Cognitive Problems terrifying me

So, unlike all the people who get mistakenly diagnosed with MS while in benzo withdrawal, I ACTUALLY have MS, as well as rampant PTSD. I have been tapering steadily and fairly swiftly these past four months. Two weeks ago, I had a terrible PTSD trigger which severely ramped up my withdrawal symptoms, and I have been experiencing cognitive problems. I don't know if these problems (blanking, confusion, inability to speak with fluidity) are truly normal for withdrawal (?), a byproduct of anxiety (?), or a result of brain damage. I have never had these symptoms before, and I am terrified. I am holding my dose until I do not feel like I am going to die. Any thoughts? Did this happen to you? Did you recover?

I had those symptoms when I was recovering, and if you've not experienced them before then they're most likely symptoms.  Stress makes everything worse and if you had a PTSD trigger, I would assume its ramped up your symptoms, I believe stress is the number one contributor to increased symptom severity.

 

Its a good idea to hold your dose to allow things to settle down but I'm concerned when you say you're tapering fairly swiftly, rushing off the drug only makes us hurt more, it doesn't aid in recovery so if you're struggling, I'd think about slowing things down.

 

 

Thank you for your reassuring response, Pamster! The cognitive symptoms scare me so much because they make me catastrophize about M.S.. I am planning to hold for a good long while now, and then proceed more slowly. I'm in no rush. My desire, like most of us here, is to have the most uneventful withdrawal process possible; I don't care how long it takes. I tapered for quite a while with no real issues, then the PTSD trigger set off a chain reaction. My nervous system is bone-on-bone at present.

I'm very glad to hear you plan to slow it down, with your other conditions, your nervous system is pretty fragile. I hope things settle for you soon and please don't worry about brain damage, we're injured but injuries can be repaired, our bodies are amazing.