Over 60 help and support.

[[He...]]

Is all this harder if you are older?

I think so. I don’t think I can taper

off , get little sleep , for a long time.

I also work full time. I been walking

but should force myself to do yoga

exercise. Avoiding extra sleep products

unless they’re natural (and most don’t work).

 

[[Ul...]]

Is anyone suffering with tinnitus (ear ringing).  This is absolutely my worst symptom during Xanax withdrawal.  It is usually accompanied by sever nasal congestion and muscle aches in my neck and shoulder.  Ringing causes insomnia and headaches that are fierce.  Is there any relief from this awfulness?

 

My ear ringing kicked in 3 months into my taper. I'm fairly close to 5 yrs of this long taper, and my ringing hasn't stopped once. It's always loud, but it gets louder when anxiety or stress hits. Truly bites, but I try to roll with it. Next!!!

 

Jeff

[[ea...]]

Is all this harder if you are older?

I think so. I don’t think I can taper

 

This is a good question and no one knows. I have been on (and off) BB for over 7 years now. Over time I have seen a LOT of older people who actually do BETTER than younger people. Maybe because we have more knowledge, have dealt with more crisis, or maybe we have had to deal with a medical condition that required care.  I am 69 and turn 70 next month. For my age I feel good, and don't look my age either. But reality is I WILL be 70! (I find this sort of shocking, to be honest.)My benzo wd was awful just as most are. Mine was made worse because I went CT off a boatload of benzos and SSRIs. But I managed to heal from this, and even though I have mild PTSD because of it, I function well, am happier than I have been in YEARS, I am productive and I still work.

I wish we knew if age plays a role in this. But don't hold your breath. The drug companies love making so much money by promoting benzos to doctors, and even if the laws have gotten stricter about benzos, they are STILL one of the most often prescribed drugs in the USA.

east

[[Ba...]]

I am one of the older people doing much worse.

Frankly I don't see lots of older people doing better, esp. on other sites.  Think it is harder as your body does not have the resilience nd you've likely been on longer.

[[or...]]

I am one of the older people doing much worse.

Frankly I don't see lots of older people doing better,

 

I'm sorry for you Barbara. But I don't agree with your contention that us oldsters do worse. I'm 72 and I'm doing very darned well.  I think many BBs, including us oldsters, just don't come back and report that we're doing well.

 

I agree with East.

 

And, like her, I've been on and off here a long time and have observed that older folks do better. We're more sensible, have some history behind us yadda yadda. The ones who I've observed do worse are the young, impatient folks who want off NOW. That makes them imo do some pretty foolish things -- go too fast, add dodgy drugs, CT out of frustration, reinstate instead of giving things time.

 

Anyhow, just my observations.

 

Katz

 

 

[[ea...]]

BarbaraAve, I think you need to realize that not everyone on online support groups is honest about how they feel, or how many drugs they took, etc. Online support groups make it so easy to lie about yourself, exaggerate your troubles, maybe, and make it seem like they are just some victim of drugs. Online groups tend to attract people who have something they need to HIDE.

The thing I have noticed about BB is that this happens a LOT less than on other benzo groups. Maybe its BB's basic rules for posting, and the fact that most posts are viewed by Mods? I don't know, but I DO know that what you read on BB tends to turn out to be more  true. I have NOT found that on most FaceBook groups, and even on Baylissa's site.

I "counsel" a few  people privately and all of them are over 60. ALL of them are intelligent, and dedicated to getting off these damn drugs.

Whatever, getting off benzos can be extremely difficult for anyone, whatever age you are.

If you are NOT slowly feeling better, it might be time to re-evaluate what you are doing to heal from this. Go back to the basics, perhaps. Read about WHY you feel this way, and use some new ways to COPE with it all.

I always tell people this: If I can heal, anyone can! Good grief, 30 years of nightly benzos in doses you would not believe, and going cold turkey off those benzos and SSRIS? How do you think MY withdrawal was? I am the only person, that I know of, here on BB who has reported hallucinations during acute wd. If someone else did, they haven't mentioned it. And If someone did, I would like to hear from them!

Getting off benzos is a complicated process, of learning why you feel so bad, and learning what you can do to make yourself feel a bit better.

