Date: Tue May 22, 2001 11:07 pm

Subject: 1 Year Off

Hi,

I just thought I would add something for your mother to know about. I have been in this group for almost 2 years. I have observed many people suffering and getting well at different time frames. One thing your mother should know is that many people were on benzos not for anxiety attacks alone or none at all. We had many who where subscribed the pills for IBS, Restless Leg Syndrome, GERD, TMJ, muscle spasms, MVP, Fibromylargia, insomnia and a list of other problems and not anxiety or emotional ones.

These people never had an anxiety attack or agoraphobia until starting the pills then trying to get off. We had a couple who only took the benzos for a couple of weeks and still suffered extreme and protracted withdrawal. Versed a drug used in surgery is one that caused one member to have severe WD after coming home from the hospital and is still suffering.

I myself had panic and anxiety attacks from the age of 12 to over 20 with no benzos to help me. They did not know what panic attacks where in the 50's. I was put on valium in the late 60's. It never took the panic attacks away but curbed my anxiety. If anyone had to learn coping skills I did. I never took more than 5mg of valium and when put on ativan never more than 1 or 2 mg. My doctors said I was to stay on them the rest of my life.

I started having problems of tolerance withdrawals 4 or 5 years ago and never increased the drug and thought it was just my normal anxiety and had to deal with it until I found this group. I am now benzo free for one year and most of the drug induced anxiety is gone. I was in therapy and many other roads to find out why I had anxiety attacks. It is truly some chemical imbalance because I did not have them because of repressed emotions, etc. The anxiety I felt after I stopped the drug was 200 times worse than my normal anxiety or any panic attack I ever had.

As far as percentages goes, and who will have severe withdrawal or protracted withdrawal happen to them has not been figured out yet. My niece is also a psychologist and we talk many times and the only drug she sees problems with is xanax because of the high dosage some of her patients were on, otherwise she also doesn't believe what all of us went through. A friend of mine was on 8mg xanax quit cold turkey after 2 years, had a grand mal seizure and doctor put her on dilatin and she is fine NO problems at all. Go figure?

There have been over 900 people come to this site to join and many stayed then were able to walk away in 30 days. Then you had some in a couple of months. The average for this group that emails and stays is one year to 18 months. I believe that there are many more out there that are suffering and that is why we are trying to make so many people and doctors aware of what is happening. I probably would say that 30% would be a good average of people having to go through with this. Of course, many who have stopped and develop strange symptoms go to doctors and are diagnosed with other physical problems instead of withdrawal and your mother does not see or hear about this. Many have been diagnosed with MS and in a year or two when WD is over so are all the MS symptoms and they no longer have MS. Fibromylargia is also (which I was diagnosed in 1981) another syndrome people will say they have for all the muscle and joint pain that WD causes. Depression and anxiety is the biggest scapegoat that doctors label patients when they don't believe in WD lasting or doing the things we say they do.

I will guarantee that in a couple of more years these drugs will not be handed out as fast and as often. My internist says she never prescribes ativan or other benzos. She has one lady on Paxil that cannot get off of that either. The new SSRI's will also start giving people problems.

We are a world of instant gratification and need a pill to stop the slightest discomfort. Headache, take Tylenol, cramps grab a midol, someone dies give them a valium or ativan not to feel the pain. They are starting to drug our children and not just with ritalin. They are giving 5 year olds paxil, prozac, zoloft and benzos. Labels always said not to give to children under 12. These children's brains have not maturated yet and they are teaching them how to respond with drugs.

I guess I have sounded off enough. It is just that I have lived in the benzo world for so long and sorry that I ever started taking them. I have lost so many memories and did not feel so many feelings in those years. I am now feeling and enjoying those feelings let them be anger, sadness, fear or joy. I hope that I have not offended anyone and I could write a book about these pills and WD. My therapist took me through it and truly believes in this group and knows what these drugs are doing to her patients but she doesn't prescribe them but listens when they try to come off of them.

Love to all of you on this group and I will continue to pray for us daily. May the best moment you had today be your worse moment tomorrow. Here's to a symtom free night for everyone.

Love Penny