Positivity Pledge. Please join me if you want !

[[an...]]

Because I need to have a sound set of goals to work on, I hope it's OK to quote from the Ashton Manual here;

 

"There is absolutely no evidence that benzodiazepines cause permanent damage to the brain, nervous system or body.

People bothered by long-term symptoms can do a lot to help themselves. For example:

    Exercise your body. Physical exercise improves the circulation and function of both brain and body. Find an exercise that you enjoy: start at low level, work up gradually and keep it up regularly.

    Exercise also helps your brain. Use your brain to devise methods to improve its efficiency: make lists, do crossword puzzles, find out what bothers you most - there is always a way round it. Cognitive retraining helps people to find ways around their temporary impairment.

    Increase your interests. Finding an outside interest which you have to work at employs the brain, increases motivation, diverts attention away from your own symptoms and may even help others.

    Calm your emotions. Above all, stop worrying. Worry, fear and anxiety increase all withdrawal symptoms. Many of these symptoms are actually due to anxiety and not signs of brain or nervous system damage. People who fear withdrawal have more intense symptoms than those who just take it as it comes and think positively and confidently about recovery." 

                                                               

 

[[Fl...]]

Welcome Anastasia; I also am tapering off of Klonopin.  I like the goal info you posted via Ashton manual.  Sometimes I wonder if some of what I feel is because I am in my head too much and need to get out of my head and do more activities.  Not sure if that made sense   I've also been thinking I could maybe accomplish something I've always wanted to do whilst tapering and healing.  Kind of making this down time more productive so to speak.  Anyway...........love your name......I hope you have a wonderful day everyone.

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[[an...]]

Thanks Flutterbye,

I want to do something I care about too, while I am focusing on easing my recovery issues. There are some funny life events I want to write about. If I can. It seems like dr.s are giving out xanax for every kind of problem!!

-stasia

[[Fl...]]

I write also but am lazy about it.  It is one of my life goals to get published so maybe we can cheer each other on.  I bought this years writers market but before you know it the year is up and the book is obsolete.  I've done that many times!  Yes I agree the Dr's hand benzos out like candy anymore.

blessings,

fb

[[an...]]

That sounds good. I'm trying to write everyday, even just a little. I want to make a book plan, or maybe three, so I can pick the best one.

Dr. Drew is on HLN right now; his show is all about benzos and pain pills; kids who've died from it and that Dr.s need to change, start saying no to patients, etc.

thanks, stasia

[[Fl...]]

Writing everyday is the way to go!  Good for you!  I need allot more discipline in my life right now.  Who is Dr. Drew.  Not sue if I get HLN but maybe i can google it or see if it is on Utube.  I would have liked to see that show.  Keep writing...........

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[[an...]]

I just posted on the Media board about the latest benzo topic Dr.Drew show. Maybe someone will help us with a link.

[[Fl...]]

Thanks Anastasia; I'll have to check it out!  Have a great night. 

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[[an...]]

I'm trying to embed a link to a clip from Dr.Drew's show here, don't know if this will work; <iframe width="416" height="384" src="http://www.hlntv.com/embed/14999" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen scrolling="no"></iframe>

[[Fl...]]

Thanks for posting in Anastasia.  The link worked.  How are you today?  Hope you are doing ok, 

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[[An...]]

Hello Anastasia

 

The link worked but I didn't find Dr Drew very coherent and the two unfortunate mothers didn't explain the doses of which med their sons were taking and for how long.    I still believe in the US, doctors are not as well educated in the dangers of prescription drugs as in the UK.  I thought Dr Drew's comment on seroquel being a "very good drug for benzo withdrawal that we give out all the time" is irresponsible.  As far as I am aware, and I stand to be corrected, this drug is used for bipolar patients and has its own set of withdrawal problems.

 

As this is not a very 'positive' post, I think you should repost it in the Benzos in the News section actually.

 

How are you doing?  I am feeling much better now that I have reduced my A/D's and I hope to write my success story in the next few weeks but don't want to tempt fate quite yet!

 

Best wishes

Angel

[[Fl...]]

Hi Angel, I'm glad you are feeling better and look forward to the success story that you are going to post!  Hope there is sunshine where you are.  It is a bit bleary here today.  I have friends who are in the UK and one is a retired Psych. nurse.  He told me that in the UK they know about the benzo problems but have chosen to keep it quiet so as to not get tied up in law suits.  I do think they are ahead in some of these areas as I have many letters to someday write to all the US Dr's I have seen over the years who never knew what was wrong with me.  Quite mind boggling with all of their education and varied specialties that not one of them connected the dots.  I believe our journeys happen for a reason even if we do not quite understand it at the moment.  Have a wonderful day angel,

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[[An...]]

