21 months out, no end in sight

[[Sc...]]

I'm 21 months free. 

Something has happened to my brain and I cannot talk properly or think properly. It's like something I cannot feel normal and my emotions are dead. It is so torturous. 

 

[[Kr...]]

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

I'm 21 months free. 

Something has happened to my brain and I cannot talk properly or think properly. It's like something I cannot feel normal and my emotions are dead. It is so torturous. 

When did this happen? Have you been like this the whole 21 months?

[[Sc...]]

It happened when I started taking benzos and yes it has been like this the whole time. 

[[...]]

I'm nearly 3 years out. No windows  nothing.  Do you have windows.  Xxxx

[[Sc...]]

@[...] You have still not healed 3 years out? 

[[da...]]

On 10/05/2024 at 04:24, [[S...] said:

I'm 21 months free. 

Something has happened to my brain and I cannot talk properly or think properly. It's like something I cannot feel normal and my emotions are dead. It is so torturous. 

Could you please try explaining in more detail,  how exactly cant you talk properly?  Explain not feeling normal , what is it that youre feeling?  
 

perhaps the brain fog is affecting your speech causing  a struggle  to recall words , which slows down your ability to construct thoughts inevitably affecting how you articulate yourself during conversations .

 

anhedonia maybe a close explanation as to why you feel your emotions to be “dead”. 
 

And lastly the “not feeling normal” could be a result of all the symptoms you’re experiencing in entirety, Derealisation & depersonalisation causing you a feeling of disconnection to your surroundings and your body, your senses are yet to be properly calibrated as your brain recuperates from the withdrawal adverse effects. 
 

sleep deprivation affects cognition tremendously also. 

Healing timelines suggested on websites such as benzoinfo.com are 2-5 years. 

[[Ye...]]

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

Could you please try explaining in more detail,  how exactly cant you talk properly?  Explain not feeling normal , what is it that youre feeling?  
 

perhaps the brain fog is affecting your speech causing  a struggle  to recall words , which slows down your ability to construct thoughts inevitably affecting how you articulate yourself during conversations .

anhedonia maybe a close explanation as to why you feel your emotions to be “dead”. 
 

And lastly the “not feeling normal” could be a result of all the symptoms you’re experiencing in entirety, Derealisation & depersonalisation causing you a feeling of disconnection to your surroundings and your body, your senses are yet to be properly calibrated as your brain recuperates from the withdrawal adverse effects. 
 

sleep deprivation affects cognition tremendously also. 

Healing timelines suggested on websites such as benzoinfo.com are 2-5 years. 

From 2 to 5 years? Are you saying that to encourage me or how is it going?

Well, I have been without pills (Rivotril) for 14 months and I don't feel anything either, only anger, worry and fear.

 

I understood that the average time is 18 months, with two years being a kind of normal limit. I see that 2 to 5 years as a bit of a beast for anyone.

[[Ma...]]

2-5 years healing time is not only triggering to people on this site is wrong.

Generally it is 6-18 months for the vast, vast majority. 

There is an extremely small % in the Long Haulers group. Extremely small if you remember 29 million prescriptions were given last year alone.

[[Ka...]]

I agree with @[Ma...] we have enough to worry about and that timeframe is not in the least helpful. Additionally, we are all different & recovery is unique to each of us. 

Is 29 million prescriptions applicable to USA? Is this figure for benzos or all psychotropics? 

[[Ma...]]

Benzos in the USA 

[[Ka...]]

Good grief that figure is unbelievable yet believable 

[[Li...]]

42 minutes ago, [[M...] said:

29 million prescriptions were given last year alone.

Just curious …

Do you have a source (citation) you can share for this number @[Ma...]?

I ask because according to an August 2023 report from the US Drug Enforcement Agency: 

“Benzodiazepines are widely prescribed drugs. According to IQVIA™, there were 34.6 million alprazolam, 21.3 million lorazepam, 23.7 million clonazepam, 9.1 million diazepam, and 4.7 million temazepam prescriptions dispensed in the U.S. in 2021.”

If the above numbers are correct, that would be a total of 93.4 million benzodiazepine prescriptions dispensed in 2021.

[[Ma...]]

@[Li...] Do you have statistics for those going through withdrawal?

[[Li...]]

7 minutes ago, [[M...] said:

Do you have statistics for those going through withdrawal?

My apologies, but I do not understand your question.  I have not read this thread in its entirety so am missing context. 

[[Sc...]]

I would be happy to know that the healing time is 2-5 years. But still there is no guarantee. I am willing to wait for 3 more years, but still no guarantee. 

[[da...]]

16 hours ago, [[M...] said:

2-5 years healing time is not only triggering to people on this site is wrong.

Generally it is 6-18 months for the vast, vast majority. 

There is an extremely small % in the Long Haulers group. Extremely small if you remember 29 million prescriptions were given last year alone.

This is honestly backed up by people’s experiences and it is on various websites. Im not making it up. And you’re not sure enough to disqualify that. 
 

on this very website there was an individual that shared their success story stating it took them nearly 9 years. And iv first joined benzobuddies in 2012. 
 

this isnt to scare people but to let them know that it does happen, healing can take longer and that it isnt unusual.

