I’ve had benzo withdrawl since Sept 2016. Some days are slightly ok and others are just as bad as they were in the first few months. It is not easy to lose so much and not have family even believe you after a certain amount of time. Not being able to work, sleep, cook etc it’s no way to live. 😢
Desde que tome mi ultima migaja, hace ahora 28 meses y todavia tengo insomio terrible. En el foro benzo buddies dices que es cuestion de tiempo, y que todos se curan, he leido testimonio de 13 años de duracion, asi que probablemente no todos se curan y pueden dejar secuelas permanentes. Tanto daño y sin una indemnizacion, deberiamos ser indemnizados, aunque preferiria que me dieran los años de vida que me han quitado y que me quitaran todavia. Nadie nos advertio, nadie nos dijo que una abstinencia pudiera perdurar tanto en el tiempo.
We need to advocate to create a Medicated assisted treatment mandatory Protocol for Long-term Benzo patients and a different one for short term. We have an epidemic on our hands that's unspoken of :( I pray for everyone who is suffering ❤
They Already Know What Dr. Witt-Doerring is saying here. This Damage occurs Almost Always, except if pills are only taken for a week or two maximum, and even then there will be damage. THIS WILL HAPPEN EVEN IF YOU "TAPER" OFF THESE DRUGS VERY, VERY SLOWLY, IN MINUTE INCREMENTS.
@@davidsplan4409 my doctor is so against benzo withdrawal. She told me again today that no studies have ever been done about benzo withdrawal. I told her ever since coming off klonopin abruptly two years ago I feel like I have neuron damage and nerve damage in my brain m. She said that can’t be because no studies have ever been done. I told her there’s literature galore online if she would actually take the time to see for herself. She doesn’t want to hear the truth.
20 years Klonopin for sleep, doctor cut me off cold turkey took me nine days to start withdrawing the first two years I couldn’t get out of the house and after five years 90% better still have horrible teeth, pain and burning in the feet
Prescribed for 28-1/2 years, Xanax for first six years, then klonopin for the remainder, always taken as directed, for sleep mostly, with some anxiety. 42 months ago was stopped at my request when I finally learned they were bad drugs (from Jordan Peterson), but was told by my doctor to "just stop." No mention of taper.. stopped cold turkey. Never took another. I'm somewhat better now compared to the hell of the first six months, but am so damaged. Still have heavy anxiety, burning body pain, migraines, bruxism, burning mouth syndrome, electric zaps everywhere, burning skin, extreme hypersensitivities to all my senses, can't regulate my body temperature. Very fatigued. Damaged hearing since then. Problems being around people. Can't focus well. More anxious now than before when I was first prescribed them nearly three decades ago, but not as bad as my early withdrawal months. My whole personality has changed to a blah, no smile person who is very easily angry. I don't enjoy anything anymore. I miss my old me and so do my children. I'm 70 now, still hoping to improve. I never asked for this drug in the beginning or any time through the years, yet am looked upon as an "addict" now. I never even smoked or drank, never took illicit drugs in my life. No one has ever even apologized or taken responsibility. Doctors no longer believe in "first do no harm."
Ativan damaged me. Took from 2008 to 2017 and here in 2024 i had started to recover except for tardive dyskinesia dystonia and mild effects then i got covid and my husband became abusive and left. Im now fighting severe long covid and more brain damage. Im a single mom and only Jesus has sustained me through years of hell. Utter hell. God is faithful and loves us ❤️✝️
weened off 2.5 mg of valium By cutting pill, took me around 2 years but in that time I lost focus on trying to get off. Lost dad and home. Got back on track about 340 days ago and weened the last 2.5 mg by water titration. Reduced 1ml each day for 300 days. Been off for around 40 days now and am suffering dizziness, muscle pain mostly in the shoulders and neck, also have nerve pain in legs and sweet a lot through feet. Intrusive thoughts and lower back pain. Some of these things could be from something else but not sure. Just going one day at a time. The blurry vision is bad and brain fog sometimes is so scary. Feel like death is coming sometimes. Hope all will get better in the name of Jesus.
Ya know, I can't think of anything worse on this planet to go through than this. It's literally hell on earth. This is one of those things that make me doubt that God exists sometimes. But I know he does, I just can't wrap my mind around why he would allow some people to go through this.
Wish there was some positive stories out here about coming off benzos. I get all the bad stories are legit..but I could really use some hope at this point.
I came off clonzapam aka klonipin safely...after 23 years 0.5mg 3X a day...tapered very slowly...totally fine now! I was cut off CT caused a seizure...reinstated and came off safely
I have been through hell 4 years ago going through the worst benzo withdrawal such as akathsia ,seizure ,tremors and burning,on top of that i was floxed by cipro at the same time,i almost lost my life to suicidal thoughts . 4 years later some of my symptoms especially psychiatric symptoms were gone, i have slowly taper from 20mg of valium to 2mg . Though im still trying to slowly come off, i can safely say that the brain do recover from all these injury. Diet and lots of probiotics helps,the answer to recovery is healing your gut , remember the brain and gut are linked. Start building up your gut microbiome. These gut bacteria 🦠 are responsible in producing those important neurons for the brain. Meds such as benzo interfere with our gut microbiome.
