Three Years Post Benzos & Thriving

Hello friends,

 

It has been a long, long time since I posted here, which is a blessing, in and of itself.

 

My story with benzos is long and grueling, and I'm not going to get too into it, because I'm living in the now, and free of most of my past trauma. I'm currently writing a research paper on benzos for a class I'm in on addiction studies, because the textbook is totally outdated, and because I survived my journey with benzodiazepines and am now very well.

 

How I finally succeeded just coming off benzos required a nine month, daily liquid micro taper. It was the hardest thing I've ever done, getting off this drug. I went fully insane, to say the least, with prior attempts. So I will always advocate that people do it slow. I was completely disabled with 95% of the possible symptoms one can experience. Mental, emotional, and physical.

 

It was a very dark time of my life, and I'm sending you compassion if you are reading this from the depths of your own benzo suffering. You are not alone, you are not crazy, you can heal. I was a pretty bad case, bedridden, struggling. I struggled also for years with benzodiazepine withdrawal syndrome.

 

That is, until I found the DNRS program about a year ago. It's called the "Dynamic Neural Retraining System," a neuroplasticy based healing program that changed my entire life. There are many such programs now, DNRS is only one, but it truly worked for me. I have no affiliations and I am not promoting anything, but if I didn't share what worked for me, I'd be lying. And it was through another forum I found it, in the first place.

 

Backing up a bit, a little over a year ago I came down with that virus that was going around the globe. It resulted in the worst setback of my benzo recovery. I now see it as the best thing that ever happened to me. I had managed to get up to about 50% functionality post benzos. I still suffered from so many challenging symptoms, though, my life was still very hard and very limiting. I could only work very part time, I wasn't really living much at all, I was deluding myself to just do the best I could with what I had at that time.

 

Covid rocked me, I felt worse than I probably ever had, and several after months with long haul, I still wasn't getting better. I now know it caused inflammation storms in my brain and damaged the receptors I had worked so hard to heal, post benozs, trauma, and other related illness. One day, I was lying on my porch in my little yellow reclining Adirondack chair. Because I now had POTS and couldn't stand up much, or hardly walk even, once again. Feeling a lot like I was back in acute benzo withdrawal.

 

I rationalized that so many people have this issue now. I came to understand my Benzo brain wasn't just a result of benzos, I knew that a lifetime of extreme trauma, benzodiazepines abuse, and other triggers had created this hypersensitive nervous system I was still trying to heal. I knew that's why I got long haul, because something was messed up with the stress response in my brain, which messed up my immune system and body's ability to heal.

 

It wasn't great before benzos, which is why I needed them in the first place. The first time I took them it was like I could finally breathe and relax, the problem was, that relaxation wasn't real. It was chemically induced, and came with a high price, and that just created more damage in my CNS (central nervous system). Which resulted in tissue dependence on what I know understand to be one of the most addictive drugs on earth.

 

Something shifted in me, that day, looking up at the beautiful blue sky, with the golden sparkling sun, and the white fluffy clouds. Listening to the birds singing. I felt total peace and even joy, I tapped into some kind of awe and wonder, and I just surrendered to it all. The setback, the re-injury, where I was at once again in my recovery. I just somehow Knew, deep within me, that someday, somehow, there would be a cure for me. I felt a ray of hope.

 

I figured, that with so many people now having long haul covid (the symptoms of which were remarkably similar to benzo wd syndrome), some kind of cure or treatment, someday, somehow would come along. I opened myself to the possibility of that happening, and decided I could find joy in the meantime, in simple, beautiful moments like these. One silver lining to benzo wd syndrome is that we learn to appreciate the little things, after all.

 

Five days later someone posted in long haul a forum I was part of, that they had done DNRS, and made a full recovery. I instantly knew it was for me. That deep inner knowing hit me. It wasn't the solution I had thought would come (a medication, perhaps) but as I watched the testimonials I just knew it was what I needed to do. I dove right in. It was challenging, but at two years since jumping off benzos, I was completely leveled by the covid re-injury and I had nothing left to lose. I went full force in to the program. It's the best decision I've ever made in my life and it changed my entire world.

 

I no longer suffer from benzodiazepine withdrawal syndrome.

 

I'm crying tears of joy as I type that out.

 

I live a life of freedom. I have no fear of setbacks. I got covid again last fall, and with DNRS, came out of it healthier than I've ever been. Over 20 chronic health challenges I once suffered from have been fully resolved. These include food sensitivities, light sensitivities, sound sensitivities, electronic hypersensitivity, people sensitivities/issues with human contact, medication sensitivities, supplement sensitivities, multiple chemical sensitivities, heat/hold sensitivities, extreme anxiety, depression, panic, CPTSD, agoraphobia, insomnia/sleep challenges, extreme dissociative disorders, chronic fatigue, histamine reactions, allergies, POTS, chronic infections/colds/flus, chronic pain, gallbladder sludge/issues and liver disease (both GONE), IBS, adrenal fatigue, and an overall terror of life and other people.

 

That's right, they are all gone. I now have one remaining health challenge (hormonal issues) that I know will heal over time. I am able to take a couple simple medications and live pain free during my cycle, now, with no reactions and no issues. It's well managed and I could live with it long term if I have to.

 

My life has expanded from being bedridden with benzo wd syndrome, which I now see as being stuck in a chronic maladaptive stress response that led to all kinds of chronic illness (benzos damage our nervous system and precipitate this), to living a full rich life that is so wonderful I have a hard time slowing down. Now that I am mostly in the relaxation response, my whole body can and is finally healing.