None of this process is fun. It is painful, it is scary. You will wonder if you have gone insane.

You haven't, but you wont know that until you start to heal.

BarbaraAve, I would like to hear from you.

east

[[tw...]]

I am so glad to have found this support group!!! I am about to turn 65, started taper 2 years ago. I've been doing it very slowly so I assume another 4-6 months to go and then the total being off. I'm just about at 1 mg now. I am mostly depressed because I feel like by the time I'm off (taking into account also being on none at the end), what will be left? I think my work life has taken a hit from this taper - especially this part - and I don't know what kind of shape I'll be in when it's finally over.

[[Ma...]]

Twitch, I think a lot of us wonder the same things.  This is such a slow process and our lives take back seat to trying to recover.  I know a lot of people on here , that had rough tapers but are living really good lives now.  I posted someone tonight that found what he really enjoyed as work and that has expanded into his dream job.  Hang on, things have a way of working out.  It sounds like you've done a good taper.  You are going to be great!!  Mary 💜☮️💜☮️💜☮️💜

[[tw...]]

Mary5588, thank you so much for the encouragement. 

 

Every now and then, the anxiety will calm and I feel more hopeful. That lasts a very short time and I just shrug it off as denial.

 

Truly it's emotionally hellish. (Only physical symptoms I've had have been very frequent racing heart since I got down to 1.25.) I'd like to believe it would be better in the future, but I don't see how.

 

 

 

 

Twitch, I think a lot of us wonder the same things.  This is such a slow process and our lives take back seat to trying to recover.  I know a lot of people on here , that had rough tapers but are living really good lives now.  I posted someone tonight that found what he really enjoyed as work and that has expanded into his dream job.  Hang on, things have a way of working out.  It sounds like you've done a good taper.  You are going to be great!!  Mary 💜☮️💜☮️💜☮️💜

[[Ba...]]

Twitch, I get you.  Why did you decide to come off?

 

The lows, in my case, are desperately low.  But I have no support.

 

Mary, the ones you have seen come off, were they worse off than if they were in horrible taper-- or the same?  And those that rebounded, when did they on average turn a bit of a corner?  Thx

[[tw...]]

BarbaraAve, I can't really tell you why I decided to come off. It was kind of vague, like when I quit smoking at 30. Just felt it was time mostly, I guess.

 

I know how debilitating the depression is.  Does it lift for awhile at all? xo

 

 

Twitch, I get you.  Why did you decide to come off?

 

The lows, in my case, are desperately low.  But I have no support.

 

Mary, the ones you have seen come off, were they worse off than if they were in horrible taper-- or the same?  And those that rebounded, when did they on average turn a bit of a corner?  Thx

[[Ma...]]

Twitch, I get you.  Why did you decide to come off?

 

The lows, in my case, are desperately low.  But I have no support.

 

Mary, the ones you have seen come off, were they worse off than if they were in horrible taper-- or the same?  And those that rebounded, when did they on average turn a bit of a corner?  Thx

 

Barbara,they all tapered different ways, and some had long holds, some cut and held, others did dlmt.

But the ones that did best, went slow and none jumped before.05 and most went to zero.  .  They aren't healed, but they are all functioning pretty well. 

[[Ba...]]

.05 valium??  So they microtapered mostly?

[[Ma...]]

.05 valium??  So they microtapered mostly?

 

I would say over half anyway were dlmt 

[[tw...]]

I should add that I am also unemployed. My dept was phased out in June. My unemp benefits are running out. So I am withdrawing at the same time as I'm running through my savings and I expect to be homeless by the time this taper is done. How do I bear both?

Ironically, I'm more panicked about living through this than not living through it.

[[Ba...]]

Twitch I feel the same.

Having to move or go to asst living or going out when agoraphobic sounds and have horrid depression sounds harder to me than dropping dead.

[[tw...]]

Twitch I feel the same.

Having to move or go to asst living or going out when agoraphobic sounds and have horrid depression sounds harder to me than dropping dead.

 

I'm so sorry, BarbaraAve, I hope things turn out better than we think. xo

[[Ul...]]

Twitch I feel the same.

Having to move or go to asst living or going out when agoraphobic sounds and have horrid depression sounds harder to me than dropping dead.

