Is it possible to work while withdrawing

[Guest [...]]

 

 

I am feeling so sad I love working always have and now I cant im so sad want to cry.  Looked at the jobs this morning something that once would have been nothing to me and now I can't.  Will I ever work again or is this it oh how I hope not.

 

 

Lizzy

[[...]]

I've worked the whole time.

 

It has been...difficult, but it's possible. My job performance suffers greatly when my witdrawal gets bad, but it's never gotten to the point where I couldn't do my job at all, just not well. I haven't been doing too bad lately, though, and though I still have some anxiety/insomnia my job performance is as good as it would be if I wasn't withdrawing.

[Guest [...]]

Thanks Trig havent worked for a while looked at the jobs this morning and wanted to cry maybe its just a confidence thing.  I dont know.  Glad to hear you are doing so well.  Have you finished tapering yet. 

 

 

Lizzy

[[so...]]

Hey Liz,

I've never missed a day but there have been MANY days that the only way I hit through them was by the grace of God!  I can remember coming home from work  but had no recollection of what happened that day. To say thus has not been torture would be an understatement.

 

The lOnger I'm off Benzos the worse I feel but this appears to be fairly typical for someone that went c/t. Oh well...here's hoping we all recover soon.

[Guest [...]]

hey soonerdean

 

Im glad you got through it and its funny how you just do what you can do isnt it.  What symptoms do you have and why is it that once off you now feel worse.  How long do you think it takes im hearing 18mths to 2 yrs to recover oh my goodness how will we all survive but somehow we do.  Thanks for responding.

 

 

Cheers

 

Lizzy

[Guest [ja...]]

sure is, i am up and active everyday!

[Guest [...]]

hey Janedoe

 

That is awesome well done.  You had what i had i was on 4mg of xanax and crossed directly over to 45mg of valium however i came down to 2.5 in 18 days so there was no way i could have worked and still couldnt until im off completely.  Oh Im glad your side effects are minimal i do get depressed but only when i think what has happened to me because of these drugs.

 

 

Cheers

 

Lizzy

[Guest [ja...]]

we shall see how this major cut will do to me in the next 4 days....that is a FAST taper! wow!!

[Guest [...]]

Can be done however i was in hospital for it with constant blood pressure monitoring and everything but seriously i thought i was going to die but when i arrived at hospital on 4mg of xanax i was suicidal and crying so much like could not stop the full story is on my blog called Down but not Out.  What mg are you on now? and how big are you cutting it.  To tell you the truth the 3 weeks i was coming off it i felt better by the day go figure no withdrawal symtoms at all until i stopped.  Crazy hey.

 

Lizzy

[Guest [ja...]]

i went from cutting to 1.25 xanax four days ago to 0 mg xanax tonight.

 

im at 45 mg V only.

[Guest [...]]

Hey Lizzy,

 

I think the deciding factor is exactly what type of work you do.

 

Some people basically work alone in an office at a computer. Of course one could struggle through that as long as the brain fog wasn't severe.

 

My only option is supply teaching and I know the kids would slaughter me. It is much harder than being a regular teacher which I was in the past. The kids are terrible to supply teachers - even at a preschool level. I've watched it. They would have me in tears in no time. I once read, years ago, that a larger than average percentage of teachers only survive on Valium. At the time, that didn't mean much to me!

 

I believe that the jobs in which you are performing in front of people all day would be the hardest because you have to project your personality and take charge.

 

If you were a brain surgeon, you'd be up shits creek, so to speak! 

 

Xana

[Guest [...]]

ahahahah Xana love it up shit creek without a paddle thats were we are at lol.

 

Hey Im a Social Welfare Worker I deal with peoples issues go into there homes and tell them how to live their optimum life what a joke maybe some of them can come and help me now because im sure 12 years of giving my positive energy to them caused my downfall along with a host of other things.  anyway not to worry ill bludge of hairy one for a little longer. 

 

Lizzyxx

[[Be...]]

I worked through a previous K taper (1/8th to 1/16th pill cut), but it was very difficult. This time (my last time), I'm going slower by using water titration. So far, it has been better but still not easy. For the most part though, my job is not very stressful, and that helps quite a bit.

[[an...]]

I also worked during a previous lorazepam taper.  I tapered very slow using the water titration to avoid the symptoms.  It worked better than I thought it would.  I am a teacher, so it was important that I kept the symptoms to a minimum.

 

I am again tapering lorazepam and working.  The taper is going well for the most part.  Back in December the symptoms were so bad I couldn't even go to a store without feeling like I would pass out--I was very worried about starting back at work in January.  I tend to get very high blood pressure spikes which make me very dizzy. 

 

I have been doing well for the last month and a half.  Today was horrible.  All of the old symptoms were back--high blood pressure, heart flutters, anxiety, a feeling of being off balance, etc.  I even upped my dose of lorazepam and it did not help.  My biggest concern is the high blood pressure.  I just want to be off of this drug for good.  I did have a few drinks over the weekend, so maybe that is why I felt so bad today?

 

 

[[ws...]]

it depends on what you do for work......anything that requires thinking, ambition and aggressiveness with focus i would say no way.  First off your mind is fogged, lack of sleep, anxiety, DP/DR makes you disconnected from everything meaningful in your life, apathy and laziness, pounding heart, and aches and pains all over.

