No permanent damage (I'm living proof)

[[Mi...]]

This is the most awesome post! Thank you for this. It's dead on! I needed a REALITY check today!😃

 

 

I'm glad i could help you if just a bit 

[[Mi...]]

Wonderful post! Thank you! We need to hear this time to time people make it to the other side.

So happy for you!!! Good bless you to write this post is give me strength for today.

 

Maybe I don't have a brain demage.... Maybe my brain burning  zaping bc healing. Today I'm positive.

 

Thanks to you

 

Thanks you  I'm glad I could help you a bit. You're brain is far far far from damaged, it just needs a little time and healing The zapps will go over!

[[Mi...]]

Milkyway,

Such a positive and needed post.  Thank you for sharing.  It gives us all hope for a better tomorrow.  Best wishes and God bless❤.

 

Thank you Niners. 

[Guest [Ka...]]

MilkyWay,

A path to growth and wisdom, humility...what you describe is becoming my reality now, slowly. (7 1/2 months off Xanax Rx, addiction). No other drugs (no alcohol, dry as a stone..., no cannabis). I am particularly interested in your perceptions/experience (of the psychological aspect of recovery as you describe it, and of the physical, too). I am writing; and I find your insights very wise, interesting, and uplifting. Send me a PM if you would and let me know if you might possibly want to contribute in a chapter, the book is tentatively called Xanax Nation: Living a Life of Illusion...tentative title. All is discretionary. I hope this is acceptable/appropriate to ask in a post, I am a rather new comer. I think very highly of this forum, and want to follow the etiquette rules.  Thanks very much. Peace, Love and Empathy, Karuna.

[[it...]]

Thanks for giving me a lot of hope.  My story is very similar to yours.  I guess the moral of the story is IT TAKES TIME.

 

Thanks again!

[[Mi...]]

Thanks for giving me a lot of hope.  My story is very similar to yours.  I guess the moral of the story is IT TAKES TIME.

 

Thanks again!

 

Yes, time is the key word here. I'm glad i could help a bit. Don't worry, you'll be back to normal in no time. Just don't rush it, take you're time and let the body do it's thing 

[[Ri...]]

MilkyWay and others,

 

Thank you so much for your reply concerning

ALL kinds of crazy symptoms.

Seems like and endless number of them

and even though I "know" they're

Benzo recovery related. My mind plays cruel

tricks on me.

RickC

[[Jo...]]

Thank you for your post. And thank you for hope. 

 

I am still struggling after 2 years and I've been worried xanax has done permanent damage.

[[Ec...]]

Thanks for taking the time to write a positive uplifting post

[[Tr...]]

One of the biggest topics when it comes to benzo usage is permanent damage to the brain. Well, I can tell you right now there is no such thing as permanent damage when it comes to benzo usage. If you do a quick google search you'll find thousands of scary articles stating that benzo's might cause permanent damage. Well, there is no scientific proof for any of those claims. There is alot of anecdotal "evidence" and alot of if, maybe, might, possibly. Everyone thinks they are an expert on the field and there are alot of hobby-doctors out there. Stringing together alot big scientific words they found somewhere on wikipedia. It's all bullshit, don't listen to that nonsense. I convinced myself i was "damaged" beacause i read all those articles and forum posts. I though i must be damaged, this is taking so long. Well, yes, it took a long time, our body has been battered and beaten. Like being run over by a truck. So it's going to take a long time, no matter who you are or how you taper.

 

I used and abused benzo's in all kinds of ways, for a decade.

I mixed them with ALOT of alcohol.

I mixed different benzo's together.

I used WAY WAY too much at one time

I mixed them with other types of pills

AND I tapered the wrong way.

 

So I should be REALLY brain damaged right? No. The fact is this, the body heals. It might feel like an eternity at times but it WILL happen. I'm not special, i'm not a superhero with healing abilities, i'm just a normal human. So if I healed so will you. That's the only proof you need, the only proof that matters. Yes there are some very rare cased where someone experienced a really powerfull seizure and ended up in a coma. But that is so rare, you're more likely to find a suitcase with a billion dollars.

 

That being said, there is one type of damage that does happen, psychological damage. Not in everyone, but in most. In my case I was really depressed and broken down while tapering and during my recovery. And ever after, it took me a long time to recover and get back on my feet. This is the real challenge, facing reality again. Benzo's distance us so much from reality, we're left in a haze. And when we come out of it, the entire world is on our shoulders. This is a tough ordeal, as we all know. But you'll be fine, trust me. And in the end, even stronger than before!. 

 

Thank you for your encouraging post!

 

How do you cope with the psycological damage from tapering and recovery?  Anyone?

 

 

[[fe...]]

Thank u..

[[Mi...]]

Thank you for your post. And thank you for hope. 

 

I am still struggling after 2 years and I've been worried xanax has done permanent damage.

 

Hi John, don't worry, it took me 3 years to recover. For some people it takes 5 years, even 10 years. So just give it time You'll get there.

[[Mi...]]

Thank u..

 

[[Mi...]]

 

 

Thank you for your encouraging post!

