How to survive acute

66 days. It was a little bit better but now so bad again. It is so terrible I could screem. I want to tell everyone I am so bad over and over. I cant do this no more. But they will panic too. I need to stay calm.

 

I cant do anything but ly down and wait. Sleep is very bad so days are long and I am exhausted. I am so scared. How long is this going to take? No mediacl help. No professional believes me. It feels I am illegaly sick. I know I wont die but this is not humane. How to cope? How can my family cope?

I know one day at a time, but there will be so many..

As I'm about 20 days ahead, know that it does get easier in a way. 20 days ago I was stir-crazy and just wanted it to end. Now I'm just depressed, but the days don't seem as long. Can you do anything to pass he time? Even something as simple as making bracelets?

Hi, I went through an awful acute withdrawal (see story, below).  Learning to distract myself, even from the most awful morbid thoughts, was the only thing that helped and I soon realized it was essential that I do so.  Distraction became my main activity every day, especially in the mornings when I had hellish mental and physical symptoms.

 

Distract yourself over and over using whatever gets your mind off your symptoms even for a few moments.  Doing this will soon become automatic. Use whatever works for you, no matter how odd or silly it seems.  I played a lot of Angry Birds, FreeCell, and watched a lot of old movies and tv.  I played with my cats, went for short drives and walks, cleaned/organized my house, etc.  I used my very obsessiveness, which was high at the time, to do this.  Later on, I could do other things such as read and socialize in a limited way.

 

You'll get through this.  66 days is still acute withdrawal, and it does get better from here.

 

Hi, I went through an awful acute withdrawal (see story, below).  Learning to distract myself, even from the most awful morbid thoughts, was the only thing that helped and I soon realized it was essential that I do so.  Distraction became my main activity every day, especially in the mornings when I had hellish mental and physical symptoms.

 

Distract yourself over and over using whatever gets your mind off your symptoms even for a few moments.  Doing this will soon become automatic. Use whatever works for you, no matter how odd or silly it seems.  I played a lot of Angry Birds, FreeCell, and watched a lot of old movies and tv.  I played with my cats, went for short drives and walks, cleaned/organized my house, etc.  I used my very obsessiveness, which was high at the time, to do this.  Later on, I could do other things such as read and socialize in a limited way.

 

You'll get through this.  66 days is still acute withdrawal, and it does get better from here.

 

 

Megan, what were your first 2 withdrawals like?

Hi, I went through an awful acute withdrawal (see story, below).  Learning to distract myself, even from the most awful morbid thoughts, was the only thing that helped and I soon realized it was essential that I do so.  Distraction became my main activity every day, especially in the mornings when I had hellish mental and physical symptoms.

 

Distract yourself over and over using whatever gets your mind off your symptoms even for a few moments.  Doing this will soon become automatic. Use whatever works for you, no matter how odd or silly it seems.  I played a lot of Angry Birds, FreeCell, and watched a lot of old movies and tv.  I played with my cats, went for short drives and walks, cleaned/organized my house, etc.  I used my very obsessiveness, which was high at the time, to do this.  Later on, I could do other things such as read and socialize in a limited way.

 

You'll get through this.  66 days is still acute withdrawal, and it does get better from here.

 

 

Thanks Megan for your reply. But I cant watch tv or play games. I cant go out. Cant clean. Only a bit on the iPad. Nothing moving. My head cant take it. I wished I could. It would be more easy to distract.

Hi, I went through an awful acute withdrawal (see story, below).  Learning to distract myself, even from the most awful morbid thoughts, was the only thing that helped and I soon realized it was essential that I do so.  Distraction became my main activity every day, especially in the mornings when I had hellish mental and physical symptoms.

 

Distract yourself over and over using whatever gets your mind off your symptoms even for a few moments.  Doing this will soon become automatic. Use whatever works for you, no matter how odd or silly it seems.  I played a lot of Angry Birds, FreeCell, and watched a lot of old movies and tv.  I played with my cats, went for short drives and walks, cleaned/organized my house, etc.  I used my very obsessiveness, which was high at the time, to do this.  Later on, I could do other things such as read and socialize in a limited way.

 

You'll get through this.  66 days is still acute withdrawal, and it does get better from here.

 

 

Megan, what were your first 2 withdrawals like?

 

My first withdrawal was easy. It was in 2004, and my doctor at the time supervised my withdrawal---I don't remember doses, times, or any details, but the taper lasted several weeks.

 

However, due to stresses causes by the sudden death of my husband, I reinstated and apparently kindled.  The next withdrawal, a 4 day hospital "detox" (c/t) in 2009, produces horrendous symptoms (kindled again!) so I reinstated again, kindled again, and ......

 

Needless to say, I wish I'd stayed off Xanax the first time....

Hi, I went through an awful acute withdrawal (see story, below).  Learning to distract myself, even from the most awful morbid thoughts, was the only thing that helped and I soon realized it was essential that I do so.  Distraction became my main activity every day, especially in the mornings when I had hellish mental and physical symptoms.

 

Distract yourself over and over using whatever gets your mind off your symptoms even for a few moments.  Doing this will soon become automatic. Use whatever works for you, no matter how odd or silly it seems.  I played a lot of Angry Birds, FreeCell, and watched a lot of old movies and tv.  I played with my cats, went for short drives and walks, cleaned/organized my house, etc.  I used my very obsessiveness, which was high at the time, to do this.  Later on, I could do other things such as read and socialize in a limited way.

 

You'll get through this.  66 days is still acute withdrawal, and it does get better from here.

 

 

Megan, what were your first 2 withdrawals like?

 

My first withdrawal was easy. It was in 2004, and my doctor at the time supervised my withdrawal---I don't remember doses, times, or any details, but the taper lasted several weeks.

 

However, due to stresses causes by the sudden death of my husband, I reinstated and apparently kindled.  The next withdrawal, a 4 day hospital "detox" (c/t) in 2009, produces horrendous symptoms (kindled again!) so I reinstated again, kindled again, and ......

 

Needless to say, I wish I'd stayed off Xanax the first time....

 

Sounds like me. First time was a joke. 2 nights of insomnia. That's it. I think there were other things, but its hard to tell. Sorry to hear about your husband. Glad you are healed and here to help others.

I am sorry you are feeling so badly. I know firsthand the horrors of a cold turkey withdrawal. Unfortunately the only healer is time. There is no crystal ball that can predict what symptoms we will have or how long we will have them. The one thing I can tell you are horrible as your symptoms are they are only temporary. There will be a time when this is all behind you...in the meantime as you have heard from others is distract, distract, distract.

Vanille,

I would suggest to you that you force yourself to get up and do some small task every single day. I know you feel awful. I did, too, for at least a month. I still felt terrible after that but I began to make myself get up and do something and it really did help. Whatever I did was a distraction, plus it kept my muscles from weakening from lying around too much. I know I sound like a drill sergeant, but Id hate to see you not make as much progress as you could.

I know you have other medical problems...so do I. In fact, mine were much worse at the time I went cold turkey. I weighed 89 lbs, could barely walk and only walked with a walker. I couldn't think straight, I was confused and fearful. I had trouble seeing, and was hearing things, among many other symptoms.  I truly believe that because I was fairly hard on myself, I prevented myself from developing new and worse medical problems. I got out of bed every day, and started taking care of my place again. I started cooking again, doing laundry...just everyday stuff. And it did help. I have become a firm believer in activity playing some role in how we heal, whether its from benzos or any other problem.

east