This contradicts your other video saying if symptoms persisted for years you'd look for other causes such as different meds they're on and other things. And your other video saying it might take a year or two but the burning and bad stomach muscle spasms go away over time
A friend used SSRI for 20 years when her doctor stopped prescription she ended in hospital and had to resume to the drug for life, even if she wanted to quit
Obviously, you'd look for other reasons for your symptoms, just so you can be sure it's Protracted Benzo Withdrawal and not anything else. I don't see a contradiction there.
@@beam3819you can get hurt in a way while coming off that is different than the withdrawal where putting it back does not work and suddenly makes you worse. You can get hurt so badly you become intolerant to nearly any pharmaceutical. Anything affecting dopamine directly or indirectly will send symptoms like akathisia skyward. I am only mentioning this because it’s often not an option to up dose and stay on it.
What do you recc. for these people? I'm sure you realize that many of them cannot afford $800/hr fees, so what do you suggest they do? Have a friend in very bad shape in this situation, and then there are a few somewhat better than they were but not close to where they were to begin with. Thank you.
Maybe your brain is damaged lol. He said that it can be permanent, but most recover. Not that complicated. My father got permanent damage from a case of the shingles, my brother has permanent neck pain from skating, and I have damage from benzo going on 5 years. Sorry my dude We don’t live in rainbow land, any damage can be permanent.
@@TheAjmos I'm not a dude but a 68-year-old woman. At my age I know life is not all 🌈 and lollipops. Sorry about your Dad. I was just questioning the doctor because I thought he said two different things.
I didn't even need medication , i was dealing with anxiety and emotional pain, but managing, i was was also dealing with pms. I was sleeping , eating well, could feel good emotions, i was functional. I started therapy in march 2023, because that what i truly needed, i had already told dr, i would not be taking medication , he said" fine". I felt it in my room. My husband kept insisting and insisting, i kept saying no no no, what i need is therapy, because the emotional pain was internal, something that medication can't help with. Anyway i was pressured, i don't know why i listened, i am messed up know . They gave me Benzo too. I have suicidal thoughts when i wasn't suicidal, just dealing with anxiety and emotional pain. I don't sleep , i don't feel good emtions ,i cry and cry, i don't laugh. I feel dead , but still alive.
Ive been on benzos for a month "lorazepam" and from what im reading in these comments its making me consider just deal with the insomnia and anxiety this is scary
I wonder and it’s not gonna help my dad because sadly he passed from this but he was on Valium for decades like maybe three or four decades and then he developed degenerative spinal cerebellar I’m wondering if going off the Valium which his new wife made him if that was the cause and death of him and if it is then you need to warn the public because that is so very scary!
Horrifying. Did she make him go cold turkey? U'm so sorry. I'm in the same boat because I've been on benzos since rhe late 70s! But I was PRN until I went daily with Klonopin in 1990. I've been cold-turkeyed twice and rapid-tapered three times. At 68, sooner or later I will lose my doctor and descend into hell. It would take me years to taper the Klonopin and the other three psych meds I'm on.
@@jeanmank742 i’m not exactly sure how he got off of it that was like 15 years ago and I had no idea that there was the diazepam neurological issues link and that’s so very scary! If I were you I would get yourself with a neurologist preferably one that is also a pharmacologist that would be the best bet for you! I’m in the Chicago area I could help you out with that if you’re here too?
@@jeanmank742Do what you can. If u can taper,do it. If you can reduce it a bit, do it. If you cannot, it's ok. Just prepare and have extra stash for time you might be without constant doctors prescription. Don't let anybody shame you for being on drugs. Or going off. It doesn't matter. What matters is maintaining quality of life. Being able to function. Socialize or do your job, hobby, or cook, or read Bible and wait for New world ..do whatever makes life less hard and warms your heart. Take care. ❤️
The problem is, that as long people are on those drugs, the underlying problems that are created, are not recognized. The damage is done while on those drugs, due to the interdose withdrawal, while coldturkey also creates damage. But if he was on the drug for decades that seems to be the major reason for it, not the tapering or withdrawal.
@@kareendeveraux1847 I haven't heard much about the damage done by interdose withdrawal but I believe that is what is debilitating me now. I was put back on 1 mg Klonopin in 2011 after a psychotic break from a forced one-month taper. I was fine for about five years but "watch the clock" between doses. It gets pretty hard sometimes.
What he said is true, i have been on benzo and antidepressant for three years. And doctor fastly tapered both the meds very fast. Its been 3 months. Every day is a torture for me. I lost my job. I am having multiple symptoms which i could not describe. Doctors literally killed me by putting me o this meds. I lost my life my with this.
What can help you at 21 months after you’ve been ripped off klonopin after being prescribed it by a trusted doctor for 12 years? I’ve felt like this every day since June 17 2022 like someone has squeezed my brain and put pressure on it to no end and it pulsating non stop (but it’s not a headache), my eyes have been chronically dry for 21 months, everything looks dim and my eyes are in pain feels like someone is stabbing me in my eyes non stop. Sleep has been off for 21 months m. Focus off, attention is off, can’t drive anymore. Haven’t seen any of my friends since early late May 2022 because I had covid in early June 2022 then this crap happened to me when I was ripped from klonopin. I’m just existing day in and day out. My doc who did this to me acts like she did nothing wrong. I don’t know what to do now.
