15 Months Out

[[Uo...]]

So it has been 15 months since I last took any kind of benzo. I have had several great windows and even a few long ones, but I am back in the midst of my symptoms again. DR/DP is better than it was before, but still very obviously there. My anxiety is driving me crazy. I am so tired of this roller coaster! Has anyone else experienced this so long into the game? I just want to hear that I am not alone in my suffering. I have been tempted to take a rescue dose, but I am not sure it is a good idea. I have been through so much in the last year. I just want this to be over.

[[ro...]]

You're not alone. My symptoms keep ping ponging back and forth.

[Guest [Lu...]]

http://www.benzosupport.org/recove2.gif

 

The longer you hold on, the higher your odds go up! You're almost there. 

[[Ch...]]

In my opinion, a rescue dose isn't a good idea on many levels.  A rescue dose is meant for a one-time extreme event like surgery.  Using it to manage symptoms can become a bad habit.

 

I made a real turnaround at 15-18 months as do many people.  I'm guessing you had a recent high-stress event that triggered a return of symptoms... emotional, physical, mental stress...these all can produce waves of symptoms.  Even good stressors (excitement, etc) can do this to us for awhile after we're off.

 

If you learned some coping strategies during w/d, I would draw from those again.  Rest, avoid stress and alcohol.

 

[[Uo...]]

Thank you all for your posts. They have definitely helped ease my mind. That graph is especially helpful. I did not take a rescue dose. My symptoms are still ramped up, but they have calmed down quite a bit. Time heals all wounds right? I definitely had a extremely stressful past couple of months. Things are improving, just painfully slowly.

[[Ch...]]

Thank you all for your posts. They have definitely helped ease my mind. That graph is especially helpful. I did not take a rescue dose. My symptoms are still ramped up, but they have calmed down quite a bit. Time heals all wounds right? I definitely had a extremely stressful past couple of months. Things are improving, just painfully slowly.

 

Glad to hear your symptoms have settled down a bit.  They do tend to rev up and down and easing your mind a bit here may have helped.  Benzos tamp down the central nervous system for awhile and we really feel everything much stronger than usual.  This is temporary and you will heal.  This is a painfully slow process for most of us here, but again, temporary.  It will get better.