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My Story: 50 Years on Benzos - Now FREE!


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Hi Susie: Your story is so inspirational and always ceases to amaze your journey to freedom. I would like to ask you, if you don't mind, I assume you also had to wean off the Mirtazapine, correct? Was it hard to come off it? How do you handle sleep and depression now? I ask because I am going through a rough spot in my tapering right now with depression and insomnia. I have never taken antidepressants in my life, and I hope I won't have to resort to one; but at this point, I wonder if it would be beneficial. I have taken Ativan for 18 months only, but still coming off of it's kicking my butt. This is my second attempt.

Wish you continue healing. You are a true warrior and give us so much hope!

 

I didn't have any problems coming off Mirtazepine and have had no sleep problems since then.

 

Wishing you all the best.

 

Susie

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Dear Susie, I feel so happy reading your story, Thank you for sharing it with us because it truly has helped me tonight. I too am on the Mirtz/Remeron at 3.75mg and for me I feel it has helped me to get through this horrible w/d. I have worried a little as to how hard it will be to get off from but after reading your story I feel encouraged that once I am passed this benzo w/d I'll be able to get off of it. Thank you for this testimony of your healing. We all need to hear encouragement. Perfect timing for me, thanks so much!!

 

Love Jackie :smitten: :smitten:

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Dear Susie, I feel so happy reading your story, Thank you for sharing it with us because it truly has helped me tonight. I too am on the Mirtz/Remeron at 3.75mg and for me I feel it has helped me to get through this horrible w/d. I have worried a little as to how hard it will be to get off from but after reading your story I feel encouraged that once I am passed this benzo w/d I'll be able to get off of it. Thank you for this testimony of your healing. We all need to hear encouragement. Perfect timing for me, thanks so much!!

 

Love Jackie :smitten: :smitten:

 

When the time comes wait until you have no withdrawal symptoms from the benzodiazepine withdrawal, then it's ok to stop the Mirtazepine.  At 3.75mg there should be no problem IMHO.

 

Susie

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Wow wow wow! 

What an amazing thing this is after 50 years you are free from Benzos.

I've gotten off once before, but since being on it again for 6 years, I worry that I will keep going on because of the very scary symptoms.

Thank you for writing this and giving a person hope!

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  • 2 weeks later...

Dear Susie, I feel so happy reading your story, Thank you for sharing it with us because it truly has helped me tonight. I too am on the Mirtz/Remeron at 3.75mg and for me I feel it has helped me to get through this horrible w/d. I have worried a little as to how hard it will be to get off from but after reading your story I feel encouraged that once I am passed this benzo w/d I'll be able to get off of it. Thank you for this testimony of your healing. We all need to hear encouragement. Perfect timing for me, thanks so much!!

 

Love Jackie :smitten: :smitten:

 

When the time comes wait until you have no withdrawal symptoms from the benzodiazepine withdrawal, then it's ok to stop the Mirtazepine.  At 3.75mg there should be no problem IMHO.

 

Susie

 

Thanks a lot, Susie. This information is very useful. Did you use supplements for sleeping or never needed them?

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Dear Susie, I feel so happy reading your story, Thank you for sharing it with us because it truly has helped me tonight. I too am on the Mirtz/Remeron at 3.75mg and for me I feel it has helped me to get through this horrible w/d. I have worried a little as to how hard it will be to get off from but after reading your story I feel encouraged that once I am passed this benzo w/d I'll be able to get off of it. Thank you for this testimony of your healing. We all need to hear encouragement. Perfect timing for me, thanks so much!!

 

Love Jackie :smitten: :smitten:

 

When the time comes wait until you have no withdrawal symptoms from the benzodiazepine withdrawal, then it's ok to stop the Mirtazepine.  At 3.75mg there should be no problem IMHO.

 

Susie

 

Thanks a lot, Susie. This information is very useful. Did you use supplements for sleeping or never needed them?

 

No, I didn't take any supplements at all.

 

Susie

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Hi Susie.  Amazing story.  Thank you for posting!  I was wondering how long it took you to successfully and uneventfully come of the 15 mgs of diazepam and what was your taper method/schedule if you don't mind sharing.  I am recovering from a rough spell which hit a while back and holding until I feel confident enough to resume. So happy for you!
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  • 2 weeks later...

Congratulations and thank you.

 

I am happy that there is more support for you in England than we have in the States

 

Blessings,

 

Tommy

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  • 2 weeks later...

Thanks for sharing your story, I needed a boost today. I have been on benzos for 33 years now and doing a really slow taper off of Ativan. Your story gave me hope.

