Does anyone going through withdrawal don’t care as much how they look

[[Jo...]]

Does anyone else not care as much how they look going through withdrawals ? I’ve put on 5kgs since 2022 and always watch my weight, now it doesn’t bother me as much, my hair is thinner, face has aged and all I think about it getting off this crap 🥹

Edited July 11 by [Jo...]

[[vo...]]

@[Jo...] It sounds like you care more about how you look than not caring, which is a good thing! If that's the case, the same thing has happened to me. I'm paying more attention to the way I look now, than I have done in decades! Eating clean, getting facial treatments, hair done regularly and go to the gym practically every day. After 2 months of doing this, I'm starting to see improvements and feel better too. Are you able to start doing things to help the way you feel about yourself?

[[Jo...]]

Hi @[vo...] thanks for answering, I started back at work part time so I have to make the effort but it’s hard, I use to walk every night for the last 30 years and now I only do it 3 times a week if I’m lucky, I really don’t like going to the hairdresser either so I’m colouring my own hair and got it cut 5 months ago and really need to get another cut. 
Are you still tapering? 

[[vo...]]

4 minutes ago, [[J...] said:

Hi @[vo...] thanks for answering, I started back at work part time so I have to make the effort but it’s hard, I use to walk every night for the last 30 years and now I only do it 3 times a week if I’m lucky, I really don’t like going to the hairdresser either so I’m colouring my own hair and got it cut 5 months ago and really need to get another cut. 
Are you still tapering? 

@[Jo...] I came of xanax 7/30/23 after weaning for 2 weeks. As of yesterday, I began tapering off Ambien with the help of @[La...] who has kindly offered to help me taper. I'm not using it the way I'm supposed to - I prefer to use it during the day to help with the xanax withdrawals than to help me sleep at night. (stupid, huh?). 

I only started caring about the way I look a couple of months ago. If you're walking 3 times a week, that's great! And at least you're coloring your own hair rather than not doing anything. That's really good. Are you in withdrawal? How long? That's how I read your post. Has it been difficult for you?

[[Jo...]]

8 minutes ago, [[v...] said:

@[Jo...] I came of xanax 7/30/23 after weaning for 2 weeks. As of yesterday, I began tapering off Ambien with the help of @[La...] who has kindly offered to help me taper. I'm not using it the way I'm supposed to - I prefer to use it during the day to help with the xanax withdrawals than to help me sleep at night. (stupid, huh?). 

I only started caring about the way I look a couple of months ago. If you're walking 3 times a week, that's great! And at least you're coloring your own hair rather than not doing anything. That's really good. Are you in withdrawal? How long? That's how I read your post. Has it been difficult for you?

Sounds like your going well @[vo...] you’ve  given me hope that I’ll start caring again about myself again,  thank you.

Ive been tapering off 3mgs Lorazepam since Jan 2022 and now on 0.032mgs so im getting there but its been a long hard road the last 18 months and hoping to jump within the next 6 months.

 

 

 

 

[[vo...]]

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

Sounds like your going well @[vo...] you’ve  given me hope that I’ll start caring again about myself again,  thank you.

Ive been tapering off 3mgs Lorazepam since Jan 2022 and now on 0.032mgs so im getting there but its been a long hard road the last 18 months and hoping to jump within the next 6 months.

Stay in touch @[Jo...]. Maybe we can give each other a little boost every now and then Are you in the U.S.?

Also, do you know when these "newbie" hands next to our names go away? lol!

Edited July 11 by [vo...]

[[Jo...]]

33 minutes ago, [[v...] said:

Stay in touch @[Jo...]. Maybe we can give each other a little boost every now and then Are you in the U.S.?

Also, do you know when these "newbie" hands next to our names go away? lol!

I’m in Australia @[vo...] and yes sounds great let’s keep in touch and maybe I can tell you I’m starting to care about myself a bit more soon lol 😆

 No sorry have no idea when the newbie hands go away haha 

[[WU...]]

Just to give another view, I stopped colouring my hair and let it grow.  Hair is now thicker and has its natural curl back, looks and feels so much better. Also stopped using skin toners and moisturisers and just use cold water and skin is vastly improved. 

I still feel awful with head symptoms but at least I look better in the mirror!

[[pi...]]

3 hours ago, [[v...] said:

Also, do you know when these "newbie" hands next to our names go away? lol!

That’s a good question that I should know the answer to but do not. I will check for you. 

[[PE...]]

Yes I was like that to. I put on weight and stopped shaving and washing myself.

I looked like an old man. Now I look like myself again ❤️

[[Jo...]]

1 hour ago, [[P...] said:

Yes I was like that to. I put on weight and stopped shaving and washing myself.

I looked like an old man. Now I look like myself again ❤️

I feel and look so awful @[PE...] can’t wait till feel like me again, glad your back to yourself again 

[[Jo...]]

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

Just to give another view, I stopped colouring my hair and let it grow.  Hair is now thicker and has its natural curl back, looks and feels so much better. Also stopped using skin toners and moisturisers and just use cold water and skin is vastly improved. 

I still feel awful with head symptoms but at least I look better in the mirror!

That’s great that your hair and skin looks better  @[WU...] I’d love to look in the mirror one day and look better 😆

[[Bl...]]

I also stopped caring for myself properly. Stopped dying my hair and using most things with chemicals in. I cut my own hair, it's curly so not too bad. I do put a gel on it.

I try to make an effort on good days just to give myself a boost.

[[Jo...]]

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

I also stopped caring for myself properly. Stopped dying my hair and using most things with chemicals in. I cut my own hair, it's curly so not too bad. I do put a gel on it.

I try to make an effort on good days just to give myself a boost.

