Don't believe in a full recovery, brain damage is a fact

Fatigue, food sensitivities, exercise intolerance, mental symptoms of various brain injuries are the new healthy state.

Fatigue, food sensitivities, exercise intolerance, mental symptoms of various brain injuries are the new healthy state.

I hope things improve once off for a while... It sure can be a shock to the system for some of us...

Fatigue, food sensitivities, exercise intolerance, mental symptoms of various brain injuries are the new healthy state.

I hope things improve once off for a while... It sure can be a shock to the system for some of us...

And still is 31 months off soon. I think so too this is the new me. Bws 4 ever. Hi cantfly! How are u doing? //sundance

Fatigue, food sensitivities, exercise intolerance, mental symptoms of various brain injuries are the new healthy state.

I hope things improve once off for a while... It sure can be a shock to the system for some of us...

And still is 31 months off soon. I think so too this is the new me. Bws 4 ever. Hi cantfly! How are u doing? //sundance

Heya Sun..

Well, apart from feeling like a smashed crab in the summer sun, im doing ok (just did a difficult cut)... Getting close to med free now... -A 10year journey... (21 months off benzos)

 

You have had quite a run of it too.. Sorry it has been so hard, -brutal even...

I hope we all come out of this with at least minimal damage when the dust settles...

 

Its “funny”, I could accept all the permanent damage from the accident (assessed as 121% TPD way back when), but to lose half my face muscles/nerves from discontinuation has been rather hard to accept... There is hope, even some indication, that It will get at least a fair bit better in time....

 

My best wishes Sun..

 

 

 

Fatigue, food sensitivities, exercise intolerance, mental symptoms of various brain injuries are the new healthy state.

 

Hi jerry 901763,

 

How long have you been off of benzo's or are you still taking them?  Did you taper or cold turkey or are you still tapering?  How long did you take them, and at what dose?  What benzo did you take?  What other medications do you take if any?  What other health issues do you have, if any?  What kind of activities can you do, if any?

 

It would be very helpful if you would add your history into your signature line, this way our members could offer suggestions about your situation, here are the instructions. Add your history/signature 

 

If you'd care to provide your information in this thread, I'll be happy to put it in your signature for you. 

I agree. It’s a permanent brain injury.

Why do ppl come on here and say things like this? It's fear mongering and downright dangerous to those who are hanging on by a thread. I'm surprised the moderators allow it. Very triggering.

Can’t fly - can I ask in what way you have lost half of face muscles/nerves?

Is it atrophy, palsy etc or surgery?

All my muscles through whole body have atrophied and what is left has turned to fibrotic gristle that is crushing all joints, pulling on tendons in every different direction at once etc.

Why do ppl come on here and say things like this? It's fear mongering and downright dangerous to those who are hanging on by a thread. I'm surprised the moderators allow it. Very triggering.

 

Sorry you’re so offended. Don’t talk to me like that.

Why do ppl come on here and say things like this? It's fear mongering and downright dangerous to those who are hanging on by a thread. I'm surprised the moderators allow it. Very triggering.

 

Sorry you’re so offended. Don’t talk to me like that.

 

How about I talk to you like that tough guy. Keep your fear mongering out of here.

 

_{edit: profanity}

Why do ppl come on here and say things like this? It's fear mongering and downright dangerous to those who are hanging on by a thread. I'm surprised the moderators allow it. Very triggering.

I agree. This always scares me so much. I’ve posted asking about it being permanent but to say it’s definitely permanent leaves no room for progress. It’s a dangerous way of thinking.

Why do ppl come on here and say things like this? It's fear mongering and downright dangerous to those who are hanging on by a thread. I'm surprised the moderators allow it. Very triggering.

 

Sorry you’re so offended. Don’t talk to me like that.

 

How about I talk to you like that tough guy. Keep your fear mongering out of here.

 

 

Emotions are running a bit hot here, lets tone it down. 

 

_{edit: profanity}

Can’t fly - can I ask in what way you have lost half of face muscles/nerves?

