anyone else been on lorazepam for thirty years

[[de...]]

Hi

 

Ive been on these things for thirty years.I sometimes feel that they are my life and couldnt live or be a person without them.In the beginning i used think thank god for these tablets how else could I cope.Now i see them as  the enemy that needs to be beaten.Looking for ideas and friends to chat to hear your stories and hopefully help each other.I worked as a counsellor for twenty of these thirty years believe it or not.I spent that much time helping others forgot about me and others around me.

 

Love to all of you

[[ja...]]

Hi Del ive been on xanax 20 years and im praying i can do this. 2 mg a day My best to you

[[de...]]

Hi jackie

thanks for the reply

how are you coping.how does it affect your every day life.

 

:-*delboy

[[La...]]

Welcome to the old timers or long timers club, been taking benzos for at least 20yrs, I  am going to ask my Dr exactly how long next time I see him, Ladygrace

[[ja...]]

Hi Ladygrace and Del, Im having a very ruff time. Im withdrawing inbetween doses and can hardly stand it i streached out my doses 8 times a day yesterday to see if this would help i cant tell yet im so sick Without going into aloy of detail because i just cant do it ive had no luck with 2 doctors and will see my neurologist wednesday and dont think he will do much but updose me. I did find doc 5 1/2 hours away will do ashton method, but have mixed emotions about that too, and long drive every month. I have all the stuff to titraite but feel a bit discouraged since some people feel xanax is to hard to get off from so there you have it.

[[de...]]

I prefer long timers club.Perhaps we can start posting to find other long timers.It would be good to be chatting with people in a similar situation.My worry is that ive been on them so long i will never get off them.

 

 

love and peace to all of us

 

:-*delboy

[[La...]]

Well from everything I have read here the short timers seem to have allot of difficulties with withdrawal too so I am just staying positive but those thoughts that I have taken these poisons for so long and will never get better do arise from time to time so I go to sucess stories and read and read , there are long timers here that have been very successful so that keeps me going. Ladygrace

[[re...]]

I was on Klonopin for 19 years. I tapered for 8 months, failed, up dosed, tapered then jumped at .6.25 or so mgs.  I am 8 months out. It has been hell, I'll be honest, but SO worth it to be free from a benzo.

 

I am far from healed, but I can tell the old me underneath all the crap is intact, and a really wonderful person.

 

When I am healed it is going to be an amazing life!

I pray you can stick to your guns and get free.

 

Biss Johns who wrote Benzo-wise told me she has worked with many people who were on high potency benzos for 30-40 years and got free and healed 100%  It just took time.

[[de...]]

Thanks for your reassuring words i am just starting out on this journey i need all the comforting words i can get at the moment.I have lost my career my home and am now separated from my wife and i put most of it down to the fact that i was not thinking logically and couldnt make decent decisions.I have been through so much grief over the past few years.I cant remember the last day i didnt cry.

 

delboy

[[Bi...]]

I was on Klonopin 6 years and Valium 2 years. I don't know if how long you were on makes it more protracted or 'lengthy' but I have seen members here that was on them for years and years, and they healed up. Just hang in there, have faith.

[[Ve...]]

Was on benzos 10 years, been free almost 1 year.  Still having symptoms here and there, and I have major self-esteem issues to deal with now.  But overall I feel better and I'm glad that I got off the meds.  They made me numb and dumb.  Still, it is very difficult.  I have a lot of growing to do, because I feel like the benzos stunted my growth... I have a lot of issues to iron out.. not sure how that's going to work, but I guess time will tell.  Wishing you all the best recovery possible.  It is possible.  :-)

[[De...]]

Hi Delboy,

Sorry to hear you've had such a rough time. I have been taking benzo sleep meds for 30 years and am currently in the throes of tapering. Thought I'd let you know that I've seen quite a few "old timers" on this site who have successfully withdrawn from their meds and are now leading happy lives.

Hope that makes you feel a little better.

Debbie 

[[li...]]

I was on oxazepam for the best part of twenty years. It has a similar half-life to xanax and lorazepam ie. very short. It is very difficult to get off on it's own by simply cutting. The withdrawals are the pits.  But I found a good doc and tapered with valium after failing over and over again to taper the oxazepam on it's own.

 

It wasn't as bad as some of the stories I've read. And I'm benzo free and have been for 20 months. I'm still suffering but it's all down to complications with alcohol.(you can read about that in a previous post of mine if you are interested.) But I'm so so glad I'll never be seeing those pityless bloody tablets again, believe me. It can be done. And Jackie Brown make that damn 5 and a half hour drive for God's sake. A specialist using the Ashton method saved my sanity. You can do it.

 

John

[[ja...]]

Your right i can do it, Ive been so deathly ill all night im calling monday to try and get in wednesday. Im scared and sick thankyou for your support i need it

[[li...]]

Good for you Jackie. You'll not regret it. In a while you probably won't have to make that drive every month. When you know what you're doing you'll be able to handle it for yourself.

 

Del Boy. Looking at your history. I would advise you to somehow make a cross over to valium for your taper. I was on oxazepam which is very similar to lorazepam and I found it impossible to slowly cut with it. I found valium much much easier. Not everybody does however but it seems most do. Get yourself fully conversant with the Ashton Maual or find somebody who knows what he/she's talking about. It may not be as bad as you think.

Good result for Coventry City yesterday by the way.

 

John

[[Fl...]]

This link might be helpful.

 

http://www.benzobuddies.org/forum/index.php?action=profile;area=showposts;u=22112

 

Josh has been on benzos for 42 years, since he was 8 years old.  He is the most amazing person. He has only recently arrived here, hasn't posted much (he works) and doesn't check in every day.

 

If you leave a message on his thread, he will respond and his words of wisdom are like gold.  I have taken refuge in his courage many times over the months.

 

Flip

[[ja...]]

I have a ? Im so deathly ill im not sure if when i switched from my 4- .5 doses to 8- .25 doses over the last 3 days did it. but im real bad and wonder if updosing would help me until i get the appointment with dr Pundy im going to try for wednesday. Is itpossible that this drug is maaking me toxic i just cant believe how sick i am Thankyou

[[Fl...]]

Jackie, if you are that ill, perhaps you should go to the ER?

[[Ti...]]

Poppins was on lorazepam for 10 years and is almost off and doing great!