Celebrating!

[[ta...]]

Today marks 3 years free from Lor & Ambien! I am fully recovered! We do heal! Yay me!

Edited May 28 by [ta...]

[[fa...]]

2 hours ago, [[t...] said:

Today marks 3 years free from Lor & Ambien! I am fully recovered! We do heal! Yay me!

What symptoms?

[[Rh...]]

Congrats!!!  amazing news and 3 years off is great!!!  🥳✨

Can you tell us your journey, healing timeline, symptoms, etc…

of course only if your able and up to it, I know this journey can be triggering and traumatizing! 

[[La...]]

Well done Tan! This is great to read. And in 3 years timeframe. That’s awesome! Thanks for letting us know. 👏👍🏼

[[ta...]]

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

Congrats!!!  amazing news and 3 years off is great!!!  🥳✨

Can you tell us your journey, healing timeline, symptoms, etc…

of course only if your able and up to it, I know this journey can be triggering and traumatizing! 

Thx! I was prescribed Lor & Ambien in 2008 for sleep. Worked great for a couple of years until it didn't. I then sought out higher doses to try and achieve desired results. Which sent me into CNS dysregulation for years. I was taking 100+ mg of Ambien and 30-40 mg of Lor a day to try find a hint of homeostasis. In Jan 2020 I was admitted to hospital after not sleeping for 20 days, and I spent that time convincing myself that I had enough. I fast tapered my self in 6 months off both, it was hell but the only option. I used SMART Recovery(REBT & CBT) meetings, and worked the tools in the SMART Tool Box. Windows would come and come, and the self doubt from having PAWS was debilitating at times, but I stayed the course. I would also add that extreme exercise, diet, and forcing my self to do hard things was crucial in where I am today. 

[[Os...]]

How long did it take you to fully heal? How did you know when it was over? When you say self-doubt during paws, what do you Mean?

[[ta...]]

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

How long did it take you to fully heal? How did you know when it was over? When you say self-doubt during paws, what do you Mean?

It took roughly 2.5 years to say I am fully recovered. How I know that I'm fully healed? I know longer have CNS storms or upsets. My rem and deep sleep have returned(through supplements), and self care. PAWS was not only just a physical effect, it manifested into psychological hinderance, via irrational beliefs. Example(s), "I'm too damaged, I won't heal."  "This is too hard."  Using CBT/REBT I have been able to dispute these beliefs(SMART Recovery). Recovery ain't breathing underwater, it can be done with patience, practice, and persistence!

[[Os...]]

Did you have intrusive thoughts and anhedonia during paws? Did it feel like it would never end? Do you automatically stop thinking about paws when it ends?

[[Rh...]]

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

Thx! I was prescribed Lor & Ambien in 2008 for sleep. Worked great for a couple of years until it didn't. I then sought out higher doses to try and achieve desired results. Which sent me into CNS dysregulation for years. I was taking 100+ mg of Ambien and 30-40 mg of Lor a day to try find a hint of homeostasis. In Jan 2020 I was admitted to hospital after not sleeping for 20 days, and I spent that time convincing myself that I had enough. I fast tapered my self in 6 months off both, it was hell but the only option. I used SMART Recovery(REBT & CBT) meetings, and worked the tools in the SMART Tool Box. Windows would come and come, and the self doubt from having PAWS was debilitating at times, but I stayed the course. I would also add that extreme exercise, diet, and forcing my self to do hard things was crucial in where I am today. 

That’s great!  Wow, you were on high doses!!!  
 

Your advice on diet, exercise and forcing yourself to do hard things is sound.  Although I cannot do extreme exercise I force myself to do what my body allows and I also force myself to do things even when I don’t feel I can…we still have to try and live while going through this!

thanks!

[[Ro...]]

Congratulations to you!

[[ta...]]

2 hours ago, [[R...] said:

That’s great!  Wow, you were on high doses!!!  
 

Your advice on diet, exercise and forcing yourself to do hard things is sound.  Although I cannot do extreme exercise I force myself to do what my body allows and I also force myself to do things even when I don’t feel I can…we still have to try and live while going through this!

thanks!

Awesome! It's all about repairing, and creating new neural pathways. We do this by doing hard things through repetition.

[[ta...]]

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

Did you have intrusive thoughts and anhedonia during paws? Did it feel like it would never end? Do you automatically stop thinking about paws when it ends?

Hello! Yes, yes, and yes. I would remind that intrusive thoughts are a common human experience, with or without pharmacology. I practiced challenging the intrusive(irrational) thoughts. Example, "I am not my thoughts"  "I'm the thinker of my thoughts"  The affirmation, The affirmation, “I am safe. I am healing. I will recover” really helped me. I can't stop thinking, but I can CHOOSE what I think about. Move a muscle change a thought!

[[Id...]]

@[ta...] my message was badly explained so I prefer to edit it… the most important thing is that I’d like to congratulate but I totally miss the appropriate words for doing it properly. 

Thank you so much for sharing ❤️

Edited May 30 by [Id...]

[[ta...]]

You mean the "snake oil" my doctor prescribed me when he told me that Lor & Ambien were "safe & effective"? LOL!

Edited May 30 by [ta...]

[[...]]

On 28/05/2024 at 08:10, [[t...] said:

Today marks 3 years free from Lor & Ambien! I am fully recovered! We do heal! Yay me!

Thank you for sharing.  So glad to hear you made it through.  I too was taking Ambien and klonopin for sleep with similar course as you.

[[Fo...]]

On 29/05/2024 at 00:48, [[t...] said:

Thx! I was prescribed Lor & Ambien in 2008 for sleep. Worked great for a couple of years until it didn't. I then sought out higher doses to try and achieve desired results. Which sent me into CNS dysregulation for years. I was taking 100+ mg of Ambien and 30-40 mg of Lor a day to try find a hint of homeostasis. In Jan 2020 I was admitted to hospital after not sleeping for 20 days, and I spent that time convincing myself that I had enough. I fast tapered my self in 6 months off both, it was hell but the only option. I used SMART Recovery(REBT & CBT) meetings, and worked the tools in the SMART Tool Box. Windows would come and come, and the self doubt from having PAWS was debilitating at times, but I stayed the course. I would also add that extreme exercise, diet, and forcing my self to do hard things was crucial in where I am today. 

Congratulations! You smashed the world record for not sleeping as well! Previous record was 11days. Have you been in touch with Guinness World Records?