 

I go from 6am-10pm full of life, joy, energy, and peace. I have had a spiritual awakening and become a deeply spiritually fulfilled woman. I am active in multiple communities, work part time, and go to school part time. I exercise daily, multiple times a day, and it gives me more energy. I eat what I want, and am on a high carb diet. I can have sugar and caffeine even.

 

I communicate with over ten people a day, have healthy thriving friendships, mentor other women, and am able to ask for and receive help, love, and kindness. I even have a budding healthy romantic relationship and can connect to this person deeply emotionally, mentally, and spiritually in a way that was never possible for me before (fear of intimacy).

 

Benzos and trauma disconnected me from the world. DNRS helped me reconnect to the world and feel safe in it (for the first time in my whole life), and I am really starting to thrive and looking forward to a wonderful life. Surrendered to God's plan and timing without fear of the present or the future.

 

My life gets better and better and I spend most of my days totally at peace and content with life on life's terms. My only current challenge is slowing down and learning how to build a healthy balanced life for myself. Because I am having such a beautiful time living I don't want to miss out, and so now I get to learn how to live. That wasn't the case even before benzos. I know I can face anything life throws my way with my new tools.

 

I won't tell you what's right or wrong for you, but I will tell you that the DNRS program helped me save my life. It required me to stop obsessing over benzo wd syndrome and start shifting the thoughts in my brain, to practice feeling good.

 

It took everything I had to do it, but it was worth it all. I am happy, joyous and free and loving my life, even when it's challenging. My emotions are regulated and balanced and guide me. I live in a flow with life, riding its ups and downs, within a healthy range.

 

I pray that you all find what works for you, whatever that is, so you too can heal. We all deserve this.

 

Blessings to you all for a safe and full benzo recovery. 

 

 

What a wonderful account of healing. Can you share more about where to access this program? Thank you so much for sharing this. Ironically, another benzo warrior told me about how this program helped him earlier today. So this feels like a message from the universe to me. I do have one question -- can this program be done while a person is still tapering another medication? I contacted a hypnotherapist recently and found out that cannot be done while tapering. Who knew. Many thanks in advance for the info. I have been off benzos for almost seven months and struggling.

Rose23, thank you for coming back to share your incredible journey of healing, and I'm so happy you shared what worked for you and I'm interested to hear your answer to the question Rebecca29 has asked, I'd love to see more of our members find what you have.

 

It was so good of you to remember us, we need people like you, people who have recovered to give others hope. 

Hi Rose,

What an outstanding success story - how long did it take for the DNRS program to work?

 

Thanks again

What a wonderful account of healing. Can you share more about where to access this program? Thank you so much for sharing this. Ironically, another benzo warrior told me about how this program helped him earlier today. So this feels like a message from the universe to me. I do have one question -- can this program be done while a person is still tapering another medication? I contacted a hypnotherapist recently and found out that cannot be done while tapering. Who knew. Many thanks in advance for the info. I have been off benzos for almost seven months and struggling.

 

Hi Rebecca. The website for DNRS is https://retrainingthebrain.com. I know there is another program that is similar called "Gupta" in case you want to check out options. I know in DNRS many people end up getting off all kinds of medications and how I personally feel is I WISH I was in this program while tapering. What I might suggest is if you do it, you pause your taper if possible just while learning the ropes and getting the whole thing down (involves a daily practice and some mental shifts), and then resume your taper after a couple weeks or so. That could be a good way to do it so you aren't overwhelmed. I think it would be a wonderful tool to have for any kind of med taper. They have their own forum (DNRS) and lots of helpful tips there too and you can search posts from people who have successfully gotten off meds (including benzos) in the program.

 

Wish you the best.

Hi Rose,

What an outstanding success story - how long did it take for the DNRS program to work?

 

Thanks again

 

DNRS started helping me immediately, even while taking the 4 day online training (pre-recorded you can go at your own pace and they just re-made/updated the whole program after 11 years of success). My mood shifted immediately from learning and starting the little daily practice. I had hope for the first time in years and hope is very healing, itself. I had many wonderful and amazing healing shifts happen over the last year. I became able to go for walks, for example, after being stuck bedridden for months from my setback, barely able to go anywhere even the toilet, within a couple weeks I think. Recovery looks different for everyone, but even the mental shifts were worth it, and for most people the mood improvements happen first, and the fastest. I recommend this program to many friends and family and they are having great results as well. I had to try everything else first, and it seems most of us do there.

Hi Rose,

What an outstanding success story - how long did it take for the DNRS program to work?

 

Thanks again

 

Hi, how long it took is a hard question to answer. I had some big shifts right away, esp with mood and mobility. I had a lot of success and got better and better every month. Some things healed very quickly, others took more times and it looks different for everyone. But within weeks I was going to long walks outside after being almost totally bedridden. I was happier, hopeful, peaceful, and having amazing health shifts weeks after week, month after month until I no longer identify with illness of any kind really. It's not just healed my illnesses it's given me a whole new existence and mental outlook that has made my life wonderful. Overall. It's normal to wonder how long it will take, will it work, all that. There are many benzo and covid recovered people who have succeeded, not just me.

Amazing - you should be so proud of yourself for taking such an active role in your recovery. How long do you think it took before all symptoms had subsided? Sorry for the Spanish inquisition. I've just started a similar program.

I would love to know where you got your DNRS  training program from.There are so many out there.Thanks in advance.

Thank you Rose. Thank you so much for coming back and sharing your story, your amazing recovery, & healing, & more!

 

I am so happy for you . So very happy. Enjoy life & your happiness & peace. 

 

 

Wow, thank you so much for coming back to share your story. It filled me with hope. I will most certainly look into DNRS. I wish you the most beautiful life