Lifting the Spirit

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Hey Benzo:
I say what are you tryin' to do to my head
Say whatcha tryin' to do to my head
Well now I'm gonna draw the line
'Cause you ain't gonna take my mind
What are you tryin' to do to my head
You better run, you better hide, you better leave from my side
You better run, you better hide, you better leave from my side
I could yell, yeah
I said go away and leave me alone
I can't stand you no more

 

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If you have faith like a grain of mustard seed, you will say to this mountain: ‘Move from here to there’ and it will move, and nothing will be impossible for you.

I believe that!

 

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"Difficulties are opportunities for inner growth,
and the greater the difficulty
the greater the opportunity for growth."
Peace Pilgrim

 

https://www.peacepilgrim.org/

 

Interesting lecture by Peace Pilgrim- a lady who after retiring walked more than 25,000 miles for peace, spreading her message for 3 decades—“This is the way of peace: Overcome evil with good, falsehood with truth, and hatred with love.” Carrying in her tunic pockets her only possessions, she vowed, “I shall remain a wanderer until mankind has learned the way of peace, walking until given shelter and fasting until given food.” She talked with people on dusty roads and city streets, in church, college, civic groups, on TV and radio, discussing peace within and without.

"Life is a series of choices
Nobody can stop you from making your choices
But I have a right to make my choices too
And I have chosen freedom!"

"And then I went right on to choose freedom from other
enslaving things. I chose freedom from negative thinking!"

Peace Pilgrim

 

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“Thinking about your past? You know what I’ve learned? You can focus on what is lost, or you can fight for what is left.” - Terminator Salvation (2009)

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17 hours ago, [[s...] said:

“Thinking about your past? You know what I’ve learned? You can focus on what is lost, or you can fight for what is left.” - Terminator Salvation (2009)

Amen.

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During my withdrawal, I enjoyed watching these videos and reading his inspiring emails:

"For more than a dozen years I took an SSRI antidepressant (Paxil) and a benzodiazepine medication (Xanax) for anxiety issues. Eventually, the problems that the medications were causing far outweighed any benefits, and I made the decision to get off those medications. I didn't like the lethargy, the weight gain, the emotional numbness, the lack of true anxiety improvement, the brain fog, and on and on. But most of all, I didn't like the feelings of being personally imprisoned by the medications or by the system that prescribed them. I'm going to talk about how the concept of FREEDOM comes into play when a person is making the decision to walk away from antidepressant and benzo medications and pursue natural wellness."
Michael Priebe

So often, good men and women, that successfully get off drugs and continue their inner and outer growth, know so much about the withdrawal that is helpful.

Michael's Blog
https://www.lovelygrind.com/blog/no-more-side-effects-the-benefits-of-being-pill-free-part-i

 

 

 

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“With a little perseverance
You can get things done”

 

 

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Once you stand up to benzos
and win (and you will)
All the other bumps in the road
will feel like a breeze!

 

Edited December 13, 2024 by [st...]

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When a person climbs
Mt. Everest of benzo withdrawal
Their outlook becomes limitless!

 

Edited December 13, 2024 by [st...]

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10 hours ago, [[s...] said:

When a person climbs
Mt. Everest of benzo withdrawal
Their outlook becomes limitless!

[[st...]]

BENZO WITHDRAWAL Q & A

	QUESTIONS I WAS ASKING IN WITHDRAWAL	ANSWERS I GOT AFTER THE WITHDRAWAL
1	WILL THIS SH*T EVER FINISH?	YES IT DOES!
2	WILL I BE BRAIN DAMAGED BY THESE DRUGS?	THERE IS NO DAMAGE, MY BRAIN IS A+++++
3	WILL I HAVE TO WEAR DEPENDS UNDIES?	I  DO NOT WEAR THEM.
4	WILL HAIR GROW ALL OVER MY FACE?	NO, I DO NOT LOOK LIKE A CHEWBACCA.
5	WILL I BE ABLE TO WEAR WOOL SWEATERS?	I SURE AM ABLE TO NOW.
6	WILL I ALWAYS HAVE A MOUTH FULL OF SALIVA?	I HAVE NORMAL LEVELS NOW.
7	WILL I BE ABLE TO EAT ANYTHING I WANT?	I EAT ANYTHING I WANT.
8	WILL I SLEEP AGAIN?	I SLEEP AND SLEEP AND SLEEP.
9	WILL I HAVE ALZHEIMER’S?	NO, THAT NEVER CAME TRUE.
10	WILL I HAVE DEMENTIA?	NO, I DO NOT HAVE ANYTHING LIKE THAT.
11	WILL I HAVE DIABETES?	NO, THAT DIDN’T HAPPEN EITHER.
12	WILL I END UP IN A LOONY BIN?	NOPE. I AM FINE AND DRUG FREE.
13	WILL I BE ABLE TO GO OUT AGAIN?	I GET AROUD QUITE WELL NOW.
14	WILL ALL THESE TRIGERS GO AWAY?	YES THEY ARE ALL GONE.
15	DID I BELIEVE I WOULD GET BETTER?	NOT AT THE TIME, BUT I DID ANYWAY.
16	WILL I BE CREATIVE AGAIN?	I AM MORE SO NOW.
17	WILL I BE PHYSICALLY STRONG AGAIN?	I CAN CARRY 40 LBS BAGS WITH EASE.
18	WILL I BE BETTER THAN BEFORE?	I AM.
19	WILL I HAVE OCD?	NOPE. NONE HERE.
20	DO I THINK THAT YOU WILL GET WELL?	100%

