BenzofreeMe

[[Be...]]

Hi,

I am working on my 9th week quitting cold turkey Ativan .5 mg daily for about 4 years. It has and still continues to be the hardest thing I have ever done. I have relied heavily on God throughout the whole process. I am currently taking about 30 -50mg of hydroxyzine at night to help with sleep and deal with the withdrawals throughout the next day. I pray this is not slowing my healing of my GABA receptors. Looking forward to the help coming from benzobuddies to continue on this journey.

[[me...]]

Welcome to the forum!  We're glad to have you as a new member.  Congratulations on getting off benzos.  Quitting cold turkey can bring on a lot of symptoms, and hopefully you'll start feeling better soon.

 

You'll find plenty of information and support here.  Our members have gone through all aspects of withdrawal, and you're likely to find  people who understand what you're going through and can tell you what has worked for them.  For those who are currently tapering, we suggest reducing no faster than 5-10% every 10-14 days, and some taper even slower than that.  One exception: very short-term users of a few weeks or less may be able to taper faster than that. 

 

Having some withdrawal symptoms is normal, especially near the end of a taper and for a month or so after discontinuing the medication.  The most common symptoms are anxiety and insomnia, but these and other symptoms are temporary and will go away in time.

 

Here are a few links you may find useful:

 

Cold Turkey, Detox & Rapid Withdrawal

 

The Ashton Manual is an authoritative source on what to expect in withdrawal and recovery.  Dr. Ashton is an expert in the field.  She describes and explains withdrawal symptoms in Chapter III, and there is also a section with withdrawal/taper schedules.

 

Please take the time to Create a Signature.  This will allow others to see where you are in the process so they can better support you.

 

Again, welcome!