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My microtaper rant (last one) Negative post, sorry.


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I actually don't mind the term "microtaper." I think it's rather descriptive in that it actually says that someone is tapering at a much smaller level than the regular dry cut or even perhaps the "dropping 1 ml per day" method that is often promoted for liquid titration.

 

I could care less who came up with the term because im ok with it, and I've seen it used many times here on BB and Survivingantidepressants. I really think it's just what one gets used to and there's not a thing wrong with it. I really don't know why it's such a big deal who came up with it since it makes sense.

 

And I'm certainly no fan of Jana Hills. She kicked me out of her forum for heavens sake along with a bunch of other people. At the same time, she also uses the term "daily taper," so maybe that should be a problem too.

 

It's just terminology. I'm not a bit afraid of that.

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Oscar, may I ask, what is (or was) the initial reasoning behind not holding during a micro? I too have been taught not to hold and continue tapering, but I haven't actually started a real taper aside from testing the pill-to-liquid response in my body and two cuts (with 14 days of hold intervals).

 

Who "taught" you not to hold while doing a daily taper? (sorry but I don't like the term "microtaper"). I don't know of anyone on BB who would say you don't need to hold while doing a daily taper, and if someone did then they need their bottom smacked.

 

Oscar has had a particularly difficult taper, but that does not mean that anyone else will have those same problems. Basically no one should take too much notice of someone else's taper because what they experience may not be what they experience.

 

I mention in that very quote that I’ve been holding with 14 day intervals, regardless of what i was initially told. If you actually take the time to read my statement, you will also notice that i question the idea of not holding. doesn’t matter who taught me, it’s what i chose to do. of course, you also don’t have to “like” a particular term; it’s simply what i choose to call it. I won't succumb to answering your question by pointing the finger at any particular individual in this forum as it's certainly not my intention to cause anyone trouble.

 

I think most who have read about Oscar are aware of his particularly cumbersome taper so please don’t assume that those of us who are responding (whether or not we are new to BB) are doing so out of sheer ignorance. it could possibly be that we are simply scared to taper and are also experiencing pain, perhaps of a different caliber, but that’s irrelevant. some of us are merely relating to the anguish and are compelled to post our own frustrations. again, don’t automatically presume newcomers are unaware of Oscar’s particular situation.

 

——————————————————————————————————

 

Oscar,

 

In hindsight, I apologize if my posts here have caused you unnecessary trouble as this was not my intention.

 

I'm sorry - you appear to have taken what I said in my post the wrong way. You did indeed state that you had been "taught not to hold and continue tapering". I'm not making that up, and that is specifically what I responded to. I don't particularly care who said it, but I am very concerned that anyone would give that kind of very prescriptive tapering information to anyone.

 

You may not know this, but the term "microtaper" is a term coined by Jana Hill who owns another benzo forum. She has actually tried to patent the term, although I'm not sure how successful she has been to date. That is why I don't like term. She also does not have much support from the owner of this forum. It's also basically a non-descriptive term that really doesn't describe what it is, but if you want to call it that, that's up to you, but I maintain the right to dislike it too.

 

I also never assumed that anyone was responding out of ignorance, but so often I see people getting scared because someone is having a particularly bad time, and I just try to redress that imbalance by pointing out that not everyone will have those same problems.

 

I'm sorry that my post seems to have upset you, but that wasn't my intention. I am merely trying to put some balance out there.

 

Yes, I stated it but your question was "Who taught you not to hold while doing a daily taper?", which I responded to.

I am very concerned that anyone would give that kind of very prescriptive tapering information to anyone.
Well, it's a reality. I asked for advice and was given some, whether it was right or wrong. At least we can agree on one thing: the adviser, in this case, is irrelevant.

 

Actually I did know that. Apparently, there's an extensive Jana fan base here, I'm merely another neutral benzo-addict attempting to survive one dose at a time. Perhaps I shall proceed by typing microtaper © instead. But really, I foresee no injury in calling it that, and we are all free to like and dislike terms.

 

It's human nature to be scared, regardless of how much an anomaly a certain case may be. As I mentioned earlier, sometimes it's sheer empathy that drives us to respond with our own description of affliction, because we can, on some level, relate.

 

No apology necessary. The content of your post was not upsetting. It was the tone that rendered my response.