@@Carolina_girl86 It's a plant from Asia. To put it simply you can think of it as a mild benzo, stimulant and opiate. Because of this people use it to get off benzos, stimulants, opiates and etc. Being a plant it's a natural alternative to more harsh pharmaceuticals and it doesn't affect the respiratory system if it's processed properly. It will likely help you as a crutch to continue your road to sobriety.
Ittl take you alot longer to recover if you dont push yourself to do stuff. Dont just lay in bed all day. Do your best to push yourself to do things. If you just lay around all the time it can actually make it worse. I have experience with this.
I had a psychiatrist today argue me down and embarrass me when I told her about benzo withdrawal and that you absolutely can NOT wean off on klonopin if you’ve ben on a high dose for years in a matter of one to five days and be ok. She said I was lying and didn’t know what I was talking about because I wasn’t a doctor and said as long as a doctor and a team of nurses were supervising you then you be fine. She read me my rights. I told her the various videos and doctors to research about this. I can’t believe these bull 💩 psychiatrists believe it’s ok to wean off like that. My last psychiatrist knew it wasn’t ok to wean that fast and wouldn’t wean me off, but past me off to another who weaned me off anyway and now I’m dealing brain damage going on the past 2 straight.
I know veteran survivors suffering chronic akathisia 15 years, even 28 years later. The head of the Akathisia Alliance being one. I have suffered repeated bouts of akathisia and dystonia since childhood. I tell people the difference is whether you get EPS symptoms, not whether you had a seizure or anything else. My experience is there are levels to these injuries and some leave us prone to reoccurrence and further injury. Especially from other pharmaceuticals once we are injured. These injuries prevent safe treatment and remission is the only truth I’ve discovered. I almost had this gone a few times had I known not to try and treat. That still doesn’t mean it wasn’t going to come back. My experience is that life is a minefield for those of us that get chronic akathisia or other tardive injuries. Most of my worst symptoms came 4-12 months after stopping klonopin.
Quick tapers and cold turkeys lead to withdrawal akathisia. Not always movement, purely subjective turmoil and stress. Which typically fires up a functional neurological disorder (chronic stress/fight-flight). That can last for as long as it wants to. Ideally, the knowledge of slow tapering is not available, and that causes the injury. Once you re-instate, the brain recognizes the medication as a source of trauma that occurred the first time and makes things worse. The subjective akathisia is what causes suicides. Primary goal in care of protracted syndromes should be to shut down subjective akathisia and then give the person 3-6 months to heal from the ptsd of akathisia.
@@waspay9644yes some of us do , and I do one or two doses in one or two days and then again on the third day so 10 to 20 times per month Of 7.5 mg doses 75 to 100 mg total a month And if I font have it I go into freeze, and can not function.
Doctor… why not just give the patient more Benzos? Allow them to stay on for life, with a regulated dosing schedule. Just like opiate maintenance treatment. Just accept they will use benzos the rest of their life. It must be better than being in protracted withdrawal indefinitely. Thoughts?
They are not being prescribed for long term use anymore. Only for short term use when you're experiencing a crisis. Some of the reasons the medical profession give for not continuing to prescribe them to people are: 1. The high number of benzo-related deaths, 2. The addictive nature of benzos, 3. Patients develop a tolerance for them and require increased dosages 4. The number of prescribed benzos that are sold on the black market 5. The existence of newer drugs that treat anxiety that don't carry the risks that benzos do 6. The problem of polypharmacy, esp amongst older people: it's when the benzos interact with other drugs you're taking such as opioids- benzos combined with opioids have an unwanted effect on the respiratory system, affecting your breathing 7. The use of benzos in seniors: this is related to the above point (seniors usually take multiple medicines), and also benzos have a different affect on seniors
You’re saying two different things, that it’s permanent and that it goes away. Which one is it? I’m at month 21 so I know this ish doesn’t just go away. 🙄
@@ZFabia2010 Unless you go into tolerance withdrawal, like I did last year. Some docs can't or won't prescribe anymore either. It's a no-win situation.
So when am I going to notice my withdrawal brain damage? I stopped taking Xanax & clonex after 4mg of each per day for over 10+ years. I stopped the Xanax 2 weeks ago & the clonex 7 days ago. Where’s my crazy withdrawal symptoms & when does the brain damage kick in?
@@bubbles-triumphs I am doing better. I haven’t had a paralyzing panic attack in over 2 weeks. I don’t even remember in my life feeling this “normal” regarding a feeling of calm or neutral. Maybe it’s different people have different body chemistry but please someone explain to me why I was made to be scared shitless about stopping these meds & such high levels when it was NOT that bad at all. Aderall was extremely hard to stop taking and I was taking 60mg/day for a decade. It was raw hell. I was so sick & nobody talks about that. (?) It was truly horrible. I honestly don’t understand.
