a little, but the minute its quiet I hear it again. This symptom made me think I had lost my mind, and I did some "research" into it. Its actually very common, and not in just benzo withdrawal. Some perfectly "normal" people have this. Neurology is so fascinating! If you want to read something entertaining and informative, read one of Oliver Sacks books.

east

[Guest [Mi...]]

No, I don't have a favorite. Some nights I  put on one of the long ones, other times not. In some of them, the volume is way too low.

 

Looping music....I am so tired of it. Its been with me so long, and nothing I do stops it. Having music or a fan running helps a little, but the minute its quiet I hear it again. This symptom made me think I had lost my mind, and I did some "research" into it. Its actually very common, and not in just benzo withdrawal. Some perfectly "normal" people have this. Neurology is so fascinating! If you want to read something entertaining and informative, read one of Oliver Sacks books.

east

 

One of my friends is in the middle of a year-long taper off of Zoloft and is having a horrible time with looping music. Makes her hum ALL the time! 

[[ea...]]

Mine changes tone/pitch according to my mood or how tired I am. On and on it goes, so annoying and crazy. But since Ive heard of people having really AWFUL songs stuck, I guess I should be grateful. Can you imagine having, say, "Purple Rain" stuck in there?!? (I like Prince, but there is a limit-)

east

[[Ra...]]

Mine changes tone/pitch according to my mood or how tired I am. On and on it goes, so annoying and crazy. But since Ive heard of people having really AWFUL songs stuck, I guess I should be grateful. Can you imagine having, say, "Purple Rain" stuck in there?!? (I like Prince, but there is a limit-)

east

 

Yep.  This is the stuff I have going on.  I had something terrible like Wrecking Ball by Miley going through my head... something really dumb like that... for a week.. talk about awful.  :'(

[Guest [Lu...]]

I hate the looping songs so much! Pre-benzos, it happened after I heard a new song I liked, then once I tired of it, it stopped. Now it's just like there's no 'stop' button anymore. It's extra annoying when I'm trying to be semi-serious for once and an Ariana Grande song is looping non stop in my head.

 

THIS IS THE PART WHEN I BREAK FREE

 

literally. all. day. long.

[[ea...]]

:laugh:

 

Having Miley stuck in your head has got to be torture, just torture!!

east

[[el...]]

Yes, I get the looping songs - sometimes in the daytime and I night.  All I can do now is wish for one I like hearing -

[Guest [to...]]

I have had this happen, years ago, before I even knew what klonopin was.  It's a hypnagogic phenomena that can happen to anyone, and can also be triggered to happen during periods of mental or physical stress, such as W/D, or due to certain medications (even OTC benadryl).  It's not dangerous, and although alarming, it will pass.  Google "Hypnagogic Hallucinations."  Also, try laying on your side or your stomach if you lay on your back; for some reason, the suppine position (laying on your back) seems to trigger certain sleep-onset effects.

[[el...]]

Thanks for the info, Torbjorn -