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I didn't really think I was using any particular "tone" in my post either. My question was rhetorical. I wasn't expecting an answer. My tone was probably more of surprise that anyone, who was giving information on how to do a daily taper/microtaper, would tell someone they didn't need to hold from time to time.

 

As for other comments on whether it should be called a microtaper – I honestly don’t care. I have my right to express my dislike for the term, and I do. When I made my comment it was as an aside, and I was not making any issue about the name at all. I merely expressed an opinion and I maintain the right to that opinion. Now hopefully that particular issue won’t end up becoming some kind of debate. 

 

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I have been following this post..and its a very interesting way to taper..and since i started out on 4mg of k and wont be down 3/4 of a mg til sat at my next cut which means it took me 3 months to get to that point..since k has the seizure med part which xanax and the others dont would it be safe to do such a taper?  And if so how do you use your scale and weigh it? and how much do you take out..say now my pills weigh out for my dose at .143 2 times a day..how do you cut..i mean do you go to .142 and then .141 and so on..i am cutting on a 2mg tablet that is scored..

this way really fascinates me and i would like to know more...

 

at least to help me get down lower a bit faster then do a cut and hold if i need too..and i have been on just this one med for 28 yrs..i am on nothing else.and i was misdiagnosed to be put on it..so i dont have the anxiety disorder or anything got that after starting the med..

 

only side effect i have now is my eyes go strange from time to time..but i have all the other side effects..like foggy brain, palps, dizziness...have had those and more for more years than i can remember..just want to stop being sick..

 

and help would be much appreciated

 

thanks in advance

 

deep

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heya DP,.....great posts and 'thanks' again for all the helpful info you (and OK) provided to me when i first got here. the 'daily taper' rocks & rolls.. :thumbsup:......bjunk.
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Oscar

 

Sorry for giving you a hard time but you are seriously torturing yourself. You've said yourself many times that you don't want this to go on for 3 or 5 more years, and I don't want this for you either. But if you look at the simple math of the last 2 years, at the rate you are going it will take decades for you to get free. And as a member of this community and fellow sufferer, I cant "support" what you are doing to yourself. however I am supportive of your desire to get free and I understand how hard it is for you, and I will be here to support you throughout the road bumps that a quickening of your taper will cause. I know how bad it is. I was on a much higher dose for years and I basically got detoxed.

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Oscar

 

Sorry for giving you a hard time but you are seriously torturing yourself. You've said yourself many times that you don't want this to go on for 3 or 5 more years, and I don't want this for you either. But if you look at the simple math of the last 2 years, at the rate you are going it will take decades for you to get free. And as a member of this community and fellow sufferer, I cant "support" what you are doing to yourself. however I am supportive of your desire to get free and I understand how hard it is for you, and I will be here to support you throughout the road bumps that a quickening of your taper will cause. I know how bad it is. I was on a much higher dose for years and I basically got detoxed.

 

Thanks Keagan.

 

I got a serious lot of thinking to do over the next few weeks whilst I hold.

 

Of course the taper time frame is ridiculous now but having said that, I do believe it can take some long term users 6 years+ to heal from this stuff.

 

The reality is that for some long term users, the road to recovery can be a long one.

 

The core reasons why I do not taper faster (in no particular order)

 

1) I don't want to become psychotic

2) I need to remain somewhat functional

3) I don't want to be more of a burden on my friend than I already am

4) I need to be able to eat

 

Basically, I am scared of losing my chit if I make bigger cuts, been there before and it's pretty terrifying, massive panic attacks and fear that escalates into terror, it's total Hell and I never use that term but when in it to that degree, nothing else describes it.

 

So, I sit here in disbelief at how slow this is, logic tells me that 2.9 mgs Valium should not takes years to lose but my body and brain tell me other wise.

 

The problem here is that I am pretty sure if I try and speed this up I will fail anyway, Matt Samet talked of being in a state of terror for what? 4 years?

 

F**k that.

 

So, for me, I can accept that this could take me at least a couple of years to reach 2 mgs by which time I could hope this would start to get better, yet despite this being the case for some, I may find the last 2 mgs just as painful and to be honest, I would then agree that this slow torture is/was not worth it.

 

The thing is, I have had a taste of how bad this can get and so slow is a preferred route but at the same time, I do not relish the prospect of taking years to lose this last amount so I am going to have to either jump on another med to help with the anxiety and yet I don't think much will touch this if I go faster.

