Stress and withdrawals

[[id...]]

for those that have not seen my blog, i just found out yesterday that my dog has terminal liver cancer. he is ok now but probably won't live much longer. this has hit me harder than anything in my life ever has. the toll that it has taken on me is incredible.

 

i have been tapering for about a month and doing fairly well, particularly the last week, really good. i am at the end of a cut period today and due to drop down tomorrow. i would think that i should be feeling well today as far as withdrawals, but i don't. my body and head are just ringing, i feel like im having serious withdrawals.

 

my question is this-can extreme stress affect the taper process and how you feel withdrawal-wise? i really think i should be doing good today as far as the taper, but i dont feel like it. maybe it is just the stress i have been under for the past 24+ hours making me feel like this, but it sure feels like withdrawals.

[[si...]]

if you were fine until you heard your dog is sick - it is most likely stress.

 

when i am stressed i get depressed and sleep - everyone is different -.

 

you control your taper - so it is up to you if you want to cut or not.

[[Je...]]

I'm sure the stress you are under is not helping matters at all.  Stress can do horrible things to you even if you've never stuck a benzo in your mouth at all. 

 

Big Hugs!

 

Jen

[[id...]]

ive thought about it. this is what makes sense to me. on normal days my nervous system is used to being at a certain level of activity. i dont get angry all day one day and mellow the next, im pretty constant. that normal level of nervous system activity is used to receiving a certain amount of xanax. so there is somewhat of an equilibrium. when you make a cut in the drug, your nervous system has to adapt to that lower level of xanax. but flip it around-wouldnt having an increase in nervous system activity have the same affect as cutting your drug intake? its disturbing the equilibrium. and i can tell you for sure that my nervous system has been a wreck. seems to me this would be akin to making a large dosage reduction. that's probably why i am feeling as if i am having withdrawals. my nervous system is amped up.

 

i don't know this for sure, but it seems to make sense. thats why "they" always say never to make a cut if you are getting ready to do something stressful, like a move, or something like that.

 

i am doing "better" this afternoon emotionally, if you want to call it that. im trying to get myself to realize that there is no point in being a basketcase right now. my dog is acting fine. i need to as much as possible go with the flow of the moment. why should i worry about what is to happen down the road when it is not yet here, and who knows, may not be for another handful of months. i just don't know how long he has, maybe 2 weeks or 4 months or.........you get my point. i could drive myself bananas by focusing on the negative aspects of this. i even wrote myself a note from my dog today and stuck it on the wall to help me out 

 

it said=

 

"Dear Dad, Stop this nonsense, cut it out!! let's just have some fun. got it? now give me something to eat! Angus"

 

[[Je...]]

I love the note Mike!!  And if he could talk...that's probably exactly what he'd say!!

 

Love,

 

Jen

[[si...]]

mike my dog was a full blown drama queen - she would almost die anytime i had a trauma in my life - i guess she had to be the center of attention.

 

more times then i can remember the vet would tell me - "well if looks like its time - her quality just isn't there anymore" 

 

if i put her down everytime i was told to she would of been put down at least a 1/2 doz times. - what i am trying to say is this - you never know - you just don't.

[[tr...]]

 

it said=

 

"Dear Dad, Stop this nonsense, cut it out!! let's just have some fun. got it? now give me something to eat! Angus"

 

 

I LOVE this.    And you know what?  He is probably wondering what is wrong WITH YOU!  He doesn't know you are worried about him.  Dogs really are smarter than we are.