I think I made it through!

Hi everyone.

Maybe it's because I was only on Ativan for about 8 months and maybe because my dosage wasn't high, but after nearly 7 months after quitting cold turkey, I'm pretty sure I have made it through!!! 

Sleep and anxiety were my biggest symptoms.  It was so bad I thought I was gonna have to quit my job and lose everything.  Dark thoughts were very present in the first 4 months.The one thing that helped me the most through this ordeal was the support coming from my wife.  She was there for me all along. No way I would have made it without her.  Also, finding a psychotherapist that believed me and helped me get some time off of work also helped me tremendously. 

Now my sleep is pretty much back to normal.  On my days off of work I consistently get 8 hrs + of sleep a night.  My anxiety is almost back to normal as well.  I was always on the anxious side but never as bad as when I was going through my withdrawals.  I still get the odd spike here and there but nothing I can't handle.

I didn't have many physical symptoms.  I had diarrhea for most of the time I was on it and through my withdrawals.  At first I attributed it to the removal of my gall bladder a couple of years back but now that I'm benzo free, my gut is back to normal.  I had some muscle tightness  but that also has gone away.

I know I didn't get it as bad as most people on this forum but those 6+ months were absolute hell.  Benzos robbed me of all of my self confidence and left but a shell of me during the withdrawal period.  I really thought I wouldn't make it.  But now, if I can only help one person by telling them that there is hope for a recovery and to just hang in there, I'll be happy.

Take care and never lose hope!  There is life after benzos!   

Congratulations on making it through and thanks for your story and providing hope, enjoy your freedom

Congratulations Waterboy81! Counting the time when I can write my own success story. Enjoy your life and thanks for coming back to tell of your success.

 

Hi everyone.

Maybe it's because I was only on Ativan for about 8 months and maybe because my dosage wasn't high, but after nearly 7 months after quitting cold turkey, I'm pretty sure I have made it through!!! 

Sleep and anxiety were my biggest symptoms.  It was so bad I thought I was gonna have to quit my job and lose everything.  Dark thoughts were very present in the first 4 months.The one thing that helped me the most through this ordeal was the support coming from my wife.  She was there for me all along. No way I would have made it without her.  Also, finding a psychotherapist that believed me and helped me get some time off of work also helped me tremendously. 

Now my sleep is pretty much back to normal.  On my days off of work I consistently get 8 hrs + of sleep a night.  My anxiety is almost back to normal as well.  I was always on the anxious side but never as bad as when I was going through my withdrawals.  I still get the odd spike here and there but nothing I can't handle.

I didn't have many physical symptoms.  I had diarrhea for most of the time I was on it and through my withdrawals.  At first I attributed it to the removal of my gall bladder a couple of years back but now that I'm benzo free, my gut is back to normal.  I had some muscle tightness  but that also has gone away.

I know I didn't get it as bad as most people on this forum but those 6+ months were absolute hell.  Benzos robbed me of all of my self confidence and left but a shell of me during the withdrawal period.  I really thought I wouldn't make it.  But now, if I can only help one person by telling them that there is hope for a recovery and to just hang in there, I'll be happy.

Take care and never lose hope!  There is life after benzos! 

 

Thanks so much Waterboy, great success story, with lots of hope!! Mary 🍀

Thanks for sharing your success story and congratulations.  I think some of us absolutely needed this as a string of hope.  And there has been people who suffer for over a year for being on Benzo for a month so you certainly didn't have an easy ladder to climb.

Congratulations....enjoy your Benzo free, healed life.

 

Maybe consider paying it forward and hanging around this forum for a month or two and helping others still in the thick of WD?

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