Is it atrophy, palsy etc or surgery?

All my muscles through whole body have atrophied and what is left has turned to fibrotic gristle that is crushing all joints, pulling on tendons in every different direction at once etc.

Gosh, you missed all my complaining about only having half a smile..!!

 

I pushed the limits with a sudden cross over on my final med (sig), and woke to a huge brain zap thingie.. -myclonic jerk or whatevs.. -near bit my tongue in half..  The pain spread from the base of my tongue, through my neck, then jaw and right side of face.. as it eased in a day or two I noticed the left side of my face was numb and non functional.. Stroke type SX.. So I called an ambulance and went to hospital.. They gave a Bells palsy “type” dx..

 

Now its just numb, tingly and weak, but it did improve somewhat in the first few months, and now fluctuates sone with where im at in my tapering..  Eye and lips are problematic still at about 50% function..

It hasnt gone tight or hard, no cramps etc, but the neuropathy makes it feel a little tight.. limp and saggy would be better words..

 

Shortly after the event, leg and other neuropathy started to creep in and continues to slowly build (inline with overall sx).. Mainly numbness, but some sharp pains/burning too now..

 

Hope that helps..

 

***

Oh gawd, what happened..!!

-Must be bed time..

 

 

Bloody hell!

I’m sorry Can’t!

 

Interesting that tongue/jaw/face stuff effects rest of body.

TMJD can cause weakness, spasm etc through whole body and gait issues etc.

 

Good has improved a bit.

 

Hopefully can heal further.

Xxx

The title of this thread is likely to bring forward some strong responses. First of all, no one can state this as a fact without scientific data to support such a claim. This would involve studies and reports. 

 

All of us at one time or another wondered if we would ever heal, recover. While I tried to keep a positive attitude, I had thoughts like this at times.

 

The one thing that I held on to is that I never had any of these issues before I was put on benzos. I held tight to this and persevered. I'm very glad I did, being benzo free and healed made it worth the effort and time.

 

pianogirl

Why do ppl come on here and say things like this? It's fear mongering and downright dangerous to those who are hanging on by a thread. I'm surprised the moderators allow it. Very triggering.

agree 100%

 

this is SO NEGATIVE AND NOT HELPFUL, AT ALL.

I am here for over 4 years now, from time to time this kind of character joins the boards, creates titles/topics like that like in a row, more than one per day, like a machine.. "this is the end", "you have to do this or that", "accept it - we are damaged forever" and so on...

And after some months, they just leave. They have been given attention, caused some rumor, and either become bored or feel better and leave the board again and never come back. Thats how it goes. I think.

 

Don't let topic titles like this one scare you. Some become scared because of threads like this, others become annoyed by people talking over and over again about the same symptom. It is a part of recovery to be able to handle the information which is offered to us, with time, you will look at these topics and just roll the eyes.  Sometimes it can be helpful to go into the profil of the original poster and just see how often the member posts, and what the titles are.. this way it is easy to identify the members who want to provoke, spread panic - or just to see that in the future you can avoid the posts and topics of that person.

 

 

 

 

 

 

I am here for over 4 years now, from time to time this kind of character joins the boards, creates titles/topics like that like in a row, more than one per day, like a machine.. "this is the end", "you have to do this or that", "accept it - we are damaged forever" and so on...

And after some months, they just leave. They have been given attention, caused some rumor, and either become bored or feel better and leave the board again and never come back. Thats how it goes. I think.

 

Don't let topic titles like this one scare you. Some become scared because of threads like this, others become annoyed by people talking over and over again about the same symptom. It is a part of recovery to be able to handle the information which is offered to us, with time, you will look at these topics and just roll the eyes.  Sometimes it can be helpful to go into the profil of the original poster and just see how often the member posts, and what the titles are.. this way it is easy to identify the members who want to provoke, spread panic - or just to see that in the future you can avoid the posts and topics of that person.

