Discussion: Four Phases of Withdrawal-Where Are You?

[[Ma...]]

I have my live dog.....

 

Me too, HA

[[Fo...]]

OH MY!!

Had I EVER EVER known what I was in for I would have kept a journal.

Of course I couldn't figure out how to use a pencil the first month after detox.

I am so new to this site...can you tell?

I just cannot remember much...other that I did not sleep for five days straight

and then very little after. On the 23rd of this month I will be 6 months free. RIGHT now

(and it could change any minute) I am struggling with paresthesia, hypersensitivity, dry mouth

insomnia, anxiety, poor memory, poor concentration...I am sure I am forgetting something??

 

[[Ma...]]

Forv, just a thought, there is a Progress Log section on the Homepage, you can name it, log on, and it's just yours.  A lot of people use them as a progress log, symptoms, or like me, if I come across something I think I may want to read again or share, I copy and paste it in mine. 

Mary

[[wo...]]

At which phase can or should you restart taking certain vital supplements? Or is just trial and error?

[[ca...]]

Hi Sofa

 

There have been some changes since the last time I visited. You have a different profile picture which I have to say is less scary. Also you have been moved by our administrators. I'm not sure why that was necessary but at least I was able to find you my old friend.

 

what brought me here was that, like you, we have a similar timeline in the healing process. In the last couple of months I have experienced some back sliding due to a health issue that required an antibiotic (Cipro). I had a UTI which I should have realized that I was having issues for some time. I am happy to say that I have this and my BPH under control. I have had some blood work done and a couple of urine samples. Everything looks good, so that is a relief.

 

Being 5 years out you feel that you have finally healed but then are reminded that there are some lingering reminders of your ordeal. I still feel that my nervous system is still very sensitive and reminds me when I feel stressed or am placed in an uncomfortable situation. I am very cautious with alcoholic beverages. My wife and I went on a Cruise to Cuba this past spring and I had a Mojito and Rum and Coke while there with no real issues. I was a little worried how I would react but was happy that I did have any apparent reactions.

 

Getting back to my UTI experience. Naturally, when I found out that I had an infection, I wanted to get that taken care of. I knew that Cipro is a very strong antibiotic and the pharmacist recommended a pro biotic which I also took. It still kicked my butt! I felt drugged much like I felt while on Xanax. I was on it for 5 days! Afterwards I noticed that I was having many of the same withdrawal symptoms that I experienced in the first year of my withdrawal or recovery. I was having waves and windows! I did some research and it was a little frightening when I saw that Cipro can and has caused nerve damage in many people. The encouraging thing is that although I am still having some issues, they are getting less severe. I can't help but think that my nervous system is still extremely sensitive and that some medications can aggravate it much like alcohol can. Yesterday I got hit with dizziness, and some heart palps. It faded as the day wore on and today I had no symptoms.

 

I am looking forward to and hoping that this new year will be relatively symptom free as most of this was! Merry Christmas to all on this page!

 

 

[[Gi...]]

Hi Camre,

 

Sofa is not on BB as often these days and I know she has a big family gathering at Christmas so it may be a bit longer than normal before she responds to you.

 

It sounds like you have made great progress. I am not as long ‘off’ as you but I think that you are right about the CNS still being very sensitive. I have made real progress this year but I get setbacks when I have a stressful experience. Like yourself, I can manage it better now and it moves away after a few days.

 

I wish you a symptom-free 2020 and many more cruises.

 

G

[[ca...]]

Hi Camre,

 

Sofa is not on BB as often these days and I know she has a big family gathering at Christmas so it may be a bit longer than normal before she responds to you.

 

It sounds like you have made great progress. I am not as long ‘off’ as you but I think that you are right about the CNS still being very sensitive. I have made real progress this year but I get setbacks when I have a stressful experience. Like yourself, I can manage it better now and it moves away after a few days.

 

I wish you a symptom-free 2020 and many more cruises.

 

G

 

Thank you for sharing your story with me! I have learned over time to not over react to setback. I too hope that you will have a great New Year!

 

Cliff

[[Ki...]]

If you have just head pressure as last symptoms what phase will be at? It Stop me from doing things I want to do so Im not into my normal routine yet

[[Gi...]]

Hi Kiwi,

 

Why don’t you go to your profile and add a ‘signature’ so that all of us can see your history and then we can comment more appropriately? Tell us what drugs you were/are on, when you quit, what your symptoms have been and so on.

 

Best wishes

 

G

[[Ki...]]

