Detox vs taper

There seems to be limited information about benzo withdrawal in the US. I find it shocking how little doctors know about it. When I asked for help to withdrawal from prescribed Benzos, I was put into a 6 day detox. No one could ever explain to me why this was the best approach or even the physiological details of the detox. No one in detox could relate to me and none of the doctors or techs knew anything about benzo dependence. This bothered me and I kept pushing for answers for weeks after my detox, with no good answers to my questions. But now I’m nearly 9 months into my recovery from Ativan. The physical symptoms, the worst of which was waking up suddenly and the middle of night unable to catch my breath, began to subside within 3 months. And then the depression. And dark, negative thinking. I haven’t been able to crack the depression yet. Could the depression be the result of the quick detox? Also looking for recommendations on any docs in the US that may have a little insight into benzo withdrawal. Thanks

Dr shipko in Pasadena California.

I went through pretty much the same thing. I am also an RN of many years who worked in a detox facility for a year. Nothing prepared me for what I went through going CT off a thirty year benzo habit. I was forced to go into a psych hospital that had a detox unit, but that unit did not have an open bed so I was put on an acuter ward. Truly a horror show. In my four days there, not a single person asked what symptoms I had. Nor did they seem to know anything about benzos. Well, I did not know myself back then, but I sure do now. Why benzo WD remains such a mystery in the USA truly bothers me.

 

Over my 7 years here on BB, I have had to make some sense of this. I think a lot of the truth is that MOST people get off benzos without a bit of trouble. Even long time takers. No one knows why but a select few people DO have terrible, traumatic withdrawals. I was one and you are too. I also have come to believe that the drug companies KNEW about this all along, but suppressed their own studies that showed it. They only published the positive stuff. To my mind, that is criminal behavior.

 

The reason you were sent to a detox is because doing this eliminates any responsibility of your doctors who prescribed the drug to you to begin with. Almost all medical professionals know benzos are addictive. Most also know they should not be prescribed for more than a month. The US government is starting to crack down on this and make it a lot more difficult. But nor do they understand the scope of the problem as we do. By making you go into a detox, that freed your doctor from any possible malpractice suits. On paper, he did the right thing. But we know it was a nonsensical way out.

Every single thing you mention is a wd symptom and very normal. BSD can be truly horrific and scary, because no one told you it could be like this. Being an RN, I thought I knew it all. NOT! In school I was taught that benzo wd can be dangerous because of seizures. That was ALLI was told, and ALL I heard working on an acuter psych unit and in a detox. I remained baffled by what I was going to until I managed to find BB. That is when my REAL education began.

 

I would like to hear more of your story and try to help you, if I can. You can always PM me and I always respond to PMs, though I no longer stay on BB for hours now. By the way, just so you know, I did heal. Took me over 2 years. But I now live a normal sort of life and feel pleasure and love and see beauty around me once again. To be honest, getting off benzos was the absolute BEST thing I ever did. I am now so much healthier and happier.

east