How much of our condition is psychological?

[[Ma...]]

Hi Buddies,

 

I hope this post doesn't upset anyone, it is not my intention. I wonder what percentage of Benzo withdrawal syndrome is psychological? I believe some part of it is, the physical side is definitely real but I notice sometimes that with myself, I'm going through the day always thinking about my withdrawal syndrome in a negative way. I think I've definitely got a PTSD thing going on from when I was really acute before, during and straight after the taper. I'm also always scanning my awareness for new symptoms (and sometimes I find them). So I wonder if a GOOD psychologist could help ease things a bit?

 

How about you, do you have at least a small psychological component with your Benzo withdrawal  syndrome?

[[Na...]]

Who knows?  The physiological and the psychological are so tightly bound.  Certainly some of these issues are psychological, but it would also be fair to say that many of these psychological issues are the result of the damage that these medications have done to our GABA system.

 

Some things are clearly not psychological.  About 2 months after discontinuing I started to be awaken every night because of the need to urinate.  Four months after that I started having visual auras.  At a year after quitting my hemoglobin count went high.  Now, I can't prove that each of these issues were the result of stopping the medication, but I am fairly certain that they weren't of a psychological nature.

 

On the other hand, my anxiety issues could certainly be some mixture of physiological and psychological. 

 

The mind and the brain are of course deeply related.  What affects one affects the other.  Certainly there is a psychological aspect  to much of this.  But, equally certainly some of these symptoms don't appears to be of a nature that would lead you to believe that "it's all in your head".

 

 

 

[[Fi...]]

Hi Buddies,

 

I hope this post doesn't upset anyone, it is not my intention. I wonder what percentage of Benzo withdrawal syndrome is psychological? I believe some part of it is, the physical side is definitely real but I notice sometimes that with myself, I'm going through the day always thinking about my withdrawal syndrome in a negative way. I think I've definitely got a PTSD thing going on from when I was really acute before, during and straight after the taper. I'm also always scanning my awareness for new symptoms (and sometimes I find them). So I wonder if a GOOD psychologist could help ease things a bit?

 

How about you, do you have at least a small psychological component with your Benzo withdrawal  syndrome?

 

By "psychological", do you mean "fake"?

[[Ch...]]

I have often wondered similar things....not that the symptoms are not real, but what role do my pre existing psych issues contribute to current symptoms...as a poster said our mind and body are interconnected and one does influence the other...your post is definitely food for thought.

[[Ma...]]

Hi Nathan, thankyou for your reply. You are so right, the body and mind are so interconnected.

 

I wish there was cognitive behavioural therapy for benzodiazepine withdrawal syndrome, sometimes it's so depressing to think that time is the only healer of BWS when the time frame is unknown. Imagine if cognitive behavioural therapy would at least take off the edge for us. I wish someone would research it. Heck if I had training in CBT I'd write a book.

 

Hi Fizzlewitch, no, I don't mean fake at all. I mean what percentage of our syndrome are made worse by thoughtforms. By thinking this, I figure maybe that means with therapy maybe Benzo withdrawal syndrome could be actually treated to make it not as bloody awful. The mind is very powerful.

 

Hi Choco, I think that too. I like the idea that we might have some control over this by doing therapy. I wish there was research in this area.

[[Tr...]]

I honestly think that as a sufferer from anxiety, that was the reason I got prescribed benzo in the first place, I hate when people say "it's all in your head". These usually come from people who never deal with anxiety or benzo wd. Some people say "its all in your head, it's all depend on you" Well in a way yes, but in MANY ways no, I feel the negative thoughts, ocd symptoms I have are very real. Sometimes I learned no need to explain to them but gotta find my ways to cope with or hopefully in time to overcome the anxiety , before benzo wd symptoms. Many times I had to tell my fiance whatever I am experiencing are real. I hate when people do not trust when I tell them.

 

So to answer your question, yes a lot of them are psychological but, created by benzo wd. But I read a book by Paul David "No more anxiety, no more panic attacks" he explained anxiety was the cause by people itself. I honestly don't know if I agree with them, maybe in a way but not fully.

 

Tracy

[[Tr...]]

Hi Nathan, thankyou for your reply. You are so right, the body and mind are so interconnected.

 

I wish there was cognitive behavioural therapy for benzodiazepine withdrawal syndrome, sometimes it's so depressing to think that time is the only healer of BWS when the time frame is unknown. Imagine if cognitive behavioural therapy would at least take off the edge for us. I wish someone would research it. Heck if I had training in CBT I'd write a book.

 

Hi Fizzlewitch, no, I don't mean fake at all. I mean what percentage of our syndrome are made worse by thoughtforms. By thinking this, I figure maybe that means with therapy maybe Benzo withdrawal syndrome could be actually treated to make it not as bloody awful. The mind is very powerful.

