does stress hold us back?

[[jo...]]

I keep hearing people say to avoid stress if possible. I'm sorry but thats impossible. This whole thing is stress. I'm living in a really stressful situation and stressing about possible very stressful life events that could be upcoming. All I have it seems is stress. Does this mean I'm not going to get better? If stress holds us back then how do we move forward. Are people like me who cant seem to avoid stress the people who struggle to get better? 

Edited Tuesday at 18:26 by [jo...]

[[mo...]]

I am in the same position. I have just become a full time caretaker for my terminally ill mother with ALS. It’s disturbing and traumatic and the most significant loss of my life is impending. The anticipatory fear is so intense, it is making me question if I should continue my taper or if I’m setting myself up for disaster. So I'm also very curious the community’s opinion.

[[jo...]]

Yeah i get the anticipatory factor too. I'm off and not tapering but it's one of the reasons I'm starting an AD. I hope it helps me to cope with what might happen ahead. Thats if it works of course.

[[Kr...]]

This sounds like a fear thought. You can’t avoid stress, nobody can.

if it had the power to “hold us back” then nobody would ever heal.

[[...]]

Yes, they say stress can hold healing back but if it were absolutely true, i'd have never felt any improvements at all. I've had really bad things happening to me for the last two years, long term and short term and yet i did the tapering and have, no doubt, been getting better. Perhaps, if everything had been smooth, i'd be more advanced in my healing but i'm just truly pleased with what i have right now.

I also know well others who went ct after 15-20 years of benzo use and are getting better in spite just horrible outer circumstances. 

[[Cr...]]

Stress cannot hold back healing or else I would have never healed. I was tense and stressed a lot throughout my withdrawal. Many times windows came right after stress felt like it was at its peak in tolerability.

When people say to avoid stress during withdrawal, it isn't in reference to stress being akin to using alcohol or benzos. It is mainly in reference to avoid any unnecessary stress. The kind we have control over. Maybe hold off on starting that new job, telling off your mother-in-law, allowing sister and her loud kids to move in with you, etc... 

Basically any stressful situation that you may have control over should be avoided. Again not because it will slow your healing or set you back, but because you will be extra sensitive to stress for awhile and you will feel the affects more intensely and it will wear on your psyche. Since many of us in WD are hanging on by what feels like a thread, any extra-curricular stress should be shied away from.

[[...]]

@[jo...] stress is unavoidable.  In withdrawal the brain and body are already in an incredibly stressed state as it desperately is trying to reach homeostasis.  Thus any additive stress can be very hard to deal with as your energy reserves are already mobilized towards healing from withdrawal.  And your normal mechanisms to deal with stress are not functioning properly in wd.  Daily stressors that normally would be easy to deal with can become insurmountable while in wd.  Give yourself time to recover and heal.  Deal with the daily stresses of life the best you can.  Overtime it will all improve.  Try the best you can to reduce additive stresses in your life.  If you can't, that's okay.  Things will improve with time.  Look at everything you have accomplished thus far and take it one day at a time.  Stay strong friend.

 

[[La...]]

Ohhhh I had to jump in on this one as I’m about to…..drumroll please…..MOVE to a new home. The stress, all the what ifs and the anticipation anxiety is on me! Especially today since I’m supposed to endure the car ride to get there tonight. Oh lord!!! It’s a 10 minute ride but with the vestibular issues I have, that’s huge for me! And might I add that I haven’t ridden or driven a car more than a couple of minutes in 2 years! Now I have to do 10-11 minutes suddenly! Stressful- highly concerned- oh yes! But I’ve got to do this! My lease is up.

I agree with Cromo in that the stress referred to is stress you can control…getting in arguments with people, constantly searching your symptoms, being out of the house all day and not resting and such like. Even with stress we will progress in healing. Honestly, everything is a stressor including good things ( like exercising or simply talking to someone). The problem is because our brains are in repair, it doesn’t handle the stressors as well until it heals enough. So it’s advised to do all you can to limit stressful things. How I wish my tolerating the car wasn’t an issue! This move would be so much less stressful. I actually like having a new home to decorate. The packing and unpacking doesn’t bother me even before this recovery. But I must do it, I will do it and I can do it! We have to do what we need to do sometimes during our recovery. Life doesn’t stop because we are sick. I will add this last bit..even as we heal, I feel it’s a good idea to live as close to a normal life as we can if or when symptoms allows. 

[[La...]]

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

I am in the same position. I have just become a full time caretaker for my terminally ill mother with ALS. It’s disturbing and traumatic and the most significant loss of my life is impending. The anticipatory fear is so intense, it is making me question if I should continue my taper or if I’m setting myself up for disaster. So I'm also very curious the community’s opinion.

I’m so very sorry that your mother is not well. I’m sure this is very hard and stressful for you. I don’t really have any advice from experience but I’d say you can always choose to hold where you are. I say that because I’ve read of others doing that during stressful times. Then resume their taper a little later. You can ask on the appropriate thread or search the archives by googling benzo buddies holding your taper. Please accept my virtual hug 🤗 

Sorry Jon if I hijacked your thread but I couldn’t pass this by without acknowledgement. 

[[jo...]]

1 minute ago, [[L...] said:

I’m so very sorry that your mother is not well. I’m sure this is very hard and stressful for you. I don’t really have any advice from experience but I’d say you can always choose to hold where you are. I say that because I’ve read of others doing that during stressful times. Then resume their taper a little later. You can ask on the appropriate thread or search the archives by googling benzo buddies holding your taper. Please accept my virtual hug 🤗 

Sorry Jon if I hijacked your thread but I couldn’t pass this by without acknowledgement. 

No you haven't hijacked anything, don't worry

[[Cr...]]

Hello everyone. I just came back in this thread because I got an angry PM from jonwil about someone hijacking his thread! So what is going on here 

[[jo...]]

Been hijacked by @[La...] again

[[La...]]

Ok I apologize for “ hijacking” your thread. Once again, I didn’t want to ignore another buddy that’s losing her mother while going through recovery. Perhaps I should have privately pm her but I didn’t know if that was ok. So since she posted it publicly on your thread then I publicly extended my compassion. 
Apparently this wasn’t taken well by you Jon so I will discontinue posting here. Again, hijacking was not my intention. It was to offer you support. 
May you all continue to heal. Hugs 🤗 

[[Pi...]]

crono:  I really needed to hear those words of wisdom today.  It just helped me out so much.

 

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Edited Wednesday at 16:03 by [Pi...]