Almost a year since I was hospitalised

Hello friends!

 

Hopefully some optimism for those of you that have come off high dose diazepam, and those who had extreme reactions (seizures) when coming off. It's almost a year since I was hospitalised after cold turkeying. Things that I have achieved since then:

 

(1) finished my MSc studies and passed! So the brain can still work;

(2) Got a job. This one is seriously hard. Some days I am frankly not well enough to do much. But the fact that I got one at all is an achievement. Whether I can stick it is another matter.

(3) Got a girl friend. I am genuinely surprised that there are people out there who will tolerate my ongoing symptoms-  this is a long term condition for me, after all. But she does! So far! So I am incredibly grateful for that.

 

Things that are still hard:

 

(1) fatigue

(2) tinnitus

(3) concentration/focus

(4) peripheral distractions (aural and visual)

(5) dizziness

(6) socialising with others.

 

But I am also able to do stuff like gardening. And I am able to laugh.

 

Hope you are all getting better too.

Wow, this is really wonderful news!  Congratulations on these major milestones, which are so well deserved!  You give me hope as a fellow Valium taker for 14 months..from 5mg to 15mg as prescribed PRN for head and neck tension.  Now at 14 months and 2 weeks post withdrawal and having windows and waves!  May you continue in an upward trajectory and enjoy every nanosecond of every day!!!

 

GG

 

Wow!!! This gives me so much hope. In my 9th month CT and struggling so much! Thank you for this!

That is an incredible accomplishment !!!

 

Thank you everyone! Pleased to hear that it's given some hope to you all, and thank you for your kind words. It's definitely so much better after the perspective of a year. In a bizarre way, despite some obvious physical symptoms that remain and are perennially annoying, I've definitely got my brain back! One that appreciates learning new things and experiencing new things. It might not be as good at other things as it once was, but it's definitely better than it was when I was on benzos, it just has taken me a while to appreciate it!