Hi Kiwi,

 

Why don’t you go to your profile and add a ‘signature’ so that all of us can see your history and then we can comment more appropriately? Tell us what drugs you were/are on, when you quit, what your symptoms have been and so on.

 

Best wishes

 

G

 

 

Hi thanks for advice, I have added signature. I am very short term user and had suffered from every 100 symptoms that people talk here . After 14 month I am left with minor low back spasm and head pressure. I'm very concerned about my future I'm 28 year old and feel stuck inside my body . Do you know of someone with such short term user who took so much time to heal?? Also if you only have one symptom left how long one can expect that to reamin??

Thabks

[[Gi...]]

Hi Kiwi,

 

It sounds to me like you are healing well. We are all different but I am sure you are going to keep on improving and over the coming months it will get better and better. Be optimistic:that will help you to progress even faster.

 

G

[[Ra...]]

I'm at the stage of tapering and recovery.  Almost done and feeling good about it! 

[[Gi...]]

Great job, glad it’s going well for you

[[Ra...]]

Great job, glad it’s going well for you

 

[[re...]]

I thought I was Phase 1, but after further contemplation I think I'm in Phase 2.  I have seen some symptom improvement, but generally I am symptomatic all the time with no windows whatsoever.  The reason I thought I was Phase 1 was mainly due to 'no windows', but after re-reading the info it doesn't seem the phases are strictly window dependent as a measure of improvement.  It is a slow slow slow process, but I hesitantly think I am getting better.

 

Cheers,

        RR

[[Gi...]]

I thought I was Phase 1, but after further contemplation I think I'm in Phase 2.  I have seen some symptom improvement, but generally I am symptomatic all the time with no windows whatsoever.  The reason I thought I was Phase 1 was mainly due to 'no windows', but after re-reading the info it doesn't seem the phases are strictly window dependent as a measure of improvement.  It is a slow slow slow process, but I hesitantly think I am getting better.

 

Cheers,

        RR

 

Hi RR,

 

We speak again! I am so glad to hear that you are improving. I found ‘the four phases’ really very useful and not least because it gave me hope that there was a clear route to recovery. My experience of it though is that it is important that you don’t think that you leave one phase and start the next in the same way that you leave one room and enter another. For me the phases are more ‘open plan’ and although you may move to the dining area you are not totally detached from the living area. In case I’ve just confused you with my analogy, what I am saying is that you may move to Phase 2 ‘in the main’ but you may still have some Phase 1 characteristics and indeed maybe some Phase 3 and Phase 4. Many times I’ve seen written that someone thought they were in P3 but in fact they are in P2 etc. As a consequence they are disheartened and disappointed. There is no need to be: this thing cannot be nailed down as easily as that. But you can certainly get a clearer idea of progress via the descriptions of each phase.

[[re...]]

Hello GmH,

 

Yes, it appears we meet again!    I thoroughly enjoy your replies, I could imagine myself just sitting and shooting the breeze with you over any number of topics.

 

I appreciate your point that the Phases aren't gates that we pass through, or laps on a track, that is a good thing to keep in mind.  This recovery process is very amorphous, with things coming and going in pulses that diminish like ripples in a pond as time goes by (well at least that is my hope and I do have at least a smidgen of evidence to back that up).

 

I seem to be in an odd paradox where I want time to fly by, but at the same time I don't want to thoughtlessly pass through the moments of life that I have.  Having written that, I am also sensitive about my physical sensations, so sometimes minutes seem to drag on.  It feels very much like a Catch-22.

 

Anywhoo, I don't want to get off topic and drone on.  Thanks for chiming in and providing some additional clarity.

 

Cheers,

        RR

[[Gi...]]

Hi RR,

 

That would be cool and I wouldn’t rule it out.

 

I want to just say that the clarity I have added is my clarity only. The esteemed author of the phases may add her own clarity to your comments in time. We don’t fundamentally disagree on my interpretation but she has her own words for it. She doesn’t visit as often these days because, wonderfully, she has reached the end of the process.

 

Be well,

 

G

 

 

[[Su...]]

I think I am still in phase 1 as it is only 2 weeks since I jumped but i have experienced some small windows (1 or 2 good nights, a few good days here and there  etc...). Yesterday, anxiety crept up in the afternoon and through the night, it is now much reduced since lunch time. Is that a window? Well  I don't know... tinnitus seemed to get better on Monday after a great night of sleep (2h of deep sleep according to my fitbit!!!! nearly 9h sleep with a couple of trips to the bathroom) but it seems to be back to its usual loudness and intrusiveness now so not quite sure what to make of it... The transition from phase 1 to phase 2 can be tricky to spot.

