Bowed but not broken

[[Wi...]]

I have been using benzos on and off for about 38 years. Over the past 10 years I have been using them on a daily basis. During that time I have used Xanax, Klonopin, Ativan and Valium. I have tried to stop on my own several times and was not able to do it at home. I ended up having hallucinations. Recently I went to treatment and on July 24, 2016 I took my last dose (25mg) of valium. I was not able to taper with the Ashton method and I have suffered from a myriad of withdrawal symptoms that vary with intensity. Today is 47 days clean benzos and 77 days clean of Oxycodone. I do not drink or smoke. My last drink was on June 22, 2015. I am currently taking 20 mg of Baclofen 3 times a day. This was prescribed to me in the treatment in patient treatment facility which I left on August 23, 2016 and I have continued take it. Besides the multitude of withdrawal symptoms including severe anxiety and sleep disorder, I am not contemplating taking any benzos. I am concerned about the baclofen. One of my greatest fears is that I am going mad and that no one will understand including my family, friends and employer. I seek support and information here.

[[Ch...]]

Hi Wingnut. Welcome to BenzoBuddies.

 

Stopping suddenly is a rough way to do it, but if it worked for you when tapering didn't, then that's how it goes.  Congrats for being off and staying off after treatment.  Yes, it may be rough for awhile, but hopefully you can find some good coping strategies here that will help you get through it. 

 

Here are a couple of boards you may want to look at and post to.  You can either post for support in Cold Turkey or Post Withdrawal, the symptoms are very similar:

 

Post Withdrawal Support

Cold Turkey, Detox and Rapid Withdrawal

 

We highly recommend that you take a look at The Ashton Manual, which is an authoritative source on what to expect during withdrawal and recovery, authored by Dr. C. Heather Ashton, who is an expert in the field. It provides a great deal of information that can be very reassuring during any stage of this process, including a list of common symptoms with helpful explanations on the reasons for their existence.

 

Please take some time to Create a Signature. This will help other members understand your history so they will be better able to support you.

Go to the top of the page and select Profile, then choose Forum Profile, insert drug history/timelines into the text box and click Change Profile.

 

~Challis