I’m thrilled to hear you are doing better @Michelle. There seems to be no way to know whether or not someone will go through withdrawal. Some people can just stop taking them and be okay, others cannot. I do not know if anyone understands this. Psychiatry does not. Our brains are so complex.
Can we do a vid together? I have a nice setup (fancy mic, OBS, professional interface) I have on benzodiazepines since I was 19 and my doctor stopped me cold with 6mg of xanax and 1mg klonopin
I need help doc. I'm scared to death. I'll never touch another benzo. It's so damn scary. I'm not myself at all. Now that I've identified it I'm scared it'll never go away. I can't remember any damn thing. Agitation and lack of patience is unreal. I had a major panic attack that sent me E.R. my hands went numb like I was touching a light socket. Insomnia lasts for weeks. Now I'm extremely weak. Soo fucking scared. I need me to be me at least mentally. Am I going crazy Doc? I wouldn't want this for an extended amount of time. What can I do to heal Doc? Time? Is it guaranteed? Since I've stopped will it come back out of nowhere? Just as severe or worse?! 😢😢 HELP!!!!!
I am 62 and here in Sweden, they dont know at al how to taper my bensos. They want me to taper out 6mg xanax/day for 25 years!!!! At 5 months!!! Thank you!!! your videos helps me to maybe get it slower!! And the clinics always mix me with heavy users of street drugs, u know amfhetamine heroin cannabis and more.... I mostly have nothing common with them i have a "normal" life work friends not criminal and more!!! If i could get it done with Ashton manuale or like that, i will be free ! i am trapped in this non functional system..... Why!!???
Says permanent and then says most recover ..... if you work with people on this why say permanent when you know they are in hyper arousal state.im in a group that 1000s have recovered and recovering . The brain can rewire itself . This guy seems to just be the typical main stream dr
klonopin was hard for me because of long release my blood pressure is high mostly when sitting 150/105 but it used to be at 175/125 140 bpm im 25 fuk no i dont have a heart prob …. insomnia is common pins needle and muscle pains stomach problems …. headaches stuff but off from it completely 20 days … well people on benzo are messed up but it heals with time biochemistry is fkd up your body forgets what normal level are be it bp reading impulses it regains back my pulse rate which used to be at 130 140 came back to 108 when im anxious chillin at 80-90 mostly starting 2 weeks were horrendous i was shaking my whole body ive uploaded it on my shorts but whatever fuk these legal drug dealers whove got know idea about the chemicals … psychiatry is Total BS. #coldfuckinturkeychickenpenguin
when i was coming off of benzos at age 16, my bp was at 200/110 and heart rate 160bpm... I was 100% convinced im gonna die of some heart problem fuck that shit like fr i felt as if i was 90 year old very sick guy
@@chinaprodukt777 yea quite but the reality is you wont die its gets better and you get a lesson for the rest of your life ... im 55 days off and still rough
Im off them 2 years I use to take 7 to 14 fake benzos a day tried to cold Turkey myself it was horrible and im lucky i didnt take a fit I went back taking them till I went to treatment and detoxed properly stay safe people
Can someone please detail what the protracted withdrawal symptoms are? I quit Xanax cold turkey more or less after 6 years without noticing any problems but I tried taking it again after 2 years and my tolerance seems to be permanent. I quit because after 6 years they hadn't been working for 4 years so my mental state wasn't very much changed when I stopped putting them in my system. I was as anxious on them the last couple years as I have been since I quit them. How could I get tested to see if I damaged my brain?
this man is lying! If your brain were damaged you wouldn't be able to do anything anymore... restore your nervous system and tackle your intestines! As long as you stay off the benzo you will recover completely!
@@MyHeroMacademiaif you have a propensity to go psychotic, weed can actually precipitate a psychotic episode. Trust me, going psychotic is horrendous. Last time I was hospitalised for 2 months, but didn't recover completely until 6 or 7 months later.
Stop the scare... You're the only one who is saying its forever While the National Benzo Coalition says c fifferent..And the nerve of you charging the fees you do is awful.. promising help for such awful fees is sad
Gary, I’ve lived with some level medication injury, benzo or otherwise, for three decades. I know people 27 years off who still suffer immensely. I know people who had to take their life nearly 10 years off and others looking into assisted death at 10 years off. That was after only 2 weeks of Ativan. I’ve even supported a close friend who had to go to Switzerland for assisted death after suffering for 5 1/2 years. She had two young kids, new husband. Super sad. The point is he’s not telling lies. Stories like mine and others in Living with Akathisia get marginalized and silenced as fear mongering in the Benzo community. That is why you don’t hear them. It’s sad too, because everyone in the benzo community wants benzodiazepine injury acknowledged but doesn’t want it to be permanent. They are the ones that want it both ways. The fact is, I was kicked out of the two largest Benzo Recovery groups on FB within two months for trying to share my experience. It was triggering everyone when I knew what I was saying was true. I’d been a pain patient. I’d come off opiates and had nasty tapers. This last Klonopin injury was in a league of its own.
It is not likely with only very occasional use...It would usually take over 2 weeks of daily use to become physically dependent..Then again.. some people can take them daily for 20 years with no problems....there is no way to tell who will suffer terribly and who will not.
