Benzo Lies That Have Been Busted

[[Ri...]]

Benzo Lies

 

I was talking with a friend about the lies that benzos tell us and thought it would be a good idea to start a thread on the topic.

 

Here are some benzo lies that I previously posted on my blog and thought it would be good to start this thread off with.

 

Please add some of the lies that you used to believe and now know to be untrue.

 

This will be very valuable for those who are still under the spell of the lies that benzos tell us. My experience is that our thinking is fundamentally altered by benzo action during tolerance withdrawal and during tapering, and that we are not actually thinking – we are at the effect of chemical storms in our brains. And we think that these are our thoughts. And worse yet, we BELIEVE these thoughts. But what we are experiencing is chemical and electrical processes that occur during the body’s attempt to adjust these chemicals and processes on the fly.

 

 

Now that I am feeling better, it’s easy to see some of the lies the benzos tell us. They are plain to see in hindsight. But for those of you who are having troubles with taper symptoms, or pre or post-taper symptoms, I wanted to help you to see  some of the lies that the benzos have told me, and may be telling you too.  Hopefully, you will be able to use this to understand more about your experience and maybe you could use this post as a template for reality.

 

Benzo Lie # 1. There is no hope.  This one is nasty. Do not believe this lie. It can take you down fast. It is not true, even though it feels very true. For me, this hopelessness was a result of benzo created chemical imbalances coloring my thinking into a perceived end of time. I could not imagine time extending for more than 3 months into the future. There was no way I could think of any possible outcome at all – not even a negative one, and all of my imagined outcomes of less than 3 months were negative. If you cannot imagine a positive future for yourself, know you are under the trance of lie # 1.

 

Benzo Lie # 2. My Life is ruined.  Do not believe this lie. You are in a temporary state of withdrawal. It is an awful state, but it is temporary and you will move out of it and have a life that you can mold into what you had before or one that is better than before. When you can think clearly, you are able to fashion a life that is better than what happened to you when you were tranquilized and your life fell apart as a result of being drugged. When you are out of withdrawals and free from the effects of their symptoms, you will be in a better position to solve problems instead of having them take you down.

 

Benzo Lie # 3. These benzo effects will last forever.  I see this lie as being conditional.  The lie part is that if you are making decisions that will move yourself toward health and away from benzos, it will not last forever. There WILL be an end to the benzo-related troubles. As you get further away from benzos and their effects, the less the benzos will act on you.  If you make benzo related decisions that move yourself away from natural health and into benzo use, you may end up in a never ending loop of having side effects being confused as diseases, and having benzo symptoms being medicated with more benzos, and in turn, more and more drug and symptom interactions and more and more suffering.

 

Benzo Lie # 4. I will never be happy again  This lie broke my heart. I let this lie rob me of my dreams. I am living proof that you can totally believe this lie and live to prove it wrong. I never thought I could ever be happy ever again. I’m not only happy now, but happier than I was before I started on benzos. I feel like I have just vanquished a dragon, and there is a great deal of satisfaction in that. Now, I am happy. I am happy just because I exist and because life is available to me. There is such joy in coming back from the edge and being able to function again.

 

I felt like there was no way happiness could ever be attained by someone who is going through all of this suffering and torture and ineptitude, and now I’m happy.  I am the guy that was scared to death of my cat for 2 years. I was freaked out because the gardener was going to come on Wednesday and scare me with the noise of his equipment and today it’s Monday and I’m worried about it already. I couldn't drive for over a year. . . and on and on.

 

If you are feeling that your happiness is behind you, do not despair. You cannot absolutely know that your best days are behind you. The effects of benzo action will make you believe you cannot be happy. It is not true. After your body begins making the feel good chemicals and you are out of wd, your life can get wonderful again.

 

 

These are just a few of the benzo lies that have I have busted for myself. And there are many, many more.

 

Try this on - If it makes you sad, it's probably a benzo lie.

 

You CAN be happy again. It will feel great, and you’ll love it more than ever. 

 

 

Please post the benzo lies that you have busted so others can learn from your experience.

 

 

 

River 

 

[[ih...]]

Great post, River.

 

:highfive:

[[He...]]

Love love love this.

[[Ja...]]

Great post. Tx

[[da...]]

River Wolf, thank you for posting this! We ALL needed to hear it. How far have you come? Thank you SO much for the encouragement!!! Daisy mae

[[IG...]]

Thank you River Wolf,

 

This is a list of lies Fliprain wrote for me during a time of depression

 

Big Fat Benzo Lies,

 

1. I'm different. I'll never heal fully.

2. I will grow old and die alone.

3. I'll never be able to support myself again.

4. Why is everyone else feeling good and doing more and I'm not?

5. I tapered too fast, too slow.

6. I was kindled, poly drugged...it's different for me.

7. These symptoms  can't be just benzos. I must have a horrible disease.

8. I'm ok right now, but down the road, I'm going to have an event that sets me back.

9. My CNS is fried and will never really recover.

10. I have wasted my life.

 

Molly

 

[[ig...]]

Wow! Great thread!

Right now my brain is telling me I'm tired...and it's correct.

Will post later when another thought enters and I'll know if it's a benzo lie or not.

 

Thanks for this thread--lots of great posts in here!!!

 

All my best,

Iggy :thumbsup:

[[Bi...]]

Looking back, there were many:

 

- I would never get better, and even if I did... I wouldn't want to live.

 

- You're going to seizure.

 

- You're going to die in your sleep.

 

- You're going to smother to death.

 

- You're worthless.

 

- You're going to go mad.

 

There were many upon many.

 

I wouldn't listen to them. It def. deceptive.