 

I'm so sorry, BarbaraAve, I hope things turn out better than we think. xo

 

It's interesting that all of this comes up because I can really relate. On a good note, I was talking to someone yesterday who has read a lot of research recently about worry, etc. The research showed that almost 98% of the things we worry about never come to pass. That along with some faith and common sense give me some hope. This whole ride can seem so hopeless at times, but we'll see how things pan out. Worry just causes me to have anxiety escalate to new levels, but it's a hard battle. Let's all just plan and prepare the best we can and then let things fall. Bless ya!

 

Jeff

[[bl...]]

Twitch I feel the same.

Having to move or go to asst living or going out when agoraphobic sounds and have horrid depression sounds harder to me than dropping dead.

 

I'm so sorry, BarbaraAve, I hope things turn out better than we think. xo

 

It's interesting that all of this comes up because I can really relate. On a good note, I was talking to someone yesterday who has read a lot of research recently about worry, etc. The research showed that almost 98% of the things we worry about never come to pass. That along with some faith and common sense give me some hope. This whole ride can seem so hopeless at times, but we'll see how things pan out. Worry just causes me to have anxiety escalate to new levels, but it's a hard battle. Let's all just plan and prepare the best we can and then let things fall. Bless ya!

 

Jeff

 

Hi Jeff

 

You are correct. And to top it off we have 65K to 80K of thoughts per day-----most repetitive each day. Same old song and dance. Worry worry worry. Back and forth the past and the yet to come.

 

Yep--the battle. That in itself is what drives our worry. The best explanation I have read is in the books by--John Teasdale, Mark Williams and Zindel Segal. Very enlightening and wish had been exposed to MBCT long ago. Nothing like retraining our mental processes in our 60's. Staying in the present moment is very hard work indeed. The mind is like a monkey and needs some activity--all the time--it is the nature of the beast.

The monks call it--monkey mind. For fun search--google "monkey mind."

 

Cheers

[[Fi...]]

Twitch I feel the same.

Having to move or go to asst living or going out when agoraphobic sounds and have horrid depression sounds harder to me than dropping dead.

 

I'm so sorry, BarbaraAve, I hope things turn out better than we think. xo

 

BarbaraAve, congratulations on getting off of that scrap of Clonzapam.  I know you are struggling without support and don't feel good.

 

I wanted to pass on the name of a  new Virtual Benzo group where people speak on the phone or if they want, they cal let themselves be seen on video.

 

Its called the Virtual Benzo Withdrawal Support Group. 

 

You find it by going to Meetup.com and put in that name.

It's free and it's all peer support.  You access the video option by downloading Zoom, but if you don't have that option you can call in.  The womans name who started it is Lisa. 

 

She sends out an notice for the group meetings via email. 

 

Hope that can be helpful to you. 

 

FH

[[Ma...]]

FH, that is great you found that, there are several people that want to communicate that way.

Would you mind copying and pasting on several threads?  I know it would be appropriated!

 

Or I will if you don't mind.  . I really think that's information that needs to be shared  :smitten:

[[Fi...]]

FH, that is great you found that, there are several people that want to communicate that way.

Would you mind copying and pasting on several threads?  I know it would be appropriated!

 

Or I will if you don't mind.  . I really think that's information that needs to be shared  :smitten:

 

Sure Mary, I was going to post on the LHSG and if you want to post in other spots, feel free. 🦋

[[Ma...]]

FH, that is great you found that, there are several people that want to communicate that way.

Would you mind copying and pasting on several threads?  I know it would be appreciated

 

Or I will if you don't mind.  . I really think that's information that needs to be shared  :smitten:

 

Sure Mary, I was going to post on the LHSG and if you want to post in other spots, feel free. 🦋

 

Thanks, I have seen lots of people that really wanted to have someone to actually talk to and were so disappointed when we had to tell them we don't do that

[[Ba...]]

Final,

 

Thank you.  I will hve to check that out as is so hard and scary totally alone.

I guess it i good am off clonopin but, uh, doesn't feel so good.

Am getting some sleep with a lyrica at night.  Supposedly tht is better than benzos... I hope.

 

Thx for the info

[[Ba...]]

Hi went to meetup.com and no such group comes up.