 

How do you cope with the psycological damage from tapering and recovery?  Anyone?

 

That's the most difficult part, coping with the mental side of things. I just had to rebuild my life from the ground up. My thinking and philisophy had to be completely changed.  This came naturally to me as i've always been very adaptable. But even so, I had problems finding a new path in life, moving on. Realizing our own mortality and finding all our character flaws isn't easy. But one has to if one wants to move on with life.

 

[[an...]]

Milkyway,

 

You rock, I like your style.

 

I shared this with a benzo Facebook group. Someone posted some scary permanent scare tactics the other day and got a bunch of people upset.

 

You rock 

 

 

[[Mi...]]

Milkyway,

 

You rock, I like your style.

 

I shared this with a benzo Facebook group. Someone posted some scary permanent scare tactics the other day and got a bunch of people upset.

 

You rock 

 

Thanks Ang  That's so pathetic, some people believe everything they read on the internet, and then they use that information to scare people in need of support. Just sad.

[[Be...]]

Milkway, I'm just wondering.  Do you have external stress in your life at all?  Like money problems, relationship problems, live alone, other health issues, etc?  Are you older or younger?  You don't have to answer if you don't want to. 

[[Ce...]]

Most encouraging, like a breath of fresh air!  Thanks for posting! 

[[wo...]]

Count me in too!  On my second ct and things are gettingt better AGAIN!

[[Mi...]]

Milkway, I'm just wondering.  Do you have external stress in your life at all?  Like money problems, relationship problems, live alone, other health issues, etc?  Are you older or younger?  You don't have to answer if you don't want to.

 

Hi Becks, I used to have alot of stress in my life. While I was recovering I changed my entire life in the process, reducing stress. It's not worth stressing over nothing, the only thing that matters in life is being healthy and having love. I used to think my career and work/money was most important, it's not. Luckily I don't have money issues, but I did have alot of issues in my life in general, like my relationship, business and friends. I changed all of that for the better. I'm younger, was on benzo's for a decade. You're age doesn't matter though, you'll heal no matter the age, and it's never to late to change ones life for the better 

[[Mi...]]

Most encouraging, like a breath of fresh air!  Thanks for posting! 

 

[[Mi...]]

Count me in too!  On my second ct and things are gettingt better AGAIN!

 

Thats great!!  You'll be healed in no time buddy! 

[[Be...]]

I'm 55 and I keep getting worse by the day.  Some ppl. heal and some don't.  Benzo's cause dementia and I've got it now.  I'm not going to deny it.  Since I got off the pills almost 4 years ago, I haven't had an appetite and I've been shaking inside all that time.  I have extreme external stress in my life.  Too many things to mention.  I can't even talk anymore without stuttering and I walk with a limp now.  Anxiety is always through the roof.  Bad OCD and I can't stop it.  I was never like this before I took the benzo's or even when I was on them. 

[[Mi...]]

I'm 55 and I keep getting worse by the day.  Some ppl. heal and some don't.  Benzo's cause dementia and I've got it now.  I'm not going to deny it.  Since I got off the pills almost 4 years ago, I haven't had an appetite and I've been shaking inside all that time.  I have extreme external stress in my life.  Too many things to mention.  I can't even talk anymore without stuttering and I walk with a limp now.  Anxiety is always through the roof.  Bad OCD and I can't stop it.  I was never like this before I took the benzo's or even when I was on them.

 

Well, if you're concerned about dementia you should have it checked by a doctor. If you do have dementia it's completely non-related to benzo's. The reason you felt better while using benzo's is beacause benzo's can help people with dementia relax more and promote/stimulate certain parts of the brain. In fact, it can help people with with alot of different neurological conditions. I'm certain benzo's don't cause dementia or anything of the sort. It's easy to blame the benzo's beacause we want to blame something for our issues in life, the fact is that some people simply get neurological issues, just like some people get cancer, it's mostly just hereditary. Most people with dementia get early symptomes in their late 40s early 50s, and that's exactly the same time you stopped taking benzo's, it's completely coincidental. I know people that have taken benzo's their entire life and are well into their 60s and 70s, and then quit. No damage or neurologcal issues. The symptoms you describe, like stuttering and walking with a limp is typical anxiety, some people develope idiopathic issues like not not walking correctly or stuttering after trauma, quitting benzo's is a REAL traumatic experience. And also, 4 years isn't enough for everyone to get completely recovered. Some need 5, 7 or even 10. I'm sure you'll heal, give it more time. And go see a doctor to get some tests done, and put you're mind to rest if you're worried. I wish you the best of luck!

[[Be...]]

I do have underlying health problems and the stress from getting off the benzo's brought them out bigtime.  I think benzo's can cause dementia in certain susceptible individuals, if it runs in the family, it can bring it on sooner, IMO.  There are plenty of research studies done showing an association between benzo's and dementia and certain ppl. are at risk.  My father got early dementia in his 50's.  I was also diagnosed with Lupus Thrombophilia--at risk of stroke or MI while I was on the pills and having problems.  It's possible I may have had a stroke.  I've been too sick to get back to the docs, but he wanted to do an MRI last year.