COV19 making it even harder to taper

increased stress. Now asked to work from home.

Don’t have much equipment to work from home.

Going to work helped my socialization.

I’m in a major long hold. Fear all the stress

will just keep me on the med. Also restart SSRI

to cope with the isolation and stress. I know I

ask a lot. I ask for prayers. Ty

I am not sure if it will help. However when I work from home I usually keep a TV, YouTube or radio on as 'background noise'. This usually helps me cope with isolation.

I’m letting all the pandemic news scare me

bc it’s change. And I had adjustment do

even before all this. I find I can’t tolerate

SSRI ordered for me . It’s too sedating

and makes my body feel terrible. Ty

I'm right there with ya! I had to get off FB and most social media and turn off the news. It put me into a new low with my anxiety and my whole body was shaky. I could hardly function until I started telling myself that things were normal. The anxiety makes me short of breath so I have a hard time not focusing on my breathing (which makes it way worse). So keeping my mind and body busy are so important. This pandemic has made it so much worse though! Hang in there and know that others are out there like you. Listen to music that you love and sing along. Praying for you!

Fellow travelers...I have friends who are getting major anxiety right now without ever being on these benzos, let alone tapering off them! For me it helps by reading the news only once in the morning and that is it for the day. When I was at my deepest & darkest place a couple of years ago I would listen to "You're Gonna Be Okay" by Brian & Jenn Johnson.

My mantra these days Breathe in CALM Breathe out STRESS.

 

 

I'm 21 days free of ativan...I'm feeling recent events too. Everyone is. you're not alone...

Literally one day at a time.

I also am avoiding news bulletins. Once a day is enough. I try and focus on other things and try practising meditation on a daily basis - concentrating on breathing. I am stuck on 6mg valium a day and don't want to reduce anymore for the time being because I am really frightened that the isolation and anxiety will become uncontrollable. I don't think there's any shame in that. I feel alone sometimes and like to socialise on social media, but at other times I seem ok in my own company. Its kind of weird really. Lockdown is a frightening word but we are not in a prison and not allowed to go out at all. I have a cold at the moment but normally I go out each day for a walk for exercise. If you are adjusting to stopping work then believe me it will get better. You will find you have more time to relax and do things you normally wouldn't have time to do. Happy to keep in touch with anyone for support.

I am off benzo 3 years now and fully recovered, but certainly feeling COVID-19 anxiety now. I don't know how I would have managed if the COVID crisis had occurred while I was tapering. Anyway, here's what I am doing to limit my COVID anxiety now:

 

- Absolutely stay away from U.S. network TV news. It is presenting the epidemic in a sensationalized way that is certain to lead to anxiety. We all want to stay informed about what is going on, but watching the news as presented on US network TV is a bad way to do that. I found an excellent alternative which is a YouTube vlog being broadcast out of Hong Kong daily. The guy who runs it is not a journalist, in fact he has no "official" credentials, but he is a scientist and techie who is very well informed, and he presents a good global overview of the state of the epidemic. Numbers, summary of recent news, scientific analysis, advice on how to protect yourself. What more do you need? What he explicitly does *not* show is the sensationalized horror-movie-type scenes of overflowing hospitals and people dying, which is all we seem to get from (for example) ABC World News. I mean, for f***'s sake, if you tell me there are X thousand serious cases in New York and Y thousand ICU beds, and if X > Y, then I can infer that there is a big problem. I don't need to  f***ing see people dying in hospital corridors, ABC News, that just produces massive anxiety for no good reason. (Sorry for the rant). Anyway, the Hong Kong guy's most recent broadcast is here: https://youtu.be/4AOkTzz_jp4

 

- For local information about the outbreak, try going to your town or state website. Again, don't turn on TV news. It's too sensationalized. Yes, the situation is serious, but there are ways of presenting that which produce anxiety and ways that do not. Choose the latter.

 

- Take time off from worrying and do things that relax you. Exercise. Listen to music. Get up and dance to that music . Read a good novel. Cook a delicious meal. Whatever relaxes you and gives you fulfillment.

 

As for the tapering itself, it's been a while for me, but my advice is to retain a strong determination to eventually get off. If you need to hold for a while to limit anxiety, do that. But don't go backwards - don't reinstate. You'll regret it later. I successfully got off with a LONG taper between 2015 and 2017, with long holds as needed. What got me through more than anything else was a fierce determination to get off and get my life back. And I did! Healing does happen. You can do it too.

 

Peace and love,

 

Chessplayer

(posting as a regular buddie)

 

I see some benefit in the sensationalism.  Some hospitals are currently in dire straits, healthcare workers don’t have PPE and are calling in sick in high numbers.  If it keeps people inside and following stay-safe recommendations, then so be it.

 

Those who scoffed at ‘sensationalism’ a few weeks ago and partied on the beaches are getting sick now in huge numbers. We all are paying for it as a result.

I still cannot taper. I’ve averaged

.75 to 1 mg cloz per day

But my provider insist I add paxil

and due to stress I added 5 mg

per day at night. I didn’t want to,

but could not taper due to stress

of COVID19.

 

 

 

 

I would follow my gut on this and keep holding. It shouldn’t hurt anything and may well help to put on pause.

I want to be off cloz so bad. I can never get below

.75 mg per day it seems. 1day ago I was so stressed

I took above dr order and took 1.3 mg per 24 hrs

most for sleep. I called poison control

they told me I overdosed. Past 24 hrs

took .75 mg. Feel alone afraid. Drs just

want to add med SSRI. During

COVID I stress. Worry about husband getting it.

In NJ a very hard hit state.

 

Healthyme123,

  just read your last post and am sending you a virtual hug. How frightening. I hope you are doing better since your last post. I understand going through tapering/withdrawal is so difficult during 'normal" times and these are definitely not normal times. Looking at the thousands who are in this community... know...you are not alone. Just like you, I want off the benzo temazepam so bad. As I go through my own journey, have finally quit beating myself up for not tapering as fast as I would like to or think I should. If it turns out I need to hold for 3 weeks instead of 2 weeks I will and it's okay. How are you feeling on and about the 5mgs Paxil being added? I know right now you are not in a good place but try to remember you are strong, be gentle to yourself and you will get through this. 

Stay safe

 

 

 

Speaking only for myself, it can be addictive to watch/listen to the media on Covid-19. It works on your mind the same way a suspenseful movie unfolds and locks your interest. That is BY DESIGN! We in recovery, are often generally, already more sensitive than the rest of the population. Add to that the stress of tapering and/or withdrawing from benzos and you've got a witches brew of anxiety cooking. I agree with the other respondents: if you must watch media, try these 2 things:

1- Choose 1 or 2 sources that at least have some kind of positive slant, as difficult as that may be to find, they are out there or at least, sticking to FACTS not sensationalizing.

2 - Choose a time period and stick to it and try to follow it up with something unrelated that is funny. Comedy shorts of old tv/movie clips are all over the internet, you tube etc. and laughter is SUPER helpful.