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Finally joined!


[mo...]

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Hello All!

 

I am 18 months out, and have been a lurker on this website, for about that long. Well, I finally joined and hope to be able to help others as well in their healing process. I was on a daily use of Ativan 1 mg for 3 years. I was prescribed it as a "sleep aid", with no warning of it's addictive nature(same story for many that are on this site).

 

18 months ago, I was forced by my physician to do a 5 day taper, which put me in the hospital twice, with life threatening symptoms, that they could not find a diagnosis for, after doing lots of invasive tests. Now I know it was all due to such a rapid taper from Ativan.

I am nowhere near where I want to be, but am improving, just way more slowly and unpredictably than I can make sense of.

 

To those who are years ahead of me, will I ever get back to who I was before, or do I need to accept new version of myself, as my new normal?

 

 

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[db...]

Hello, mommyo4 :) - welcome to BenzoBuddies!

 

Congratulations on being benzo-free, albeit by such a sudden plunge - I'm glad that part is over for you now.  :thumbsup:

 

Unfortunately symptoms can hang on for quite a while in benzo recovery, but they will ease up in time. Given your abrupt withdrawal, it's not surprising that you are still feeling it this far out.

 

I can really relate to your situation, because I had a rapid taper from Ativan after 5+ years of 1-2 mg for sleep, and I am still fighting to regain my energy and drive, just over a year later. The 'old me' is still going to take some time to appear, but enough of my personality returned for me to finally believe that I can be the same familiar version of myself. I'm sure you'll find that 'self' again, too.

 

I'm so glad you decided to join the forum - you'll find plenty of information and support here. Our members have gone through all aspects of benzodiazepine use and withdrawal, so you'll be able to connect with others who understand what you're going through and can tell you what has worked for them.

 

Based on the information provided in your introduction, the following link may be a good starting place for you to post your questions.

 

Post-withdrawal Recovery Support

 

When you have a chance, I recommend that you take a look at The Ashton Manual, which is an authoritative source on what to expect during withdrawal and recovery. It provides a great deal of information that can be very reassuring during any stage of this process, including a list of common symptoms with helpful explanations.

 

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

 

Looking forward to seeing you on the forum!

  Leslie  :smitten:

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