new Austin-area benzodiazepine withdrawal syndrome support group

[[vi...]]

Attention AUSTIN-AREA BENZO FRIENDS, I'd like to bring your attention to a new support group for us:

 

Benzodiazepine Withdrawal Syndrome Support Group Meeting

Saturday, July 11, 2015

4 p.m.

Austin State Hospital

Building 635

 

The first meeting of a new benzodiazepine withdrawal syndrome support group will be held on Saturday, July 11, 2015 at 4 p.m. at Austin State Hospital, Building 635. This is thanks to the efforts of Michael, a volunteer group facilitator at Texas Star Recovery, who met one of our group members. She told him about the withdrawal syndrome. He was skeptical at first, but interested enough to join BenzoBuddies.org. What he learned at BB and has learned since convinced him that we are an under-served community who could use a group like this.

 

The group will be under the auspices of Communities for Recovery, an Austin-based non-profit organization that supports long-term recovery for people with substance use and co-occurring mental health conditions by partnering with communities to provide volunteer peer supported recovery programs and services. This new support group understands that most of its members don't suffer from addiction, but rather dependence after taking benzodiazepines as prescribed. It also understands that some of us suffer from addiction as well. In other words, regardless of how you encountered the withdrawal syndrome, this group is for you.

 

I encourage everyone to attend this first meeting if at all possible. Our agenda will be what we, as a community, need in terms of support and what we'd like this group to become for us.

 

There has also been some discussion of opening up the group to people suffering from other medication withdrawal syndromes; i.e. Z-drugs, antidepressants, antipsychotics, drugs like Neurontin and Lyrica, etc. That needs further discussion. We're interested in helping those people too, but are not interested in this group becoming a pill addiction group. Groups for that already exist.

 

If you need some help with directions on the day of the meeting or if you have any other questions, PM me and I'll provide contact information.

[[me...]]

[[Be...]]

Wow!  That's outstanding.  Way to go whoever did this.  Now, how do we get those struggling out of their homes?  Our needs are many.  You couldn't have gotten me there early on.  If it was here, in a heartbeat now.

 

[[vi...]]

Wow!  That's outstanding.  Way to go whoever did this.  Now, how do we get those struggling out of their homes?  Our needs are many.  You couldn't have gotten me there early on.  If it was here, in a heartbeat now.

 

 

I'm guessing online support will remain the primary support for people who are too ill to get out, though in cases where it's just driving that's the issue, I think rides could be arranged.

[[Ne...]]

This is great! So are we allowed to post this kind of information? I tried starting a support group via meetup and it is very small and based on Skype for now because it can be a challenge to get people to come in person and coordinate it.

 

Good luck and I commend you for it.

[[me...]]

This is great! So are we allowed to post this kind of information? I tried starting a support group via meetup and it is very small and based on Skype for now because it can be a challenge to get people to come in person and coordinate it.

 

Good luck and I commend you for it.

 

FYI, Nervgirl,

 

We rarely allow this kind of info to be posted, and then only if the event has been thoroughly checked out by BenzoBuddies, as this one has. 

 

 

[[ba...]]

hi Vita , wow this is very nice for you and Michael to have this , its a 4 hour drive to austin from corpus christi

[[Te...]]

I would be willing to do limited pick-up for otherwise house-bound folks...i currently have two of my three seats filled for the first meeting...PM me if you are in need...HEARTFELT GRATITUDE TO THE FOLKS AT BB FOR ALLOWING THIS TO GO OUT. mike

[[vi...]]

This is great! So are we allowed to post this kind of information? I tried starting a support group via meetup and it is very small and based on Skype for now because it can be a challenge to get people to come in person and coordinate it.

 

Good luck and I commend you for it.

 

When I initially posted my announcement, BB staff removed it because I hadn't cleared it with them first. In order to keep members safe, they needed to make sure it was legit. I gave them the name and number of our contact at the hospital to establish that we were for real.

 

Best of luck to you with your group.

[[vi...]]

We just had our first meeting yesterday. I think it went really well. There were 11 of us. We did a good job connecting with each other. We'll meet weekly on the same day, at the same time and at the same location. If you're in the Austin area and you'd like to join us, we'd love to see you.

[[Te...]]

Updates:

The second meeting saw six folks willing to brave the world for a chance to visit in person. I now know better how not to make the coffee...

Yesterday was a lull...three folks visited for a couple of hours...i hope one and a half of me does more next week...

Some of the items coming up are: benzo-wise docs(who and where), compounding pharmacies(same), need to get the word out(how?), problems with communicating(family, friends), common(and not so common) sx, and if you weren't there, we might have talked about YOU(!)...

I will try to send a reminder out by Wednesday(if I can remember...), and will pursue flyers. Word-of-mouth seems to be the way we are getting out there right now.

 

[[Ne...]]

Honestly, I think 6 or just even a few is amazing. I tried to start an in-person support group and it just didn't work because of people being unable to drive long-ish distances or being afraid. Skype is a wonderful tool. And if I may suggest, meetup's website might get you some hits. That's how I did mine. Didn't use my real name and still don't but the only reason I keep the meetup site open (it costs $ per month - I think $14) is so people can find the skype.  You can make the page private, vet people before you give them access to the page, etc. I found with mine that I had to explicitly say it wasn't like AA to a couple folks because that's what they originally thought.

 

Anyway. Food for thought.

 

Congratulations again for making it work!

 

 

[[Te...]]