 

Edited December 17, 2024 by [st...]

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"You have to believe in yourself
You have to believe in your ability
You are capable of anything
You can achieve any dream
Please don’t limit yourself
Don’t live your life limited
It’s not all sadness and misery
Life’s a challenge but you will succeed"

"To achieve you must believe
You can live out all your dreams
Persevere you’ll make it through
What you need is all in YOU!"

"It's about time you knew the truth
You’ve got the power all in YOU!”

 

 

 

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Cat: You can do it, slow and steady, I love You.

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“Venting Psychology: The Science Behind Emotional Release and Its Impact on Mental Health” https://neurolaunch.com/venting-psychology/

Venting is an old concept going back to the confession through which people were heard and forgiven. Forgiveness led to peace of mind. Sometimes people were given good advice and  inspiration for a new start.    
 

Couple of decades ago, people still living in small towns, had a tight knit community with reliable, friendly neighbors. Because they aired out their problems with each other, they didn't get stressed out by bottling things up inside.

Talking to a trusted friend, an understanding family member, or a sensible buddy can often lead to feeling much better, simply by expressing emotions and talking about problems.

Some of the many benefits of venting include:

• purification of thoughts and emotions
• releasing of psychological tension
• better understanding of emotions
• managing emotional experiences
• gaining clarity and perspective
• unpacking emotional baggage
• wiping the slate clean
• stress reduction
• self-awareness

The article also brings up a point that if people vent too much about the same thing over and over, it might reinforce the problematic issue.

In my opinion, venting helped me downgrade many intense situations and problems. That was a very important step in my recovery and wellbeing.

 

Edited December 20, 2024 by [st...]

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It was difficult to find non-triggering vids to watch during my taper, but this youtube channel Lesley the Bird Nerd inspired me to develop relationships with birds by feeding them, talking to them and watching educational vids about them. Here is a superb video from my favorite channel:

Birds and How They Can HELP YOU Ease Anxiety, Stress and Depression

Thank You Lesley!!!!!!!!

 

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Another lovely woman overcomes anxiety while befriending birds:

 

 

 

 

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Going through this, I needed a little encouragement and insight to make it through each day. I reminded myself that quitting these drugs was a realistic goal because all I had to do is get off the drug slowly, grit my teeth and just wait.

I often distilled inspiration from the success stories of BBs. One day, I read a story written by a husband that helped his wife withdraw and it went something like this: All my wife's symptoms went away yesterday and she is fine today.

I asked myself: is it possible for so much to just stop one day? I concluded: I guess some people deserve this kind of a miracle because they’re just wonderful human beings. I couldn't make the mental leap that the suffering does really finish and a new fulfilling life begins for all of us.

Everyday, I faced setbacks due to my disbelief and a side of misery to go with it. I remembered Colin (I think) quoting Christopher Reeves: "Pain is inevitable. Misery is a choice.” This was true and it reverberated somewhere in the back of my mind.

So, while wishing all of You a Peaceful and Healthy New Year, I'd like to share some ideas that I found helpful:

 

I'll win
I can do this
I deserve this victory
I can appreciate myself
I will have my own miracle
I can change my belief system
I'll win this race at my own pace
I am open to readjusting my strategy
I am going to live my dream eventually
I'm ignoring my negative inner chatter box
I will operate out of a greater vision of myself
This drug will not act on me, I will act on this drug
I will continuously believe that things will get better
I will be my own cheerleader and inspirational speaker
It's possible to overcome this BS and live my best life yet
I will be relentless and believe it's possible to win this struggle
No matter how bad it is, or how bad it gets,
I’m going to make it!

 

Edited December 22, 2024 by [st...]

[[be...]]

