12-24 months and up support group

[[Buddie]]

Hello everyone! I was searching for the group that's 1 year to 2 year but couldn't find one except in the archives. The last one posted was in 2019. I've seen a few of us that has hit our 1 year milestone and there are a few that's coming up in a month or 2. So I decided to start a new one. I'm sure we'll be able to share our ups and downs as we press forward to making another year. Hopefully this will be our last upcoming months of suffering. I'm looking forward to chatting with you. Congrats to me and all of you for making to our very challenging first year!
Currently I'm still experiencing a list of symptoms battling me in a rapid cycling way. I had a little over a month without the magnet pulling and intense boatiness. Right before my one year milestone, it came crashing back down on me. I made 1 year June 20th ( Father's Day). I'm hanging on to hope that it will go away again soon. I know it will because it has done it before. But I will say that this time I have noticed that it's less intense. I mentally embrace my symptoms as my brain being hard at work to make me whole again. Having said that, please tell us how many months you are free and what symptoms you're having still? Also you can include which ones are gone or nearly gone? Which symptoms you have now that is making things the most challenging? For me, it's my long time "friend" boaty pulling. It's robbing me of riding in the car, washing my hair and anything that requires bending down. Funny thing is when I sit on the toilet, it increases immediately. How weird is that?

[[Buddie]]

I'm in.Currently 15 months off and anxiety is sky high again.It is the only symptom I seem to be dealing with as per now.
Mornings being the worst with it..
Was feeling better then anxiety started at 15 months again.

[[Buddie]]

Hi Brex I had mild anxiety before my taper and toward the end. Now it's come back around but worse. I'm 1 year. I thought that symptom was long gone. This recovery is sooooooo surprisingly unpredictable. Also soooooooo difficult to deal with but you know what? This means we are very strong to endure it. Even enduring it for one week or month takes such strength. So those who cave and reinstate, I don't judge them. I applaud their effort.
Today I woke up with tense head pressure and a whopper of a headache. It's late evening here in the USA and it's still pounding. Very weird headache. I've had this early in acute. It's been gone for months. Now it's back. This must be so major fine tuning our brains are doing.
I hope my and your anxiety take a hike soon. I'm sorry you're dealing with this too. Does anything help you?

[[Buddie]]

Hi Brex I had mild anxiety before my taper and toward the end. Now it's come back around but worse. I'm 1 year. I thought that symptom was long gone. This recovery is sooooooo surprisingly unpredictable. Also soooooooo difficult to deal with but you know what? This means we are very strong to endure it. Even enduring it for one week or month takes such strength. So those who cave and reinstate, I don't judge them. I applaud their effort.
Today I woke up with tense head pressure and a whopper of a headache. It's late evening here in the USA and it's still pounding. Very weird headache. I've had this early in acute. It's been gone for months. Now it's back. This must be so major fine tuning our brains are doing.
I hope my and your anxiety take a hike soon. I'm sorry you're dealing with this too. Does anything help you?

I also tend to believe much healing happens after a hard wave because after I feel alot better.
With anxiety I find exercise and distraction helps.
So sorry about the head stuff I can relate....

[[Buddie]]

Yes I'm distracting like crazy. Lol Netflix is my best friend. Anne with an E is pretty good. So is Grace and Frankie. 

[[Buddie]]

Anybody else out there that's 12-24 months free? Bump!

[[Buddie]]

Sure [...]. Welcome aboard! Isn't this recovery journey funny like that? Symptoms that have been gone for months pop back in. I know IBS sucks. Please drink plenty of fluids.
No I haven't gone to my place yet. But hopefully soon.
Feel better soon.

[[Buddie]]

Well here I am at 23 months.  I function and do all I can as I have to.   I have a handful of sx that never stop physically and mental that doesn’t either.  In another month because of the stress I am under I will be making decisions with my doctor on how to proceed.  Unless I feel substantially better.  I hope others who are moving forward and healing jump in to leave hope

[[Buddie]]

[...], I know the mental stuff is just as debilitating. I have great hope this will go away for you soon. Stay positive and stay away from stress that's within your control. Yes I've been tested for meinier and no I don't have it. ALL of my symptoms are Ambien withdrawal. Time is all of our friend. 
[...] welcome to this thread. I'm sure like all of us, you've had a rough journey so far but 23 months is outstanding! I'm proud of you. I'm not sure of your meaning about seeing your doctor in a month to discuss where you're at in your recovery. Are you meaning discussing putting you on medication? Reinstating? If you don't mind, I'd like to say in my opinion I feel that you just need more time to heal. I know you're almost 2 years and you're probably tired of the symptoms you have left. But I'd like to encourage you to endure them for just awhile longer. Each person healing is unique because they're unique. Healing also takes into account the sex of the person, injury sustained, the age, the makeup of the brain, chemical and hormones, etc So it is likely that you need more time. If you've kept a log of your journey please go back to look at how far you've come. I sometimes have to do this when waves hit me. Symptoms have a way of making us feel like we're never going to heal past where we are now. But the funny thing is when I look back at 6 months ago I said the same thing and have many symptoms gone since then. Lol I'm wishing you continued healing. You'll get there my friend, don't listen to those negative thoughts. 

[[Buddie]]

I am joining this group of strong warriors now that I am at 15 months and one week in my post-withdrawal journey.  I feel like I am now in stage 3 of the 4 phases of the benzo withdrawal process, as I seem to bring on waves based on what I eat and when I overdue with exercise, gardening, and household chores.  My burning brain and head pressure have been my worst symptoms from the get go, with pop-ups of the dreaded benzo flu, usually if I overdue when in a window!  My headaches and burning brain symptoms can totally disappear for a week or two, and then come back to haunt me.  If I wake up with a head symptom, it may fade out as the day goes on, but like today it started out upon arising, then faded out, then reappeared with a vengeance after I fell asleep during a thunderstorm.  Now it is on [...]   My GP and neurologist assure me the head symptoms are related to nerve endings under the scalp regenerating/reconnecting/regrowing.  I have never had many mental symptoms, except in the first couple of months I had a few anxiety attacks, which I worked through with some of the breathing exercises.

In a very strange way I have felt more mentally alert since my benzo journey began, and score well on all sorts of trivia quizzes.....this is not to brag, but it does seem as if something is making my brain more keen and focused.  Maybe the buzzing is creating a certain current that sharpens a certain part of my head?

So, I am with all of you in hoping and praying that we all get to the finish line ASAP

Hugs to all,

GG