 

The reality for me, either way, is that recovery from this will more than likely take me years anyways, I could be wrong but I don't think I have the option of going into detox and even if I did, I could be messed up for some years after, so it's not as if that is a guaranteed quick fix either.

 

Faster or slower, either way I am in this for at least 3 more freaking years and that's hard to accept.

 

I am seriously wondering if I should reinstate and forget this whole thing, I really want my life back now, I am sorry if that is discouraging to read but it's not out of the question at this point, I can pin all my hopes on this getting better at 2 mgs and stay the course but should that not happen for me, I think I would bitterly regret ever wanting off this stuff.

 

If 5+ years of tapering 12 mgs Valium does not seriously dent this then I can say it was worth it... I don't know why I get the near shakes and the burning skin going this slow, so Lord knows how I would be if I went the detox route... I think (know) I would be in a bad place for a pretty long time.

 

There seem to be no answers, whatever I do, my recovery is clearly going to take a long time, I will more than likely end up on an anti depressant and so I won't even have achieved a med free status, this whole nightmare sucks in every way imaginable and I honestly can't say I will stick at it, I have a lot of thinking to do.

 

Do I throw 3 more years at this crawling down to 2 mgs in some vain hope that the mental stuff starts to get better or do I reinstate because I know that going faster will render me non functional and i would not even stand a chance anyway... I would fail simply because I would find it too traumatic to make bigger cuts.

 

The bottom line here, years or not, I am not prepared to lose my mind to get off this stuff, the reality of this is that if a 5 year taper to a low dose of 2 mgs does not make this any better, then none of this would have been worth it, I never signed up for 5,6,7 years of suffering and no life to get off this stuff and all the while I am doing this, I am still smoking and that really worries me now.

 

Getting free of benzo's feels more like it's wrecking my health now, not the other way around.

 

I never had tolerance on the drug, so, to me, doing this seems crazy sometimes, even though I want to be benzo free... with a clear mind but that won't happen if I jump on something else...

 

I distinctly remember a lady on here who was retirement age who had been at this for 5 years and her husband had supported her the entire time and he was older, then she posted that after 5 years of her life revolving around beating this thing, she decided to quit because she was losing the last years of her life with her husband, so she reinstated and booked a holiday because she said that she was not going to allow her husband to suffer with her, they had no life because of this and I can't honestly say I blame her, 5 years out of anyone's life is a long time, especially if you are in your senior years.

 

I live with my friend who is much older than me, 77 this year and I am of absolutely no support, I can't go shop for food or anything, I tried to clean the house just over a week ago and ended up with burning arms, anxiety, profuse sweating etc,

 

I just don't know what to do any more... resign myself to the fact that the next 3-5 years will be miserable on and off or reinstate, because going faster at this, at home, is not something I am prepared to attempt, I won't put myself through that level of suffering, it's not only a horrible thing to have to go through but it's dangerous as well, I would rather reinstate than go through that mental torture again... anxiety and derealization is bad enough but I hang on, terror and panic is what I will feel if I attempt to go faster and I am not living for the next God knows how long in a state of terror... it's just not happening.

 

 

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The decision I have to make is whether or not I am prepared to carry on chipping away at this for 2-3 more years in the hope that by 5 mg Librium, I am over the worst of the withdrawals.

 

My gut instinct, based on the healing I feel I have at this point (baseline) is that by 5 mg Librium (which is 2 mg Valium), I will have burned off most of the mental symptoms... my mind is with much more clarity already...

 

I would actually not be that fearful from 5 mg Librium down... because I would pretty much know that even if I rapid tapered that last pill, it would be doable... not the route I would want to go but there was a member on here that was on librium and he jumped from 6 mg to 5 mg and then to 1 mg and then off and he was OK...

 

There have been others on the site also that said that from 2 mg Valium equivalent, things dramatically got better... I mean, it has to at some point, right?

 

I would suspect that those that struggle in the very low doses maybe tapered a tad too fast prior to reaching them, I am going so freaking slow that by the time I reach 2 mgs Valium equivalent, I should have, in theory, have given my brain plenty of time to heal from the previous benzo amounts and the last of this should not be as Hellish as before...

 

I think, for me, the 3 mg V to 2 mg stage is probably the hardest part of the taper for me, it has to break at some point.