Rare but it could happen. There are people who have had extreme long-lasting adverse effects from taking as little as one dose of a benzodiazepine. This is rare but I have encountered these people in the online support groups.
The truth must be told. The rare person who will have permanent benzo withdrawal might be saved by this video. Also, science needs to study these cases in order to help. And it seems like only the public (mostly users of these meds and those around them) can push for that. But only if we are informed. This is informing us. I understand the need for those tapering to stay positive, they should limit their negative input (avoid this channel for example while they are tapering). Another solution would be for the channel to somehow mark such videos as potentially triggering for people tapering, so people tapering can still watch other helpful videos from this channel and avoid the triggering ones.
@@anteg9084I’m one of those cases and would definitely volunteer. They should be studying people with chronic akathisia. They should be looking at our genetics and developing screening tools. One of me is too many.
the doctor gave me xanax. He didn't explain anything. I think it's a cure for gerd. Now I'm suffering, losing my job and partner. I am very sorry. Even though I am a man who really hates cigarettes, alcohol and drugs. Now my religious side is gone. I hope to die soon even if I have to go to hell.
What is he talking about? Protracted withdrawals I've been off this 43 years so I guess I'm screwed I tried to stop years ago and I went through some of the most scary things of my life they took me off of real fast just stopped I got to quit watching these videos because they're just making me worse have derealization
![I.N "HALLUCINATION" | [Stray Kids : SKZ-PLAYER]](http://i.ytimg.com/vi/n5B5q1Hwt_U/mqdefault.jpg)
You are 1 in a million. Most Psychiatrist haven't the slightest clue how to properly taper a patient off of their Benzos.
Heavenly Father, please help me and all going through this
🙏
I’ve had benzo withdrawl since Sept 2016. Some days are slightly ok and others are just as bad as they were in the first few months. It is not easy to lose so much and not have family even believe you after a certain amount of time. Not being able to work, sleep, cook etc it’s no way to live. 😢
Same here. My family is tired of hearing about it and I’m tired of trying to explain it to them
What are your symptoms?
Desde que tome mi ultima migaja, hace ahora 28 meses y todavia tengo insomio terrible.
En el foro benzo buddies dices que es cuestion de tiempo, y que todos se curan, he leido testimonio de 13 años de duracion, asi que probablemente no todos se curan y pueden dejar secuelas permanentes.
Tanto daño y sin una indemnizacion, deberiamos ser indemnizados, aunque preferiria que me dieran los años de vida que me han quitado y que me quitaran todavia.
Nadie nos advertio, nadie nos dijo que una abstinencia pudiera perdurar tanto en el tiempo.
Same 😪
@@Carolina_girl86 same 😢
We need to advocate to create a Medicated assisted treatment mandatory Protocol for Long-term Benzo patients and a different one for short term. We have an epidemic on our hands that's unspoken of :( I pray for everyone who is suffering ❤
Appreciate your videos! I wish doctors would watch.
They won’t because they don’t care and are too busy prescribing benzodiazepines to the next person.
They Already Know What Dr. Witt-Doerring is saying here. This Damage occurs Almost Always, except if pills are only taken for a week or two maximum, and even then there will be damage. THIS WILL HAPPEN EVEN IF YOU "TAPER" OFF THESE DRUGS VERY, VERY SLOWLY, IN MINUTE INCREMENTS.
@@davidsplan4409 my doctor is so against benzo withdrawal. She told me again today that no studies have ever been done about benzo withdrawal. I told her ever since coming off klonopin abruptly two years ago I feel like I have neuron damage and nerve damage in my brain m. She said that can’t be because no studies have ever been done. I told her there’s literature galore online if she would actually take the time to see for herself. She doesn’t want to hear the truth.
20 years Klonopin for sleep, doctor cut me off cold turkey took me nine days to start withdrawing the first two years I couldn’t get out of the house and after five years 90% better still have horrible teeth, pain and burning in the feet
Prescribed for 28-1/2 years, Xanax for first six years, then klonopin for the remainder, always taken as directed, for sleep mostly, with some anxiety.
42 months ago was stopped at my request when I finally learned they were bad drugs (from Jordan Peterson), but was told by my doctor to "just stop." No mention of taper.. stopped cold turkey. Never took another.
I'm somewhat better now compared to the hell of the first six months, but am so damaged. Still have heavy anxiety, burning body pain, migraines, bruxism, burning mouth syndrome, electric zaps everywhere, burning skin, extreme hypersensitivities to all my senses, can't regulate my body temperature. Very fatigued. Damaged hearing since then. Problems being around people. Can't focus well.
More anxious now than before when I was first prescribed them nearly three decades ago, but not as bad as my early withdrawal months.
My whole personality has changed to a blah, no smile person who is very easily angry. I don't enjoy anything anymore.
I miss my old me and so do my children. I'm 70 now, still hoping to improve.
I never asked for this drug in the beginning or any time through the years, yet am looked upon as an "addict" now. I never even smoked or drank, never took illicit drugs in my life.
No one has ever even apologized or taken responsibility.
Doctors no longer believe in "first do no harm."
