People who are 3-4 months benzo-free

How are you feeling and what's your withdrawal symptoms as of today?

 

I'll list mine:

 

-anxiety in morning

-stomach issues (gas, bloating, etc)

-depression (not as bad as 2 months ago)

-weight loss

I just passed six months and I can tell you that the hardest time for me were the first two months. Months 3-4 were still pretty bad, but nothing compared to months 1 and 2. I got it with my first really big wave on day 99 and it lasted until about days 121 or 122. It was not fun. Then, it seemed I went up and down for a couple of weeks before leveling out and being on an "emotional plateau" for 6-7 very boring weeks, with little ups and downs, but nothing major. It was so boring, filled with apathy and no motivation.

 

That finally faded just before I hit six months on Nov. 26, and after a brief wave things seem to be relatively OK. I'm still dealing with anxiety and some brain buzz, but I've got my fingers crossed and am hoping the worst is behind me.

 

At 3-4 months my d/p and d/r slowly began to fade away, but "brain buzz" came on really strong. I was able to drive and go out to the grocery, bank, post office, etc., but it was difficult. I forced myself to begin walking every day at four months and between that and going out to stores almost every day it seems to have desensitized me and I don't get as anxious as I did at first.

 

At about 3 months I kind of began to run out of energy. I think it's because I put so much energy into getting through my acute w/d that I was simply "running on fumes" by that point. I think that long "emotional plateau" was actually my body and mind recharging for what comes next, because I have willpower and motivation again.

 

Hang in there. Once you get past 3-4 months things begin to change for the better. It's up and down, no linear, so don't get frustrated on days when you feel bad. Good days will come again.

 

Best wishes!

I'm 4+ months and the intense angst/fear/dread in the morning is still around,  My body still deals with stress badly.  I look forward to these things ending. or at least improving  Just wish it were sooner rather than later.

 

WWWI

Thanks so much Tex for the encouraging post...I think, as you mentioned, that expectingvlinear progress is my biggest challenge. I was doing very well over all at the bottom of my taper...now that I am holding at. .0312 1x day ( waiting for holidays to pass) ..things are difficult again...and a new s/x has sprung up...benzo flu. I was really getting fooled into thinking that since my end taper was mostly positive somehow I would just slide into recovery without the w/d demons noticing...so wrong. It just seems so counter intuitive to get better ( after a lot of hard work) that you would go backwards...someone needs to create a 'roll the dice ' benzo board game..lol...thanks again Tex....so encouraging to know that some start dependably rounding a corner between 4-6 months. ..wishing you continued healing...cooperteni

Sitting at 3.5 months and right now

 

depression - not constant like months 1-2, but comes in little spurts daily

anxiety - not constant but comes many times a day and most of my evening is spent feeling like my muscles will snap.  Plus I can't handle to much stimulus (crowds, drama, yelling, action movies, etc)

bloating - big time especially in the evenings

dizziness/weak legs - probably anxiety related but comes and goes when in public.

random - flare ups of tinnitus, low energy, jittery, muscle pains, negative thoughts, etc etc etc.

 

I think there are definite improvements over months 1-2, but I am getting impatient now and feel like this should be all wrapped up by now.  My hypochondria flares up because I convince myself that something sinister has to be the cause of this after all this time.

Cirerecrem (I hope that's close...)

 

You wrote:

 

I think there are definite improvements over months 1-2, but I am getting impatient now and feel like this should be all wrapped up by now.

 

I can recall being at 3.5 months, where you are, and beginning to feel impatient. I was REALLY bored with just being like a zombie, day after day after day. It didn't really change for me until just the past couple of weeks. I was on an "emotional plateau" for all of October and most of November. I just felt nothing. Nothing was getting worse. Nothing was getting better. I was just in limbo. All I could do was be patient, and I'm not a very patient person!

 

Then, I finally got hit with a 3-day wave and I was so GLAD to have SOMETHING going on! I hung on through the wave, knowing it means that healing is taking place, and I came out of it about 10 days ago and while I have not been in a window, per se, I am functioning better and am more in touch with the "real world" than at any time since I jumped c/t back on May 26.

