Ashton Protocol for benzodiazepine withdrawal--residential treatment recs?

Hello, I am in the middle of a Klonopin taper, and I am really struggling.  I am in the United States, and I am looking for residential treatment options that employ the Ashton Protocol/ Method. I am one of those people that cannot do a traditional taper without being completely incapacitated.  I am looking for treatment options that are sensitive to extreme withdrawal symptoms and tapers that need to be done over a longer period of time.  Please help.

Hello PeterLake23 Welcome to Benzobuddies

 

We are glad you joined the community.  BB is an excellent place for support during one’s taper. I hope you find what your looking for, I think most of these residential places try to take people off benzos too quickly.  I am sure you will get some advice and answers to your questions here. Withdrawal can be very challenging, I know how tough this process is, It does eventually get better.  You are among friends here, I’m sure you’ll get the help you need. All of us here have either been through or in the process of tapering.  Browse the boards and post questions our members are very caring and knowledgeable.

 

Tapering slow can help to minimize withdrawal effects.  It is generally recommended to taper no more than 5-10% every 10-14 days. This is a guideline and it’s too fast for many of us, it is ok to adjust this schedule for your own comfort.

 

I am glad you are familiar with The Ashton Manual, is a great resource for understanding the effect benzo’s  have on our body.  The manual includes a list of common symptoms 

 

I'll leave you a few links:

 

The Ashton Manual. 

Colorado Consortium Benzodiazepine Deprescribing Guidelines

What’s happening inside your brain

 

You might like to post to this support group:

 

Klonopin Klub 

 

If you care to add a signature (history of meds/doses etc) it will help members give you relevant advice.  Go to the top of the page and select PROFILE then choose forum profile then insert drug history into the text box and remember to click change profile

 

Welcome aboard

Magrita

Thank you very much for the warm and informative welcome.  I really appreciate it.

 

Sincerely,

Peter

Are you looking to cross over to Valium as Professor Ashton suggested or are you more interested in the pace of her taper suggestions?  Many of our members have discovered as she did in her later trials that her tapers can actually be too fast when we get to the lower doses.

 

What has your taper been like so far, how much are you reducing and how often?  Your best bet is to control your own taper rate, Magrita is right, more facilities will rip you off the drug then send you home to suffer, most will reinstate and do a slow taper. 

Hi Peter! My family and I talked to over 50 places around the US before I realized nowhere was going to let me do a slow taper that I needed bc they are restricted to 30-90 days and that’s rapid tapering. There is one place I heard about in Vermont from a friend in a support group called Inner Fire that looks at a year plan at their location but I have not called them as I found out about them this year and I’m at tail end of my taper. The lady who went there I haven’t heard from at all as I think they take your phone for the year while there. It also is extremely expensive from what she said. So I have no idea if this is a beneficial place or not but the only one that supposedly allows a year long taper and not a treatment center model. Even in some states where it’s deemed mental health first centers, the max time I heard was 90 days working off the med.

 

Think your best bet is letting the moderators here give you the background to see if you can manage a slow taper yourself, maybe look at connecting with a benzo coach to get their thoughts if need more support (Jennifer Leigh, Angela Peacock, David Power, Chris Paige etc), and there is Dr Josef Witt-Doerring who has a practice who specializes in helping patients do a slow taper off these meds (expensive, but he’s probably most familiar Dr in the US with all of this)- he has a YouTube channel and also website.

https://wittdoerringpsychiatry.com/

 

Jennifer Swanktowski YouTube’s are also very helpful for some people bc she covers a lot of topics thru her own journey in this and she’s a therapist so gives some great advice!

https://m.youtube.com/@jenniferswanphd/videos

 

Wishing you the best in your journey!!! You can get there, learn what you can, build a good support around you with fam or friends or these groups, and build up your self care thru this. Hugs.

 

I am currently on Klonopin (.5mg) in the middle of an extremely challenging and debilitating taper.  I am looking for information regarding residential treatment in the US that employs The Ashton Protocol or a modified version of it. I would very much appreciate all the help I can get. Thank you!

 

Hello, Pamster.  Thank you for your reply.  I just posted the above blurb on my profile.  I would prefer to do a modified version of the Ashton Protocol because I have read that sticking with your original benzo is just more optimal for the discontinuation process.  The pacing is what really makes sense to me. I am below 1mg, so the taper is kind of crushing me at the moment, and I am really not able to function. As a result, I have been looking for residential options which are really few and far between. And, from my understanding, most residential places are exactly as you suggested they just want "to rip you off the drug." I am really at a loss.  I know for enduring success this needs to be done slowly, and I need to maintain daily structure and support to get through it. If you can think of any residential resources, I would very much appreciate the help. This forum is rather amazing. The compassion and responsiveness are unmatched.

Boges 11, thank you for all the great information.  yes, this search has proved to be elusive and quite challenging -- have you heard of Oro House in LA?

Hi PL, no I haven?t heard of it. I?d just use caution bc many places can sound like a real gem until people are there. So it?s best to vet out any place and ask all the questions you can about how things are handled and if you?ll have the ability to dictate speed of a taper or if you can even stay on medicine while there working thru mental aspect of all this etc.

 

They can do a good job of convincing but as you get into details snd approaches of how places taper and their methodology it usually comes out most paces do a rapid taper snd sub in lots of other meds to keep people more ?stable? and well that can be even harder bc you end up on more meds to eventually taper from.

 

Wanted to chime back in?. Looked and saw your reply to Pamster and said you?re below 1mg. Did

You switch to Valium and you?re at 1mg or below of Valium or

Still on Klonopin?