Please anyone who as recovered please leave notes of encouragement

[[De...]]

They are truly needed. 

[[be...]]

@[De...] I have been off for 45 months, I feel like I have healed, but I still have some blips every now and then. But I am not ready to say I am 100%, but feel pretty good most of the time. I will take anything, after my tapers, and just grateful that I have finished tapering. I will not sugar coat wd, and post wd, both can be horrible, because some suffer a lot after they have finished and are off of the medication, not all, but many do. I believe we have to accept the fact that it will take time to get off and time to heal after we are done. But life is pretty good again, most of the time for me. Hang in there, try to distract as much as you can, and give yourself a pat for being stronger than you think. 💖Peace and Healing.

[[al...]]

I healed 8 years ago after a three year protracted withdrawal from hell.. got my life back and put the experience in the rear view mirror.  However  about a month ago I started taking Ambien for insomnia and started to get very intense inter dose withdrawal symptoms pretty quickly. One of those symptoms was akathisia .  Kindling is a very real phenomenon.  But,  luckily I detoxed off it with Valium over seven days and am completely healed again.  So I was able to completely heal TWICE!!   You will heal my friend.  It may take some time but it will happen

[[Pa...]]

It happened for me and I did everything wrong.  I quit a massive amount of Klonopin cold turkey, then a few months later I started taking Ambien and instead of getting better, I was getting sicker but I couldn't recognize what was happening.  When I finally quit the Ambien, I was better within days, couldn't sleep much but I didn't care because I was so much better. 

This just goes to show that we can recover even if we make mistakes, our bodies are amazing, they take good care of us. 

 

[[Br...]]

It took a while for me to climb out of the deep, dark hole of withdrawal from Klonopin.  It was very rough and for months I doubted I would ever recover or feel like myself again.  Recovery never kept on a straight path but bit by bit,  day by day, zig by zag, healing happened.  I am incredibly grateful and in awe of our bodies' capacity for healing.

Don't forget to read Success Stories!  https://benzobuddies.org/forum/44-success-stories/

[[Sa...]]

All, Do memories fade when you heal? Does it bother you when you look at how bad things were.
 

Right now, everything seems scary to me, and my creative brain cooks up a story to rationalize the fear of that thing/person/event

 

[[ia...]]

@[De...] I was on Diazepam and Alprazolam both for three years. Tapered for almost a year. I just jumped off my last benzo last Thursday. And, I'm good. I'm better. I jumped from .12. I'm not anxious. I'm not in pain. I'm starting to sleep. I've been chemically dependent my entire adult life on either opioids, pills, etc. There were days during my taper that I was so hopeless. I wondered if I was making any progress or would ever be healthy.

When I really think about what is painful during this process... it is the pain and suffering, the lonliness, but the feeling of hopelessness. All of these...My family tried to support me as best they can, but they cannot TRULY relate the way that we as a community can relate to one another; we know and understand - because we have EXPERIENCED this hell for ourselves.

During my taper I needed someone to hold me and tell me (and mean it) "Felicia, you're going to be ok. You will get through this... and I'm proud of you for continuing to try..."

Determined... I want you to know.. from the deepest part of me, you WILL get through this, because you have to. Because you're capable. Because you are DETERMINED. I know how painful this is. And how unfair it is. Everything is going to be ok. You WILL get through this, and we are here to support you. 

[[ia...]]

@[De...]Also, I just read your 'about me'. Thank you for sharing your story. I wanted to also share with you, that I too was on Paxil. Horrible drug. I was on it for four years. After a Dr. told me that I would 'have to be on it for the rest of my life.' My 'Aries' spirit said, 'You tell me I have to... I'm going to try not to be on this for the rest of my life'. 

Over one year I tapered without a Dr.s support. All on my own. It was hard. but I did it. I know you can do this. Here to support you. 

[[be...]]

Welcome @[Sa...] to BB, I have been off 45 months, and I really do not think of the bad times, and they do not harbor in my thoughts. I am just thankful that I am done, and it is behind me. I am still in the process of getting back things that I lost, and not everything will come back, but that is OK, sometimes life has a way of turning out OK. I know it is scary, try as hard as you can to accept that those feelings of fear are what the benzo devil wants to give you to keep you down, you are stronger than that, he does not like strength. Just do the best you can to replace your thoughts with good thoughts. Do not believe the lies that he tells. Don't get me wrong, I will never forget what I went through, but I choose not to dwell on it, and to do life now. Stay Strong.

💖 Peace and Healing.

[[Br...]]

11 hours ago, [[S...] said:

All, Do memories fade when you heal? Does it bother you when you look at how bad things were.
 

Right now, everything seems scary to me, and my creative brain cooks up a story to rationalize the fear of that thing/person/event

Welcome to BenzoBuddies @[Sa...] !  When you heal you may look back in amazement and pride at your own strength and resilience.  

Fear is a major feature of benzo withdrawal - it can seep into everything and color things in your life for a while but it will ease up and gradually fade away as you heal.  Here's a great piece I found very comforting when I was in the thick of withdrawal:  https://benzobuddies.org/topic/223403-what-is-happening-in-your-brain/ 

[[pi...]]

@[De...]

While it took longer than I expected or wished, I did heal.  It was truly baby steps, sometimes forwards and sometimes backwards. In the end, there was always a light at the end of the tunnel. Sometimes it was quite dim, but it was always there.  I'm forever grateful that I persevered through the rough times, it was more that worth it.

pianogirl 

[[Es...]]

@[De...]

Things do get better as you lower the dose. Benzos are evil. They lie to you. You stick to Ashton Manual like a Bible (if you’re Christian). If needed you go at a slower pace, just listen to your body.

The aim is to reduce the suffering and become more functional. The aim is not perfection. You don’t compare yourself to others, only to your previous self.

People are different, they have different backgrounds, disorders. They either practice radical honesty or not.

Don’t expect miracles, but the only way to cope with a benzo is either to taper or hold. 

Hang around here. Find your soulmates. Baby steps

Paula (aka Estée)

[[Pa...]]

14 hours ago, [[S...] said:

All, Do memories fade when you heal? Does it bother you when you look at how bad things were.

I remember but the memories have no power to hurt me, I can recall the sensations, pain and fear but don't feel them. What I feel most is gratitude to be recovered.