Brad's TRIUMPH over clonazepam. Kicked its butt I did... :)

Hmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm...

Soooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo...

Long time huh??!

In ways I feel like I posted yesterday, and in other ways I know that I stayed away for so long because I felt guilty.  It's weird because once I stayed away for several weeks (in the way way WAY wayback machine) I felt I had let a lot of people down.  I felt I had to stop coming here in order to stop thinking about the bloody benzos and to stop analyzing how I was feeling all of the time. I knew one day I'd be back to post an update, and today is that day.  I know that there are many new people that I don't know, and many of my old friends have hopefully moved on with their lives, but anyone who has been a slave to a benzodiazepine for years will always be close to me in my heart.

Now the encouraging words for those of you that are fighting these medicines...

I have been off clonazepam since Obama got elected  .  I timed my taper so that my last dose would be the day before the election, and election day was my benzo free day.  Truly a day of freedom for me after a decade of living as a drug addict in a benzo haze and not even realizing it.  I have not been suffering any anxiety since I've quit my benzos.  ALL of my anxiety was due to actually taking the benzos and reflecting on this makes me furious.  The situation I was prescribed my benzo for was resolved emotionally a LONG time ago, but by that time I was a drug addict.  Everytime I tried to quit cold turkey I did not attribute the anxiety to w/d s/x, but to myself and therefore continued to take the medicine. 

So, very, very good news on not suffering from any anxiety.  Part of me always wondered why I had to take the clon since I knew that I had made peace with my big issue a long time ago.  Still don't think I should have ever been prescribed clonazepam.

However, I have suffered fairly severe sinus problems since quitting.  I got the worst sinus infection of my life several days before Thanksgiving.  It did not go away for several weeks, and it kind of ruined my holidays.  I still to this day experience a few problems that are due to chronic sinusitis, and I got hit with another acute bout several weeks ago.  I've since bounced back from that, but I still have the same few symptoms that won't go away.  I don't dwell much on it though.  I might have to have sinus surgery, but I will explore ALL options well and good before that (acupuncturist, chiropractor, quantum research analysis, etc.)!

I've continued to work with my family's business, I went to Vancouver for much of February and fell in love with the city and her people (I plan to move there in a few years and call it home), and I'm starting a part time job in the emergency room of a local hospital a week from today (to make 100% sure that I want to continue to pursue a career in the health care field). 

I'm VERY thankful to be off the clonazepam.  Once I realized I was a drug addict, the need to get off of it became very intense for me.  I do not sit in judgment of ANYONE that has difficulty quitting benzos or cannot function without them after becoming addicted.  I know first hand how they can enslave us and wreck our normal biological processes.

One last thank you to EVERYONE who helped me along my way.  I don't think I would have been able to quit without your guidance and support.  If I never found BenzoBuddies I would still be taking clonazepam I have no doubt.  I am so busy these days, but I'll try and stop back around here to say hi on occasion.   

Good Luck on your paths my brothers and sisters!!

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