So Grateful to Post this Benzo Recovery Success Story

  I am so very grateful to be able to say I've finally recovered from being on and tapering off Benzos.  It was a long and grueling process and I had many doubts along the way that I could do it.  But here I am, free of the symptoms from taking and withdrawing off both Xanax and Klonopin-it is both an amazing and surreal feeling.  A second chance for sure. 

 

  I became very sick and went undiagnosed for years.  I was put on Benzos to help deal with the anxiety surrounding all that.  Just "something to help take the edge off" while searching for answers to some very serious health problems.  Needless to say, unfortunately, Benzos only added to my suffering and ended up delaying getting my health headed in the right direction.  I had so many of the benzo related symptoms but, didn't realize that it was the drugs causing them for over a year.  At the time, the doctors, counselors and the clinics I contacted didn't know what to do and neither did I.  Some didn't believe that Benzos could do all that but, it was all too true.

 

  I stumbled across BenzoBuddies while desperately searching the internet.  After I began reading the website about Benzos, a light bulb came on.  Benzos are a real problem and, I was relieved that the site offered so much support and ways to safely taper off of them.  Even though I was on a very low dose, I had very bad withdrawal symptoms and it took me 8 months to taper off and another year after that to start feeling more or less, like my old self.  Since then, they symptoms have faded away.  I am most grateful to feel a sense of calm and joy again a lot more, even through the continual life's ups and downs.  Finally, four years after I first became so ill, two fantastic functional medical doctors diagnosed me with Lyme disease, chronic pancreatitis, mast cell activation disorder (MCAS), Mold sickness and other chronic issues.  Even though we're still working our way through all those and a milder but, tenacious COVID diagnosis, I am grateful every day that at least that Benzos are no longer in the picture.

 

  I remember reading the Success Stories here during my Benzo withdrawals and tapering journey and, how much inspiration and hope they gave me and to others.  I would like to thank BenzoBuddies for providing all this information, all the very brave people going through this, and their help and support of each other.  I would especially like to thank my buds on the KlonopinKlub thread-you are truly amazing and I'll remember your support and love for the rest of my life.

I would also like to thank the doctors, nurses, counselors, and many others that did believe all this and never gave up on me.  And last but, not least, I would like to thank my family for whom I endured and persevered through the darkest days and, who gave me the reason to hope that I would recover.  I am truly grateful to you all and owe you my life.

 

  Finally, to all the courageous people fighting their way through this Benzo nightmare-please believe that you will be able succeed. It really can and does happen.  Here is a list of some things I found helpful and hope they may help you, too:

 

--Never stop trying to find answers to Benzo symptoms and any health problems.  It's amazing how many things are out there that can potentially help that aren't well known

 

--Believing, even through the darkest days, that your body and brain have tremendous abilities to heal and rebalance

 

--Trusting my gut feelings/intuition that something wasn't right, not making sense, or working out. 

 

--Developing the ability to listen to what my body was trying to tell me and trusting that process

 

--Just learning what Benzos can do to the body and brain and that there are ways to help recover and that others have done so was reassuring-a light in the dark

 

--How important support from family, friends, medical professionals, counselors who understand is-they were a life raft

 

--That we are not alone.  BenzoBuddies was another huge life raft of encouragement, know-how, support and inspiration

 

--A counselor told me that this is a marathon and not a sprint.  I held on to the hope that with every minute, every hour, and every day that I persevered and that every drop in dosage moved me closer to the day that I would finally be free of Benzos, and another day closer to recovery and regaining my life.  It's finally done and, I am awed and humbled by the body's ability to heal and very, very grateful.

 

  Please remember that you are stronger than you ever imagined and I wish you a successful recovery 

 

  BurnedOut

So glad you took the time to write this! I love reading these..definitely helps for keeping perspective in this journey!

Believing for a full recovery for you as you work through the other health issues - what a story.

 

Thank you so much!!!!

What a wonderful success story BurnedOut, I'm so very happy for you.  You know how important these stories are so thank you for helping the many who will read this, you give them hope.

 

Pamster 

Yay BurnedOut!  Thank you so much for coming back and posting this. You persevered through a challenging process, I think what you wrote will really help those still going through withdrawal and recovery.

 

I wish you all the best!