 

I already don't feel as if I am on anything any longer... I suppose at least I am giving my brain a chance to navigate feeling less benzo during these holds...

 

As much as I think the time frame is insane... I also think it's a fact for many of us that recovery from these drugs is similar to recovery from alcohol, which usually takes 6 years to heal from, benzo's are a GABA drug and I think for some the recovery period is probably similar, worth it eventually but a hard won battle for sure.

 

If I make it to 2 mgs V and I feel things are better, then I will stick at it, if not, I will reinstate on the basis that this is taking up too much of my life...

 

NitroxGuy on here tapered for 2 years and took 2 years to heal, so that totals 4 years, much like Vertigo and many others, I am looking at tapering for 1 more year to bring me to 4 years and I should have a pretty good idea whether or not this taper is healing me as I get lower, others may say differently but then they likely did not taper as long and slow as I have... all this "the healing does not begin until we are off" is nonsense... of course we are healing if we can function on 0.5 mgs Valium... if we feel terrible on that dose, the chances are it is because that dose was arrived at too quickly.

 

The big question at the end of all of this, regardless of method, is determining whether one is prepared to give this thing years... I am sure it absolutely is worth it but those years lost to this are lost forever... and if one winds up on an anti depressant, then that's still not a med free life... but I am starting to think this med free existence may not be all it's cracked up to be anyway, life sucks in many ways and people get on meds because they are depressed and life isn't what they had hoped it would be... in an ideal world we would all be equal and happy but sadly, that is not reality, this modern life is very stressful for many and it's not always an easy life... sometimes, just sometimes these meds can make life a littke more bearable... yet they come with their own problems also... in my case, they dulled my life but I would take that over anxiety any day of the week... at least I could eat, sleep and function.

 

 

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Your tone was annoyingly authoritative and presumptuous. Otherwise, I wouldn't have bothered responding.

There will usually be a continual surge of misinformation, here and elsewhere, amongst humans, as it's in our nature (how can that possibly be so baffling?). That was a rhetorical question.

 

This whole microtaper contention is becoming quite tedious. If you "don't care", why insist on incessantly bringing it back to surface, explaining its origin in detail, and now claiming you weren't making an "issue" out of it? Many people use the term, even the thread's topic is entitled "My Microtaper Rant". Please, let it die.

 

 

 

I didn't really think I was using any particular "tone" in my post either. My question was rhetorical. I wasn't expecting an answer. My tone was probably more of surprise that anyone, who was giving information on how to do a daily taper/microtaper, would tell someone they didn't need to hold from time to time.

 

 

As for other comments on whether it should be called a microtaper – I honestly don’t care. I have my right to express my dislike for the term, and I do. When I made my comment it was as an aside, and I was not making any issue about the name at all. I merely expressed an opinion and I maintain the right to that opinion. Now hopefully that particular issue won’t end up becoming some kind of debate.

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Hi deep.

 

This microtaper business is basically a discussion of liquid tapering which anyone can learn.

 

I suppose one could do it also with the scale if the scale measures out on the decimal range far enough.

 

And there are a few people who do a microtaper with the scale who are on Valium as it's ratio to K is 20 mg V to 1 mg K. I guess that makes the microtaper on a scale easier. Etown has a thread about this as that's how he tapers.

 

You could PM him and ask.

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Who fckn cares WHAT it's bloody called?

 

When/if I get over this, the last thing i will be thinking of is what fckn method I used, regardless of HOW we do this, WE put in the hard part, not Ashton, nor Jana Hill or anyone else that professes to have the be-all-and-end-all of taper methods,

 

I called it microtaper and no, I don't care for any patent pending BS either...

 

I could taper relatively symptom free and have it all blow up at zero for all I know, people struggle at 0.3 mgs for crying out loud... there is no cure for this except TIME and that varies amongst us all.

 

1 year, 2 year, 3 year, 4 year tapers and healing times... if you are unlucky enough to be like me, it's likely to be longer.

 

MOST tend to heal within the first 18 months off... however your own taper is progressing (or not0 should be an indicator of whether you are a fast or slow healer...

 

I am pretty confident that whatever time is put into the taper can ultimately be deducted from the post taper healing time.

 

Daily or microtaper, given the severity of the situation we are all in, I am amazed people give a rats ass what it's called...