 

Hi Choco, I think that too. I like the idea that we might have some control over this by doing therapy. I wish there was research in this area.

 

I agree that there is a percentage of our symptoms are made worse by our negative/not helpful thoughts. I honestly think it's percentage though that therapy will help with benzo withdraw. However, it could act a lot as a distraction. As much as small percentage, I still think that by  thinking positive, CBT, will help the brain change in TIME. It will take a lot of times and practice to get it.

[[Fi...]]

Hi Nathan, thankyou for your reply. You are so right, the body and mind are so interconnected.

 

I wish there was cognitive behavioural therapy for benzodiazepine withdrawal syndrome, sometimes it's so depressing to think that time is the only healer of BWS when the time frame is unknown. Imagine if cognitive behavioural therapy would at least take off the edge for us. I wish someone would research it. Heck if I had training in CBT I'd write a book.

 

Hi Fizzlewitch, no, I don't mean fake at all. I mean what percentage of our syndrome are made worse by thoughtforms. By thinking this, I figure maybe that means with therapy maybe Benzo withdrawal syndrome could be actually treated to make it not as bloody awful. The mind is very powerful.

 

Hi Choco, I think that too. I like the idea that we might have some control over this by doing therapy. I wish there was research in this area.

 

I have to say that I have a very uncharitable view of "CBT" and the psychology industry in general, so maybe I shouldn't be taking part in this thread 

 

At my cynical worst, I view them all as being on a par with tarot-card readers and sooth-sayers, with occasional clever ideas that may hit-or-miss.

 

My simple view is that the body (& brain & gut-brain) is utterly traumatised by these poisons and our minds are dependant on a fully functioning 'physiology' (for want of a better word), the parameters for function being dictated by our physical-physiological state. We are malfunctioning for these reasons and our minds cannot ignore the (false) warnings of a randomly-firing system.

 

Didn't one of these psychology types tell you recently that "it couldn't be benzo withdrawal" after "three months"? How could he know that?

[[Ma...]]

Hi Tracey, I know what you mean. I hate when people say that it's all in my head too. My GP does! I sort of don't blame them though, if I hadn't have started going through this - I wouldn't have believed it, but I have it and it's totally real. Yes, I think CBT would take a while too but I'd gladly do it.

 

Hi Fizzlewitch, hmm I respect your opinion. It was my counsellor who said that he didn't think this was still BWS. I am seeing a psychologist now who acknowledges the reality of my BWS. Sometimes I question it but I think I know deep down that I'm still healing from BWS. I know it sounds strange but I wish that I still had the eye twitches to 100% reassure me that this is definitely still BWS. It's harder for me to be sure because I have an extensive mental illness history going back to childhood pre-dating my valium exposure by a couple of decades+. Re CBT, I believe in it providing one has the right psychologist. I had about 3ish months of it in 2013 for OCD and by God it worked well for me. I wish I could have continued with that psych but, well it's a long story. Thanks Fizzlewitch.

[[Fi...]]

Hi Fizzlewitch, hmm I respect your opinion. It was my counsellor who said that he didn't think this was still BWS. I am seeing a psychologist now who acknowledges the reality of my BWS. Sometimes I question it but I think I know deep down that I'm still healing from BWS. I know it sounds strange but I wish that I still had the eye twitches to 100% reassure me that this is definitely still BWS. It's harder for me to be sure because I have an extensive mental illness history going back to childhood pre-dating my valium exposure by a couple of decades+. Re CBT, I believe in it providing one has the right psychologist. I had about 3ish months of it in 2013 for OCD and by God it worked well for me. I wish I could have continued with that psych but, well it's a long story. Thanks Fizzlewitch.

 

I believe you have more wisdom in your little finger about BenzoWD than all of those guys put together, Matt. It's a question of putting real trust in your own assessment of things. Of all of them, you're the one who has the most experience of it and you have gained (and continue to gain) first-hand knowledge of it in a way that they never can.

 

That said, I acknowledge that two heads can be better than one when it comes to developing strategies, even though I think you'll find that most psychologist types will pick YOUR brain and mirror your own opinions back to you as 'the way'.

 

Like I said, I'm totally cynical when it comes to these people and their doings, so I'll shut up now 

 

 

All the very best 

 

 

[[mo...]]

Definitely, i believe, most of this journey is chemically, looking back i wouldnt be able control sh*t about where my good and bad weeks would fall. And it's a thing important to realize so you dont perhaps fight yourself on 2 fronts. It is a super traumatic expierience benzo withdrawel, and im probably damaged, or at least put back in some degree psycholligcally. But you also learn ofc. and become a stronger person

 

That being said theres still responsibility to be had, like structurng your day, play, appoinments, and having a supporting social network is pretty important all help psychologically

I already have two payed persons in my life, and the relations to them gives alot. Maybe even a therapist? On the other hand, does this speed up anything?