Ativan damaged me. Took from 2008 to 2017 and here in 2024 i had started to recover except for tardive dyskinesia dystonia and mild effects then i got covid and my husband became abusive and left. Im now fighting severe long covid and more brain damage. Im a single mom and only Jesus has sustained me through years of hell. Utter hell. God is faithful and loves us ❤️✝️
weened off 2.5 mg of valium By cutting pill, took me around 2 years but in that time I lost focus on trying to get off. Lost dad and home. Got back on track about 340 days ago and weened the last 2.5 mg by water titration. Reduced 1ml each day for 300 days. Been off for around 40 days now and am suffering dizziness, muscle pain mostly in the shoulders and neck, also have nerve pain in legs and sweet a lot through feet. Intrusive thoughts and lower back pain. Some of these things could be from something else but not sure. Just going one day at a time. The blurry vision is bad and brain fog sometimes is so scary. Feel like death is coming sometimes. Hope all will get better in the name of Jesus.
Amen brother! in the name of Jesus✝️💪
how is your dizziness
@@PrekshitBhargava-kl8xe It comes and goes but I have had a issue with dizziness since a teenager.
So unbelievably scary... Horrifying...
Ya know, I can't think of anything worse on this planet to go through than this. It's literally hell on earth. This is one of those things that make me doubt that God exists sometimes. But I know he does, I just can't wrap my mind around why he would allow some people to go through this.
Thank you so much for your video, I was on Benzos for about 3 years, and am recovering now. Switched to supplements.
Wat supplements u take
@@AbrahamTorres-u2eGinseng and NAC.
@@AbrahamTorres-u2e It's called Ginseng.
Same question?
@@michaels999 ?
Wish there was some positive stories out here about coming off benzos. I get all the bad stories are legit..but I could really use some hope at this point.
I came off clonzapam aka klonipin safely...after 23 years 0.5mg 3X a day...tapered very slowly...totally fine now! I was cut off CT caused a seizure...reinstated and came off safely
You can do it but I can’t I don’t want to be here and it in pain everyday
I have been through hell 4 years ago going through the worst benzo withdrawal such as akathsia ,seizure ,tremors and burning,on top of that i was floxed by cipro at the same time,i almost lost my life to suicidal thoughts . 4 years later some of my symptoms especially psychiatric symptoms were gone, i have slowly taper from 20mg of valium to 2mg . Though im still trying to slowly come off, i can safely say that the brain do recover from all these injury. Diet and lots of probiotics helps,the answer to recovery is healing your gut , remember the brain and gut are linked. Start building up your gut microbiome. These gut bacteria 🦠 are responsible in producing those important neurons for the brain. Meds such as benzo interfere with our gut microbiome.
What probitoc did you use ?
What a positive message for the people that follows you Dr, GREAT JOB 👏 now people are gonna be even more depressed
That's not fair. He's being honest. And he's actually validating what so many are going through. Including my 18 year old beloved son with autism....
This contradicts your other video saying if symptoms persisted for years you'd look for other causes such as different meds they're on and other things. And your other video saying it might take a year or two but the burning and bad stomach muscle spasms go away over time
A friend used SSRI for 20 years when her doctor stopped prescription she ended in hospital and had to resume to the drug for life, even if she wanted to quit
Obviously, you'd look for other reasons for your symptoms, just so you can be sure it's Protracted Benzo Withdrawal and not anything else. I don't see a contradiction there.
@@beam3819you can get hurt in a way while coming off that is different than the withdrawal where putting it back does not work and suddenly makes you worse. You can get hurt so badly you become intolerant to nearly any pharmaceutical. Anything affecting dopamine directly or indirectly will send symptoms like akathisia skyward. I am only mentioning this because it’s often not an option to up dose and stay on it.
What do you recc. for these people? I'm sure you realize that many of them cannot afford $800/hr fees, so what do you suggest they do? Have a friend in very bad shape in this situation, and then there are a few somewhat better than they were but not close to where they were to begin with. Thank you.
Are there doctors who charge 8oo$ for 1h?
😳
@@naomimara3340 yes, and a lot more. Easily $1200 per hour. Often more.
You say the brain damage is permanent but then say for most people it goes away?
Just like with traumatic brain injuries
You can rehab the brain to make it function as best as possible despite the injury
How are you helping them ??
@@irishgirl1753 Believe me...just having someone acknowledge you are suffering is helping.
Maybe your brain is damaged lol. He said that it can be permanent, but most recover. Not that complicated. My father got permanent damage from a case of the shingles, my brother has permanent neck pain from skating, and I have damage from benzo going on 5 years. Sorry my dude We don’t live in rainbow land, any damage can be permanent.
@@TheAjmos I'm not a dude but a 68-year-old woman. At my age I know life is not all 🌈 and lollipops. Sorry about your Dad. I was just questioning the doctor because I thought he said two different things.
