From: "Pete" 2 Yrs Off

Date: Tue Jun 18, 2002 1:22 pm

I agree that the letter could be upsetting to some people. It isn't

that the prospect of taking two years is too much to handle, but rather that

it was so loosely written that a vulnerable person's imagination could

easily run away with that sort of vague content.

I am going to be 2 years benzo free next week. I considered myself

100% healed a long time ago, but I have to admit, sometimes my own

insecurities make me wonder. Could there be a hint of something not quite

back yet? Maybe. On the other hand, I feel so good, I could really care

less. Furthermore, despite some lingering symptoms that might have been

around after my one year mark, I still felt pretty good back then.

All things considered Flick, my recovery was based upon getting past

the worst of my withdrawals. Just like someone who has surgery for things

like back pain, after the majority of the healing is finished, there can

still be a period of time when the remaining problems need to escape. I

think that's what people might be getting at if they believe that the

average recovery time for benzos is 2 years. It isn't all hell, but rather

an extended period of time to get all the kinks out!

As far as Kelly's post goes, I think that you may be taking it the

wrong way. I do think that some people get off of benzos easily, just not

us! I think that might explain why the medical community is so far behind

with this issue, and why the public is still in the dark. They don't see

everyone suffering, so they tend to turn their heads on us. If we are to

ever make headway with getting things changed for the better, then we might

have to acknowledge this as a possibility.

I don't think it makes us weak or abnormal if we do indeed suffer

from these drugs in a unique manner. There are many people who can tolerate

certain medications, while others cannot. Some people are in danger if they

take penicillin or aspirin.

Feeling that you're different doesn't always have to be a bad

thing. I had some symptoms that were not often heard of here. I had a choice

to either believe that something was seriously wrong with me, another

ailment perhaps, or that my body was simply dealing with these drugs in it's

own manner. There's nothing wrong with offering up the idea that we are

destine to go through this in our own way at times. It's this very idea that

helps to explain why we feel some of the things that we do, and also the

idea that helps us to realize that some things need no explanation at all.

What will be will simply be, then we will be healed.

Take care,

Pete