Cure pre-psychological condition after withdrawal. This is possible?

[[il...]]

Is there a chance of getting better from a psychological pre-condition during withdrawal? Was there any testimony?

Could someone explain to me what would happen if it happened.

It would be too good to be true.

[[Ma...]]

The blog is now down, but Jennifer Leigh documented how she found herself better after withdrawal than before she took a benzo. I've heard this elsewhere too. She had trauma, panic disorder, and alcoholism before, and none of that after. The fires of withdrawal forge character and skills to get through anything. That said, I know I'll deal with OCD thoughts (pure O) for a little while. Can't imagine, now, that it'll ever go completely away. I think I'm just starting to listen to the thoughts a little less. How are you doing, IBBOD?

 

[[ly...]]

 

 

I had an immediate lifting of 25yrs depression, anxiety and agoraphobia after a c/t attempt/huge reduction of xanax (and c/t of zyprexa and 25yrs prozac).  Like someone flipped a light switch.  I also virtually stopped drinking overnight after decades of excess (daily).  It's been over 2.5yrs and I still feel great (and hardly ever drink and never more than a couple).  Actually, the anxiety and depression dated back to childhood.  GONE!

[[Ma...]]

Thanks for sharing, Lynn. I'm starting to feel a major lift, and am hopeful my withdrawal might not be so prolonged and utterly horrific, and that I may see some freedom from the "ills" that eventually hooked me up with my first benzo. I'd love to know more of your story.

[[ly...]]

Thanks for sharing, Lynn. I'm starting to feel a major lift, and am hopeful my withdrawal might not be so prolonged and utterly horrific, and that I may see some freedom from the "ills" that eventually hooked me up with my first benzo. I'd love to know more of your story.

 

I sure hope things lift for you.  My pdoc finds the whole thing remarkable and would like to know how this happened as he thinks it would help his other patients.  My thought is that I got better at some point over the 25yrs post-nervous breakdown and the meds then caused/perpetuated my problems.  The other thought I have is the c/t attempt then huge drop (plus c/t other psych meds) shocked the hell out of my brain and "fixed" things.  I am still on lamictal.  Maybe the other stuff was blocking it (this does happen) and it was the magic cure all along.  This possibility is why I will probably go to my grave on lamictal.  I can't risk the depression returning.  I don't know that I would survive that - it was that horrific for that long.

 

Wishing you all the best.

[[il...]]

The blog is now down, but Jennifer Leigh documented how she found herself better after withdrawal than before she took a benzo. I've heard this elsewhere too. She had trauma, panic disorder, and alcoholism before, and none of that after. The fires of withdrawal forge character and skills to get through anything. That said, I know I'll deal with OCD thoughts (pure O) for a little while. Can't imagine, now, that it'll ever go completely away. I think I'm just starting to listen to the thoughts a little less. How are you doing, IBBOD?

 

 

I'm fine, Markidee. I feel that more and more the effects of wd lyrica are disappearing. I hope you sum it up as soon as possible, because if it was difficult before, imagine now.

 

And you?

Did you get better? Hope so!

[[il...]]

 

It would be very good for my brain to reset and improve my OCD. I think it would be too good to be true.  :laugh:

[[Ma...]]

How amazing would life be--how beautiful the world--without OCD. I'm praying for us, IBBOD. We'll "know the truth, and the truth shall set us free."

 

[[il...]]

I really am on my level. The OCD is devastating my life!

[[Ma...]]

I really am on my level. The OCD is devastating my life!

Do you mean you are at your wits end? What is the OCD doing to you today?

[[Da...]]

It seems entirely plausible that pre-benzo psychological conditions could clear up through withdrawal.  Similar to what Mark said, the process is pretty brutal, but it can cause you to develop new/better coping techniques and strategies as well as by taking your symptoms to the max after withdrawal and practically forcing you to have to develop new/better ways.  Just my opinion, I hope it makes sense. 

 

Also, like Lynn mentioned, benzos seem to hold disorders like anxiety, trauma, etc. in a holding pattern while it just sedates you.  At least that seems to be what it did with me.  I'm only a few months into my w/d, but I can tell that the clonazepam kept me from developing the outlooks and skills that I have gained in just the past month and a half out of necessity because I only had myself to fall back on.  No more magic pill to make everything better here and now.  By getting off the medications, at least with trauma, I think your body is able to properly go through the "unthawing" from it's "freeze" reaction to whatever the traumatic experience was.  The book "Waking the Tiger" by Peter Levine explains this pretty well.

 

Another way of looking at it is that the benzos, their tolerance withdrawal (if you've had it), and then complete withdrawal take you to the absolute rock bottom.  Then, over the course of healing, everything is built back up together to make you healthy again, mentally and physically.  My withdrawal has brought all of my pre-benzo symptoms to an extreme, but it seems that very slowly, the withdrawal symptoms and anxiety symptoms are healing together.

[[Ma...]]

 

Also, like Lynn mentioned, benzos seem to hold disorders like anxiety, trauma, etc. in a holding pattern while it just sedates you.  At least that seems to be what it did with me.  I'm only a few months into my w/d, but I can tell that the clonazepam kept me from developing the outlooks and skills that I have gained in just the past month and a half out of necessity because I only had myself to fall back on.  No more magic pill to make everything better here and now.  By getting off the medications, at least with trauma, I think your body is able to properly go through the "unthawing" from it's "freeze" reaction to whatever the traumatic experience was.  The book "Waking the Tiger" by Peter Levine explains this pretty well.

 

Another way of looking at it is that the benzos, their tolerance withdrawal (if you've had it), and then complete withdrawal take you to the absolute rock bottom.  Then, over the course of healing, everything is built back up together to make you healthy again, mentally and physically.  My withdrawal has brought all of my pre-benzo symptoms to an extreme, but it seems that very slowly, the withdrawal symptoms and anxiety symptoms are healing together.

You put this all so well, Danimal! The benzo just sedated me and prolonged my suffering. I feel better, even though my symptoms are to the extreme at times. I'm actually facing the fear, pain, thoughts, etc., that I now realize I was suppressing with the benzo. I struggle with OCD, and as you say, the drug kept my mind in a holding pattern. And yes, though it seems bottomless, the withdrawal forces you into a rock bottom. This is now something I embrace rather than fear. I needed to hit rock bottom to begin building things back up again.

[[Da...]]

Thanks, Mark!  I'm really happy to find others that can relate when it comes to this, haha! 

 

There really is something amazing about being able to face that abyss with no safety net and overcome it, even if the victories are small.  It's a hard prospect to face that you have to do it all on your own (i.e., without benzos), but I'm finding out more and more that this is the way it has to be done.  Despite all of the horrible things that came with getting off of klonopin, it has actually resulted in me having hope for the first time in 7 years.

[[Ma...]]

Yes, Danimal, the bottom line for me is that I feel some hope. It waxes and wanes, but I'd much rather have some hope than the diminishing chemical relief from benzos. FEAR = face everything and recover.