 

The whole notion that a micro/daily taper can be faster than Ashton is a nonsense for starters... just look how slow most members are tapering in the low doses... I don't think there is any difference at all, anyone with half a brain must surely know that you can't put a time on reversing chemical brain damage... everyone is different also which seems to so conveniently be overlooked.

 

Sure, we CAN get to zero in 2 years but if our own healing time is 4 years overall (like NirtoxGuy) 2 years taper + 2 years to heal.

 

I don't believe there is a zero and healed in this... unless the last mg is tapered very, very slowly a la Bart and Diaz-Pam.

 

Which is not fast... but it does prove that we can pretty much heal by zero IF we allow the brain TIME to heal on the way to zero.

 

 

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Where are all the people that tapered daily/micro that are/were Jana Hill supporters? They are not here telling us how they were healed by zero...

 

There is a post taper recovery period in this regardless of what method is used, at best we can expect to be "mostly" healed at zero, the chances are it take a minimum of 8 months to fully recover similar to mtmimi, who used the daily taper also... admittedly she was mostly healed at zero but the drug needs to be completely absent to FULLY heal (something which I have never disputed).

 

It is blanket statements like "we do not BEGIN to heal until off" which are nonsense... we DO heal as we taper but it all depends on how much TIME we put into it, if our rate is reasonable, then this is a good method, if we heal slow, tapering slow is the only answer... we still get there but it can take a long time... but then again, it can take a long time to heal once off if we rush this also, so either way, we serve our time in this and if we are lucky, it will be shorter, longer term users are likely to be looking at 3 years minimum regardless of method used, more likely 3.5 - 4 years including taper time.

 

There are many on this site that tapered for 1 or 2 years and it's rarely enough for those on many years... 3 years is what I would say would be a far better duration if one wants to have any reasonable taper with minimal suffering... the ones that felt good at zero on here took a year to taper the last mg, that speaks volumes in itself, like it or not, this takes time.

 

 

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Yes,

 

It does seem petty to get all "persnickety" over terminology when people are really going through hell. And I personally think that people have more time and energy to do that when they feel ok. Not everyone has that option, as getting from one day to the next and surviving is the priority.

 

Call it what you want as long as it gets the job done. I thought and think that's what it's all about.

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Yeah,

 

It does seem petty to get all "persnickety" over terminology when people are really going through hell.

 

Call it what you want as long as it gets the job done. I thought and think that's what it's all about.

 

 

I am not so devoted to this journey as to give a flying fcuk what it's called and neither should anyone else.

 

Many wind up tapering according to what they can handle, they are the ones who are doing this and my respect goes out to anyone that makes it off these drugs and stays off.

 

All I know, as in the case for most of us, quicker equals sicker but by no means do I advocate a taper as slow as mine...

 

I am a long term user that will likely take a loooong time to heal, I would rather try and do that with some drug on board so I can hang on to some sanity rather than get this done and suffer for (potentially) a very long time... I would rather burn this out via the taper but whether or not my patience can stick this out remains to be seen.

 

I will more than likely throw a year more at this and then decide whether to reinstate and forget this whole thing or keep putting one stubborn foot in front of the other to attain eventual freedom and complete healing...

 

Call my taper rate excessively slow, maybe it is but some that get off these drugs too soon may have to white knuckle it for a good year before things start to become bearable, this is why many relapse... getting off these drugs prematurely is by no means the end of this for quite a few... whilst we may think we need to be off to heal, unfortunately benzo's do not work like that...

 

Ashton probably makes the comment about long term users and how they should not be forced to withdraw because she knows it is probably a 4-7 year deal and in all honesty, who is going to battle withdrawal for that long? Only those that have suffered so much that to go back would literally make no sense.

 

This is why CT or rapid taper is not really a good idea at all, it's a huge gamble, some many heal in a year but the unlucky ones can still be sick 4 or 5 years later... not much different from a long taper and recovery time in many cases... the only thing I know is that we evidently do heal on the way down but it can be a long road out.

 

Personally, I think it is just a way to dilute the severe symptoms out over time so that the withdrawals are exhausted and the brain is mostly recovered by zero, this is a PROCESS and takes time.

 

 

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Your tone was annoyingly authoritative and presumptuous. Otherwise, I wouldn't have bothered responding.

There will usually be a continual surge of misinformation, here and elsewhere, amongst humans, as it's in our nature (how can that possibly be so baffling?). That was a rhetorical question.

