PLEASE, NEED SOUND ADVICE AND SUPPORT (RE: ALCOHOL AND PROTRACTED W/D)

[[1L...]]

Hello everyone,

 

I have hesitated for a long time about this but I am struggling so much and desperate for support, been trying to do this alone for weeks..  I have been off for 5 mos now and have been struggling immensely for a long time.  I have used beer daily (amounts vary) since before I jumped off the Valium.  Things have gone from bad to worse, I am still very symptomatic, however the worst symptoms are extreme dp/dr, FEAR/Panic, severe depression, insomnia.  I know that drinking alcohol is not good and I should not have done this, the beer drinking is wrapped up with my trauma history (used it for sleep and the fear of insomnia, long story) I did this out of fear and panic.  I have PTSD.

I am consumed with fear and regret about all of this.  I have been so dysfunctional (for a long  that I am wondering if I should reinstate??  I feel as if the withdrawals have never ended and I am fearful if I stop the beer drinking it will take months for me to recover. 

 

Does ANYONE on the forum know if using alcohol during and after withdrawal (daily) can totally derail your recovery and/or make things much much worse??  I feel as if I have really gone backwards and afraid I will not recover.  I am also very fearful of reinstating but I am doing so poorly I am scared (zero quality of life).

 

I am working on eliminating the beer but I am feeling so discouraged/hopeless that I am not sure this will even help... Thank you so much for the support.  Holly

 

[[...]]

yes ,yes, and yes I am a year out and it happened to me, i quit the bear after i learned it acts just like a benzo on the brain so i went off the alcohol and suffered through that  WD and it brought back all my acute benzo WD symptoms after a week it settled down and now i feel my healing is moving forward again, good luck

[[1L...]]

Thank you wyme

[[de...]]

The very best advice and support I can offer you 1Lauch is to say DON'T DRINK!  if you expect recovery.  Drinking doesn't allow for it.  Particularly in the beginning.  Later too, for some. 

 

Yes, it can take months, years, sometimes.  I'm 40 months and it's been slow.  But it's happening. 

 

Decisions. 

 

Maybe you do need to see someone about rejigging your medication?  Idk.  I wouldn't reinstate, I'd work on ways to withdraw sensibly. 

 

 

[[1L...]]

Thank you deadwood, I appreciate your input. 

[[Pa...]]

I didn't use alcohol to get me through my recovery, I used Ambien and I'm so sorry I did because it kept me sick.  Once I stopped the Ambien 14 months after my cold turkey from Klonopin I felt instantly better.  I believe the way you're using alcohol will keep you sick, just like the Ambien did me and I also believe that once you stop the alcohol you'll feel better (not recovered but at least moving in the right direction), just like what happened to wyme.

[[1L...]]

Thank you Pamster, I am afraid to go without the alcohol but I know it is keeping me sick like you said. 

[[Et...]]

Unfortunately you can't have alcohol mucking around with the same receptors if you want to heal. My boyfriend drinks and I am so tempted to drink with him but I know that 5 months off benzos is not long enough for me to be able to have a few without a setback so I am behaving myself.

 

I definitely wouldn't reinstate, alcohol will just blow your tolerance out of the water anyway.