Helpful Strategy

Here is something that is very effective that can help during really tough times.

In times of extreme difficulty during withdrawal, the thought of this dreadful suffering lasting months or years seemed too much to handle. A coping strategy that I found helpful was to reduce time down into periods of smaller and more manageable chunks.

Instead of thinking of having to make it through months or years of intense suffering, I found that by setting a goal of just trying to make it through the day, or through a rough night became more manageable.

Sometimes trying to make it a half of a day was too much to deal with, and I would have to break it down further into hours. When it got really bad all I could do was to try and make it until my next breath, and I found that this worked - just making it until my next breath was enough.

After practicing this strategy for a while I began to develop something solid that I could hold on to, something that was always there for me - my breath. I learned that I could always count on my next breath, and it became an important foundation for my recovery.

An important concept that is taught in survival training is to determine the difference between a situation that is life -threatening and one that is just extremely uncomfortable. This determination will help you to act more effectively.

I remembered this during my wd, and I would ask myself  - Do I have what I need to make it until the next hour?  Do I have enough food and water to last until the morning?  Yes.  Am I going to be warm enough?  Yes.  Am I safe?  Yes.  I knew that withdrawal will not kill me unless I act on my self - harm thoughts. Can I call someone if I need to?  Yes. . .  than I am safe. . . I will make it to the morning.

This strategy really worked, and I would go through this check list and it would help me assess my situation and help manage the fear and anxiety. After making this determination, I would then settle in and surrender to the process of recovery.

Each breath is a link to your new life free from suffering. You don't have to believe it,  just keep breathing and you will see.

Your breath is your lifeline. Hold on to it and it will lead you to freedom and a new life.

When firefighters are overcome with disorientation and zero visibility they get on their knees and follow the hose line to safety one hand over the other .

When we are overcome with intense withdrawal symptoms, by following our breath, one after the other, we will be led to a new life. Each breath is a link in a chain that we can follow that will lead us to freedom.

This strategy worked to get me free from intense withdrawal into a beautiful new life and I hope you find it useful also.

River

For Star Trek fans..

I would imagine I had been transported through time and space to one of the ships through some weird event, I would imagine the first few minutes of the adventure in great detail, and that either I was knocked out and sent to sickbay, or that Dr. Crusher or Voyager's Doctor would notice my difficulties, scanned me, was horrified to see the addiction, would shake their heads at the folly of our century's over-prescription of benzos, they would put me through a detox program while I was asleep, and I would jump up from sickbed fully cured... then I would go on to imagine more adventures with the crew.  This helped me get through some really bad nights.

Thanks so much River . Great Advice!!

Thanks, Riverwolf. What an excellent strategy to get through this nightmare road we are on.

What if I feel like I can't breathe?

Hi, its scary I know. Deep belly breathing exercise will help .

Take a deep breath through your nose....into your belly....hold for a count of 3...

and slowly with a count of six ...out through your nose again.

This is a good read to know what is happening in your brain...

http://www.benzobuddies.org/forum/index.php?topic=66397.msg886973#msg886973

Wish you all the best with your taper.