Is there really a 6-months-mark?

[[Ma...]]

Hello my buddies,

 

my day was like hell. I know I have that lyme disease going on but really I am sooooooo scared of it, okey, its pure panic. You know, when you keep thinking that you are such a poor thing, and your life is so hard, and you will never heal, and no one loves you and you cry and cry.. and my best friend had to go into a hospital for a surgery and it did not turn out good because they found more than planned to and my nerves are aaaaaaaaaah!!!! :'( And then you realize: Well, yes, there is Withdrawal left. It is not over yet. Congrats.

 

And then I read another post here where some buddies were talking about that magic 6 months point where things are probably turning better.. and I thought... really? oh that would be wonderful...

 

That would mean, just another 8 weeks and I would be there.YEAH!

 

So: What is your experience. Is the worst over after 6 months? For me in any case it will be a magic moment ..

I think the greatest effort happened between week 5 and week 8 perhaps?

So I hope that in my underground there is a secret healing process.. while I am acting like a hysteric bee...

or an aggressive bear (could hardly stop myself killing my psycho-doc today that tried again to give me a new prescription).

 

I would appreciate any feedback, even if its not so positive,

Marigold

[[Da...]]

Hi Marigold, I don't believe there is a six month mark at least there has not been one I noticed and I'm at 7 months. I feel like I'm going crazy all the time and this never will end. I know those are destructive thoughts but I have so many terrible intrusive thoughts and I cannot shake them. Especially like self harm and suicide. I know I will never do it but I just cannot get it out of my head and find myself thinking about objects and how I could use them. Until now I have never had any suicidal thoughts for my entire life.

 

I'm at 7 months now, for the first two months IFo went off I had so many horrible symptoms. Vertigo, complete insomnia, no interest in food or eating (I wish I had lost more weight). For the longest time the only thing I did was drink coca cola. I had sensitivity to sound and to light. So I have gotten better with time since those symptoms all went away. But after they went away after about two months I thought I will wake up one day and feel totally better and that has just not happened yet for me. Sometimes I feel like I'm going in reverse instead.

 

My biggest problem is this debilitating anxiety. I'm praying it passes soon. I'm such a different person than i was before all this started, getting to know that person has been difficult.

 

So i hope and pray you feel better soon. I would not look for any magic times to pass because in my case that has been disappointing.

[[Ja...]]

I agree with Davis, I am at 5 months and 4 days. That means I would have less than a months to go but I still feel like I am in absolute hell. I am always searching for ways to improve but it is just not working out.

[[sa...]]

I m another 10 days to sixth months.now no window no improve

Still struggle every symptoms since tapered off.can not see light at the end of the tunnel

Hope to to be better in 6 months mark.together with you all.

[[ld...]]

Hi Marigold1

 

      I would just like to say that all the research I have read from several different sources/articles on benzodiazepines from various individuals with the investigations on people withdrawing from these tranquilizers is that they all agree that many people can begin to notice improvement at the 6th month mark. They say a lot of people it takes 6 to 18 months on the average. Some more and some less. I was on benzos for 10 months and add a 3 month taper for a total of 13 months. I am now entering the 2nd week of my 6th month benzo free. Believe it or not, I have experienced considerable improvement/healing this month. Last week I had another window that lasted for a day and a night. Monday the 11th I had another window. Yesterday I was hit by a wave. I woke up today the 13th and I am in another window and I am feeling great. What I have noticed is since entering the 6th month things have started changing very fast. The symptoms are morphing at a faster rate. They are coming and going really fast and then disappearing fast. The symptoms I still have are tinnitus in the right ear but have noticed it is going away now on some days. Early morning awakening with slight cortisol/adrenaline surge which results with the looping thoughts, excessive thinking and so forth, but it is becoming less now. Some anxiety and depression although it's beginning to subside. My sleep has improved from 2 or 3 hours previously, to 5 hours solid, this has just now improved about 2 weeks ago. So for me, yes, the 6th month mark has held true. I have really improved a lot. So with going by what others have noticed in recovery times, many start to notice improvement at 6 months out, but for some it could take longer and for some less. Hang in there, you're going to do well and as you have probably heard before, it just takes time and that is the hard part, but you should take to heart the good news, you will recover and be back to normal and many people have said that they feel better than ever before. Keep your chin up and give me that thumbs up sign. 

You are doing good so hang in there!

 

P.S. Through this whole nightmare which I consider that hardest thing I have ever had to go through in my entire life, I have managed to keep working my fulltime job! This has not been a cakewalk but I believe it has helped me a lot in the sense that it distracts me from all those crazy looping thoughts and ruminating thoughts. It's getting better as time goes by. You will make it through this mess. 

 

            Regards

 

                        ldm27

 

                     

[[bl...]]

Yes, there is a six-month mark. On the whole and for a great many people, neuronal growth and synaptic connections really take off at six months. I talked to a friend a few weeks back, a professor of pharmacology, and unprompted he told me that research shows most improvement from brain injuries happens at four stages: 3, 6, 12, and 24 months, but 6 months is invariably when everything clicks. I didn't discuss with him that this is most people's experience here, he simply told me this.

 

I do believe however, that improvement also depends on the individual and how well you rehabilitate yourself. This recovery is not a passive one. Like any injury, you have to put in the work, which means engaging in all the positive activities that we preach about constantly on these forums: exercise, diet, meditation, etc. I think there's also a great deal to be said for positive thinking too. Simply waiting around for healing to take place and whining all day is counterproductive. Life is still going on, you gotta grab on and go for it.

 

Nothing in recovery is necessarily easy. Even as far as I've come thus far, I still find I have days where everything seems to have retreated, but I also use these days to reorient myself to my baseline. Today for example, has been unpleasant, but, it's also motivated me to snap out of it. I know there are a proactive steps I can take in this regard, so a one day wave rarely turns into days or weeks.

 

I think, based on what you've posted and the attitude you have, that you should see significant improvement at six months. Maybe it happens sooner, maybe later, but it will happen.

[[Ma...]]

Thanks to all of you

 

I think it will be like it has before: I will realize the change 2 months after it happened.

In the meantime I will try not to vent all the time and focus on anything nice in my life like my lovely dog.

blandrax: I heard about these periods (3,6 18, 26 months), too and that was why I  was asking..

As my body is a slowly one I give myself another month on top and so I will be better in 12 weeks. Yes!!

I will report how it will feel then.

 

So everyone go on.

 

[[il...]]

I can attest to the "six month mark." My agoraphobia left around 5.5 months, and, for the following month leading up to 6.5 months, all physical sxs dropped except for some ear stuff which is just an annoyance now. Also, the butterflies on steroids or "the pit" as I called it started breaking up more than ever around that time, too.

 

I started being able to do things like socialize and go out to the movies. Hell, I flew to Florida and back at 6.5 months.

 

Hang in. It will soon start to lift!

[[Ma...]]

I can attest to the "six month mark." My agoraphobia left around 5.5 months, and, for the following month leading up to 6.5 months, all physical sxs dropped except for some ear stuff which is just an annoyance now. Also, the butterflies on steroids or "the pit" as I called it started breaking up more than ever around that time, too.

 

I started being able to do things like socialize and go out to the movies. Hell, I flew to Florida and back at 6.5 months.

 

Hang in. It will soon start to lift!

 

Wow thank you! I am looking forward to that mark! Counting the weeks...

I wish you a lot of other good "marks" in the near future!!