 

So i say no...I say most of us atre temporarily handicapped.

 

Andy

 

 

[Guest [...]]

Andy hey there

 

I think you are right may need the disability sticker for my car real soon.  There is no way at them moment i could hold down a job not my kind of job anyway.  Dont know from one day to the next how im going to be.  Id be sacked day one and that would be for not showing up.  Andy whats your story and how r  u doing?

 

 

Lizzy

[[no...]]

For me, not working hasn't been an option, and in my case, being distracted and around people has been the one saving grace. I am always convinced in the morning that theres no way in hell I can make it through the day, much less work. But, for four months of taper, and six months of w/d, I have. Not easy, but for me, way easier than staying at home obsessing over my fear....which is what i do on my commute and any time I am home alone. my symptoms have been fierce at times, but I never collapsed, only ran into a few walls. now the physical is pretty much over, and the mental is still large, but I keep reminding myself that its only fear talking, and my thoughts are not real or dangerous.

north

[[ve...]]

hey soonerdean

 

Im glad you got through it and its funny how you just do what you can do isnt it.  What symptoms do you have and why is it that once off you now feel worse.  How long do you think it takes im hearing 18mths to 2 yrs to recover oh my goodness how will we all survive but somehow we do.  Thanks for responding.

Cheers

Lizzy

 

That figure is 6-24 months for a full 100% recovery.  However, many feel 75 or 80% by 3-6 months off the benzo, some a little sooner.  Percentages and estimates of how one is feeling are subjective of course.  That being said, I could not have been very productive in the first two months off but by about 3-4 months, the cog fog and other symptoms were low enough to be able to do many tasks well. Others just have to do the best they can while they gradually get better if taking a break is not an option.  I think the toughest period is that first couple months though, plus during occasional setbacks (usually a few days to a week) which can happen pretty much any time in that first year off.  Then again, that's what happens when you get a flu or virus, have a setback so it's not so bad.  I think it can be particularly rough for those who do c/t.  By the way, I bumped up the c/t thread this afternoon and it's back on the first page of this withdrawal support section now for those who might be interested.

 

 

Vertigo

[Guest [...]]

hey vertigo will go check the threat out now so basically by the time im 50 i should be ok hahahah oh how sad.  what the hell am I supposed to do in the meantime it really sucks.

 

no way no how could i work at the moment just looking at the job section in the paper made me feel totally crap.  heading to cold turkey now.

 

 

Lizzyx

[[ve...]]

hey vertigo will go check the threat out now so basically by the time im 50 i should be ok hahahah oh how sad.  what the hell am I supposed to do in the meantime it really sucks. no way no how could i work at the moment just looking at the job section in the paper made me feel totally crap.  heading to cold turkey now.

Lizzyx

 

Hi Lizzy, whether you're 50 or 39, today is the first day of the rest of your life .

 

V

[[lo...]]

Howdy...I have worked as an ER nurse all through my taper....it was a challenge,

but I went real slow....I also found that work helped get my mind off of obsessing

about my symptoms...it was rough in spots, but I made it....it also helped that

I HAD to work...no choice in the matter.....focus and determination and a wee bit

of patience with myself helped a lot.

[[ve...]]

Howdy...I have worked as an ER nurse all through my taper....it was a challenge,

but I went real slow....I also found that work helped get my mind off of obsessing

about my symptoms...it was rough in spots, but I made it....it also helped that

I HAD to work...no choice in the matter.....focus and determination and a wee bit

of patience with myself helped a lot.

 

Very impressive that you could do that Pema.  My wife and I just finished the third season of "Nurse Jackie", showtime series.  Have you seen it?  ER nurses sure do work hard.  Of course the series also tells an interesting story of other addictions.

 

Vertigo

[Guest [...]]

Perma

 

that is awesome that you were able to do that and you are right if you have no choice its scary i could not work at the moment at all wonder if i had to could I??? seriously dont know if i could.

 

Hello Vertigo love how i keep seeing you

 

Lizzy

[[lo...]]

I guess we all do what we have to do to survive.....by the way Vertigo....I love Edie Falco....

But that show is completely inaccurate.....we bust our butts in my busy urban ER for 12 hours

at a time.....very little time to pee much less lounge around and chat like they do on most

Tv nursing shows. Her character also does things WAY out of her scope of practice....most hospitals wouldn't tolerate

that. And personally, i hate the stereotype of the drug-addled nurse....yes there are

some, but doctors figure into that mix, too..... in 27 years in ER I have come across 5-6 RN'S

who were on-the-job addicts, so it is not as widespread as Tv would have you believe. And that's a

good thing!

 

I am very glad I am good at my job and know my stuff .....I think that is why I did Ok during

my taper and beyond..... my job is pretty "cookbook".....not a whole lot surprises me at this

stage.....I think working in some fashion helps one not obsess about their symptoms....helps

us stay at least a wee bit centered on this crazy benzo ride...

[[os...]]

How are you doing now Pema? What was post taper like for you initially? Would you mind sharing?

 

Edit: Sorry, just had to read back on your posts, so glad things are markedly better for you, long may it continue.

 

Oscar