 

You nailed it 100% Marigold! The irony is that I got a snarky remark from someone that I wasn't even referring to. Here's the good news- I don't give a $hit 😉

 

I know how it is to be vulnerable in acute withdrawal or just in a situation when life is hard. We just become triggered by everything. And sometimes we read something which makes us angry or sad or anxious - but on the other hand it is so easy to write back a comment and annoy or scare someone else. I think it is all okey, as long as we are grown up enough to take some time, think it over, and then step back into a thread just saying "sorry, I was overreacting." I have seen this here on board often and I am thankful for it. I have been triggered and for sure have triggered some people, not, because I wanted it (that's a different thing), - but it happens, especially in a communication on the internet and English is not the mother language of every member and the virtual conversation just lacks the transport of real emotions over the body language...

I actually had some good fights with some people I now talk almost daily to You can learn a lot in these little fights.. so I dont think we should all share the same opinion... as long as one can say "ouch" and the other one says "sorry, did not mean it" - everything is okey.

Hi Jerry,

 

Maybe instead of trying to bring other people down, you could instead focus on lifting yourself up.

 

During the worst of my withdrawal (this was 16 months out, mind you), I felt completely hopeless and basically dead. My symptoms included nerve pain, headaches, cognitive impairment, air hunger, fatigue, paranoia, agoraphobia, depersonalization, derealization, intrusive thoughts, depression, blurred vision, heart palpitations, postnasal drip, and food intolerance. I couldn't do anything, couldn't enjoy anything, couldn't think, couldn't feel. I thought this was how life was going to be from now on.

 

I was wrong. Slowly, and not all at once, every single one of these symptoms subsided to nothing. If any came back, they were no longer debilitating, but mildly annoying. To give you an idea of how I'm feeling now, at 21 months off:

 

nerve pain - mostly gone

headaches - completely gone

cognitive impairment - mostly gone

air hunger - completely gone

fatigue - completely gone

paranoia - completely gone

agoraphobia - completely gone

depersonalization - completely gone

derealization - completely gone

intrusive thoughts - completely gone

depression - completely gone

blurred vision - mostly gone

heart palpitations - completely gone

postnasal drip - mostly gone

food intolerance - completely gone

 

To put it simply, I feel alive again. Life feels "real" and it feels like I'm actually living for the very first time. Ironically, I've become a better person from this. Not only am I doing things now that I wasn't doing earlier in withdrawal, I'm doing things now that I wasn't doing before in my life. Benzo withdrawal has literally helped me overcome the very problems I got on benzos for, so I guess in a sick way they "worked."

 

I don't know how long you were on benzos or how long you've been off them, but I can tell you two things:

 

1) It is wholly unreasonable to dull your brain with drugs every day for years, like I and many other people on this forum did, and then expect it to heal in just a handful of months.

 

2) If you've been off benzos for a year or two and have felt no improvement whatsoever, you are almost certainly sabotaging your own progress with a poor diet (sugar, caffeine, etc.), stress, overexertion, alcohol, supplements, and/or other drugs.

 

Best of luck to you. I hope one day you can look back on your post and marvel at how far you've come.

Hi Jerry,

 

Maybe instead of trying to bring other people down, you could instead focus on lifting yourself up.

 

During the worst of my withdrawal (this was 16 months out, mind you), I felt completely hopeless and basically dead. My symptoms included nerve pain, headaches, cognitive impairment, air hunger, fatigue, paranoia, agoraphobia, depersonalization, derealization, intrusive thoughts, depression, blurred vision, heart palpitations, postnasal drip, and food intolerance. I couldn't do anything, couldn't enjoy anything, couldn't think, couldn't feel. I thought this was how life was going to be from now on.