GODS WORK ! I APPRECIATE YOUR WORK YOU DO TO HELP US DEALING WITH THIS. AT LEAST SOMEONE UNDERSTANDS. BLESSINGS 🙌
I didn't even need medication , i was dealing with anxiety and emotional pain, but managing, i was was also dealing with pms. I was sleeping , eating well, could feel good emotions, i was functional. I started therapy in march 2023, because that what i truly needed, i had already told dr, i would not be taking medication , he said" fine". I felt it in my room. My husband kept insisting and insisting, i kept saying no no no, what i need is therapy, because the emotional pain was internal, something that medication can't help with. Anyway i was pressured, i don't know why i listened, i am messed up know . They gave me Benzo too. I have suicidal thoughts when i wasn't suicidal, just dealing with anxiety and emotional pain. I don't sleep , i don't feel good emtions ,i cry and cry, i don't laugh. I feel dead , but still alive.
Ive been on benzos for a month "lorazepam" and from what im reading in these comments its making me consider just deal with the insomnia and anxiety this is scary
I wonder and it’s not gonna help my dad because sadly he passed from this but he was on Valium for decades like maybe three or four decades and then he developed degenerative spinal cerebellar I’m wondering if going off the Valium which his new wife made him if that was the cause and death of him and if it is then you need to warn the public because that is so very scary!
Horrifying. Did she make him go cold turkey? U'm so sorry. I'm in the same boat because I've been on benzos since rhe late 70s! But I was PRN until I went daily with Klonopin in 1990. I've been cold-turkeyed twice and rapid-tapered three times. At 68, sooner or later I will lose my doctor and descend into hell. It would take me years to taper the Klonopin and the other three psych meds I'm on.
@@jeanmank742 i’m not exactly sure how he got off of it that was like 15 years ago and I had no idea that there was the diazepam neurological issues link and that’s so very scary! If I were you I would get yourself with a neurologist preferably one that is also a pharmacologist that would be the best bet for you!
I’m in the Chicago area I could help you out with that if you’re here too?
@@jeanmank742Do what you can. If u can taper,do it. If you can reduce it a bit, do it. If you cannot, it's ok. Just prepare and have extra stash for time you might be without constant doctors prescription.
Don't let anybody shame you for being on drugs. Or going off. It doesn't matter. What matters is maintaining quality of life. Being able to function. Socialize or do your job, hobby, or cook, or read Bible and wait for New world ..do whatever makes life less hard and warms your heart. Take care. ❤️
The problem is, that as long people are on those drugs, the underlying problems that are created, are not recognized.
The damage is done while on those drugs, due to the interdose withdrawal, while coldturkey also creates damage. But if he was on the drug for decades that seems to be the major reason for it, not the tapering or withdrawal.
@@kareendeveraux1847 I haven't heard much about the damage done by interdose withdrawal but I believe that is what is debilitating me now. I was put back on 1 mg Klonopin in 2011 after a psychotic break from a forced one-month taper. I was fine for about five years but "watch the clock" between doses. It gets pretty hard sometimes.
Protracted doesn't mean permanent.
HOW do you help them?
Gradual tapering. Pls, this is an unusual sitatin. Many drugs have undesirable side effects for a few. Plus, many drugs require gradual tapering.
Pray
What he said is true, i have been on benzo and antidepressant for three years. And doctor fastly tapered both the meds very fast. Its been 3 months. Every day is a torture for me. I lost my job. I am having multiple symptoms which i could not describe. Doctors literally killed me by putting me o this meds. I lost my life my with this.
Dr Ashton says we all heal even I we are protracted which I am
Yes, everyone heals. It’s just a matter of time. Trust Heather Ashton.
After 5+ misdiagnosis of neurodegenerative diseases, neurologist dx neutotoxcity encepholopy.
This woman tells the truth. I watch her live with this everyday.
Thanks for telling the truth about these poisons.
Dr. The brain damage can it be seen on MRI or EEG??
In general most people recover...which is it ? Never recover or willvthey
Some don't recover but most do, I don't understand why is everyone so confused
@@Lilian040210 no all recover, talk to the various benzo coaches who have worked c with1000s or people abd you will see
Recover in what way?
@Carolinagirl-nb1vf simple,,symptom free all of them
@@garysimone4977 what were your symptoms?
What can help you at 21 months after you’ve been ripped off klonopin after being prescribed it by a trusted doctor for 12 years? I’ve felt like this every day since June 17 2022 like someone has squeezed my brain and put pressure on it to no end and it pulsating non stop (but it’s not a headache), my eyes have been chronically dry for 21 months, everything looks dim and my eyes are in pain feels like someone is stabbing me in my eyes non stop. Sleep has been off for 21 months m. Focus off, attention is off, can’t drive anymore. Haven’t seen any of my friends since early late May 2022 because I had covid in early June 2022 then this crap happened to me when I was ripped from klonopin. I’m just existing day in and day out. My doc who did this to me acts like she did nothing wrong. I don’t know what to do now.
Hi friend have you heard of kratom
@@wsurjec6414 no, what is it?
@@Carolina_girl86 It's a plant from Asia. To put it simply you can think of it as a mild benzo, stimulant and opiate. Because of this people use it to get off benzos, stimulants, opiates and etc. Being a plant it's a natural alternative to more harsh pharmaceuticals and it doesn't affect the respiratory system if it's processed properly. It will likely help you as a crutch to continue your road to sobriety.
