Am I missing something here?

Hey BenzoBuddies,

Gosh..... I’m reading about all this misery of withdrawl and detox from Benzo’s on this site! It’s absolutely horrible what we are going through for years and years!

Not to be a negative Nellie here but damn, I’m 57 yrs old with perhaps 15 years left on earth! Why would I want to put myself thru years of horrific days in bed, shaking and suffering and then after I stop the benzos, only to go thru several more years of healing only to PERHAPS feel better again in five years or so??

 

Is it only the very worst of cases that post on here and YouTube? Because if I really have 5 years of pure hell in front of me at my age, it’s just not worth it.  I think I would prefer to try to go back to 1 - 2 mg Clonazapam, try to stabilize and live my life! 

 

Am I missing something in this reasoning?

 

Looking for any opinions, comments, etc,

 

Thank you all so very much,

Mark

Yes, it is the worst cases you see online. Some ppl get off fine.

 

If you are not getting any problems on the drug I would seriously consider staying on it.

 

I was on 20 years for muscle contracture. It was fine.

 

I wish a I had never tried to come off.

 

 

No, I think your reasoning is good Mark.  I've thought the same.  Many have. 

 

I hit tolerance and became sick on my therapeutic dose with no guarantee that reinstatement would work.  Never felt clear headed whilst on them, and wanted out.  Didn't want to remain in tolerance, updose, cycle.  Didn't want to be tied to a drug. 

 

I'm now 3.5 months free from Valium and though still difficult can see improvement.  It has not been easy, but I have never regretted my decision to stop. 

 

It is a very individual decision Mark, and can definitely see your reasoning.  Personally, I do not want to take that route. 

 

By the way, I hope you've got more than 15 years ahead of you.  I'm 71, and looking at at least 20.   

 

I wish you the absolute best in whatever decision you make. 

 

Dee

 

 

 

 

 

 

Well Mark I too hope you expect to live longer. I am 74, and want me back and  be able to enjoy many more years. I was put on Valium only last year for anxiety

It never helped me, just made me ill, and so I really have little choice but to get off it, especially as it carries  extra risks of dementia and falls, as we get older.

 

It's not by any means an easy journey for me but I want a chance to get my life back. No point in a drug that does nothing for you.

 

I can see you reasoning  though, if you are having no trouble at all then it's an option to continue if that is best for you.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Mark, I as many others want to get rid of the benzo and other psych meds because we are not well with them and can only expect to get worse over the years if we keep on taking them. In the long term benzos cause depression and muscle problems, etc. and so then we are given other meds to help cope with those effects. But these bring also their own problems. So people end up losing their health and sanity in a big mess of psychoactive drugs. I saw how one of my mother's friends died and it was not nice. I want my head and health back.

I agree with your reasoning Mark except when you say “go back to 1-2 mg of Kolonopin and try to stabilize”. That was the rub for me. After long term use of Kolonopin I got into tolerance withdrawal and no matter how much I increased the med. I never again stabilized. I could not live like that. Hence, my efforts to titrate off.

 

No one knows ahead of time how much and for how long they will suffer. However, I would make two points:

 

1. The leading authority Dr. Ashton documents a controlled study of 50 patients that she did a slow and steady taper off. If you look at the results you will be highly encouraged. My analysis indicated that 94% had  a good or better outcome after about 1-2 years post taper. I will take that since I hope to be around for 30 or more years.

 

2. After much research I have concluded that in order to effect that slow and steady taper I just have to follow the program set forth at www.benzo.alwaydata.net  That was created by Jim Hawk of our B.B.  I am going at 5% daily microtaper every two weeks and I am functioning decently.

 

I simply had no choice since I could not stabilize anymore on Kolonopin. Maybe you will.

I see your point Mark.  Many of us would not have stopped if we didn't hit tolerance or maybe others were pulled off by their doc.  If benzos didn't damage my receptors that control so many functions, I would still be on them.  Sooner or later, they are probably going to turn on you.  Tolerance and inter-dose w/d.  I am 57 also.  Am 6 months off and doing better than I was while taking the prescribed dose of Klon.  I don't regret going through the pain of w/d to see my body responding and healing.  My physical and mental health has improved dramatically.  Stay off u tube.  This forum can be tricky also.  People doing well usually leave.  People healing quickly happen all the time but are under represented here. All the best to you with your decision.

Thank you all so much for your opinions. I learned a lot from each of them!

It sounds like I may not be able to stabilize by up dosing even back to original doseage. That would make continuation impossible! My current doctor would just as soon keep me on them so I will go away!

 

I also unknowingly hit tolerance ( became Very Fatigued) 3 yrs ago, thought I was dying of cancer or something.  Doc’s found nothing in two years of tests. I never thought that my occasional Valium for stress was actually kindling my Benzo fire 🔥

 

July 8th I have a first appointment with a new psych doc. I wonder what she will recommend in my situation.  I just want to feel good again...  Don’t we all?

 

It really is very discouraging when you even read the “Success Stories” and these people that are STILL experiencing horrendous w/d symptoms 3-4 years after they jumped! Geese....I drop 1/2 mg V and I’m non-functional!

 

God bless us all,

Mark

Yeah don’t worry the people who are really badly effected are obviously going to post the most often

That’s the internet it doesn’t do middle or happy often. Sometimes people who are well forget to come back and post.