 

I was wrong. Slowly, and not all at once, every single one of these symptoms subsided to nothing. If any came back, they were no longer debilitating, but mildly annoying. To give you an idea of how I'm feeling now, at 21 months off:

 

nerve pain - mostly gone

headaches - completely gone

cognitive impairment - mostly gone

air hunger - completely gone

fatigue - completely gone

paranoia - completely gone

agoraphobia - completely gone

depersonalization - completely gone

derealization - completely gone

intrusive thoughts - completely gone

depression - completely gone

blurred vision - mostly gone

heart palpitations - completely gone

postnasal drip - mostly gone

food intolerance - completely gone

 

To put it simply, I feel alive again. Life feels "real" and it feels like I'm actually living for the very first time. Ironically, I've become a better person from this. Not only am I doing things now that I wasn't doing earlier in withdrawal, I'm doing things now that I wasn't doing before in my life. Benzo withdrawal has literally helped me overcome the very problems I got on benzos for, so I guess in a sick way they "worked."

 

I don't know how long you were on benzos or how long you've been off them, but I can tell you two things:

 

1) It is wholly unreasonable to dull your brain with drugs every day for years, like I and many other people on this forum did, and then expect it to heal in just a handful of months.

 

2) If you've been off benzos for a year or two and have felt no improvement whatsoever, you are almost certainly sabotaging your own progress with a poor diet (sugar, caffeine, etc.), stress, overexertion, alcohol, supplements, and/or other drugs.

 

Best of luck to you. I hope one day you can look back on your post and marvel at how far you've come.

 

Disagree with #2. I am nearly 14 months off and have not only seen no improvement, it’s been slowly worsening to the point anwere I am now bedbound. I have an impeccable diet thanks to my family, no stress aka no responsibility, no overexertion, no alcohol, no other drugs or supplement. There is nothing I am doing to sabotage my own recovery, yet my body and genes just lack the ability to heal.

2) If you've been off benzos for a year or two and have felt no improvement whatsoever, you are almost certainly sabotaging your own progress with a poor diet (sugar, caffeine, etc.), stress, overexertion, alcohol, supplements, and/or other drugs.

 

If two people were involved in a car accident, both of them sustained a traumatic brain injury, one of them returned to normal function in six months but the other one has years worth of ongoing cognitive issues would you dare to suggest that one of them wasn't healing because they drink coffee every morning?

 

That's gaslighting, and we get plenty of that from the doctors who prescribed us these drugs and the general public who thinks that something like this can't happen.

My take on this is that healing is possible and for most people probably likely. If that weren't the case we would have many times more active members right now. That said, I do believe that it is possible to have some symptoms that persist indefinitely. That doesn't mean that you are doomed to a lifetime of debilitating issues but it is possible to have some symptoms that last for a very long time. Heather Asthon was pretty clear about this.

Thanks to the voices of reason..

 

To be clear.. I kinda hoped my first reply (#1) would be the only response needed in this particular case, if thats the right way to put it..??

 

My further posts were off on a tangent and not particularly benzo related, nor claiming “Permanency”, -Im still tapering...

I attribute what happened to accumulation of discontinuations, and particularly the sudden C/O from a complex synthetic opiate back to the more “simple” oxycontin..  Opiates are by far MY most significant med (Simplistically put).. The lyrica didnt help either... My valium taper got the time it needed to minimise its overall impact..

Considering other accident related injuries, my “half smile” doesn't even rate that high, or bother me too much...

Ill leave it at that, but if anyone has concerns, I will be happy to address..

 

 

 

Hi Jerry,

 

Maybe instead of trying to bring other people down, you could instead focus on lifting yourself up.

 

During the worst of my withdrawal (this was 16 months out, mind you), I felt completely hopeless and basically dead. My symptoms included nerve pain, headaches, cognitive impairment, air hunger, fatigue, paranoia, agoraphobia, depersonalization, derealization, intrusive thoughts, depression, blurred vision, heart palpitations, postnasal drip, and food intolerance. I couldn't do anything, couldn't enjoy anything, couldn't think, couldn't feel. I thought this was how life was going to be from now on.

