need support/encouragement please

[[lo...]]

i’m going to just come out & say it- i need some encouragement. i’ve been really frustrated and hard on myself during this last cut. basically i’ve gone from 2 mg of klonopin down to 0.5 mg but it’s taken me over a year (put dates at the bottom). i’ve had a very difficult time with anxiety and panic attacks during my last cut and i’m so scared to cut again. my psychiatrist said to wait but i’m just so upset i haven’t been able to get off this faster. i want to be able to start planning with my husband to get pregnant but there’s no chance of that while i’m still tapering. i feel like a failure, i know that’s dramatic but i just wish i had never taken benzos  in the first place. does anyone have any tips for preparing for the next cut? i’ve been trying to plan it around my cycle a little bit since i get severe PMS. any tips welcome, thank you 🫶🏼

 

2015: on and off ativan throughout 2015 for insomnia, cold turkey off ativan december 2015

2016: switched to klonopin 1 mg for insomnia and panic attacks

2017: went up to 2 mg klonopin for insomnia, anxiety and trauma

started tapering myself (with approval of my psychiatrist, but he didn’t direct my taper he just let me feel it out for myself)

may 11th 2022: 2 mg down to 1.5 mg

october 25th 2022: 1.5 mg to 1.25 mg

february 13th 2023: 1.25 mg to 1 mg

(switched to a new psychiatrist who directed my taper more closely)

may 23rd 2023: 1 mg to 0.75 mg

june 25th 2023: 0.75 to 0.5 mg

currently holding at 0.5 mg

[[Gl...]]

It's taken me more than 2 years to do what you've done, tapering from 2 mg K to .5 (I'm just below .6).  Since Klonopin is very potent, you've tapered fairly quickly.  Good job!

Wow, I understand why you wouldn't want to get pregnant before getting off Klonopin.  Pregnancy hormones along with withdrawal would really bite.  Don't let the Klonopin lie to you, telling you that you're a failure.  You're not.  The K is lying to you.  That's what it does. 

I hope someone will come along to give you more encouragement. 😊

[[Ma...]]

This whole thing is beyond frustrating. But speaking from my experience 21 months into a taper from 1 mg of Klonopin, slower is better. You cut half your dose, from 1 to .5, in just a little over a month. That’s very fast. If you’re anything like me, you’re still feeling those two large cuts a month and a half later pretty majorly. I’ve been doing large dry cuts like you, out of stubbornness and “it shouldn’t be this hard, just get it over with!”, but consider taking it slower from here when you resume cutting. Either a jeweler’s scale and cutting just 5 to 10 percent at most on future cuts or trying a liquid micro taper should get you where you want to go smoother.