Do we know of any succesfully healed buddies who are healed longterm?

[[pi...]]

Yes, people fully recover. I think the day you are 100% recovered you suddenly stop caring about Benzobuddies. That means we often don't hear from those who have recovered. They move on. Ashton did a study on this subject. 48% was fully recovered and 22% was living their life as normal but had some symptoms.

https://www.benzo.org.uk/ashbzoc.htm

 

This study is incredibly positive and the first real evidence Ive seen that amounts to proof that Yes we can say with a fair bit of confidence now that yes we do heal. I work in medical research at the moment and my job is to assess studies and conduct them. This is amazing. out of 50 patients, one of them was only 2 months and another was 21 months. That means, out of 50 people only 1 was still rated as poor at 21 months. that MEANS zero people had reached to final 3 year period with zero improvement. It also means approx. 100% who had reached 3 years were either excellent or good, ie could hold down full time job with minimal symptoms to none. This is fantastic news. anyone who is not feeling hopeful after this should reconsider.

[[Et...]]

I'm 16 months out and have come leaps and bounds, sure I still have symptoms, so I'm on the same boat as most people mention; but it is a huge improvement as 3 months post-jump, like I am fully healed compared to back then. I am living my life normally and all my loved ones think I am healed, so what I am saying is that it does get better, much better. Here on the board only remain those who are still struggling, I know I only show up here when I am feeling like crap, and when I am feeling good I don't want to be on the board, almost all those members that aren't posting are living their lives normally.

[[bo...]]

For me, I'm about 13 months off, and I definitely still have symptoms I would associate withe benzo withdrawal. My sleep has improved a little bit and I don't wake up having panic attacks in the night anymore, but I still have all sorts of mental symptoms and some minor physical symptoms. I wish I could be more positive about healing. I always feel like I'm hindering myself from getting better quicker because of my mindset. I had this mindset before this all happened too, just generally pessimistic.

[[Sa...]]

Thank you for your honesty, Ethan.

 

So sorry you are feeling poorly.

 

SaraSue 

[[or...]]

I have a few niggling symptoms. Not many. So I would say that I am 99.9% healed.

 

ON my taper I was as dumb as a box of rocks. I couldn't read, couldn't watch tv. I existed on old sf tv series. I also had a whopping case of writer's block. That went on for about 4 years.

 

Now my writing skills are back. My 2nd post-benzo book is about to be published. I am me 2.0. I feel I am better than pre-benzos, even.

 

So, yes people do heal. And some of us come out of this awful process better than when we went in.

 

Don't ever lose hope.

 

Love to you all,

 

Katz

[[ba...]]

One symptom is a loss of faith in recovery. Sometimes it seems that it will never end. But it's a mind trick! We will definitely fully recover! My mistake was trying to replace benzodiazepines with other drugs.

[[Yu...]]

Mine too.

[[ba...]]

I tried small doses of phenobarbital and strong antihistamines. And wondered why there is no recovery. Now not taking anything at all! But this is my experience. Hugs!

[[Ne...]]

What about opioids (painkillers)? They do work on the CNS, but not on GABA receptors. They have their own opioid receptors. Still, I wonder if they interfere with recovery in some capacity.

[[Ca...]]

What about opioids (painkillers)? They do work on the CNS, but not on GABA receptors. They have their own opioid receptors. Still, I wonder if they interfere with recovery in some capacity.

Probably...

-Change one aspect of neurochemistry, and the body tries to compensate... Imo

 

[[wa...]]

I have a few niggling symptoms. Not many. So I would say that I am 99.9% healed.

 

ON my taper I was as dumb as a box of rocks. I couldn't read, couldn't watch tv. I existed on old sf tv series. I also had a whopping case of writer's block. That went on for about 4 years.

 

Now my writing skills are back. My 2nd post-benzo book is about to be published. I am me 2.0. I feel I am better than pre-benzos, even.

 

So, yes people do heal. And some of us come out of this awful process better than when we went in.

 

Don't ever lose hope.

 

Love to you all,

 

Katz

 

I’m glad you’re feeling better. That’s great news. At 99.9% are you able to exercise hard, travel, encounter stress, or take medicines that affect the cns without huge consequences?

[[or...]]

At 99.9% are you able to exercise hard, travel, encounter stress, or take medicines that affect the cns without huge consequences?

 

Yes to the above (I am flying to NYC in June to get an award for my writing . . . I couldn't have travelled across the street in w/d).

 

I'm back to exercising, although I never gave up some things in w/d. I managed to do tai chi 3 x a week and I'm glad I didn't give that up. I go to the gym, which (although I don't like it) is good for me.

 

I can handle stress and anxiety a lot better. Having been through a miserable taper in which I thought I'd die every day but didn't . . . I can handle anything. For many (most?) of us we come to realize how strong we really are. So if I have anything to be grateful to the taper for, it's that.

 

So the .1% that is still a challenge is that I have to be very careful about new medications . . . or even old medications. Small doses of anything are best for me. I had to scale back my beta blocker and my cholesterol drug because I was experiencing distressing s/x. I also have problems with CBD marijuana -- it sure doesn't relax me. Antihistamines e.g. are problematic. And a few other things that are really unnecessary for my life but would make living more comfortable . . . hey, I'll just sneeze my way through allergy season.

 

So I'm very much okay with the way things turned out. Not perfect, and different, but okay.

 

Katz

[[wa...]]

At 99.9% are you able to exercise hard, travel, encounter stress, or take medicines that affect the cns without huge consequences?

 

Yes to the above (I am flying to NYC in June to get an award for my writing . . . I couldn't have travelled across the street in w/d).