 

I was wrong. Slowly, and not all at once, every single one of these symptoms subsided to nothing. If any came back, they were no longer debilitating, but mildly annoying. To give you an idea of how I'm feeling now, at 21 months off:

 

nerve pain - mostly gone

headaches - completely gone

cognitive impairment - mostly gone

air hunger - completely gone

fatigue - completely gone

paranoia - completely gone

agoraphobia - completely gone

depersonalization - completely gone

derealization - completely gone

intrusive thoughts - completely gone

depression - completely gone

blurred vision - mostly gone

heart palpitations - completely gone

postnasal drip - mostly gone

food intolerance - completely gone

 

To put it simply, I feel alive again. Life feels "real" and it feels like I'm actually living for the very first time. Ironically, I've become a better person from this. Not only am I doing things now that I wasn't doing earlier in withdrawal, I'm doing things now that I wasn't doing before in my life. Benzo withdrawal has literally helped me overcome the very problems I got on benzos for, so I guess in a sick way they "worked."

 

I don't know how long you were on benzos or how long you've been off them, but I can tell you two things:

 

1) It is wholly unreasonable to dull your brain with drugs every day for years, like I and many other people on this forum did, and then expect it to heal in just a handful of months.

 

2) If you've been off benzos for a year or two and have felt no improvement whatsoever, you are almost certainly sabotaging your own progress with a poor diet (sugar, caffeine, etc.), stress, overexertion, alcohol, supplements, and/or other drugs.

 

Best of luck to you. I hope one day you can look back on your post and marvel at how far you've come.

 

Congratulations on how far you've come with your healing! I like your positive attitude as well, and that you choose to not be a victim in all of this. I choose that too. I do disagree a little with your #2 as well. I think some ppl are just more sensitive and genetically predisposed to heal slower than others regardless of their diet. That being said, I do agree that a healthy diet is vital.  I think the important take away from your post is that we all heal 

Hi Jerry,

 

Maybe instead of trying to bring other people down, you could instead focus on lifting yourself up.

 

During the worst of my withdrawal (this was 16 months out, mind you), I felt completely hopeless and basically dead. My symptoms included nerve pain, headaches, cognitive impairment, air hunger, fatigue, paranoia, agoraphobia, depersonalization, derealization, intrusive thoughts, depression, blurred vision, heart palpitations, postnasal drip, and food intolerance. I couldn't do anything, couldn't enjoy anything, couldn't think, couldn't feel. I thought this was how life was going to be from now on.

 

I was wrong. Slowly, and not all at once, every single one of these symptoms subsided to nothing. If any came back, they were no longer debilitating, but mildly annoying. To give you an idea of how I'm feeling now, at 21 months off:

 

nerve pain - mostly gone

headaches - completely gone

cognitive impairment - mostly gone

air hunger - completely gone

fatigue - completely gone

paranoia - completely gone

agoraphobia - completely gone

depersonalization - completely gone

derealization - completely gone

intrusive thoughts - completely gone

depression - completely gone

blurred vision - mostly gone

heart palpitations - completely gone

postnasal drip - mostly gone

food intolerance - completely gone

 

To put it simply, I feel alive again. Life feels "real" and it feels like I'm actually living for the very first time. Ironically, I've become a better person from this. Not only am I doing things now that I wasn't doing earlier in withdrawal, I'm doing things now that I wasn't doing before in my life. Benzo withdrawal has literally helped me overcome the very problems I got on benzos for, so I guess in a sick way they "worked."

 

I don't know how long you were on benzos or how long you've been off them, but I can tell you two things:

 

1) It is wholly unreasonable to dull your brain with drugs every day for years, like I and many other people on this forum did, and then expect it to heal in just a handful of months.

 

2) If you've been off benzos for a year or two and have felt no improvement whatsoever, you are almost certainly sabotaging your own progress with a poor diet (sugar, caffeine, etc.), stress, overexertion, alcohol, supplements, and/or other drugs.

 

Best of luck to you. I hope one day you can look back on your post and marvel at how far you've come.

 

Thanks for posting this. Negativity helps no one.