 

Protracted Withdrawal????

[[Ma...]]

Sorry, that is NOT the norm. There are outliers in every situation in life.

And it’s triggering. Please stop.

Who cares how many forums you have read. The bottom line is, it’s not helpful.

People are coming here for HOPE. We each wake up with doom and gloom and don’t need that reinforced.

Does protracted occur? We all know that. @[Sc...] is looking for support that she will.be.okay. Not that she may have 3 more years of suffering.

Most of us have ‘sticky brains’ and are going to latch on to what we read, especially when we are incredibly vulnerable.

So, are you here to help, encourage and bring light to another reaching out for a glimmer of that HOPE?

Edited May 12 by [Ma...]

[[ap...]]

On 11/05/2024 at 21:15, [[d...] said:

Could you please try explaining in more detail,  how exactly cant you talk properly?  Explain not feeling normal , what is it that youre feeling?  
 

perhaps the brain fog is affecting your speech causing  a struggle  to recall words , which slows down your ability to construct thoughts inevitably affecting how you articulate yourself during conversations .

anhedonia maybe a close explanation as to why you feel your emotions to be “dead”. 
 

And lastly the “not feeling normal” could be a result of all the symptoms you’re experiencing in entirety, Derealisation & depersonalisation causing you a feeling of disconnection to your surroundings and your body, your senses are yet to be properly calibrated as your brain recuperates from the withdrawal adverse effects. 
 

sleep deprivation affects cognition tremendously also. 

Healing timelines suggested on websites such as benzoinfo.com are 2-5 years. 

I go through this everyday. My dp/dr and anhedonia are very severe. I'm off 23 months. I understand what you are going through. My balance and walking slowly coming back. The worse feeling is odd words and numbers feel as though they are coming out of the back if my head. That dead feeling is a constant. It truly is the hardest thing to endure for so long. 

[[ap...]]

On 12/05/2024 at 23:24, [[M...] said:

Sorry, that is NOT the norm. There are outliers in every situation in life.

And it’s triggering. Please stop.

Who cares how many forums you have read. The bottom line is, it’s not helpful.

People are coming here for HOPE. We each wake up with doom and gloom and don’t need that reinforced.

Does protracted occur? We all know that. @[Sc...] is looking for support that she will.be.okay. Not that she may have 3 more years of suffering.

Most of us have ‘sticky brains’ and are going to latch on to what we read, especially when we are incredibly vulnerable.

So, are you here to help, encourage and bring light to another reaching out for a glimmer of that HOPE?

I spoke to Baylissa Frederick 2 weeks ago on the phone. It just comes down to our individual physiology and how our cns handles the healing. Baylissa told me what her brain believed during her healing. It is just how our brain is interpreting information while it heals. Remember the Central Nervous System has to cope with over 7 trillion nerves all over our body, so it's easy to see why our symptoms can be very diverse. I actually experience thoughts feeling as though they are coming out of the back of my head. That is just NOT possible, but my brain believes it. It's horrible and very scary. Baylissa told me during her time she felt as though half her body had fallen off. True story, of course not possible. It also took her 5 years to heal. Again it's excepting time is the only healer here. I have dreadful anhedonia and dp,/dr and I'm 68. Baylissa assured me it will go away one day, just no way of knowing when. Cruel and truly unforgivable. 

 

[[ap...]]

12 minutes ago, [[a...] said:

I go through this everyday. My dp/dr and anhedonia are very severe. I'm off 23 months. I understand what you are going through. My balance and walking slowly coming back. The worse feeling is odd words and numbers feel as though they are coming out of the back if my head. That dead feeling is a constant. It truly is the hardest thing to endure for so long. 

I can watch TV now, took ages.

[[Ki...]]

9 hours ago, [[a...] said:

I spoke to Baylissa Frederick 2 weeks ago on the phone. It just comes down to our individual physiology and how our cns handles the healing. Baylissa told me what her brain believed during her healing. It is just how our brain is interpreting information while it heals. Remember the Central Nervous System has to cope with over 7 trillion nerves all over our body, so it's easy to see why our symptoms can be very diverse. I actually experience thoughts feeling as though they are coming out of the back of my head. That is just NOT possible, but my brain believes it. It's horrible and very scary. Baylissa told me during her time she felt as though half her body had fallen off. True story, of course not possible. It also took her 5 years to heal. Again it's excepting time is the only healer here. I have dreadful anhedonia and dp,/dr and I'm 68. Baylissa assured me it will go away one day, just no way of knowing when. Cruel and truly unforgivable. 

I’m in the same boat! I am almost 2 years off and the anhedonia gets even worse after each wave! It’s as if my brain shuts down more each time. Are you seeing any improvement at all in any of your symptoms?
 

Are you sure she said it took her five years?? Do you mean including her taper? In her interviews I swear she said it took her 2 years from when she was fully off? I couldn’t do 5 years of this, the thought of that is too scary.

[[Ma...]]

I also believe Baylissa healed within 2 years… not 5.