 

I have read a lot of comments from buddies who've said they experienced improvements at 6-7 months. I sure hope that's the case with me. I had a nice, "normal" day. I went for my morning walk. Then I did yard work around the house. Then my wife and I had burgers and fries at Five Guys (I haven't eaten burgers or fries in six months!), and then we went down the street and she and I went our separate ways in Target and met up later. It was packed with Christmas shoppers, but I had no anxiety, no d/p, no d/r -- nothing! I felt like a normal human being!

 

We came home from Target and I did some more work in the yard. (Pruning trees is killing me!) I'm trying not to overdo it, because I know that brings on waves, so I've just tried to pace myself today. I don't know how to say it other than simply to state that this is the first full day where I've felt "normal" in over six months!

 

Will it last? I hope so. But I doubt it. I've been tricked by benzos before. Still, this day has been so good for me that no matter how bad things may get again, I'll remember today and know that it WILL get like this again. Seriously, I'm feeling like 85-90 percent healed! I am savoring every single minute of this day!

 

You will have a day like this in the not-too-distant future...

Thanks Tex and more importantly congrats on having such a good day! Patience is not my strong suit but I am learning it with this process haha

 

Wow and I just saw that you jumped from 5mg after a really fast taper.  You must have had one heck of a rollercoaster ride!

Tex....so glad for your very good...very normal...very burgers and fries day....wishing you many many more..and continued healing....cooperten

Just shy of four months and having the most severe exhaustion ever. Tinnitus is driving me nuts. I'm in a constant state of anxiety. This after a two week window at three months off. I'd do anything to go back there.  :'(

I am  just past 4 months and the exhaustion is unbeleivable .

 

Symptoms:

Fatigue

Depression

Lathargic

Brain fog

Muscles pain ( better)

 

Symptoms that have improved:

Anxiety

Constant fear

Muscle pain

Stomach issues

 

I guess there has been some improvements!

 

 

 

I was pretty much exhausted from 4 months to about 5.5 months, when my energy began to come back.

 

I think that our brains and bodies have put forth so much energy in dealing with withdrawal those first 3-4 months that they're just flat-out burned out, which is why we feel exhausted. I know that the sense I got was that my brain and body were taking a break and recuperating.

 

Once they'd recuperated at 5.5 months or so, things began to pick up. This is all very, very common, so don't stress on it. It WILL pass...

 

Best wishes.

I just have to say that I am so thrilled at how things are going at this "Post-withdrawal Recovery Support' section. Everyone here seems to really be much less hysterical than the old "Withdrawal and Recovery" section.

 

I was over there just trolling through the posts and, man, my heart goes out to those folks. They're dealing with a lot of crap -- crap most of us seem to have worked our way through. I really was getting frustrated in the old section because it seemed everyone was in crisis and finding a kindred soul who was in "recovery" was hard to do.

 

This new section is really so much more enjoyable to read through, since we've all made it 4 or more months (well, most of us) and we seem to be realizing that the horrors of "withdrawal" are now largely behind us and that "recovery" is now beginning. Yeah, we still get hit with symptoms, but it's not the "life or death" drama that it was in our early days...

 

Recovery is an exciting new place to be, isn't it?

 

 

Tex...if I am just jumping and not even close to 3-4 months post taper should I forgo this thread and confine my posts to WWWI's thread....? I don't always cat h on to the etiquette of the different threads and forums. Although now with separating the board it was easy to find a. 'home ' thread...but I see people I follow on other threads to and comment to them. If this is intrusive please let me know. I am also appreciating the split board....I like the spectivity of focus.....ok....thanks Tex....sorry if I crashed a thread....cooperten

Tex...I have just finished my taper...yes when I was tapering I did have. " hysterical" days ...and days of "crisis "  and some pretty. " dramatic " events....I am pretty sure I will have more of the same 2, 5, 6 and 12 months out...I hope not...and I hope you and all of the other buddies do not have many of these days either. My understanding of BBs is that this is exactly where you can be hysterical...in crisis...and dramatic....no matter which board you post on....and still find compassion and support....I know that even in recovery benzos can still have a momentary hold on our patience and sensitivity....congratulations on your recovery six months out...I wish you continued healing....cooperten

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My question is I don't know what date to use as for my benzo free date.  I went off Valium in May 2013.  Six weeks later I went on Xanax on and off for three weeks.  Stopped the Xanax in September 2013.  I don't know which is my end date.  Can anyone help me??  Also what is the difference between this board and the other board?