Six years soon! Ativan direct taper

Hi there

Over six years ago, I found BenzoBuddies. I'm so glad I did! I had been an addict after only 4 weeks of Ativan. With the support of the great people here, I did a direct taper (liquid tapering) of Ativan. It took me 4 months to get rid of it... And I've been off that stuff ever since!

Also, I have managed to balance my thyroid and adrenal problems and am now, at 40 years, happier than ever before in my adult life.

Keep fighting, it's worth it!

Cheers and hugs and much love from Switzerland,

Satasha

Great news all around, Satasha, especially the part about being happier than ever!

Thanks for sharing your story for those who follow.  I am also at almost six years post taper and doing well, too.

Challis 

Thank you for sharing your story Satasha, I am so pleased you are doing well

Magrita

so wonderful! congratulations! when did you find yourself out of this misery?

Thank you all for your kind replies!

I'd say I felt much better directly after the taper was finished, but I was still only at about 70% of what I was hoping for. Not good enough for me! 

One day I read something on Benzobuddies along the lines of: Confront your anxiety, which doesn't mean to suppress it, but to look it it in the eyes and say: "I see you, I'm not letting you control my life, so leave whenever you're ready." And then turn your back on it and let it sulk. It worked like a charm! Sometimes, anxiety tries a little comeback. I treat it like a stray cat that in the night. "You again? I thought we've been through this. Actually, you've scared me quite a bit there! But I really have no time for you. And really, we've been through this, I'm not adopting you. Go somewhere else!"

Also, I started meditating with a CD, which was and still is the only thing that puts me to sleep within minutes. The trick is to choose something with a lot of talking and very little silence - to keep your head from thinking strange things. If you're not that much into meditation, try audio books that are almost a little boring! And always get up at more or less the same time (doesn't necessarily have to be early). No sleeping in - it wreaks havoc with my system.

Well, then I turned 40 almost a year ago and it was actually great! No midlife crisis. No fears of getting wrinkles. On the contrary. I felt somehow blessed to have arrived at this age - a privilege denied to many! And I decided there and then to live the second part of my life the way I wanted it. Easier said than done, I know... but the attitude changed and it was all it took.

At the moment, I'm living at a pace I would never have thought possible before. Without any kind of "little helpers". I have twins (8 years old) (who I raise without daycare), I work 3 days a week (whenever the kids are at school), I'm studying for a master's degree (distance leraning) and I still manage to stay more or less relaxed.

And a quote I like:

Maybe the journey isn’t so much about becoming anything. Maybe it’s about un-becoming everything that isn’t really you, so you can be who you were meant to be in the first place.

Oh, this was helpful too:

“If you are depressed you are living in the past.

If you are anxious you are living in the future.

If you are at peace you are living in the present.”

Stay strong and happy, Satasha