Who is 5+ months off?

[[...]]

As we roll into December, I am exactly five months benzo free. Time has gone by surprisingly fast, but not fast enough. I am still suffering, although I have made progress. My symptoms include:

 

anxiety

agoraphobia

anhedonia/apathy

obsessive tendencies

adverse reactions to caffeine, alcohol, nicotine, etc

mild insomnia

memory loss

difficulty concentrating

occasional DP/DR

intolerance to exercise

moments of despair

fatigue

 

I have flatlined and somewhat stabilized. I am constantly feeling low and slightly 'off.' My major mood swings, overwhelming suicidal depression, and MAJOR fatigue have left. I still have a long way to go... Who here is around 5+ months off? I have heard some people turn a corner after 6-7 months? Has this been the case for you? What do I have to look forward to?

 

Keeping my fingers crossed

[[Co...]]

JC....thank you for your concise and clear post ...I am not at 5months...in fact I am still holding a. .0312 x 1 /day of ativan, but your initial dose and time on are similar to my signature line. I was doing very well at the bottom of my taper with strings of very tolerable to very good days. This week I seem to have returned to s/x similar to your list...I am trying to figure out if I am now actually in w/d ...or possibly tolerance(?)  to my tiny dose. Because I have felt as though I have had benzo flu for most of this week I had considered going back up to a therapuetic dose ( I am a total wimp and have low threshold for taper discomfort). Your post has encouraged me to stick with my plan to jump on Jan 1....

............I have heard many BBs say that they do begin to turn a corner somewhere between 6-7 months. I hope this is true for you...you have done a great straight forward taper....congratulations for reaching 5 1/2 months....wishing you an easy slide from here to the finish.....cooperten

[[Co...]]

JC...there is a great thread started by WiseWomanWithIssues ..just for those who have recently jumped...I think you would find it helpful for your question...find it listed just above your topic ..

[[Te...]]

I hit six months on Nov. 26. I was feeling better and then bad and then better.

 

I don't know where it came from but today has just been totally awesome. NO SYMPTOMS! I've gone on my morning walk, had lunch with my wife at Five Guys (I haven't eaten burgers and fries in more than six months), then we wandered around Target for about 45 minutes and I had NO anxiety, NO nervousness around people, no d/p, no d/r, nothing. I felt NORMAL.

 

I came home and worked on pruning trees for winter. Now, I'm just resting up and savoring how GOOD today has been. This is absolutely the best day I've had since I jumped c/t on May 26.

 

So, I hope this is the famous "6-month turning a corner!" If it's not, and it gets bad again, well, I can live with it because I know I'll have another day like this -- eventually.

 

For now, I am savoring every damn minute of this glorious day!

 

[[...]]

Good for you, Tex

I was worried about you when you decided to quit the bourbon. Are you still on the wagon?

 

Rosa

[[...]]

I hit six months on Nov. 26. I was feeling better and then bad and then better.

 

I don't know where it came from but today has just been totally awesome. NO SYMPTOMS! I've gone on my morning walk, had lunch with my wife at Five Guys (I haven't eaten burgers and fries in more than six months), then we wandered around Target for about 45 minutes and I had NO anxiety, NO nervousness around people, no d/p, no d/r, nothing. I felt NORMAL.

 

I came home and worked on pruning trees for winter. Now, I'm just resting up and savoring how GOOD today has been. This is absolutely the best day I've had since I jumped c/t on May 26.

 

So, I hope this is the famous "6-month turning a corner!" If it's not, and it gets bad again, well, I can live with it because I know I'll have another day like this -- eventually.

 

For now, I am savoring every damn minute of this glorious day!

 

Great to hear, Tex . Hope the good days continue for you.

[[Te...]]

Rosa,

 

I have a hefeweizen (wheat beer) on occasion, but not enough to have any impact on me. My days of hanging out with Jim Beam are behind me, though, and drinking bourbon was the problem for me. I think my mental clarity has come about because I quit drinking bourbon on a daily basis.

 

Thank you for your concern and interest!

 

Tex

 

[[In...]]

I hit six months on Nov. 26. I was feeling better and then bad and then better.

 

I don't know where it came from but today has just been totally awesome. NO SYMPTOMS! I've gone on my morning walk, had lunch with my wife at Five Guys (I haven't eaten burgers and fries in more than six months), then we wandered around Target for about 45 minutes and I had NO anxiety, NO nervousness around people, no d/p, no d/r, nothing. I felt NORMAL.

 

I came home and worked on pruning trees for winter. Now, I'm just resting up and savoring how GOOD today has been. This is absolutely the best day I've had since I jumped c/t on May 26.

 

So, I hope this is the famous "6-month turning a corner!" If it's not, and it gets bad again, well, I can live with it because I know I'll have another day like this -- eventually.

 

For now, I am savoring every damn minute of this glorious day!

 

Wow, whatta day! Enjoy the first of many to come!

[[Ri...]]

What do I have to look forward to?

 

Keeping my fingers crossed

 

JC - you have getting your life back to look forward to.

 

You have enough history behind you with benzo ups and downs that you are prepared to weather a bad storm and survive it  - so you have it made in my opinion.

 

The best part of benzo recovery is that you will appreciate your sanity.  I'm so glad that I'm not  crazy from benzos anymore.

 

Who can do this except someone who has lost it? You will LOVE being normal.

 

Your life will be sweeter than ever. The flowers will look nicer, the sky and clouds will amaze you.

 

As your emotions come back, things in the world that you see like a bird or a beautiful color will have an emotion linked to it. This emotion is the nectar of life, and is what makes recovery so sweet.

 

 

Life is better then ever after benzos. 

 

 

 

River