Discussion: Four Phases of Withdrawal-Where Are You?

You can copy it, wrap fish in it, light fire to it, it's yours.  I hope it gives one person hope.  That would make me happy.

 

I love your sense of humor!!!  yours and Challis' has brought many smiles to my face! I've shared it under my "5 months ..." Benzo free celebration post!!

Awesome, Illneverdothisagain.  I hope people can see their journey fit into some pattern that at least gives them peace of mind that this healing is not as chaotic and erratic as it seems.  I've always hated the assumption that our brains are going haywire.  I'd rather believe they know exactly what they are doing.  They are healing us.

 

Love, Sofa

:thumbsup: Sofa...

 

Perfectly written and explained! 

 

Love you!

 

P.S.  Challis...  Think about making this "permanent" on the forum.  This is truly needed for one and all....  Hugs to you!   

LOVE THIS! 

 

Although I feel like I somewhat fit between 2 and 3 and I was a cold turkey.

 

I haven't had a "wave" per say for about 5 weeks where I was incapacitated for a few days. Over the last 2 1/2 weeks, I've felt like my days are 75-85% windows the whole day with situational waves. Like going to school for 3 hours and feeling intense anxiety and panic. (not pre-existing but like 1/2 of acute level). Grocery stores, errands, all things can kick this up but it's in the moment and not the next day. So I can't call an entire day a wave because it doesn't last the entire day. Momentary waves, mostly windows but not 100%.

 

Then I have those symptoms that are lessening in intensity but still here, they just don't bother me as much as they did. Vision problems mainly. Intrusive and negative thoughts come here and there, also less intense.

 

Then are the auxillary ones- health anxiety and strange food phobias.

 

I try to stay distracted and thinking positive all day and do my best to keep the CNS calm when I can feel it start to freak out.

This timeline is so informative and so so true . !!! I would also like to copy and paste it. Thank you so much !!!!!!! Sofakingdone, about how long was your phase 2.? Thank you so much for your post . I also wanted to ask, could you possibly reveal the name of your friend who accompanied so many people of their journeys ? I would love to get in contact with you may I also ask, please, are you , or anyone else out there scared that the acute will hit them again? I read one lady on here who got hit with acute 8 months out?...or is this very unusual ? It would be so helpful if you could perhaps ask your friend...sofakingdone Please ? Or I am. Worrying too much??? Once again thank you sov ery much for this post and the help. Means this world !!!!!!! :)

I think I'm in 2....

3 for sure.

Windows were getting better until today when I tried to have a half a cup of coffee.

I'm gonna stick to the purist vibe and see how that goes from now on.

Hey Sofa,

 

This is really, really good. I would say I'm 3, even though I'm whacked with fatigue, even when I've slept. Plus it's been a stressful week. It ALL stinks, however it's good to look at it like this and see what's behind you. I too didn't have a worse acute and my symptoms started while reducing.

 

You are a love 

Sofa, I am pretty happy to say I'm improving....not even close to where I want to be, but I'm gettting there.  Anxiety surges through me like an electric current too!

 

Your post gives me so much hope.  Thank you for being so kind to share this valuable information. 

Hi Sofa,

 

This a wonderful thread! It describes my journey in an almost exact way!  ...I went through tolerance, so my acute was soft, but the mental waves I went through in stages 1 and 2 with intrusive, obsessive, hellish thoughts were terrible. I think I am in the transition from stage 3 to 4, bad sleeping is my remaining sx, not very bad. I can do more foods I could not do before, but scared to take caffeine, alcohol and too much sugar. No problems with some sleeping supplements (herbal teas, melatonin, Vitamin B1), I could not do them before, now I do not want to be dependent on them. I think I am 90% healed, but I also know that it may take long time for me to be 100% healed, that is OK.

It is amazing the way you describe my journey, thank you.

Clona

Sofa, I am going to copy the full thread into my personal blog, sorry about that, but it is, so far, a very good summary of my benzo road.

Thank you!

Hi Claire,

 

I'm glad you can relate to my Phases post.  The woman who supports me through withdrawal doesn't actively participate on the forum like she used to and would like to remain anonymous, which I respect.  I am happy to answer any questions you have, and all the other buddies and moderators who read this thread can provide valuable insight and information, as well.  I know they have helped me immensely.

 

Sofa

Thats amazing im 21 month off and stuck in phase one 

Ang,

 

I really appreciate how descriptive and specific you are about the way your current phase feels to you.  It helps me a lot in examining my own experience.

 

Thank you,  Sofa

Marj,

 

Thanks so much for your feedback.  I know phase three is still tough, but at least we know that we are moving forward and we are at least 2/3rds of the way there or more.  We keep adding another scoop of water into our healing buckets every single day, until the bucket is full and we are done.  Keep scooping.

 

Love, Sofa

Clona,

 

I'm so happy you found this helpful.  You really sound close to the finish line, like many others who have responded so far.  There is light at the end of this long dark tunnel if you just look ahead and squint your eyes.  You will see the flicker.  It may be faint, but keep walking forward and it gets bigger and brighter.  Watch for every little sign of improvement and relish it.  We are all healing slowly, one step at a time.

 

Love, Sofa

Hank,

 

Yes, the "purist vibe."  It's only temporary.  We need to live like monks for awhile, foregoing life's little creature comforts, but we can eventually enjoy the things we used to, all in moderation.  Life will be grand again.

 

Love, Sofa

sofakingdone, I copy and pasted your original post and put it on the KK board I hope you don`t mind as it was an awesome and very well written post !Again I hope you do not mind and thank you ~CD

Wen and Simone,

 

Please feel free to express your own experiences and feelings and offer advice and information.  I always grab on to the words of my fellow travelers and keep building my internal data bank of info on this mysterious ride.  It feeds my positive ruminations.  Ha!

 

Love, Sofa

Can do,

 

Thank you so much for passing along the information wherever you think it may help someone.  How are you coming along?

Cando,

 

Thank you so much for passing along the information wherever you think it may help someone.  How are you coming along?

Off 4 mgs k now cutting my v and seems v hits you twice for me day 3 then settles and get hit day 7-8 again not fun so hanging in there I hope your doing ok and again thanks for the post and I guess I am at # 2

I agree with the four phases. But there's complications that I see alot of people here suffering from years into recovery. Complications like adrenal fatigue\burnout leading to hormone Imbalances, Glutamate Imbalances vs Gaba. These people seem to be stuck in and out of phase one and two never reaching three. How do we help these people?

Offeverything,

 

I agree with you about other factors playing into this process, complicating it, altering it.  I think about the protracted people all the time.  I actually think the average withdrawal journey is 2-3 years and the protracted suffering is beyond that.  I think protracted suffering has many contributing factors, like adjunct drugs, supplements, poor diet, alcohol, weed, chemical sensitives, preservatives, daily stressors, just to name a few.  I am definitely no expert, not even when it comes to my own WD.  I'm always discovering new things.  I will be happy when I'm not immersed in this crap anymore and am able to just live and breathe easily.

 

Sofa

I know everyone is different, but are there any generalizations you can make about the time period for each of these phases. Like how long phase 1 may normally last, etc?

Somewhere between 3 and 4.