 

Thanks again and God bless you,

 

Beth

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Congratulations, SusieJ! I'm so glad for you! I couldn't imagine living your life - you know, 50 years on benzo, daily 75 diazepam (roughly equals 5 mg xanax), 5 stones, etc. And the fact that you were given these horrible drugs only to be told recently that those poison had to be avoided, convinces me further that no matter what, our future generations must NOT take these drugs anymore. Let all the healthy eating habits, lifestyle etc. be the best MEDICINE EVER, just like what I've learned, proved and experienced myself. There are too many innocent victims already. It is enough that we were the ones. Nobody should go through this anymore. We've got to do our best to educate.
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  • 3 weeks later...

Wow, congratulations!  I've been on them decades, too, and thing is mirtazapine threw me into this mess.  Was ok before.

 

Don't sleep, vibrate, don't know what to do.

They don't make housecalls here.

 

I'm impressed you did get off.

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  • 10 months later...
Lovely story SUSIE and it gives me hope as I start on my recovery,I was first given this pill by a doctor in Birmingham it was the cure for panic hangovers and any other bad feeling I had,never knew the dangers until it was too late and I didn’t know,having made several attempts to stop I am now clean for a month and starting to pick up a little bit each day with all you people in B.B. I feel positive that I can make it this time; before I found B.B. I was convinced there was no hope for me,thanks for sharing some hope susie :smitten:
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  • 2 weeks later...
Thank you for sharing!!! I am almost half-way thru and have been on klonipin for more than half my life. I keep wondering what is wrong with me and try to remind myself its the benzos, Can't wait to get to the other side. Thank you so much for sharing  :smitten:
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Susie,

Hello. My name is Annie (eastcoast62). I took benzos for 30 years and went cold turkey.

I read your intro post here and felt awful for you. You were led astray and you suffered from it. You didnt mention any medical problems that might have occurred  due to benzo use. Please read a bit of my Success Story. It might be a bit surprising to you.

 

I am glad you have survived. I applaud you for this!

Annie (east)

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  • 3 weeks later...

I read this story over and over to give me hope.  Thank you so so much for coming back and sharing.  You don't know how much it means to those of us with long tapers ahead.  I just added Mirtazapine about 10 days ago....not for sleep, but for the intense anxiety and dizziness.  I had a wonderful couple of days when I first started and then I had to cut some klonopin (less than 10% over a month) and the last few days have been difficult to say the least.

 

Can you share how long it took you to taper from the Valium this last time?

 

Thank you and God Bless!

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  • 3 weeks later...
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  • 4 weeks later...
I was so thrilled to find your story and recovery successful,  I have been on the Benzo train/ rollarcoaster ride about 37 years. In my 2nd time tapering. Last time was 5 years ago, I'll spare you those  horrible details attempting to come off Ativan/ Effexor/Wellbutrin ALL at once on my own. Bad decision to say the least. Lost 95lbs in 3 mo. Developed Chemical Sensitivities. That's it for the details..... you all know enough horror with these 'DevilDrugs' as I refer to them. Was on put on Gabapentin  then Klonopin for past 2 years. Am following The Ashton Manual method this time under my Psychiatrist supervision. It was hard to convince him to switch me to Diazepam but he has finally cooperated. He wanted to know what made the Ashton method an world renowned authority????? Aaaaaa.... That's all they did was get people off of Benzo's. Respectfully, I said to him, YOU being a Professor of Psychiatry at a University train your students how to put people on this killer drug. If YOU and your Students had to take these drugs and then attempt to get off of them, then your profession wouldn't be so quick to prescribe them.  I guess he thought about it, more and one day I went in and brought up the subject of tapering with the Ashton method  AGAIN and without hesitation he wrote the script to bridge over from Clonazepam to diazepam, and is 100% behind my decision, only suggesting I taper smaller amounts at each cut as I am so highly sensitive to everything! My problem is after having Gastric bypass surgery 16 years ago, don't know what to eat, I developed so many gut issues after last attempt, SIBO, leaky gut, adrenals barely functioning, candida in esophagus  ect. Now I read suppliments are not recommended in withdrawal from Benzodiazepines. I'm so thrilled you have succeeded. I wish you continued success, and that normal (whatever that is for any of us is🤔) will come. The best to you.👍🏻
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Susie, your story and mine are similar. I took benzos for 30 years and was forced to go cold tuyrkey in 2012. I hold no anger over this. I know now it was my only chance at being benzo free. I was THAT addicted.

The true miracle is that both of us healed after using benzos for far too long. That should give many people here hope. BWD may be awful but getting through iut may prove to be the best thing you ever did. Do NOT give up.

east :)

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  • 5 weeks later...
Very inspiring. I am now on equvilent of 60 mg of Valium or 3 mg of Klonopin. I as up to 6 mg Klonopin. I did a 7 day taper in rehab. I was told Mirtazapine wasn’t a good choice. Looking back I may have madeit had I stayed on it. I went back on after 9 mos. It was just too much. I’m back on Mertazapine and going to start the Ashton Manuel. How many mg of Diazepam did you have to taper at the end and for what period of time did you taper? Thank you!
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