Benzo Recovery As A Brain Injury

[Guest [to...]]

I've been using this analogy to explain my predicament to family and friends. They'll say: Oh, you've been off the drug for more than two years, it must be out of your system by now, how can it still be causing problems? I answer: Imagine that I'd been shot in the head two years ago, and the bullet was removed the same day. Would you wonder how I could still be having problems? It's not the bullet. It's the damage caused by the bullet. It's healing, slowly, but it's still got a long way to go.

 

People can understand major brain damage better than microscopic changes in neurotransmitter receptors.

[[hu...]]

Would it be convincing if I told the employer I had CNS damage caused by epileptic seizures (which happened because of bad reaction to some medication in case they prod for more details).  I hope it is not too trivial to be taken seriously. Also I guess the glutamate surge is responsible for many types of seizures, so it wouldn't be total bullshit either.

I'm certainly not going to mention benzos/psych drugs/sleeping pills, that might make me look like a major liability.

[[Co...]]

Considering that benzos DO damage your GABA receptors, I believe that is is a brain injury. Even my neurologist said that it can cause damage and alter the way your nervous system works temporarily. I tell people that the meds given to me for my neck injured my nervous system. We aren't lying when we say it's a brain injury

[[Ri...]]

The important thing to remember is that it is temporary - you WILL recover in time.

 

One of the symptoms of wd is picturing a future with a negative outcome - or no future at all.

 

This symptom is another benzo lie - don't let it take you down.

 

 

You are going to be OK.

 

 

 

River

[[gu...]]

I've been thinking of this as a brain/CNS/autonomic nervous system/endocrine system damage, like in an injury, absolutely. I have felt damaged and injured during w/d and while taking benzos. Always, to one degree or another.

 

I have told a few people the truth but it sounds really odd, I put myself in their shoes and I don't know what I'd believe if I hadn't gone through this myself or at least heard of this at all...

 

If family struggle to understand or believe us imagine a potential employer...they would think this maybe was self inflicted or something like that and deem us unreliable.