5 years benzo free today. I really thought I would be feeling better than this by now, but glad I’m alive! #gratitude

[[Ho...]]

5 years off the benzos for me today.  Still struggling, but I have accepted my current situation as permanent at this point and have just been focusing on moving forward.  Best wishes and healing vibes to everybody! 🙂

[[Br...]]

Hi @[Ho...] - Best wishes and healing vibes to you too!  

If you haven't already, you might want to check out the Long Haulers group for members who are more than 18 months post jump and still experiencing symptoms.

[[Ho...]]

Thank you Brighterday! 🙂

[[ge...]]

Closing in on 5 years myself and still struggling. Reach out if you want to chat.

 

Jim

[[ve...]]

Please specify how much have you recovered and if these symptoms are really withdrawal symptoms.

[[Ho...]]

5 hours ago, [[i...] said:

Hey Hopper - just want to congratulate you on five years benzo free. This is an AMAZING ACCOMPLISHMENT. Truly remarkable. Acceptance is one of the hardest things with this process. The balance between knowing and hoping we will continue to heal, but understanding we're 'not the same' and never will be - is such a fine balance. Sending you love and healing energy.

Thank you iamtheoriginalaudigirl! One day at at time. 

[[Ho...]]

4 hours ago, [[g...] said:

Closing in on 5 years myself and still struggling. Reach out if you want to chat.

Jim

Thanks Jim! I may just do that! 

[[Ho...]]

27 minutes ago, [[v...] said:

Please specify how much have you recovered and if these symptoms are really withdrawal symptoms.

Verdi, I would say there are days where I may feel as well as 70% of the old me and there are days where I just have to sit in a quiet, darkened room with limited input. No days are symptom free for me at this point, it’s just a matter of how well I can tolerate them on that day. I still have heart palps (PVC, PAC SVT’s) chest pain, inner vibrations, vestibular issues and the ever present raging tinnitus. None of which I had before going into acute WD. All the doctors I have seen say there is “nothing wrong” with me so what else could it be other than protracted BWD.?.? Perhaps one day, I will be well enough to live a somewhat normal life again. 
 

Best wishes to you! 

[[...]]

Hey hopper hope you fully recover one day can i know How long were you on benzos for ? 

[[Bl...]]

Hello Hopper, 5 years out is such a fantastic achievement. Just being off the stuff. You are a very brave person. Never forget that. I am sure that you will continue to improve and that you will recover completely. Don't give up hope of that. Others have done it, you will too. Wishing you only the best.

[[Sa...]]

Good luck to you. I really wish you feel better soon. 

However, this is going to discourage a lot ppl who are in their early stages. 

[[de...]]

@[Ho...] Sorry to hear you are still struggling.     Would love to know more about your story.  How long were you on benzos?    Has anything helped with your recovery?  

[[Ho...]]

[[Ho...]]

6 hours ago, [[B...] said:

Hello Hopper, 5 years out is such a fantastic achievement. Just being off the stuff. You are a very brave person. Never forget that. I am sure that you will continue to improve and that you will recover completely. Don't give up hope of that. Others have done it, you will too. Wishing you only the best.

Hi Blahx, Thank you for the kind words! Wishing you all the best as well! 

[[Ho...]]

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

Good luck to you. I really wish you feel better soon. 

However, this is going to discourage a lot ppl who are in their early stages. 

Thank you Sam! My intent wasn’t to discourage anybody as all of our journeys are unique. I’d like to think that I am in the minority with the severity of my protracted WD. Best wishes to you! 

[[Ho...]]

4 hours ago, [[d...] said:

@[Ho...] Sorry to hear you are still struggling.     Would love to know more about your story.  How long were you on benzos?    Has anything helped with your recovery?  

Decatur, I was on Xanax for about 20 years before a 2 year taper. (all this info used to be in my signature block before the upgrade). I have tried just about everything in my recovery with little to no noticeable difference. I have a clean diet, don’t use alcohol, nicotine or caffeine. I try and stay active with walking etc. Iv’e tried natural supplements, acupuncture and other holistic healing methods with no success. The only thing that seems to have made any difference is time. I do get some temporary relief from meditation when the tinnitus isn’t raging to the point of madness. 
 

That being said, there are things that definitely make things worse for me. Lack of sleep, stress, loud noise / too much external input etc. Some foods like sugar can also affect my symptoms. 
 

Best wishes and healing thoughts to you! 

[[Ol...]]

Hopper14, I am now 6 years post Benzo use (1mg Klonapin times 2 daily).  Was started on Xanax and was on that drug about 6 years before going into interpose withdrawals.  I had no clue what was happening to me.  I thought I had MS or any of a variety of neurological disease processes.  Stupefied, I found a counselor that recommended for me to go on a longer acting benzo (klonapin).  It did stop the interpose withdrawals.  I staid on this drug from 2004 to 2017.  The VA medical system then made a concerted effort to get veterans off both Benzos and opioids.  In their infinite wisdom, I was cold turkeyed off the klonapin.  Thus started about two years of withdrawal hell.  I had the full spectrum of physical and mental symptoms.  Now, six years out, the only significant remaining symptoms is like yours pvcs/pacs/svt/aFib.  If fact, I had an ablation to stop the aFib.  That helped.  But the pvcs/pacs/svt have remained.  This is maddening, but I am hopeful that we are not alone and in time continue some sort of further healing.  I will you well and god's speed.  ~ Old Ben.

[[Ma...]]

Sending you a hug! Please keep the faith, you simply have to. 💕

[[TH...]]

You have some serious stamina to be 5 years off and still struggling. I'm still tapering and slowly giving up hope. Constant daily battle. Congratulations on the 5 years 😁

[[Ho...]]

On 13/02/2024 at 15:36, [[O...] said:

Hopper14, I am now 6 years post Benzo use (1mg Klonapin times 2 daily).  Was started on Xanax and was on that drug about 6 years before going into interpose withdrawals.  I had no clue what was happening to me.  I thought I had MS or any of a variety of neurological disease processes.  Stupefied, I found a counselor that recommended for me to go on a longer acting benzo (klonapin).  It did stop the interpose withdrawals.  I staid on this drug from 2004 to 2017.  The VA medical system then made a concerted effort to get veterans off both Benzos and opioids.  In their infinite wisdom, I was cold turkeyed off the klonapin.  Thus started about two years of withdrawal hell.  I had the full spectrum of physical and mental symptoms.  Now, six years out, the only significant remaining symptoms is like yours pvcs/pacs/svt/aFib.  If fact, I had an ablation to stop the aFib.  That helped.  But the pvcs/pacs/svt have remained.  This is maddening, but I am hopeful that we are not alone and in time continue some sort of further healing.  I will you well and god's speed.  ~ Old Ben.

Ben, I’m sorry this happened to you! I know we are still healing.  We just have to keep pushing forward and hoping for the best that is sure to come! 

[[Ho...]]

21 hours ago, [[T...] said:

You have some serious stamina to be 5 years off and still struggling. I'm still tapering and slowly giving up hope. Constant daily battle. Congratulations on the 5 years 😁

Please don’t give up hope! My experience isn’t your experience. There’s a good chance that you will heal much faster than I (most people do). Hang in there and stay strong!