Who lost emotions but got them back?

I’ve lost my feel good emotions since early 2019. I am EXTREMELY desperate to get them back. I need to hear success stories. I have heard FAR too many stories that are negative and  being told they don’t come back. I tapered my benzo and I’ve been off 10 months. So far nothing has returned. I need to know if I’m going to feel happiness or joy or love or reward ever again. Even if you have heard of stories of other people getting them back can you please comment. I need hope.

 

Everytime I ask this question I don’t get much response

I have a brief period of 4 weeks in month 8 of my withdrawal where I was laughing a lot more even though I had some of my symptoms the good distractions really helped me out. So yes I feel like emotions come back, but first the negative emotions then the positive. No rainbow without the rain. You’ll get there, have faith.

They come and go...

I'm also ten months off and mine are just beginning to come back.  They come and go now, mostly for brief periods of time.  Those glimpses of my old emotions give me hope.  Ginger

My emotions came back. It took what seemed like forever but I can feel pleasure and satisfaction again. I went through total anhidonia. They will return, it just takes time and patience.

Mine are coming back ,I am close to 34 months off now.

I’ve lost my feel good emotions since early 2019. I am EXTREMELY desperate to get them back. I need to hear success stories. I have heard FAR too many stories that are negative and  being told they don’t come back. I tapered my benzo and I’ve been off 10 months. So far nothing has returned. I need to know if I’m going to feel happiness or joy or love or reward ever again. Even if you have heard of stories of other people getting them back can you please comment. I need hope.

 

Everytime I ask this question I don’t get much response

 

I got mine back!! I can clearly remember the first time I laughed and FELT it; or the first time I was driving and glanced at the sunset and FELT it.

Trust me, when your emotions come back (and they will), you feel them 100 times stronger.  It's amazing!

Hang in there!  Yours will come back too. 

For me, it took a long time and I was a short term user.

I was SO numb for so long - well, except for the anxiety and fear and all the negative emotions.

You can read my success story and blog if they'll help.

Please know; if you take care of yourself and do the right things, you're going to heal!!

Think positive thoughts.

Be kind to yourself.

RELAX!!

 

Healing is going to come!!

 

Thank you, Feebi for posting this. I've been wanting to ask this question myself for a while now.  It's nice to hear all the positive responses to this question. The last time I had access to my emotions was (pre-benzo) when I finally resolved my long-term depression and was able to taper off Paxil. I never thought it would feel that good. It was an incredible feeling to actually drive through the countryside or see a movie and be moved to tears. Like you, I'm feeling a bit desperate as it's been 3+ years since my feelings went south because of benzos. All we can do is hang on as best we can. Wishing you healing.

I'm also ten months off and mine are just beginning to come back.  They come and go now, mostly for brief periods of time.  Those glimpses of my old emotions give me hope.  Ginger

 

Can I ask what you feel in those glimpses? I still can’t feel. my mood has increased. But that’s separate to feeling emotions.

My emotions came back. It took what seemed like forever but I can feel pleasure and satisfaction again. I went through total anhidonia. They will return, it just takes time and patience.

 

How long did it take for them to return pls?

Thanks everyone for the replies. Keep them coming! I would really like to know if anyone got them while still on another medication

I'm also ten months off and mine are just beginning to come back.  They come and go now, mostly for brief periods of time.  Those glimpses of my old emotions give me hope.  Ginger

 

Can I ask what you feel in those glimpses? I still can’t feel. my mood has increased. But that’s separate to feeling emotions.

 

I feel heart felt love, devotion, happiness, gratitude and contentment during those times.  It surprised me the first time it happened, it had been so long.  I hadn't really noticed how flat my emotions had become until they started being restored.

I have had windows of them. Periods of just loving and missing my partner. Seeing the beauty in the world. These windows last anywhere from a few hours to a day or two. 4 months out.

Yes! I had no good feelings for a year. That’s two months of tolerance, two of taper and eight of wd. After a year, I started to feel sparks of interest and motivation. After 15 months I noticed that I was laughing again. Happiness and joy are still muted, though present, but I’ve found that I can cultivate them using certain kinds of meditation. Hope that helps.

Have you felt them in windows?

I feel happiness often and loving and I see the beauty in the world but I’m only three weeks out and it doesn’t last long then I’m down in the dumps again full of anxiety hypochondria and doom. But there are those moments of clarity that let me know that I am getting better here and there.

Have you felt them in windows?

 

Baseline is where I feel most emotions just about fully. Windows are when the volume gets turned up on happiness, joy, and love. My mental akathisia cluster had another significant reduction in the past week, and just having the noise and agitation come down made happiness turn on automatically. I just stared at raindrops on leaves feeling total egoless peace with the universe. Kinda getting why totally healed folks say they feel even better than pre-benzos because I don‘t think I could have appreciated the mere fact of existence so poignantly before this.

Have you felt them in windows?

 

Baseline is where I feel most emotions just about fully. Windows are when the volume gets turned up on happiness, joy, and love. My mental akathisia cluster had another significant reduction in the past week, and just having the noise and agitation come down made happiness turn on automatically. I just stared at raindrops on leaves feeling total egoless peace with the universe. Kinda getting why totally healed folks say they feel even better than pre-benzos because I don‘t think I could have appreciated the mere fact of existence so poignantly before this.

 

Charlie you somehow make this miserable experience seem beautiful and I am all the way here for your posts.

I’ve lost my feel good emotions since early 2019. I am EXTREMELY desperate to get them back. I need to hear success stories. I have heard FAR too many stories that are negative and  being told they don’t come back. I tapered my benzo and I’ve been off 10 months. So far nothing has returned. I need to know if I’m going to feel happiness or joy or love or reward ever again. Even if you have heard of stories of other people getting them back can you please comment. I need hope.

 

Everytime I ask this question I don’t get much response

 

You are totally going to feel good, happy, wonderful emotions again.  10 months off is early days - hold on - you will see some improvement soon.  I’m 21 months off since cold turkey & I gave good emotions back - they come & go but definitely are there. Give yourself time - you will heal. You are healing. You are doing well. Keep going:

Mine have come back. I remember when I couldn’t feel anything. It does get better.

Mine have come back. I remember when I couldn’t feel anything. It does get better.

Hownlong did it take

Yes! I had no good feelings for a year. That’s two months of tolerance, two of taper and eight of wd. After a year, I started to feel sparks of interest and motivation. After 15 months I noticed that I was laughing again. Happiness and joy are still muted, though present, but I’ve found that I can cultivate them using certain kinds of meditation. Hope that helps.

 

I can laugh and look happy on the outside but I don’t feel any of it in my brain. Do you relate to this at all? It’s like I have anhedonia without the depression

Mine have come back. I remember when I couldn’t feel anything. It does get better.

 

Thankyou so much! How long did it take?