 

pianogirl 

Thank you very much Trina75, Pamster, pianogirl and Gardie 

Hey burnedout

 

Thank you.  Today I need success stories.  I look forward to the day I can write my own.  I’m happy for you.  So happy. 

BurnedOut:

 

Great story.  Your list of helpful tips will be useful to many here.  I know they resonate with me.

 

We took benzos to help us heal, but all they do is prevent true healing from happening.

 

Healing64:

 

I read on another post that you suffered a bad wave, but you made it through it without updosing.  This is a big accomplishment and good practice for after you jump and cannot rely on a benzo.  Take your time with your taper.  You can and will get through this.

You're welcome Healing64    I hope to read your success story, too.  Hang in there!

 

Thank you RShack.  Congratulations on tapering off Ativan and hope you continue to heal more and more 

Youre a soldier if i have ever seen one. able to kick kpin with all those health issues. mad respect and my prayers are with you on the COVID diagnosis

Glad your doing better I’m in same place as you I have Lyme have you seen any improvements from your Lyme??

Thank you very much kickbenzos.  Congratulations on getting off Klonopin and hope your Ativan taper is successful, too  (Changed:  Congratulations on getting off the Ativan, too!) 

 

Thanks Liamb822    Sorry that you have Lyme, too.  Being off Benzos has helped me better focus on Lyme treatment strategies.  I have to go really low and slow with Lyme treatments because, Lyme and mold issues brought on Mast Cell Activation syndrome, which caused me to become hyper-sensitive and overreact to everything.  I"m trying a protocol from Dr. Neil Nathan, MD, a California doctor who treats difficult conditions like Lyme and Mold illnesses.  He wrote an excellent book on both:  TOXIC: Heal Your Body from Mold Toxicity, Lyme Disease, Multiple Chemical Sensitivities, and Chronic Environmental Illness.  Right now, I'm taking supplements to calm the overreactions, so I can  begin mold treatments next and then Lyme treatments later on.  I'd be happy to message with you about it if you would like. Take care.

Thank you very much kickbenzos.  Congratulations on getting off Klonopin and hope your Ativan taper is successful, too  (Changed:  Congratulations on getting off the Ativan, too!) 

 

Thanks Liamb822    Sorry that you have Lyme, too.  Being off Benzos has helped me better focus on Lyme treatment strategies.  I have to go really low and slow with Lyme treatments because, Lyme and mold issues brought on Mast Cell Activation syndrome, which caused me to become hyper-sensitive and overreact to everything.  I"m trying a protocol from Dr. Neil Nathan, MD, a California doctor who treats difficult conditions like Lyme and Mold illnesses.  He wrote an excellent book on both:  TOXIC: Heal Your Body from Mold Toxicity, Lyme Disease, Multiple Chemical Sensitivities, and Chronic Environmental Illness.  Right now, I'm taking supplements to calm the overreactions, so I can  begin mold treatments next and then Lyme treatments later on.  I'd be happy to message with you about it if you would like. Take care.

 

Hi Burnedout!!

 

Congrats on healing from benzo WD! Your success story REALLY gave me hope because I've just started reading Dr. Neil Nathan's "Toxic" and (for the first time) I feel like there might be a solution out there to help me (and other protracted benzo users).

 

The things he talks about in his book are so, so similar to the horrors we face coming off benzos. His chapter on mast cell activation is basically the story of my life!!

 

I'm just wondering how you're doing with his protocol? I want to reach out to him soon, but I'm in Eastern Canada and not sure how I'd get to California (especially during COVID).

 

Hope you are well and thanks so much for this success story! 

Bless you and thank you for sharing your story Burnedout.  A huge congratulations to you for hanging tough and getting through both the tapering and healing process!  It is people like you who give inspiration to those still on the journey.

 

Kate 

Thank you donnieogik and Kate08 for you kind words and support 

 

I hope you will be able to have a consult with Dr. Nathan soon donnieogik.  I had a phone consult with him and my primary care doctor in January and it was very helpful.  My doctor and I have been working on a protocol similar to his to address and dampen down the mast cell activation reactions first in order to be able to treat the lyme and mold illnesses.  I think I'm close to trying to start mold and lyme treatments pretty soon.

 

Best wishes to you both!