 

I'm back to exercising, although I never gave up some things in w/d. I managed to do tai chi 3 x a week and I'm glad I didn't give that up. I go to the gym, which (although I don't like it) is good for me.

 

I can handle stress and anxiety a lot better. Having been through a miserable taper in which I thought I'd die every day but didn't . . . I can handle anything. For many (most?) of us we come to realize how strong we really are. So if I have anything to be grateful to the taper for, it's that.

 

So the .1% that is still a challenge is that I have to be very careful about new medications . . . or even old medications. Small doses of anything are best for me. I had to scale back my beta blocker and my cholesterol drug because I was experiencing distressing s/x. I also have problems with CBD marijuana -- it sure doesn't relax me. Antihistamines e.g. are problematic. And a few other things that are really unnecessary for my life but would make living more comfortable . . . hey, I'll just sneeze my way through allergy season.

 

So I'm very much okay with the way things turned out. Not perfect, and different, but okay.

 

Katz

 

That Sounds awesome. I can’t wait to be able to travel. Congrats on your award. But yes I have the same medicine sensitivities. But my reactions are fierce and take a long long time to calm down.  I know I can avoid most things by choice (like you said just sneeze instead of use antihistamines, heat/cold for pain etc). But I am very scared for if I ever need antibiotics in the future. I’m still reeling from one from 8 months ago. It struck such fear in me. Can I ask, did you have akathisia during your taper or recovery? Or is the medicine sensitivity not related to that?

[[Ne...]]

I just saw this fantastic video:

 

To me, this exemplifies what I want back in my life. Just look at this young, fun loving dude casually flying over to McDonald's in a freaking paraglider, and then flying back home, eating the burger on the way. Not a shred of fear/panic, anxiety, DP/DR, no heart problems, no pain, no nothing. Just a guy having fun. 

 

 

[[Ma...]]

There are many success stories. Healed folk don’t hang around here

[Guest [is...]]

There are many success stories. Healed folk don’t hang around here.

 

So true, the better I got the less I log on. Used to be all I could think about and now its gone.

[[Sa...]]

Issey,

 

I’m happy to hear healed people have left bb.  However, I wish there many more SS.  Happy they healed!!

 

SaraSue 

[[Fo...]]

I am sure folk heal but will be different surely.

I started on Benz aged 17ish, so when off them I dunno if I will resemble that!

I am just glad that if you look at the stats supported folk (as in bb) have the best chance.

And each day new folk come along needing to know that benzo use is not the life sentence as many fear.

Dickie

[[ba...]]

Hi! I have a good window today! And I did not even want to go to the site! Usually people come here when they feel bad! Therefore, it seems that little recovery:)

[[Sa...]]

Bazil,

 

So happy you’re having a window!!  More windows for you!!

[[ba...]]

Thanks, Sarah! First time in six months! Soon, you will! Hugs!

[[Ka...]]

I came off Temazepam on the 13th December and before I came off, I was sick, like horribly horribly sick. My eyes were even changing colour. I cold turkeyed because I needed the poison out of my body. It was horrible and there were days I couldn't get out of bed, but I forced myself too. During withdrawal, I organised my move from one country to another. When it came to packing up the house, I did need help as physically is was draining, but I forced myself to do what I could.

I had telephone interviews whilst in acute and had to organise so much stuff as it was only a short term  move for nine months but some how, I did it because I had to, my sister was dieing, I had no option but to push through.

I moved from Aus to the UK, working in London during the week and back up north to spend with my family of a weekend. I sourced a place to live and my life was hectic...all the time still not feeling well but I pushed through. Both of my sisters died with in two months of each other and I have not looked after myself anywhere near as much as I should, but here I am, still only at about 70% but powring on through because I simply will not give into this.

 

It's worth mentioning that I had benzos for sleep only, emotionally, I'm fairly resilient and I have great coping strategies, so this may be a huge diffrence to what I am experiancing and what others are in withdrawal.

 

I'm getting sick a lot, I've had three colds with horrible coughs three times in four months, but I put that down to the fact I've been smoking a lot, that's next to go this weekend but I also keep getting horrible muscle strains which I know are benzo related. My skin has been horrible too.

 

I have absolutely no doubt I will heal 100% and I know that every single person has the ability to as well.

[[Er...]]

I agree with most people that once someone heals here they leave.  I know that I've had windows that last months and I don't log on.  Then I'll get hit BAM and I'm back on with a vengeance.  At some point I hope to never have to come back here because it is heartbreaking to hear so many stories of what people are going through and to know that there's a chance they'll be here for years.

 

I'm nearly 40 months off and am in my second wave in the last month after only have a few waves in the last year.  I have not ever been 100% but I felt 95% healed 95% of the time.  I guess only time will tell.  Good luck!

[Guest [is...]]

Something that might help is go back and look at the posts that are a year old, a'lot of people going through hell and almost none of them post anymore. They had to of gotten better and just quit posting. I pm'ed a couple of them and they said they healed and just never wrote a success story.

[[or...]]

Healed folk don’t hang around here

 

No true, Marina. I'm here.  Others who are healed are here, too. Why am I here? I got a lot of help during my taper. I guess you could say I'm "giving back".

 

Many of my buddies couldn't wait to run away from BB and the whole awful ordeal they went through.I get that.

 

But sometimes It's nice to talk to another buddie who has been through what you're going through, survived, and can maybe offer some insights on what worked, what didn't, s/x, etc. Anyhow.

 

And to answer waiting's question, yes, I had akasthisia on my taper. That's one of the reasons I took gabapentin, which helped a bit. The akathisia went away after my taper was over. It was disturbing, painful, and very odd. Oh, and then I tapered gabapentin.

 

Hope everyone is doing okay today.

 

Katz