 

Were there signs in your post withdrawal recovery that made you thonk: aha! I must be getting on phase 2?

 

Still, it's a nice framework to comprehend what's happening as our bodies work on recovery. Thanks Sofa for this great work! 

 

SG

[[Gi...]]

I think I am still in phase 1 as it is only 2 weeks since I jumped but i have experienced some small windows (1 or 2 good nights, a few good days here and there  etc...). Yesterday, anxiety crept up in the afternoon and through the night, it is now much reduced since lunch time. Is that a window? Well  I don't know... tinnitus seemed to get better on Monday after a great night of sleep (2h of deep sleep according to my fitbit!!!! nearly 9h sleep with a couple of trips to the bathroom) but it seems to be back to its usual loudness and intrusiveness now so not quite sure what to make of it... The transition from phase 1 to phase 2 can be tricky to spot.

 

Were there signs in your post withdrawal recovery that made you thonk: aha! I must be getting on phase 2?

 

Still, it's a nice framework to comprehend what's happening as our bodies work on recovery. Thanks Sofa for this great work! 

 

SG

 

Hi SG,

 

Welcome to the thread. So much to be learned here from Sofa.

 

You raise so many key issues.

 

What and when is a window is a great one to start with. I have never had symptoms for 24 hours on the trot. Mine would last for 4-6-8 hours and then go. I would then be fine for the rest of the day. Is that a window? Yes, because I wasn’t symptomatic all day, yet no, because I had symptoms every day!! Sofa would say that she never had any windows. After about a year I did start to get days when I was fine all day and then these would become consecutive days. I see it this way: over time my symptoms have become less intense and less regular and that’s how I measure my improvement. At your short time off I would recommend (and this is so much easier for me to write than it will be for you to do) that you forget windows and just focus on getting through the waves. It’s a fair chance that this may get worse for you before it gets better. I was worse in M4-7 than I was in M1-3. Don’t be scared by that, it may be different for you, but this may take a little while to complete.

 

The Four Phases is another great debating point. Most of us at the start manage to get to Phase 3 in a few weeks before we realise that we are still in Phase 1. I think I have made it to Phase 4 now after about 16 months. There is no easy cut off point between the phases. Your will reduce some Phase 1 activities and gain some Phase 2 on an incremental scale rather than a transformational one. Be patient is the key (yeh, right).

 

In my recovery I suddenly felt at about the 8 month period that I was getting better. This was an intuitive thing, I just knew it. From then on all of my waves have been so much easier to cope with because I knew I was on the final stretch (a long final stretch).

 

Fear of your recovery, or lack of it, is going to make you worse. Read up on this, read Ashton, go to benzofree.org, read the book, listen to the podcasts, avoid the doomsters, ask on bb and LIVE HEALTHILY.

 

Good luck, you can and must do it

 

G

[[Su...]]

Give me hope,

Just read your post. Thank you so much my friend for your message, words of wisedom and encouragement. Yes, you're quite right that I am getting ahead of myself here. I have to accept this is going to be a long difficult journey but I will make it through...

SG

[[Gi...]]

Give me hope,

Just read your post. Thank you so much my friend for your message, words of wisedom and encouragement. Yes, you're quite right that I am getting ahead of myself here. I have to accept this is going to be a long difficult journey but I will make it through...

SG

 

May not be long SG, you never know. However, from my experience, the longer it persists the easier it gets. Some days I am so pissed off that it is still hanging around but then I have a chat with myself and remember that it’s so much easier now than it was.

 

All the best,

G

[[al...]]

Does anyone else feel like phase 3 in particular lasts forever? Out of all the phases so far, I swear phase 3 has been going on for over a year for me now. Every time I think I'm about to be in phase 4, I get a sensitivity-based stress wave hitting me out of nowhere. I know this will end, but sometimes it sure feels like this will be permanent. I'm getting to a point in my life where I feel like I'm managing a chronic illness.

[[ki...]]

Alichino, I don’t have any experience to share (still tapering), but I wanted to say that I love your avatar. I’m a huge Miyazaki fan. 

[[al...]]

Alichino, I don’t have any experience to share (still tapering), but I wanted to say that I love your avatar. I’m a huge Miyazaki fan. 

 

Aw thanks so much! If you ever get a chance to go to Japan, do yourself a favor and check out the Ghibli museum. It's such a cool little place.