 

This whole microtaper contention is becoming quite tedious. If you "don't care", why insist on incessantly bringing it back to surface, explaining its origin in detail, and now claiming you weren't making an "issue" out of it? Many people use the term, even the thread's topic is entitled "My Microtaper Rant". Please, let it die.

 

 

 

I didn't really think I was using any particular "tone" in my post either. My question was rhetorical. I wasn't expecting an answer. My tone was probably more of surprise that anyone, who was giving information on how to do a daily taper/microtaper, would tell someone they didn't need to hold from time to time.

 

 

As for other comments on whether it should be called a microtaper – I honestly don’t care. I have my right to express my dislike for the term, and I do. When I made my comment it was as an aside, and I was not making any issue about the name at all. I merely expressed an opinion and I maintain the right to that opinion. Now hopefully that particular issue won’t end up becoming some kind of debate.

 

I will be so bold as to say that it was you who made an issue of my microtaper comment (if you go back and read it, it was merely a side comment, which I was entitled to make). My comment wasn't specifically about anything you posted. It was a general comment based on the use of the word on this forum. I explained its origins because you are the one who reacted to that side comment. Had you not reacted, the microtaper issue would have gone no further.

 

Now maybe you will leave this go. I will not be commenting any further because this is Oscar's thread and I'm not going take it any further off topic by being a "right fighter" with you.

 

To the other people who have commented on the microtaper/daily taper issue, I have already asked that we not turn this in some kind of stupid debate. I have never said that no one should call it what they like. I merely made a side comment that I personally don't like the microtaper term, and I'm entitled to say that, just as other people are entitled to call it what they like. Had alizarin not made an issue of me expressing my opinion, no one else would be commenting. Now please let the topic drop.

 

Sorry Oscar, but I'm done with this thread. I always hate it when a person's personal opinion about something gets targeted and made an issue of the way this has been.

 

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I thought you would be glad to have this done and not concerned with what the taper is called Diaz-Pam... all I know is I want my life back, I don't care what anyone calls it, it changes nothing so why is there a debate at all?

 

It's all just a waste of energy and I don't have energy for that, sorry.

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Thank you for stating that, Oscar. Truly, thank you. It's not even worth my effort to address this lady any further. Good riddance.

Like you, I'm struggling with a microtaper, possible homelessness, chronic insomnia, and the last thing I need on my plate is some authoritative specimen trying to twist my words.

 

 

 

I thought you would be glad to have this done and not concerned with what the taper is called Diaz-Pam... all I know is I want my life back, I don't care what anyone calls it, it changes nothing so why is there a debate at all?

 

It's all just a waste of energy and I don't have energy for that, sorry.

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I have not actually read the posts back and forth, I gather there is some misunderstanding but I really have not got time for that stuff, I am just trying to get through this wave and get stable again.

 

I am not taking sides but Diaz-Pam, really, why even argue with someone who is tapering? Let it go. You are amazing at helping others, please stick to that instead of terminology, even if someone pisses you off on here, chances are it's not meant, remember we are all sick on here to a degree.

 

 

 

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Oscar - I know I said I wasn't going to comment further, but for the sake of clarity (seeing as you said you hadn't read back on some of the posts), this is all I said initially. As you can see it was merely a side comment I made, and I had no intentions of making an issue of the word.

 

I don’t care if people want to call it microtapering, daily tapering, turtle taping, or flying to the moon tapering. I just personally dislike the term microtaper, and that is all I said in my first post. However, it seems I’ve been turned into the bad guy by simply stating an opinion, and then defending that opinion when someone has taken issue with me stating that opinion.

 

Just because I’m finished my taper doesn’t mean that things are wine and roses for me, so I certainly don’t have the energy for this kind of stupid crap either. Be well.

 

 

Oscar, may I ask, what is (or was) the initial reasoning behind not holding during a micro? I too have been taught not to hold and continue tapering, but I haven't actually started a real taper aside from testing the pill-to-liquid response in my body and two cuts (with 14 days of hold intervals).

 

Who "taught" you not to hold while doing a daily taper? (sorry but I don't like the term "microtaper"). I don't know of anyone on BB who would say you don't need to hold while doing a daily taper, and if someone did then they need their bottom smacked.

 

Oscar has had a particularly difficult taper, but that does not mean that anyone else will have those same problems. Basically no one should take too much notice of someone else's taper because what they experience may not be what they experience.