Hi Angel, I'm glad you are feeling better and look forward to the success story that you are going to post!  Hope there is sunshine where you are.  It is a bit bleary here today.  I have friends who are in the UK and one is a retired Psych. nurse.  He told me that in the UK they know about the benzo problems but have chosen to keep it quiet so as to not get tied up in law suits.  I do think they are ahead in some of these areas as I have many letters to someday write to all the US Dr's I have seen over the years who never knew what was wrong with me.  Quite mind boggling with all of their education and varied specialties that not one of them connected the dots.  I believe our journeys happen for a reason even if we do not quite understand it at the moment.  Have a wonderful day angel,

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Hi Flutterbye

 

I guess benzodiazapines have their uses but they are not a cure.  I believe if I'd been given 2mg Valium only under my tongue when I had that severe panic attack instead of 1mg Xanax and prescribed 2mg/3mg day with no clarification, I would have been okay.  In my case, it was definitely a lack of explanation of how dangerous these drugs can be if you are drug sensitive.

 

Although I am from the UK I spend most of the time in southern Spain where the weather is warm and glorious.  I have just come back from the beach with the dog and paddled in the sea.  There was a guy swimming in the sea, he told me it was really fairly warm! So I have the best of both worlds - I love London too.  In fact I am a Les Miserables fanatic - when I was back about 5 weeks ago I went to see it for the 5th time and have made a booking for my next visit in a couple of weeks to go again.  I have the music and also the dvd of their 25th Anniversary Concert at the 02 (huge arena) in London which I would loved to have gone to but was in the throes of benzo withdrawal anyway and couldn't have made that trip.

 

Have you seen it?  I know it is/was on Broadway but I wonder if it is playing anywhere else in the States.

 

How is your taper going?  I never see you complain.  Are you okay?

 

Love

Angel 

[[Fl...]]

Angel, You are so sweet to say I don't complain.  Methinks you haven't read my blog or other things .Sometimes I feel like I complain too much.  I am doing ok.  Day by day.  I have other complicated health issues and am also not a spring chicken so it all weighs in but I am doing better now I know I haven't gone insane.  I just found out in December it was tolerance withdrawal after years and years of going from one Dr to the next.  I love, love, love Spain!  I was only there once but it was such a beautiful place and I think I could easily live there.  I never got to see southern Spain but I did get to the Mediterranean.  The coast region near Barcelona. Taragona (sp?). Also all around Madrid area.  I loved the art work and architecture.  I have seen Les Mis once and I have the cd somewhere.  I love the music also and the play.  I love theatre but don't get to go much anymore.  I used to be an art student who lived in the city and went to the theater and concerts both classical and pop music.  I hung out with classical musicians who were going to music school.  Then I graduated ; got married and moved and moved and moved but unfortunately always moved in suburban areas with not much cultural things happening.  I am now very isolated from all these years of moving and "loosing my tribe" my artsy tribe that is.  I hope you get to go to the big show in London!  That would be awesome!  I had hoped to see more of Europe and who knows maybe it will happen someday.  Blessings Angel

[[an...]]

Wow! What a day--thanks for asking; I slept from 3:30 am til 9:30 am. My tired husband took me to his dentist appt. when

I walked to the drugstore and paid a small fortune for his rx, then the grocery store, back to the dentist where we paid a small fortune on our bill, then took our rescue dog to the vet and i spent a small fortune while he went to another store, and finally home where he put meat in a pot to cook and went to bed!

  The great thing I did was this; I didn't tell him how much all the medical things had cost. Normally I am very upfront and transparent and he would stay upset all weekend. It's not that I want to lie; it's more a 'quality of my life issue'! And in WD I dont need more trouble We can figure out how to pay bills later. Does that make sense to you??

  And that was a whole lot of action for me lately! 

  And how was your day?

  ps. should this be in a PM? if so, sorry...

[[...]]

I have some good news.... almost put this on benzo celebrations... but just between us gals (and whoever else reads this thread...)  I had a normal poo today!

 

Not weird to celebrate that at all!! I too have been waiting for the day when my poo returns to a lovely (healthy) brown colour!  I even check daily to see if there are any changes, honestly  haha! And Angel is right, it definitely has something to do with our GABA receptors.. I get GI issues when I start to worry or stress out a lot.  LOL!!!!

 

Congratulations Hope -- a clear sign of healing! So happy for you *hugs*

 

I have had many symptoms including DP, DR, nausea, tingling, ear problems etc which have come and gone but the main one has been anxiety which stayed at a constant high level.  Funnily enough I never had insomnia.  My sleep has actually improved since this saga. As time has gone on, the bouts of anxiety have lessened and now the anxiety itself is weaker.  By the way I also suffered from weight loss in the early months and especially during a period of bad anxiety - it is all linked.  We have many GABA receptors in our stomach which are sensitive to stress.  Also until just recently, my stool was never normal or regular.  I was running all the time to the loo!

