Distinguishing between Withdrawal and stress symptoms

[[Fl...]]

So I have been off Clonopin for close to three months now.  Part of my daily struggle is deciphering whether the feelings and emotions I'm getting are withdrawal or stress symptoms due to a very stressful situation which is present in my life right now.

So my questions are some of you that are a lot more knowledgeable on the with drawl thing that I am, how do you distinguish between the feelings withdrawal  and a super stressful situation in your life?

 

I keep bouncing back-and-forth telling myself that even if I wouldn't have quit the Klonopin that I would be feeling a lot of these emotions of stress anyway

[[of...]]

When your withdrawing from benzos, your body will overreact to stress. They're both intertwined.

 

Youll notice when you get ahold on stress your symptoms like I.somnia and dp/dr will start to disappear

[[Fl...]]

I think the thing that's so confusing for me is there are days go by that I'm convinced it's withdrawel......and then other days when I am totally convinced it is just from the stressful situation at hand

 

It def makes sense what you say about your body over reacting to stress.

It just seems like when Im able to get a positive mental note about the sale and convince myself that everything is going to work out fine, I start to feel good all over 

  The only problem is that feeling does not last very long and then the overbearing feeling of dread, tight stomach, massive anxiety, loss of identity, start to creep back up.

 

This is where my mind starts to strain and figuring out is this really withdraw or just stress ??

 

What makes it really challenging is the same symptoms of stress exist for withdrawal!!

 

There's even  The thought that if I keep thinking it's withdraw it becomes a self forfilling prophecy

 

 

[[of...]]

It sounds like there's alot of thoughts.

[[of...]]

 

Meditation is finding thought, observing thought. Letting go of thought. Repeat.

 

While doing the above, focus your attention on your body, while doing so. Take deep diaphram breaths.

 

While doing the above, ones mind will drift, naturally. Be mindful of the minds tendency to think, direct ones attention from thought, towards breath

 

This is a skill that takes development.

 

If done correctly, one will feel calm. Attempting to feel calm, is not meditating.

 

To meditate, is to bring awareness away from thought, towards the sensations of the deep breath.

 

To accomplish the above, one has to first gain awareness of ones mind.

 

When the mind produces thought, it's up to you whether you want to attach to thought.

 

 

 

To overcome fear, while in the presence of Fear, Meditate.

 

[[Sh...]]

I wonder this all the time.  I have a difficult neurological condition that "may have" been triggered by benzo's.  It's very hard to live with, causes tons of anxiety... but is this anxiety anyone would feel with a challenging illness, or is it being generated by the benzo w/d?

[[Fl...]]

Shakeyjake

 

This is pretty much how things of been going for me lately!!!

Constantly questioning am I mistaking stress responses for withdrawal or vice versa?

 

The feelings that I am having right now feel no differently than when I was going through a divorce

Almost identical ...

Yet when I was going through the divorce I was still on Clonopin and not withdrawing

 

 

[[Sh...]]

Shakeyjake

 

This is pretty much how things of been going for me lately!!!

Constantly questioning am I mistaking stress responses for withdrawal or vice versa?

 

The feelings that I am having right now feel no differently than when I was going through a divorce

Almost identical ...

Yet when I was going through the divorce I was still on Clonopin and not withdrawing

 

Maybe that suggests it really is just stress? 

[[Fl...]]

That's the part that I wish we could figure out

 

I've googled and tried to find if there is some type of a self test you can do to determine if you are going through withdrawel or you're just mentally exasperating the symptoms due to stressors in your life!!

 

I would love to hear some insight on this 

[[Va...]]

I believe it to be a bit ofboth, real stress, and withdrawal. To try and make sense of everything might drive you mad  it does help to be objective in the situation. All the crazy physical symptoms and mental symptoms seem to overlap, as if one makes the other worse. Meditation will help! Staying busy and exercise (if you can) will help to. The more you think about it, the worse it will be. Believe that, which is not to say that I myself do not fall in that trap every once on awhile. Your diet will help, stay away from processed foods, fat, fried foods, really any thing good 😂😂😂. Exercise will help yuri ner especially repair themselves. Look at physical symptoms like this. Observe that it is there, remember your situation, call it what it is, a symptom nothing more. It helps to not try and fight just ride it out.

[[Cl...]]

I believe it to be a bit ofboth, real stress, and withdrawal. To try and make sense of everything might drive you mad  it does help to be objective in the situation. All the crazy physical symptoms and mental symptoms seem to overlap, as if one makes the other worse. Meditation will help! Staying busy and exercise (if you can) will help to. The more you think about it, the worse it will be. Believe that, which is not to say that I myself do not fall in that trap every once on awhile. Your diet will help, stay away from processed foods, fat, fried foods, really any thing good 😂😂😂. Exercise will help yuri ner especially repair themselves. Look at physical symptoms like this. Observe that it is there, remember your situation, call it what it is, a symptom nothing more. It helps to not try and fight just ride it out.

 

 

Hi Flocky, I agree with Valiumheadnomore.

You will know the difference with time because sxs decrease in intensity and duration with time, you are only three months out, you will get much better. I had a stressful situation at two months out, the worst wave I have had in postaper, obsessive thinking, lasted weeks. Then I had a much more stressful situation at 10 or 11 months out and my obsessive thinking was not that bad by comparison. Yoga and meditation help a lot.