Thanks, Nervegirl, for the kudo and the suggestions...as far as I am concerned, if only two people show up, it's a win...i expected and expect attendance problems and irregularities...it is benzos, after all...lol...sometimes it's nice to hear and be heard. tex

[[Te...]]

Bump and update

 

THE SUPPORT GROUP CONTINUES TO EXIST...SMALL ATTENDANCE IS A NAGGING PROBLEM, BUT GETTING THE WORD OUT HAS BEEN PRETTY MUCH WORD-OF-MOUTH...WE NOW HAVE A FLYER PRINTED UP AND WILL BEGIN TO SPREAD IT OUT WHEREVER IT SEEMS RELEVANT...SUGGESTIONS AS TO PLACES TO POST IT OR LEAVE COPIES WOULD BE GREATLY APPRECIATED.

WHAT WE HAVE COME UP WITH SO FAR ARE DETOX/REHAB UNITS, COMPOUNDING PHARMACIES, AA MEETING HALLS, NA MEETING HALLS, BENZO-FRIENDLY DOCS, COMMUNITY RECOVERY ORGANIZATIONS, AND FRIENDS OF FRIENDS...

THIS GROUP IS NOT A 12 STEP ORIENTED MEETING...IT IS A PLACE WHERE SHARING EXPERIENCES AND COPING, FRUSTRATION AND LAUGHTER, WHATEVER COMES UP...IT IS, TO ME, A SAFE PLACE TO SHARE COMPANY WITH THOSE WHO UNDERSTAND THE TRIALS AND DIFFICULTIES OF WITHDRAWAL SYMPTOMS BOTH IN THE MEDICAL AND PERSONAL ARENAS OF LIFE...WE WELCOME ALL WHO NEED SUPPORT TO COME, CALL, EMAIL, PM, OR SEND UP SMOKE SIGNALS...IF POSSIBLE, RIDES CAN BE ARRANGED. IT IS A QUIET AND COMFORTABLE ENVIRONMENT. Y'ALL STOP,BY AND CHECK US OUT...MICHAEL

[[Ia...]]

Is this still happening?

[[Te...]]

YES!!! We still meet every Saturday at 4:00pm...been going now for over a year...last I heard we are the only active face-to-face benzo support group in the US...I hope that is wrong...

  PM me and I can give you particulars to contact me. Are you Austin area?

[[Ia...]]

YES!!! We still meet every Saturday at 4:00pm...been going now for over a year...last I heard we are the only active face-to-face benzo support group in the US...I hope that is wrong...

  PM me and I can give you particulars to contact me. Are you Austin area?

 

I just PM'd you.  Contact me back on here or the email I provided.  Yes I live in Cedar Park.

 

[[fi...]]

YES!!! We still meet every Saturday at 4:00pm...been going now for over a year...last I heard we are the only active face-to-face benzo support group in the US...I hope that is wrong...

  PM me and I can give you particulars to contact me. Are you Austin area?

 

I think I messaged with you on Facebook about this meeting - I'm in Houston and would be willing to drive to Austin possibly - especially after the holidays......

[[Te...]]

As far as I know, we will continue to meet...last week was two of us, week before was three...folks get better or develop special needs or just get slammed with waves, but as long as I can do it, I will be there...others show up as they are able...hope to see you...

[[fi...]]

Ok sounds good - How about I'll message you the week before I plan to come - Obviously I don't want to make that drive if I'm the only one there! 

 

 

[[Ia...]]

I went once and enjoyed it, I haven't been back as I am too sick now.  But even if I was the only one there it would have been worth it.

[[fi...]]

I'll go for sure - FYI - after my last taper I was 3 months out and getting worse by the minute - I had all the things you listed in your sig. The head pressure was like someone was squeezing my brain and the Depersonalization was the scariest part - like i was totally detached from my own brain/experience - I could see it but couldnt touch it - connect to it - it was AWFUL - Hang in there........

[[Ia...]]

I'll go for sure - FYI - after my last taper I was 3 months out and getting worse by the minute - I had all the things you listed in your sig. The head pressure was like someone was squeezing my brain and the Depersonalization was the scariest part - like i was totally detached from my own brain/experience - I could see it but couldnt touch it - connect to it - it was AWFUL - Hang in there........

 

Hey thanks alot!  Yeah Im basically scared now.  I am hoping it levels out soon.

[[Te...]]

The mirtzapine(remeron) is another one you need to evercise caution with...it often requires a slow taper, as the wd can be brutal, otherwise...

Often comes with weigh gain while on it and loss after backing off, but the physical and mental sx are the crowd-stoppers...how much are you taking? I forget...

[[Ia...]]

The mirtzapine(remeron) is another one you need to evercise caution with...it often requires a slow taper, as the wd can be brutal, otherwise...

Often comes with weigh gain while on it and loss after backing off, but the physical and mental sx are the crowd-stoppers...how much are you taking? I forget...

 

Thats the trouble, I can't figure out what symptoms are coming with what.  As of now I am on 6.7mg.  I was thinking about tapering but it seems my benzo W/D is horrible now... or is it mertazapine.. I can't tell.  I need this stuff for sleep but I know I don't need 6.7.  I was thinking going 6.6 for a week and 6.5 for a week and so on.... I know its slow but I am at a loss otherwise.  I am in a tough spot because I get horrible butterfly waves every time I nod off to sleep that wakes me up so I would never sleep otherwise.  I went days on end with no sleep and remeron saved me but it might also be destroying me now... I just don't know my options.