 

Since the bad wave at the between months 8 and 9,  I am having more days of feeling completely well and the remaining side effects which are pins and needles, morning cortisol rushes, and daytime nerviness are fading.  So I am obviously healing.

 

Of course this could be a window but I am hoping not!

 

I would say that I am at a constant 1.5 now (I class 1 as being perfect, with NO symptoms) so 1.5 is pretty darn good!  How many people can say they feel perfect ALL the time anyway??!

 

I am so glad you are already getting windows and seeing improvement and hope you recover quickly!

 

Angel

 

No insomnia?! I have to admit I am quite jealous!  But at the same time, I know that your wd must have been extremely rough even without it.  But hearing that you're now feeling like you're at a 1.5 is amazing news.

 

I just realized you are all benzo free?  Congrats to you all!  I wish I could be there with you and have a benzo free ticker at the bottom.  Was this thread supposed to be for benzo free people?  Either way I am happy for all of you.  I like your wave rating system.  it is a great idea!

FB

 

Thankyou FB! I don't believe the thread was meant for benzo-free people..I think it was simply coincidental that we were  How are you doing lately?

 

Chantillie

[[ch...]]

It has been an incredibly long time since I have stepped in. It is lovely to know that in the time I was gone, more have joined in with the positivity pledge. I can see that this hasn't been updated though, and I thought I would bring it back for myself and a few others who could be interested 

 

During Months 3-5, I began to log on BB significantly less. I decided I needed to spend some time seriously focused on my life. During much of the beginning of my recovery, BB provided a lot of information and support during my darkest times. But lingering here too long acted as a means to hold me back from learning how to cope on my very own. Something that I thought I needed to do. By month 5, I had felt like my life was coming back. Counting down to month 6, I seem to be falling back a little bit. I came back to refresh my knowledge of WD, to read back at my old posts --to see how far I've come. Having a setback after such a long window is rough, but reading back to the beginning, I am certain I have been healing. =)

 

Waking up today was difficult - nausea, vertigo, fatigue. Not a good combination. Sleeping has been broken up a bit. I woke up at 8am very tempted to simply let myself go (or more specifically, let myself lay in bed feeling sorry for myself and probably later on breaking down), but felt determined to not let myself become that way. Decided to book an appointment for tomorrow to see my family doctor to get an update on blood tests, see if I have any deficiencies. Making sure if this is truly still WD, in a sense. Will absolutely steer away from any medication. Going to do moderate exercise - jogging and yoga. Clean the house (a clean environment truly makes a difference) and take it easy today, maybe watch a movie or some shows on tv.

 

Having faith that this wave will pass, and trusting in God.

 

 

Chantillie

[[ho...]]

Hi Chantillie!

How nice that you bumped the Positivity Pledge.  Angel posted her success story not long ago! isn't that wonderful.

We will be there too --- hopefully soon.   

 

You are right -- there has been so much healing since the early days.  It is a strange healing ....  better and then worse - then better.  So we ride with it. 

 

Your wave will pass and you will be better after. 

XOX

[[ch...]]

So happy to have read Angel's success story recently. Yes, it truly is wonderful to know that another person has walked through those gates of recovery. It makes me really joyful to know that every single day, someone else is beating this. Every day, someone who has been through similar/near exact trials has lived through it, and came out, alive, happy, and HEALED.

 

I did not get sleep yesterday. This is the first time in a long time that I have gone a full night with 0 sleep. It is daunting and scary but at the same time I know that the only direction is forwards. This is what life is sometimes, struggles will be thrown in our direction. How we choose to go through it is in our control though. If there is anything we are capable of controlling, it is our mindfulness.

 

So today, I am thankful for life. I am thankful for everyone at BB, for my friends and family, for God and to have the opportunity to love and be loved. If there is anything that all of these past 7 months have taught me, it is to value each day and each person I know. Live in love, and in light.

 

I hope you are well Hope <3

 

Chantillie

[[ho...]]

So happy to have read Angel's success story recently. Yes, it truly is wonderful to know that another person has walked through those gates of recovery. It makes me really joyful to know that every single day, someone else is beating this. Every day, someone who has been through similar/near exact trials has lived through it, and came out, alive, happy, and HEALED.

 

I did not get sleep yesterday. This is the first time in a long time that I have gone a full night with 0 sleep. It is daunting and scary but at the same time I know that the only direction is forwards. This is what life is sometimes, struggles will be thrown in our direction. How we choose to go through it is in our control though. If there is anything we are capable of controlling, it is our mindfulness.

 

So today, I am thankful for life. I am thankful for everyone at BB, for my friends and family, for God and to have the opportunity to love and be loved. If there is anything that all of these past 7 months have taught me, it is to value each day and each person I know. Live in love, and in light.

 

I hope you are well Hope <3

 

Chantillie

 

This is beautiful!  Chantillie, you have the best attitude!  XOX