Glad I stopped in on the forum today & saw this.
Very happy for you [...]! Congrats! Thank you so much for sharing your lovely story of your great news and encouragement!
I know everyone's timeline is different, but we don't really hear from those who have healed sooner/faster because they have healed and left the forum.
With that being said, it looks like it takes a good time to heal .. like 2 years plus at least because that is why we are all on this forum. We are mostly all the cases that "take longer". It's mostly not 6 months and out. That's why we still look here to get and give support.
When I look at someone's timeline, and they are still struggling at even two years I am not surprised. I think: "Well, I've been there & I know how I felt then, and I know how far I have come since, and even though that person is surprised to still be sick at two years, I am not surprised. But, I do know they will improve as time passes because I have.
Do you feel that way when you look at the boards now [...]? When you see someone struggling at 2 years, or when one of us is shocked to get a wave three years out, do you think to yourself: "I know it sucks, but I know they will get better, because I am at 5 years and I got better. I am living proof that life will be good again." Do you feel that way when you look at those on the forum who are at 2 or 3 years ?
When you said earlier in a reply on this string that even at 30 months, the next 18 months, up to even 4 years was still up & down. I can totally relate to that because that's where I am at right now. I'm just a month shy of 3 years & I think back to even over a year ago when I wrote somewhere on this forum that: "Withdrawal is meant to be survived and you move on". Now I think to myself about that comment I had made back then, & I need to tweak it a bit, "yeah, but it may take a few yearS .." lol.
The thing is that I got that quote from Micheal Priebe of the Lovely Grind. He's a pretty good withdrawal coach - very positive. But, even for him it took 3 or 4 years for him to get back to his normal life.
I can see it will be up & down for a while longer for me, but I am no longer all freaked out that I am "stuck like this forever." I had to gain some acceptance. There are weekS in a row that I will swear that withdrawal is over and I am completely healed, then I will still get either a symptom flare or maybe a wave every so many months. But, it's like a gradual climb up a large flight of steps. The waves are further apart, if I think about it, like a wave every 5 months. That's about two waves a year. Funny how I just realized in writing that just now, that the average of 2 waves a year isn't all that bad....Also, with each one they are less intense and I feel even more healed as I previously did when they pass.
I don't like to post this stuff much because Newbies can get scared when they read it can take this long, and because of their state of mind, when you try to explain that it's not acute or even close, the withdrawal brain gets stuck on that time frame.
The withdrawal brain sees "Oh no 2 years! 3 years, 5 years!" and it scares someone who is early on. I know it did for me. They don't understand how much it lessens this far out. Don't get me wrong, I can get a few hours of doubt still when I am in the throes of a bad wave, but I know to get out my "tool kit" and dig deep.
You start to learn that it will pass. You start to see the process more clearly as symptoms wane over time, and occur less frequently. [...], is this how it was for you?
In your signature I see that you felt a level of stability and were working, and exercising at 4 years .. but you waited another 10 months to write a success story. I think I will be the same way. I would wait months to be sure before I would write a success story. It just takes that long to know for sure, because in withdrawal time is the real healer.
Anyway, it was quite timely that I read your thread. It helps to encourage me that yes, that whole "up & down", "almost there/not quite there yet" part of healing can last for awhile & that's ok. It is normal.
Hugs
- Fortitude