[[Mo...]]

hi RiverWolf,

 

thanks good post. another benzo lie i have found is:

you look in the mirror and see an old face, ugly and like 100 years old.

when i have a window, i look attractive again , so i checked out this benzo-game

couple of months ago.

great you are feeling good again

claudia

[[Ri...]]

Lots of great posts

 

Keep them coming!

 

 

River

[[ec...]]

Thanks River wolf,a very valueable post.Very valueable.

[[Ri...]]

Thank you River Wolf,

 

This is a list of lies Fliprain wrote for me during a time of depression

 

Big Fat Benzo Lies,

 

1. I'm different. I'll never heal fully.

2. I will grow old and die alone.

3. I'll never be able to support myself again.

4. Why is everyone else feeling good and doing more and I'm not?

5. I tapered too fast, too slow.

6. I was kindled, poly drugged...it's different for me.

7. These symptoms  can't be just benzos. I must have a horrible disease.

8. I'm ok right now, but down the road, I'm going to have an event that sets me back.

9. My CNS is fried and will never really recover.

10. I have wasted my life.

 

Molly

 

 

Thanks for posting this.

 

All busted by me except #8.

 

I'm 1 year out, and I'm feeling good. It's wonderful to have my life back. I am enjoying it more than ever.

 

Every once in a while I get this thought wondering if I'm really done.

 

 

River

 

 

 

[[Be...]]

Here's one that is big for me,

 

I will be better with benzos, than without.

 

I'm in the process of busting this lie.  It's deeply ingrained.  But all the current evidence suggests otherwise.

[[...]]

You will die when you quit.

 

 

[[ig...]]

Wow--so much wisdom on this thread.

Nema, that's a powerful one.

 

Benzos own us-that's a lie.

 

We are all disproving that, one day at a time.

 

Healing windows to all,

Iggy 

[[Ho...]]

Great post!

Thanks

[[...]]

This is an excellent post. Thank you! - JC90

[[Ri...]]

Looking back, there were many:

 

- I would never get better, and even if I did... I wouldn't want to live.

 

- You're going to seizure.

 

- You're going to die in your sleep.

 

- You're going to smother to death.

 

- You're worthless.

 

- You're going to go mad.

 

There were many upon many.

 

I wouldn't listen to them. It def. deceptive.

 

 

 

 

Thanks for posting these Billy. 

[[Bi...]]

:thumbsup: :thumbsup: :thumbsup:

[[Bi...]]

Looking back, there were many:

 

- I would never get better, and even if I did... I wouldn't want to live.

 

- You're going to seizure.

 

- You're going to die in your sleep.

 

- You're going to smother to death.

 

- You're worthless.

 

- You're going to go mad.

 

There were many upon many.

 

I wouldn't listen to them. It def. deceptive.

 

 

 

 

Thanks for posting these Billy. 

 

You are welcome.

 

It'strange how the withdrawal does lie. It tells one so many things, but once you're out of the situation and into the clear... it's like it never really happened. You only know intellectually it did.

 

What it does is lie to the ego. You just have to put the ego to the side and let your body do what it has to in order to get you healthy.

[[be...]]

Boy - - I really needed this ... thank you !

[[el...]]

Another Lie:  You will never sleep normally again on your own w/o supplements.

 

Many people here have put this to rest, saying they have regained the ability to sleep on their own.

[Guest [st...]]

You will have a long bad acute WD when you stop taking benzos after tapering wisely.

 

I have to remind myself that this is a lie periodically because I've read so much that you could have years of hell or at least 14 or 18 months of it. So it's the elephant in the room. I am now working to change my thinking to " I will maybe have WD of some sort when I stop but there is no reason it has to be a bad and prolonged one"

[[Be...]]

Benzo lie:  I'm afraid.  It must be a valid observation, and I should really be afraid of this or that.  It's our brain chemistry out of whack and our amygdala is overstimulated with glutamate for right now.  It will settle down.

[[Ri...]]

Another Lie:  You will never sleep normally again on your own w/o supplements.

 

Many people here have put this to rest, saying they have regained the ability to sleep on their own.

 

ellen –

 

that lie BUSTED – sleep comes easy and is restful now. No problems.

 

And what a treat it is to sleep normally again.  .  . 

 

(as River Wolf stands on his hind legs and looks to the sky with paws raised in gratitude)

 

 

You will have a long bad acute WD when you stop taking benzos after tapering wisely.

 

I have to remind myself that this is a lie periodically because I've read so much that you could have years of hell or at least 14 or 18 months of it. So it's the elephant in the room. I am now working to change my thinking to " I will maybe have WD of some sort when I stop but there is no reason it has to be a bad and prolonged one"

 

 

Starlitegirl –

 

Do not let others be an exact model for you – we are all different. There are patterns, but they are not set in stone. You are unique and your taper will be unique to you based on many factors – try and give yourself a break and learn to deal with what is really happening and not a perceived fear in the future.

 

 

Benzo lie:  I'm afraid, it must be a valid observation, and I should really be afraid of this or that.  It's our brain chemistry out of whack and our amygdala is overstimulated with glutamate for right now.  It will settle down.

 

 

 

 

Becksblue –

 

Yes – it is generic fear from an overactive amygdala. Excellent point. 

 

You've heard of Rose colored glasses – well, we are wearing fear colored glasses. Our entire landscape is tinted with a dark cloud of fear – no matter what the content is, we are afraid of it. It is a chemically induced illusion.

 

The trick is that there are some things in our lives that we should have a healthy fear of, but we do not have the ability to differentiate between rational and irrational fear. We are just afraid of EVERYTHING.

 

But, it is only temporary.

 

You WILL be peaceful and calm again, I am living proof of that one.  Lie BUSTED.

 

 

 

River.