Celebrating a good night's sleep!

[[pe...]]

Over 6 weeks since last xanax (.5 2X at night for insomnia for 14 years) and I had a good -- with many interruptions sleep last night! Close to 7-8 hours off and on . After joining this group I realize that many periods of waking up is not uncommon and I want to celebrate the dreams.....wow, some real technocolor and wonderful narratives which I had missed for so long. The night before I had a terrible night with only 2 hours I recognized as good sleep but the other hours after were spend listening to meditation tapes and staying calm saying "I am not anxious -- sleep will come." We all must celebrate the small but meaningful steps as we heal our brains and chemistry to regain our lives so here is mine. YEAH SLEEP! I prepared by taking a lovely warm to hot bath about 3 hours before and listening to my tapes and reading. Every time I woke I simply accepted that whatever I had gained asleep or not anxious was a step toward recovery and not worried over the lack of whatever I used to view as success. I think I failed the other two times I tried to quit because I had such a black and white view of success and failure and now I understand that all success is good but "failure" is probably just a lack of healing at that moment - not failure which is one of the triggers of my anxiety. So of this is your one day to celebrate some success -- even an hour without a trigger - smile and celebrate. It is the sum of many little parts that I see now as success and that change of mindset will hopefully build the bridges when things seem rocky and shaky as they will. Life is not a continuously upward graph of the positive but a balance between many energies. If we write our day off because of the natural rhythm of life then we are probably setting ourselves up for wanting that "numbing" again that benzos do so well. Don't cope -- just erase seemed to be what I did. We all had a good reason to take our first benzo but we know now that we desire to have taken our last for even better ones.

Thanks for the few weeks of help your stories have given me.

pearlgirl

 

xanax free 6 weeks and 3 days and counting seconds and smiles

[[pe...]]

Sorry that I am not off two months -- hope my posting is still ok.

 

pearlgirl

[[Se...]]

That is very encouraging. 

 

Very ice. 

[[Ju...]]

Moved to benzofree celebrations for you. I hope it continues and you will be ready to post your success story soon.

JKS

[[be...]]

A good night's sleep is every reason to celebrate in early withdrawal.

[[bl...]]

Sleep will keep coming and improving. I can nearly always count on 7-8 hours almost all the time. I still have a bad night or two here and there, which is usually because I can't shut off my brain. I just follow my sleep hygiene and get out of bed to read or meditate.

 

Sleep quality improves as well over time, so even though you may not get a full night's rest, you'll usually feel rested, or at least I do, once I battle through the morning fog.

[[pe...]]

Thanks for all the support. I have found some of the Bach flower remedies like WHITE CHESTNUT is helping that brain that won't shut off a lot. They are very easy to take and the RESCUE PEARLS are helping me fall back to sleep. Nothing in them to interfere with progress. Alternative medicines like this are generally made from plants, etc.

 

pearlgirl

 

almost 7 weeks off xanax 1 mg for insomnia over 14 years

[[on...]]

So glad you are sleeping better!! Once I started to sleep better I found I was able to handle the withdrawal symptoms that hit me during the day so so much better!! Isn't it a great feeling to be free of xanax after so many years?? I know because I am grateful for that every day!

[[pe...]]

Yes, I think the sleep for me was the main reason I took and was prescribed xanax so being able to fall asleep "naturally" felt like a big victory. Going to sleep was a problem since childhood - reinforced in college - and continuing throughout periods of anxiety. Through this forum I see that the last few years it was just rebounding me all throughout the day and then wham-! back on the benzo train to sleep. as the sleep became less satisfying and shorter it was obvious that upping the xanax would never stop and the lastest studies on dementia and memory problems must and should give doctors and patients a reason to look towards other solutions. But of course, the solution is not easy if anxiety and panic seem overwhelming. Being older does give me a better perspective that I will "not die" from this feeling -- it's just feels like sh*t. The shakiness and palpitations - all the other w/d symptoms that come and go are bad but being up all night was the worst. Fortunately the headphones and meditation and music help thru those hours when sleep is not coming. My husband is totally supportive and that is a big help as well. Spouses and significant others have the immediate effect of making us feel more comfortable or making us hide our pain and symptoms. Hiding is basically the reason we got here in the first place so I take it literally -- one day at a time.

Thanks for responding. This forum has been great. I am a playwright and just sent out a new play and though still shaky -- can't wait to get my mojo back.

pearlgirl

 

off xanax 7 weeks tomorrow and smiling.

[[Kr...]]

Sleep will keep coming and improving. I can nearly always count on 7-8 hours almost all the time. I still have a bad night or two here and there, which is usually because I can't shut off my brain. I just follow my sleep hygiene and get out of bed to read or meditate.

 

Sleep quality improves as well over time, so even though you may not get a full night's rest, you'll usually feel rested, or at least I do, once I battle through the morning fog.

Thanks for reminding me re sleep hygene Blandthrax (I'm going to bed now), and also, thanks for confirming 'brain fog'  - I was wondering if it was only me.  I don't really seem to know what I'm doing until after 11am (...I still DO stuff, but have trouble moving/thinking quickly or committing to anyting in the morning).

 

Congrats Pearlgirl - that's fabulous and I remember when i got my first natural sleep - SIX hours was huge for me, then I got seven.  Now I generally get 8, with perhaps one wake-up, and yes, sometimes a bad night when I'm stressing