10 hours ago, [[s...] said:

Going through this, I needed a little encouragement and insight to make it through each day. I reminded myself that quitting these drugs was a realistic goal because all I had to do is get off the drug slowly, grit my teeth and just wait.

I often distilled inspiration from the success stories of BBs. One day, I read a story written by a husband that helped his wife withdraw and it went something like this: All my wife's symptoms went away yesterday and she is fine today.

I asked myself: is it possible for so much to just stop one day? I concluded: I guess some people deserve this kind of a miracle because they’re just wonderful human beings. I couldn't make the mental leap that the suffering does really finish and a new fulfilling life begins for all of us.

Everyday, I faced setbacks due to my disbelief and a side of misery to go with it. I remembered Colin (I think) quoting Christopher Reeves: "Pain is inevitable. Misery is a choice.” This was true and it reverberated somewhere in the back of my mind.

So, while wishing all of You a Peaceful and Healthy New Year, I'd like to share some ideas that I found helpful:

I'll win
I can do this
I deserve this victory
I can appreciate myself
I will have my own miracle
I can change my belief system
I'll win this race at my own pace
I am open to readjusting my strategy
I am going to live my dream eventually
I'm ignoring my negative inner chatter box
I will operate out of a greater vision of myself
This drug will not act on me, I will act on this drug
I will continuously believe that things will get better
I will be my own cheerleader and inspirational speaker
It's possible to overcome this BS and live my best life yet
I will be relentless and believe it's possible to win this struggle
No matter how bad it is, or how bad it gets,
I’m going to make it!

Wonderful gift for all to read. 

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Since it was impossible for me to celebrate the Holidays for 3 years, I figured that this time of the year had to count for something.

So the Holidays just became my running hurdles. With each one behind me, I was getting closer to being well again.

Even though still kinda livid, I was now more determined to have that finish line success story!

 

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Wow! Researchers are discovering the power of our minds:

https://news.stanford.edu/stories/2018/06/four-ways-human-mind-shapes-reality

“Our minds aren’t passive observers, simply perceiving reality as it is. Our minds actually change reality,” said Alia Crum, an assistant professor of psychology and director of the Stanford Mind and Body Lab.”

“It’s essential to recognize that mindsets are not peripheral, but central to health and behavior,” Crum said. “If we truly want to tackle the diseases and crises of our time, we need to more effectively acknowledge and leverage the power of mindset.”

 “Pain is highly responsive to each person’s psychology and mindset,” Darnall said. Those who expect worse pain, ruminate on it and feel helpless about it – what’s called pain catastrophizing – feel more intense pain, stay longer in hospitals after surgery and often require more painkillers. On the other hand, those who shift to a positive mindset feel less pain, spend less time in hospitals and require fewer pain medications.”

 

 

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 The Science of Willpower: An Interview with Kelly McGonigal

"...the ability to actually walk around in the world with a sense of what your core goals and
values are, rather than allowing sort of the universe to impose on you its own agenda."

Humans have a willpower to do the right thing and move mountains in their lives. These days, we're separated by so much crap created to divide us. But not here, on BenzoBuddies we have the willpower to change our lives for the better and help others to do the same.

BenzoBuddies have knowledge and wisdom (when properly applied on a case by case basis). Priceless, free and highly concentrated wisdom that is based on the experience of good people having gone through a process which culminated in a drug free life!

 

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The frustration of slow healing.

During my healing phase I experienced plenty of fatigue, headaches, swelling, extreme lethargy, pain, inflammation, and constant night sweats, to name a few.

I was angry at myself. But the true source of this anger was my disappointment with not healing faster or more efficiently, without pitfalls and interruptions. Here laid the crux of the matter: that it was not my fault. It was 100% benzo’s fault.

 

I was angry but never frightened by the symptoms. There finally came a point when I knew that I was healing. The three sure signs of healing for me were warm hands and feet, the return of appetite, and sleeping a lot.

It finally dawned on me that my mind and body do possess incredible self-healing power. I could now remind myself to trust the process and that it will take as long as it needs to take for its successful completion.

 

 

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"I once was lost, but now I'm found
Was blind, but now I see

Through many dangers toils and snares
We have already come

'Twas grace that brought us safe thus far
And grace will lead us home"

 

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Life is a continuous confrontation with forks in the road,
one is bad, one is good.

 

If you take the wrong fork and become lost,
there is always the opportunity at the next fork to get back on track.

 

 

 

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“Everyone has their own mountains to climb in life.
Sometimes you find yourself stood at the bottom
facing up at the seemingly impossible…
don’t give up…Just keep going.
It will all make sense
when you see the view from the top.”
- Ed Jackson