Please explain your windows and/or waves

Hi BB’s,  I’m wanting to know what you consider a window.  I am a little over 2 months benzo free and I don’t think I am getting any real windows.  Perhaps I am expecting too much and I am having small windows.  Do you consider a window when you only feel like you are 75% dying ??  Because if that’s a window, I find it unacceptable and won’t consider it as such!

 

I’m not trying to be super negative here...I just want to compare my experience to others to see if my perception of the whole window/wave thing is at all accurate.  I would love to hear that people are experiencing periods of lessened symptoms that allow them to enjoy life again.

 

Please and thank you for all responses.

 

Best wishes and healing thoughts to all!  😊

Some says a window is a break in your w/d without any symptoms. I disagree. For me a window can be with symptoms but less intense. I can function. If it is without symptoms have I not had a singel window during these 16 months 

I would love to function to 75 % I even think I could live with that too!. In my windows am I function to maximum 50 % and that is a ok window to me.  During waves it is  25% or even down to zero.. I just breath then  barley alive.I have been sick for such a long time. 16 months benzofree...4 months taper before that. And tolerance/paradoxical w/d since dec 2016...so I just wanna feel 75% again would be amazing. .

 

I got a brutal wave right before xmas. So severe new symptoms. It lasted 6 weeks got a "window" for 14 days. Now back into a brutal wave again. Last time it was physical this time physical and mentally...

Bump 

Hopper, I agree with Sundance, that windows are not completely symptom free.  I'm at 13 weeks off and will say that when in a window I am 60 - 80% back into my world, barring heavy exercise.  My main symptoms are physical pain; and when hits, drags me to 10% functionality.

 

What are your main symptoms?

 

 

Windows are moments of clarity which last sometimes a few minutes, hours, days, weeks. Waves are moments when the terror starts and symptoms kick in really hard. Same as for windows, they become smaller (few hours straight in stead of few weeks or a month). The shorter the waves the tougher they are. I am cycling through phases of few days where it’s so strong that I am only able to lie down and do nothing. Than suddenly out of the blue poofff gone and I have a clear mind only to kick in full force later that day or in the week. I am in a death wave right now.

 

And I agree with Sundance in terms of a window.

Long waves utter HELL.  Long windows great.  Not good days and bad days all mixed up.  Stretches for me.

Thank you all for the insightful replies!  May we all have more windows than waves until it’s all just one big window!  😊

Hopper, I agree with Sundance, that windows are not completely symptom free.  I'm at 13 weeks off and will say that when in a window I am 60 - 80% back into my world, barring heavy exercise.  My main symptoms are physical pain; and when hits, drags me to 10% functionality.

 

What are your main symptoms?

 

Thanks for the reply Ss24!  My current symptoms are at the bottom of my signature block.  Glad to hear you are seeing windows of 60-80% healing. I would take that right now!

 

Best wishes.

Hopper, I agree with Sundance, that windows are not completely symptom free.  I'm at 13 weeks off and will say that when in a window I am 60 - 80% back into my world, barring heavy exercise.  My main symptoms are physical pain; and when hits, drags me to 10% functionality.

 

What are your main symptoms?

 

Thanks for the reply Ss24!  My current symptoms are at the bottom of my signature block.  Glad to hear you are seeing windows of 60-80% healing. I would take that right now!

 

Best wishes.

 

Ah, yes, very familiar with several of those symptoms. Hoping your window comes immediately, Hopper!

 

Ss24

Hopper, I agree with Sundance, that windows are not completely symptom free.  I'm at 13 weeks off and will say that when in a window I am 60 - 80% back into my world, barring heavy exercise.  My main symptoms are physical pain; and when hits, drags me to 10% functionality.

 

What are your main symptoms?

 

Thanks for the reply Ss24!  My current symptoms are at the bottom of my signature block.  Glad to hear you are seeing windows of 60-80% healing. I would take that right now!

 

Best wishes.

 

Ah, yes, very familiar with several of those symptoms. Hoping your window comes immediately, Hopper!

 

Ss24

 

Has you tinitus gone away or at least gotten any better?  It’s probably my most nagging continuous severe symptom right now.  It just never seems to let up...It can be quite maddening sometimes!

I didn’t have my first glimpse of a window until well into month 3 and then it was hours rather than days. I would describe windows as being a significant reduction in most or all of your symptoms, to where you “feel like your old self”. My thinking seems clearer, my mood is normal, all of the extreme anxiety and depression has gone, I have more energy, dizziness settles. I’d say I feel about 90% back to normal, sometimes I still have a few background symptoms like a bit of head pressure or tinnitus, but it’s usually very faint so doesn’t disturb me. I love windows, I only get them every 3 months or so.

Window for me is when I have no anxiety  stupid thoughts and thinking about sx !!