That’s a great idea on good days to make an effort,  I must try that, at least we save money doing our own hair @[Bl...] 😅

[[pi...]]

On 11/07/2024 at 04:44, [[v...] said:

 

Also, do you know when these "newbie" hands next to our names go away? lol!

Hello @[vo...],

It appears that the newbie hand will remain for one month. This is hard coded into the forum software. I hand to double check because you have a lot of posts, it’s hard to believe you are just coming up to one month membership. Thanks for being here and for all the support you offer to others while you are going through this process yourself! 

[[vo...]]

1 hour ago, [[p...] said:

Hello @[vo...],

It appears that the newbie hand will remain for one month. This is hard coded into the forum software. I hand to double check because you have a lot of posts, it’s hard to believe you are just coming up to one month membership. Thanks for being here and for all the support you offer to others while you are going through this process yourself! 

Thank you so much @[pi...] for checking on that!

[[Fa...]]

On 11/07/2024 at 03:43, [[J...] said:

Does anyone else not care as much how they look going through withdrawals ? I’ve put on 5kgs since 2022 and always watch my weight, now it doesn’t bother me as much, my hair is thinner, face has aged and all I think about it getting off this crap 🥹

I care about how I look, I just don't have the energy to do anything about it.  Blow drying my hair...I hardly remember how to do it like I used to.  That doesn't even count how much my arms hurt holding a blow dryer for the time it takes to blow dry and style.  It's the fatigue...and, loss of muscle mass.

The aging thing gets me down.  But, it has a lot to do with the way WD affects just everything.  Our posture, our gait, the look of great sadness on our face if we catch ourselves in the mirror.  Sometimes it's wearing the fear on our face.  I think so many factors overall make us feel like we've aged so much.  Here's what I believe.  When we are lifted from this, I believe we will not look the same.

I remember WintersSun talking about our light being dimmed from within...and, when we heal, that light turns back on and we are radiant...I believe more than we were before.

I don't want to be who I was before.  I want to be more than I was before.  And, I think all of us already are more than we were.  How on earth could we not be?...but, we're still in the cocoon.  It's that life force energy that makes a person look young.  We need our energy back...that life force.  

 

 

Edited July 13 by [Fa...]

[[Jo...]]

Oh my gosh this is so true @[Fa...] I’m always so fatigued to do anything but I push myself so hard, can’t wait till that light turns back on again 💡

Thank you 🙏

[[Sh...]]

I think it's because we become so hyper in tune with just getting through the day our physical appearance doesn't matter.

[[Go...]]

I definitely relate to this but until now, never associated it with my withdrawal. I started wearing really big, baggy clothes. I wear hats all the time so I don’t have to wash/style my hair. I shower much less and rarely shave. I look in the mirror and see the bags under my eyes from not sleeping. I look so worn down but I always just tell myself “this is how you look now. You have to accept it”. I really haven’t even felt bad about any of it. I’ve just attributed it to being too tired to really care. The other day I saw some pictures of myself from years ago and started crying because I didn’t even recognize myself. I think I’ve really just told myself that I’m ugly and that that’s okay. 

[[Jo...]]

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

I think it's because we become so hyper in tune with just getting through the day our physical appearance doesn't matter.

So true @[Sh...] just to get through the day is a feat in itself 

[[Jo...]]

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

I definitely relate to this but until now, never associated it with my withdrawal. I started wearing really big, baggy clothes. I wear hats all the time so I don’t have to wash/style my hair. I shower much less and rarely shave. I look in the mirror and see the bags under my eyes from not sleeping. I look so worn down but I always just tell myself “this is how you look now. You have to accept it”. I really haven’t even felt bad about any of it. I’ve just attributed it to being too tired to really care. The other day I saw some pictures of myself from years ago and started crying because I didn’t even recognize myself. I think I’ve really just told myself that I’m ugly and that that’s okay. 

Thanks for your reply @[Go...] before benzos I was always watching my weight, getting my hair done etc but now I just don’t care as much and I hate looking in the mirror, hate the way I look compared to before but hoping when I’m off this poison and healed I can feel better about myself and look in the mirror and not hate what I see anymore, hopefully the light turns back on and isn’t dimmed anymore. Hope your going ok with your taper.

[[Ma...]]

I think for most of us, we’ve never been more hydrated in our lives (I don’t think I even drank water before), ate as much fruit (didn’t like fruit prior), vegetables; no processed food (if it wasn’t in a box I could microwave? Nope…), no sugar, no alcohol and ect…

I 100% believe this adds up in recovery allowing for more energy, thicker hair , clearer more vibrant skin, better health and a glow like never before once we are on the other side! Believe it ❤️‍🩹!!

Edited July 13 by [Ma...]

[[En...]]

I find taking care of yourself is important during withdrawal. When we are in withdrawal we loose interest in things we had interest in before. I see changes in my appearance such as hair color and texture and skin changes. I have a shower daily and put on deodorant so I smell and look ok for my own benefit. I feel better when I am clean. Even though I do not feel like doing that. I think it is normal to feel this way during withdrawal. 

[[Jo...]]

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

I think for most of us, we’ve never been more hydrated in our lives (I don’t think I even drank water before), ate as much fruit (didn’t like fruit prior), vegetables; no processed food (if it wasn’t in a box I could microwave? Nope…), no sugar, no alcohol and ect…

I 100% believe this adds up in recovery allowing for more energy, thicker hair , clearer more vibrant skin, better health and a glow like never before once we are on the other side! Believe it ❤️‍🩹!!

Yes that is true, I’ve never drank so much water and eaten so much fruit and veges haha, hopefully it will show when I’m off this crap and healing 🙏