Full Time worker support group

[[Tr...]]

Hey tallgolfer - when you started Valium was it dosed twice a day?

I am crossing over and can basically choose if it’s once or twice a day.

Do you dose early in the am for morning dose? Did the fatigue from Valium clear up fairly quickly after starting?

 

I am on V at night as I crossover from clonazepam. I’m so sedated I worry about am dosing and work.

 

Thanks for any insight you have!

 

[[Ro...]]

Has anyone went back to work on light duty? If so what were the guidelines that were set? What limitations were listed by the physician? Heading back to work next week and my MD wants to send me back light duty, but we both don't know how to quantify that for this particular affliction. Any ideas?

[[Lo...]]

I'm struggling, but still working full time. Unfortunately, I'm not in a great position too wean off of V.  Between work, and I'm a care taker for my Dependent wife and most of the child care is on me. Maybe one day, but not now.

[[Ta...]]

Hi there,  sorry I did not reply TL.  I started with dosing 3 times a day.  I cut out my afternoon dose first.  Yes.  I was very sedated at first but that went away after a few months.  I now dose in the am and pm which I feel like is enough due to the long half life.

I work full times as well.  Its really hard but sometimes being home and doing nothing on the weekends is worse.  At work, I don't have time to think about my symptoms.  I try to stay very busy despite having WD/tolerace symptoms. 

 

[[Jo...]]

Hello group. Just an update, I’m back at work full time and so far so good. In June I thought I would never be able to work again and thought seriously about an early and impoverished retirement. So happy I was able to take three months off and sort myself out. Aside from neuropathy in both feet and choppy sleep, I feel largely cured. Gone is the crippling anxiety and dark thoughts. Thank God! Hang in there everyone. If you can get time off please take it and do what you need to do.

[[Ul...]]

Hello group. Just an update, I’m back at work full time and so far so good. In June I thought I would never be able to work again and thought seriously about an early and impoverished retirement. So happy I was able to take three months off and sort myself out. Aside from neuropathy in both feet and choppy sleep, I feel largely cured. Gone is the crippling anxiety and dark thoughts. Thank God! Hang in there everyone. If you can get time off please take it and do what you need to do.

 

Congrats to you!! On to the next you go

 

[[Jo...]]

Thanks Ultra. Good luck to you as well. I really appreciate all the support and insight you shared when I was struggling.

[[fo...]]

Hi everyone. This is my first time posting this group that I can remember. I’ve been working full time ever since I started tapering, and of course before then. I am 26 months out from my jump. Work has been incredibly hard lately, but it’s been hard throughout my taper and now in this protracted withdrawal. What I’ve been struggling with a lot lately is a lot of rage, and paranoia about my coworkers.

For the most part I think I am transposing my internal fear and anxiety onto people who have nothing to do with what’s happening to me. I assume that people have bad intentions towards me, and I am defensive and on a hair trigger. Some days I can be kind and easy-going, but other days I am so tense and ready to explode. I know that I am being paranoid, and that for the most part no one is messing with me, but I feel like the overwhelming feeling that people are is more real than what I rationally know. I have one particular coworker that I’m supervising who has been very combative with me in a passive aggressive way, and I feel such insane rage towards him that it is over the top. I haven’t done anything or said anything to show it, but I feel it intensely. But then I also feel defensive and afraid of coworkers who are being totally cool with me. It makes me feel insane. And I’m to the point where I don’t even know if it’s benzo withdrawal that’s making this happen.

I just received a promotion in August, and I am developing a program and doing a lot of Outreach and contacts with the community. The new program I’m creating is going really well, but I’m constantly terrified it’s going to fall apart and fail. I am in a near constant state of paranoia. I usually feel like I fake it really well, but it feels like it’s getting harder and harder to do that, and that people can tell now and I’m not pulling off the fake any longer. I’m always exhausted almost always afraid. I’m terrified I’m gonna lose my job and end up on the streets and homeless, although that has never happened in my life and I’ve been working since I was 16. I find it really hard to focus at times, and I feel like I work much more slowly than I used to because I’m carrying this weight of repetitive negative sleeping thoughts, anxiety, paranoia, and fear.

Can any of you workers relate to this at work? Is anything helpful for you to deal with this? Thank you!

[[Be...]]

Hi,  I work full time - actually more hours than full time as I run my own business. Last year I took about 3 months off.  Not all consecutively.  I’m 21 months since jumping. Cold turkey. Unwittingly. Brutal.  This year I’ve taken a holiday -  some stressful stuff happened with the AirBNB but I dealt with it without melting.  I wish you could take a holiday from BWD but it follows you everywhere.  In 4 days I gotta go back to work:  I wish stressful stuff would just stop

When you’re in BWD:  but it doesn’t so you just gotta keep going right:

[[Ta...]]

Hey, Full time workers.  How is it going?  Are you ever surprised by your strength?!  I started work in August and I'm really proud that I'm still going and we have half way through November.    I also feel that work is a great distraction. Many say to avoid stress but work gives me purpose, etc.  Its very HARD though and sometimes I don't have energy left for household things and family. 

[[Ul...]]

Hey, Full time workers.  How is it going?  Are you ever surprised by your strength?!  I started work in August and I'm really proud that I'm still going and we have half way through November.    I also feel that work is a great distraction. Many say to avoid stress but work gives me purpose, etc.  Its very HARD though and sometimes I don't have energy left for household things and family.

 

Strength...wow, it still comes and goes. Overall, it's definitely better than in months and years past, but still a challenge. I just take it as it comes and as it improves. Work is definitely a challenge too, but the advantages far outweigh the disadvantages. I worked throughout the entire 6 year taper, but it was definitely worth the challenge. Your strength will definitely get better!! Just hang in there and take things one at a time then just roll with them

[[Jo...]]

