6 Month Benzo Free Update

I am 6 Months benzo free as of yesterday.  Unfortunately I still feel horrible.  Yesterday wasn’t too bad (I may have been as good as 50%) but today I have been experiencing a lot of anxiety, chest discomfort and heart palpations (I think that’s what’s happening, I don’t even know anymore.  Maybe it is just CNS zaps in my chest like I get in my brain.?.?).  The typical dizziness is present along with the body vibrations and dysphagia and excess mucus.  Also my acid reflux has been elevated. And of course the SEVERE tinnitus is ever present.  It’s pretty much full blast these days.  It seems to have gotten worse over time.

 

I’m holding out hope that I will continue to improve but some days it’s hard.  Especially since I have been out of work for almost a year now. 

 

Best wishes!

Hi Hopper,

 

Thanks for sharing your update. 6 mos off is a great milestone and I think you will start to see improvements moving forward now.  I am at almost 2 years off and I’m much more like my old self than I was.

 

Are you out of a job voluntarily?  Do you feel able to work?  I lost my job right before I jumped, 6 days before to be exact, and it was a brutal combo.  I started a consulting gig from home at about 6 mos off which is the first I could have handled it, and I literally thought I couldn’t do it. But I could which surprised me, it just took extra concentration and patience with myself when my thoughts would scramble.

 

Hope this helps.  You are not alone.

 

Tiny

Hi Hopper,

 

Thanks for sharing your update. 6 mos off is a great milestone and I think you will start to see improvements moving forward now.  I am at almost 2 years off and I’m much more like my old self than I was.

 

Are you out of a job voluntarily?  Do you feel able to work?  I lost my job right before I jumped, 6 days before to be exact, and it was a brutal combo.  I started a consulting gig from home at about 6 mos off which is the first I could have handled it, and I literally thought I couldn’t do it. But I could which surprised me, it just took extra concentration and patience with myself when my thoughts would scramble.

 

Hope this helps.  You are not alone.

 

Tiny

 

Thank you for the reply Tiny!  Congrats on approaching 2 years Benzo free!

 

I went out of work last July on STD then LTD but in April the ins company and its doctors decided I was “fine” despite my doctors recommendation and closed my claim. 😩  I am trying to keep my employment status with my company of 25 years in a non-paid medical status. I am targeting 1 August to return but I think that’s a bit ambitious as there are still days where I’m bed/couch ridden. 

 

I do believe I am healing and I know I’m in better shape than I was this time last year. It just takes so long.  The healing is so subtle that I’m not noticing it really.  Certainly not day to day healing.  There are still many debilitating waves. 

 

There are days when I think I maybe could get away with working then I spend the next two days unable to do much of anything.  Even if my physical symptoms subsided, my job takes a lot of mental acuity that I fear is just not there yet.  The last thing I want to do is start working again with expectations of the old me then start calling out every other day and letting the team down. So frustrating!

 

I hope you are well enough to return to work on 1st August Hopper. 

 

Bloody insurance companies. 

 

Dee

Thank you Dee!  I appreciate that!  How are you since your jump?

Month 5 and Month 9 have been the worse for me so far. I am on Month 11 and just have minor DP and head pressure.

Thank you for the reply Freedom!  I’m sorry you had a couple bad months but glad to hear your sxs have improved!