Hey, there. 8 days since i cold turkeyed..

[[Ka...]]

Hello. I turned 18 just before a couple of days. I've struggled with depression on and off for the most of my conscious life. However, the reason I began drinking benzos was hidden in my anxiety disorder and agoraphobia, which isolated me in my house for quite a long period of time, so i wasn't functioning well at all. It was my last hope. It worked good for a while, I drank them for about 7 months, then I had major emotional breakdown and started mixing them with alcohol... So, now. Little less than year since I first started klonopin I decided to cold turkey both alcohol and benzos. I never knew how terrible it could be. It's been 8 days. I'm trying to keep my sanity, but paranoia is making me unstable. I'm unable to sleep normal,I get the 'electric shock' thing,also I'm nervous and aggressive. I'm stuck in my house. Low-functioning again. I'm sick of all the people that tell me that I'm weak for feeling all of this

I try to remind myself that this isn't in any way permanent and its just withdrawal.. If anyone can help me with some advice, thank you...

[[me...]]

Welcome to BenzoBuddies!  We are glad you decided to join us.  You'll find a lot of support and information on this forum, which is the only one of its kind online.  Cold turkeys can produce very strong symptoms, so everything you are feeling is "normal" at this point.

 

For those starting a taper, we generally recommend starting out at a rate of 5 to 10% every 10-14 days, then adjusting the taper to suit your own needs.  Note: very short term users may be able to taper faster.

 

Withdrawal symptoms, which vary widely but commonly include anxiety and insomnia, often occur during a taper, but these are temporary and will get better in time.  In general, first tapers are easier, but cold turkeys or multiple withdrawals may be more severe and longer lasting.  Here are a few links to get you started:

 

The Ashton Manual, a concise reference for tapering and symptom issues.  Chapter III contains excellent descriptions of common symptoms such as muscle issues, anxiety, and hyper-awareness

 

Cold Turkey, Detox & Rapid Withdrawal

 

Once again, welcome!

[[Sa...]]

Kal,

 

I was cold turkeyed off Xanax 5 months ago.  You describe feelings that can be all withdrawal symptoms. 

 

Welcome to BB.

 

SaraSue 

[[su...]]

You are not weak for feeling this. I had no idea how bad quitting would be until I did it and then I found out it is supposed to be worse than quitting heroin. You are in the acute part which is the worst. It's a long process but symptoms will start to slowly lesson over time. Just remember these thoughts and any bad thoughts and state of mind are not yourself but benzo w/d causing it. This site is very helpful to understand what you're going thru because most people won't

[[Ma...]]

If you were that weak, then you wouldn't have even gotten this far.