 

The daily taper method is very successful and has worked well for many people. The fact that you read a lot more negative threads about tapering on BB is because it is those who are having more difficulties with their taper who are going to post the most. Those who have gotten on with their daily taper and are either doing well, or have finished, don't post very much. So the observations and experiences shown on BB are very skewed. I would really hate to see anyone be put off even trying to do a daily taper because they are scared by what someone else has experienced.

 

In my experience, and I've been helping people work out daily tapers now on BB for almost 2 years, the majority of people who begin a daily taper do very well, and have succeeded with their taper where they failed miserably on a cut and hold taper - and I include myself in that group.

 

I will be honest and say that I wish the admins of BB put more emphasis on the daily taper options, instead of just citing The Ashton Method as the "official" way to taper to our new members. While no one has actually done any actual "research" on the daily tapering methods I think there is plenty of anecdotal evidence on BB that they are a very successful and very viable alternative to the often touted Ashton or cut and hold methods.

 

Note - I am in no way saying that there is anything wrong with the Ashton Method, or the cut and hold method. There is a place for every kind of taper. No tapering method is right or better than another, but each individual person needs to be able to have all the information put in front of them so they can make their own decision.

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Cool.

 

I am going to call mine the "3 drops 3 weeks hold" method.

 

I won't have wellness holds, I will have "sanity stops".  ;D

 

:smitten:

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:) Maybe we should just call it plain Pain in the Ass tapering..lol..

 

That it is for sure.

 

I am not even sure I am going to carry on with mine... I am seriously mulling this over during the next few weeks. The whole thing just seems ridiculous to me now...

 

I kind of get why people disappear at zero now, it's not because they are magically healed, most are probably too shell shocked and sensitive to log onto this site... and who can blame them really?

 

Not sure I want to taper for years and then go through more and wind up sitting in a room for ages after until my CNS can handle life again... I am 43 now, I'll be 50 by the time I am ready to resume life at this rate.

 

I have to say, when I started this taper, I really expected to start to feel better at these lower doses but it seems to me that this exit is all about the lower doses more than anything else... and the potential of me being protracted as I am a long term user are high so going faster is unlikely to get me out of this...

 

I have a lot to think about, if I could be done and dusted in 3 more years I may consider it but at the rate I am going I won't even be off, so, in some ways one could say taper slow for years and have a life whilst doing it but it would not be much of a life...

 

Damn this drug to Hell, I never reached tolerance and was OK on it but wanted to be free of this stuff but it's looking like it's far more hassle than it's worth, some people need meds for life, I can paint a rosy picture of a benzo free life and I am sure eventually it would be but there is fighting this to get my life back but all the while I am doing that i am losing years of my life that I will never get back.

 

I will more than likely opt out... I was OK on the drug, I think it's too late for me to get off this stuff now, I can tell my body and brain is very resistant to every small reduction... and even if I put in another year at this, I doubt I would feel any different and want to throw in the towel... it's a big decision and one that I won't make lightly but I want to live again... and if that means on a therapeutic dose of benzo, so be it... I have searched for the good in this and I can't find anything to motivate me to carry on... I did like the idea of this getting better at 2 mgs but the chances of that are slim... when I see people taking more than a year to taper the last mg I just think I still have way too far to go and after 38 months at this already, I am kind of battle weary now.

 

 

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You are all missing the forest thru the trees, The only thing that matter is PROGRESS, and some very authoritive people on this thread are making ZERO. Nobody who is making zero progress is in any position to lecture to others.
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Yes I totally understand how you must be feeling Oscar. There is the possibility that this last part of your taper could still take some time. It took me about 9 months to taper the last 1mg of V, and I certainly didn’t have the tapering problems that you have had.

 

I wouldn’t normally suggest giving up to anyone, but you really do seem to have run out of puff now, so staying put with your dose for the foreseeable future might be a good thing for you. It will give you time to relax and just enjoy being normal for a while, then maybe after a nice long break of being stable you might summon the energy to try again.

 

On the other hand, maybe you might just need to taper really quickly off what’s left of your dose and just get it over with, but of course no one knows how you will feel doing that.

 

The other possibility of course if that this is one of your normal waves, and next week you will feel better and you will be more encouraged to keep going.

 

I’m sorry. I really wish I had some pearls of wisdom to give you.

 

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