Need encouragement and coping techniques.

[[Jo...]]

Hi, I am 7 and half months out from my last dose of k. And things are changing drastically these past couple of days. My symptoms feel like they are revved up for some reason. I need help with coping with racing thoughts.  I am thinking about to many things all at once! I am very overwhelmed!! My upper back and legs won’t stop locking up!! I am suffering from really bad trimmers. I don’t know if it is from fear or my butchered nerves system.  
 

Does anybody have any coping techniques? I have tried a couple of my own all already. They don’t seem to be working this time. And is it normal to go through drastic changes when you get farther from your last dose?

[[Th...]]

I am around 8 months myself. I too suffer probably more now than I did at 6 months. It’s very frustrating and my mind imagines the worst. 
 

As for coping. I still struggle with that daily. I try to ignore symptoms as much as possible and not obsess 

[[Re...]]

On 14/04/2024 at 12:12, [[J...] said:

Hi, I am 7 and half months out from my last dose of k. And things are changing drastically these past couple of days. My symptoms feel like they are revved up for some reason. I need help with coping with racing thoughts.  I am thinking about to many things all at once! I am very overwhelmed!! My upper back and legs won’t stop locking up!! I am suffering from really bad trimmers. I don’t know if it is from fear or my butchered nerves system.  
 

Does anybody have any coping techniques? I have tried a couple of my own all already. They don’t seem to be working this time. And is it normal to go through drastic changes when you get farther from your last dose?

Yes, this sounds like typical benzo withdrawal to me.

Did you take anything new or are you on anything (herbs, supplements, OTCs, recreational substances, hormones, caffeine, etc) or did you eat or drik anything different like cacao, caffeine, wine, tea etc? New or worsening symptoms can develop if new chemicals are introduced which is why I asked about this.

What have you tried to cope that hasn't worked?

Fear does not cause extreme physical symptoms like this otherwise anyone who felt fear would have these symptoms -- please don't gaslight yourself! It sounds like benzo withdrawal being benzo withdrawal to me and you are just out of the acute phase which is the first three to six months. Sometimes things can get worse before they get better. It's an unpredictable process in that way.

Edited April 18 by [Re...]

[[Jo...]]

@[Re...],

What does acute phase mean? 

[[Pi...]]

I also got 'worse' around the 6 month mark. I think this is unfortunately somewhat common. I did a lot of meditation, which helped me just accept the racing thoughts without trying to force them to stop. I also did yoga, deep, slow breathing and EFT (tapping).

The nervous system may not respond as well to techniques as you would like, but the more you practice them, the more they will start to help at some point. Plain old acceptance helped me the most, because then I wasn't adding even more adrenaline to the pile by being afraid of the symptoms. 

Cheers,

Pickl

[[Jo...]]

Hi @[Pi...], I was planning on doing breathing techniques 3 times a day to see if there would be any improvement. But, a soon I hit the 6 month mark I started getting worse. Now my muscles and skin feel like an electrical mush.

[[Pi...]]

I would still do the breathing techniques. They may not help immediately, but they certainly won't hurt and they will help eventually. All techniques work better if you're consistent with them.

The 6 month set-back is a real pain, I've been through it. But anything you start now, you can carry forward and it will only help as you go along.

[[Jo...]]

@[Pi...],
Wait, you think what I am dealing is setback? I tried to find out what was the culprit but, I couldn’t found anything. The only thing I can think of is the fact that I am still on an antidepressant. 

[[Ch...]]

7 hours ago, [[J...] said:

@[Pi...],
Wait, you think what I am dealing is setback? I tried to find out what was the culprit but, I couldn’t found anything. The only thing I can think of is the fact that I am still on an antidepressant. 

It's not a "setback" in the sense that you've lost progress. It is simply a phase of healing that is uncomfortable. These phases come and go. You are going to be okay.

[[Pi...]]

Exactly what Chester1965 said. Don't read too much into words. It's just a word I picked to describe your increase in symptoms, maybe not the best word to use. Symptoms get better or worse as a normal part of this process, so try not to worry too much about why they're happening. Anything that causes further stress or worry or fretting is generally not helpful.

I was referring to the fact that some people do have increases in symptoms around the 6, 7 month mark and that it is normal for this process and does get better. Try some breathing exercises and try to take things as they come as much as possible.

Cheers,

Pickl