Hi Mark,

I stepped off 12 days ago and I am perfectly fine, no acute period at all.  We're not unicorns, we are real! 

 

None of this was a picnic but the gains I made were made as I got lower during taper.  My body is definitely sensitive to stress, sugar is still a no go, and I don't always sleep deeply but I'm immensely better than I was during my taper, immensely better than the ten years before my taper.

 

There are no guarantees for any of us -- I had no idea what any of it would be like but I guess we make our best estimate, decide what we want and take the risk.  You'll make the right decisions for you 

 

Blessings,

-PH

 

 

 

 

Hey BenzoBuddies,

Gosh..... I’m reading about all this misery of withdrawl and detox from Benzo’s on this site! It’s absolutely horrible what we are going through for years and years!

Not to be a negative Nellie here but damn, I’m 57 yrs old with perhaps 15 years left on earth! Why would I want to put myself thru years of horrific days in bed, shaking and suffering and then after I stop the benzos, only to go thru several more years of healing only to PERHAPS feel better again in five years or so??

 

Is it only the very worst of cases that post on here and YouTube? Because if I really have 5 years of pure hell in front of me at my age, it’s just not worth it.  I think I would prefer to try to go back to 1 - 2 mg Clonazapam, try to stabilize and live my life! 

 

Am I missing something in this reasoning?

 

Looking for any opinions, comments, etc,

 

Thank you all so very much,

Mark

 

1) The folks here are NOT a representative sample.  Most folks actually discontinue benzos with very little discomfort or difficulty.

 

2)  And even folks that seem to have a heightened dependency can gradually taper off benzos with very little discomfort, if they follow a slow, gradual taper.

 

3) ...and completely ignore everything on youtube.  The misinformation there is even worse!

Most folks actually discontinue benzos with very little discomfort or difficulty.

 

I don't believe this, Builder. I see it repeated here all the time but the fact that something is repeated over and over doesn't prove it's right (although it might fool us, it's what we call repetition bias). Indeed, no one ever provides evidence. I also don't accept authority fallacies. We all know the many mistakes that authorities like physicians, health bodies, etc. make regarding benzos. I want facts. Until then I'll believe that L., a friend that died due to unclear causes after many years on psychoactive drugs including benzos, is only the tip of the iceberg. I think many others have withdrawal symptoms, sometimes very serious as L., whose true causes are never acknowledged. These people eventually heal after their mysterious illness or end up polydruged like my friend.

 

 

Hey BenzoBuddies,

Gosh..... I’m reading about all this misery of withdrawl and detox from Benzo’s on this site! It’s absolutely horrible what we are going through for years and years!

Not to be a negative Nellie here but damn, I’m 57 yrs old with perhaps 15 years left on earth! Why would I want to put myself thru years of horrific days in bed, shaking and suffering and then after I stop the benzos, only to go thru several more years of healing only to PERHAPS feel better again in five years or so??

 

Is it only the very worst of cases that post on here and YouTube? Because if I really have 5 years of pure hell in front of me at my age, it’s just not worth it.  I think I would prefer to try to go back to 1 - 2 mg Clonazapam, try to stabilize and live my life! 

 

Am I missing something in this reasoning?

 

Looking for any opinions, comments, etc,

 

Thank you all so very much,

Mark

Actually, I would stay on a fixed amount of benzos at this point in my life if I could only get them to work. I am now tolerant, addicted, still on a small amount of benzos, and sick and getting sicker. You make some valid points but it is not quite that simple. Most ppl on benzos want off them not bc they hate the thought of taking a pill but bc they barely work anymore and you are still addicted and still sick, so what choice have you got?

 

Exactly Anti-B.  And if we didn't reach tolerance but knew they were causing injury to our receptors, would you continue poisoning yourself?  People do get off with ease.  I did twice.  Most people do or you would have millions on this site.  Prescriptions have almost doubled since 2000 in the U.S.  We will have more accurate data on this subject in the coming years.  That is not to say that there are not high numbers of people out there sick but don't know benzos are the cause.  This was the case for me and many more on this site.

Totally Agree magnesi. No reliable statistics available, plus there are dozens of factors to take in account.

For some is pretty tolerable, for others very difficult or unbearable.

Different people, different genetics, different life situation, different age, drug combinations ... and so on.

I think you have to start the taper, if you feel like doing it, with confidence and will, but not underestimating the journey.

P.

Yes tapering was hard, the hardest thing Ive done in my entire life, hands down. But here I am 3.5 months off and I have ZERO regrets about getting off. Yes I still have bad days but I have good days too, healing is happening and I am so thankful to have that poison out of my body. I can feel my clarity of thought and sanity returning. The healing has been up and down, but its happening. I do know many people that have stopped benzos with zero issues. (I was definitely not one of them), I think we don't hear about it because people who have no issues have no need for support groups like this, they just move on with their lives. And for those that do have a hard time getting off, there are hundreds of success stories on here demonstrating that success is possible. I personally think 57 year old is YOUNG with so much life left to live. I personally don't want to be held captive by this drug ever again. Of course this is a personal decision for each of us, but I just want to give hope that healing is possible. Sometimes we have to experience true pain, to appreciate true pleasure.