My doctor acknowledges benzo withdrawal!

[[Sk...]]

I saw a different doctor (GP) than my family one because I was tired of walking several miles to get there. Fortunately there is a new doctor in the brand new building just across my street.

 

I suffered from multiple tiny panic attacks (limited symptoms attacks) since several days, multiple times per day, with a HUGE anxiety and depressive spells. It's the first time I have this after spending 5 months panic attack-free. Normally I only feel anxious or depressed, lol.

 

Guess what. He told me that it was highly possible that I was still suffering from benzo withdrawal after such a long time (7 months, which is long for me). He said it was an atypical medication with no general timeline for withdrawal, and that it can messes you up pretty badly for a LONG time. But in time, people heals.

 

This is the first time I see a doctor who says this (I saw a dozens of doctors since last year including psychiatrists). He also ranted about french doctors who gives benzos just like candies.

 

I'm happy to find some hope that my brain is just temporary broken. I prefer this than suffering from a mental chronic illness... At least I can hope for some relief someday to gain enough strenght to work on my coping skills and my general anxiety without crashing each week in the abyss of despair.

[[pi...]]

Hello Skalliz,

 

It's always a relief to get validation from a health care provider, I'm so happy you had a positive experience with this doctor.  I also experienced something similar. My doctor was careful to have me get medical tests if she felt it was warranted, but she also validated that I was indeed feeling withdrawal from a very powerful drug.

 

My doctor was one of my biggest supporters during my withdrawal. She even had me write out my 'benzo experience' for her to share with medical students.

 

I wasn't recovered at 7 months, I know it seems like a long time but the changes that benzos make to the cns take time to resolve.

 

pianogirl 

[[Sk...]]

Thanks pianogirl !

 

This doctor was really supportive, the best I saw since this nightmare. He even managed to explain EXACTLY why I over-reacted to Zoloft. He said it was an SSRI acting like a booster, instead of being calming or neutral, and that on some oversensitive people they feel a rush a stress out of nowhere with a sudden urge of being active, that's why I exeperienced severe panick attacks the week I overreacted. So my reaction, which led me to be scared of being bipolar because it looked like hypomania, was perfectly normal.

 

I'm really happy to be able to put BW again on the balance as a reason why I feel so bad. It was too much to take for my courage to accept that I only had a mental illness.

 

Next step: echography and blood test for my thyroid. Doctor touched my neck and found a too big thyroid. Since my mother has hypothyroidy since 2001 and that the results are unstable between my 4 latest blood tests since withdrawal, there is a good chance I can find an explanation here about my sudden and violent mood swings. This doctor really takes me seriously. He even said that, for the worst, if I have anxiety disorder, only people who don't work seriously on this don't overcome it.

 

I want to cry, I'm so happy to get some validation and not being dismissed just like a fool.

[[sh...]]

So happy for you! Thank you for sharing, it gives me some hope! It has healing power when your illness is acknowledged and your feelings are validated. Now you have a strong ally !

[[Te...]]

Isn't it wonderful to be validated? If I had some hint of acknowledgement, I'd settle right down in doctors' offices.