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From: Linda Jarbøel <linda@j... Date: Sat Jun 29, 2002 10:13 am Subject: Oldtimer checking in Hi group I has been a long time since I posted here, so I thought I would let you know how things have been working out for me. I have been off of Xanax for 2 years, and off of Prothiadén for about 1 and a half year. I was on different kind of Benzos for 20 years, and the last 5 years I was also on Prothiadén. I don't have the slightest idea about if the Prothiadén helped wd in any way, it was all hell, but I got the adwise to stay on the AD´s until I had finished my taper from the Benzos. -After that I had no problems in stopping the Prothiadén. I dicided to taper from the Benzos because I felt so awful, I had anxiety, a got a lot of phobias, always headace felt depressed, and besides that, I had a deep desire to know the "real" Linda, who and how I would be without the medications. I had a very hard time during WD, and in many months afterwards. -I had a lot of symtoms anxiety, DR, muscle pain, spinning in my arms and legs, palpitations. I could go on and on, you all know how it is, and agoraphobia did so I couldn't leave my house without my husbond, and finally I was not able to have a job. It took me about eighteen monhs before I got on a bus on my own. I started in CBT (Cognitive Behaviour Therapy) and it helped me a lot. -I read a lot of informations on different sites, read a lot of books about anxiety, used relaxationstape, and finally I learned not to be afraid of my symptoms, that my symptoms was due to the wd, that it wasn't the way I would stay for ever. -I would also like to say thanks for the help I got from a lot of caring people in the groups. Today I am not 100% well, but I live a normal life and I am happy. I laugh, dance and sing and I have just got a part-time job in an office. I work 4 hours a day, that is all I can manage right now, I am still so very sensitive to all kind of stress, and that is both physically and mental. -Sometimes I still have anxiety and some other things, but now I am able to handle it without any medication, to do something about it, in my Benzodays I often felt so helpless, that I am not anylonger. I don't think it is a question about being 100% well, I don't look at it that way. I have choosen not to focus on what I can't do, but what I can. I still have a long way to go due to wd and to all the years I was on Benzos, but that is ok with me because I have got quality of life back. Take care everyone, try not to think you never heal if you are not healed in 6 months, in a year, in 2 years or more. I don't think there is a limit for how long it can take, but I do know that if we stay away from these pills we all will get there. Benzos really never healed anyones anxiety or sleepingproblems, Benzos create big problems after some time. Love, |