Hey Foolscapfire. Whoa, you’re dealing with a lot. Kudos for hanging in there and congrats on your big project. I know you’re suffering but your coworkers are more than likely unaware. I can relate to the many symptoms you describe as I had them too. I felt anxious and much worse. I don’t even want to put into words some of the things I thought and felt. It’s 100 percent from the meds. You’re not crazy. In June I was a basket case. Here in November and completely free of meds I’m nearly my old self again. In someways better as I’m so very grateful and appreciate what I have. All I can say is hang in there. Take some time off if you can. I did and it saved me. The only way to the other side of hell is through it. You’re not alone.

[[Be...]]

Hey, Full time workers.  How is it going?  Are you ever surprised by your strength?!  I started work in August and I'm really proud that I'm still going and we have half way through November.    I also feel that work is a great distraction. Many say to avoid stress but work gives me purpose, etc.  Its very HARD though and sometimes I don't have energy left for household things and family.

 

Oh my gosh my apartment resembles a dump - it is filthy! I work & come home & sleep - I’m just getting through.  I do what cleaning I can when I can. It’s amazing though what you can get by without doing when it comes to house work.

[[Ch...]]

I have a huge question about FT work. Is your brain effected to the point where simple tasks are not simple....and any TD, or Dystonia? Brain fog? TIA , Charlene

[[op...]]

Hi -

 

I'm wanting to connect with folks who are working (part-time or full-time, whichever) through their tapers and/or recovery. I found this old thread and thought maybe we could revive it! I know a lot of my hopes, fears, and helpful distractions are connected to work life and staying functional while tapering.

 

Maybe we could support one another!

 

Openroad

 

 

[[bo...]]

Hi openroad,

 

I used to post in this thread when I was really suffering. I'm like 95% healed at this point and have written a success story.

 

I think it's good to work as you taper/recover. I did the same thing and am very glad I did it. I was suffering for about 36 months after quitting Klonopin cold turkey and managed to work the entire time. I'm very happy I did as it provided a good distraction and kept me financially stable. However, I did second guess myself the entire time and wondered if I really should be working or not. I actually started withdrawal as an English teacher which I had been for 8 years when withdrawal started. At the end of my 9th year of teaching English, I got a high school Librarian job in my hometown and moved. Still, it took me a couple years to heal after starting the new job as well. But I'm happy I switched jobs now for sure. In the long run this was a better fit.

 

What job are you working and what symptoms are you dealing with?

[[Ta...]]

Hi, I’d love to participate in this thread. I’m tapering and I’ll be off in a couple months. It’s so hard but working is a nice distraction. In fact, I try to stay busy as my form of distraction. I’ve worked the two year of my taper. And I hope to confirm to work. I have some anxiety but mostly physical symptoms and pain. I get really tight muscles which makes work difficult sometimes.

[[se...]]

I also worked through my 16 month taper.  I agree, it was a good distraction.  I am eight months out, doing better but still suffering anxiety, adrenaline rushes, and gastric issues.  Although these symptoms are no fun, it is much, much better than it was even six months ago.  There is hope…

[[op...]]

Hi everyone -

 

Thanks all for chiming in!

 

Seasalt and Boombox - nice job working through your tapers and recovery. Boombox - I don't know how you taught high school during this - that's hard enough when you're not dealing with health issues! I have done it a bit myself in the past (taught HS) and it's hard work! Seasalt - it's great to hear that things are improving!

 

TallGolfer - maybe we can support one another in this endeavor! I'm working (from home in various capacities, but mostly running my own business) and also in grad school. It's been touch and go. There were a couple of times I thought I'd get pulled under but I keep bouncing back up. It's really important to me to keep working and stay functional as much as possible, for a number of reasons, so I'm trying to stay as positive as I can, and be as smart about all of this as I can.

 

I'm mostly doing ok, but have to be careful to take the taper super slow. Two weeks ago, I had a bad crash. I'm not going to list all of the sxs here b/c I think there are other places on the site for all that, but I had to take several days off. I recovered, though! 

 

Wishing us all continued resilience as continue living life in the face of great adversity!

 

 

 

 

[[Ma...]]

Hey, now I'm cutting the cone and working. I have more free time and I will be leaving in a few weeks, I think it will allow me to rest after the last recording, I don't know how I will feel. I feel a lot of stress at work, but for several weeks I have been trying to stay calm and stick to the cone. Mornings are tough, I don't want to complain here because I have a goal and nothing can stop me, this month I will keep working and cutting. Work improves memory, you have to think and I am among colleagues, which allows you to forget about the problem. When I'm home alone, depression affects me... 

[[bo...]]

openroad,

 

I think trying to work through your taper and stay functional is the best thing you can do. You won't regret it once you feel better. I guess I'm curious as to what symptoms you are dealing with, but if you don't want to explain them all, I understand. I'd highly recommend adding a little exercise to your day to day as well as you taper, even if it's just short walks. That helped me the most, but I was also suffering severe akathisia, so the movement kept my symptoms lessened at least while walking.

 

Work is a good distraction for sure. I had monophobia and couldn't be home alone at all. I'm lucky when I was going through severe acute, I had already been teaching for eight years, so I was sort of on autopilot during my 9th year when the symptoms were terrible. Then when I switched jobs at about 17 months off, I was still in acute and that was really hard too because I was in a new school and had no idea what I was doing. There were times in my first year as a Librarian that my system was on overload with the stress of the new job and the boss that was riding me. I often felt like crying or screaming. Now I've been at this job for three years as a Librarian and I consider myself pretty much healed. I'm glad I'm not teaching full time anymore as the teaching job is what prompted me to take benzos.

[[bo...]]

can anyone recommend online work that is easy, legit  need some extra cash flow

don't live in the US

thank you

Bonty