@@Carolina_girl86 Do you live in North Carolina? It's illegal in a few states and you have to be 18 to purchase it.
@@wsurjec6414 I’m 38 and yes I live in North Carolina.
Ittl take you alot longer to recover if you dont push yourself to do stuff. Dont just lay in bed all day. Do your best to push yourself to do things. If you just lay around all the time it can actually make it worse. I have experience with this.
I had a psychiatrist today argue me down and embarrass me when I told her about benzo withdrawal and that you absolutely can NOT wean off on klonopin if you’ve ben on a high dose for years in a matter of one to five days and be ok. She said I was lying and didn’t know what I was talking about because I wasn’t a doctor and said as long as a doctor and a team of nurses were supervising you then you be fine. She read me my rights. I told her the various videos and doctors to research about this. I can’t
believe these bull 💩 psychiatrists believe it’s ok to wean off like that. My last psychiatrist knew it wasn’t ok to wean that fast and wouldn’t wean me off, but past me off to another who weaned me off anyway and now I’m dealing brain damage going on the past 2 straight.
These doctors can only be repaired by Jesus. In the sky, far away from Earth. Its possible to send them, just not something one does daily.
psych mst DTH
In my previous comment change T by I
And also change H by E
@@carlgauss1702 what??
I know veteran survivors suffering chronic akathisia 15 years, even 28 years later. The head of the Akathisia Alliance being one.
I have suffered repeated bouts of akathisia and dystonia since childhood. I tell people the difference is whether you get EPS symptoms, not whether you had a seizure or anything else. My experience is there are levels to these injuries and some leave us prone to reoccurrence and further injury. Especially from other pharmaceuticals once we are injured. These injuries prevent safe treatment and remission is the only truth I’ve discovered. I almost had this gone a few times had I known not to try and treat. That still doesn’t mean it wasn’t going to come back. My experience is that life is a minefield for those of us that get chronic akathisia or other tardive injuries. Most of my worst symptoms came 4-12 months after stopping klonopin.
Quick tapers and cold turkeys lead to withdrawal akathisia. Not always movement, purely subjective turmoil and stress. Which typically fires up a functional neurological disorder (chronic stress/fight-flight). That can last for as long as it wants to. Ideally, the knowledge of slow tapering is not available, and that causes the injury. Once you re-instate, the brain recognizes the medication as a source of trauma that occurred the first time and makes things worse. The subjective akathisia is what causes suicides. Primary goal in care of protracted syndromes should be to shut down subjective akathisia and then give the person 3-6 months to heal from the ptsd of akathisia.
Most people don't get Akathisia that's from antipychotic meds
Actually some people need these meds I certainly do for my anxiety
@@waspay9644 wrong. Read the akathisia clinical guide. Every SSRI is listed in there.
@@waspay9644yes some of us do , and I do one or two doses in one or two days and then again on the third day so 10 to 20 times per month
Of 7.5 mg doses
75 to 100 mg total a month
And if I font have it
I go into freeze, and can not function.
@@waspay9644 can be from benzos too
Doctor… why not just give the patient more Benzos? Allow them to stay on for life, with a regulated dosing schedule. Just like opiate maintenance treatment. Just accept they will use benzos the rest of their life. It must be better than being in protracted withdrawal indefinitely. Thoughts?
I agree Or get to the lowest comfortable dose you can and just stay there. But now they want everyone off it just like opioids
.
It Sounds idiotic a person being made to be in this state !
instead of them staying on a low maintenance dose.
It's fanatical.
They are not being prescribed for long term use anymore. Only for short term use when you're experiencing a crisis.
Some of the reasons the medical profession give for not continuing to prescribe them to people are:
1. The high number of benzo-related deaths,
2. The addictive nature of benzos,
3. Patients develop a tolerance for them and require increased dosages
4. The number of prescribed benzos that are sold on the black market
5. The existence of newer drugs that treat anxiety that don't carry the risks that benzos do
6. The problem of polypharmacy, esp amongst older people: it's when the benzos interact with other drugs you're taking such as opioids- benzos combined with opioids have an unwanted effect on the respiratory system, affecting your breathing
7. The use of benzos in seniors: this is related to the above point (seniors usually take multiple medicines), and also benzos have a different affect on seniors
Maybe I'm wrong, I heard.these drugs taken long term can cause the brain to shrink and lead to dementia
You’re saying two different things, that it’s permanent and that it goes away. Which one is it? I’m at month 21 so I know this ish doesn’t just go away. 🙄
Maybe withdrawal is worse than staying on it.
@@ZFabia2010 Unless you go into tolerance withdrawal, like I did last year. Some docs can't or won't prescribe anymore either. It's a no-win situation.
It is
It's only worse if you dont recover. But the withdrawal doesekt last forever.
@@dustygatrell-ru7tg i reinstated after 10 month hell. I am doing waaaaaay better now.
I Will never afvise anyone going off…
Great now when are we going to admit that this is also true for antipsychotics and antidepressants..
Thank you. Withdrawing from benzos is a walk in the park compared with antidepressant withdrawal.
Please, this is something I don't get help for.. in my country they treat you like a disease, and don't help at all .
Yep. My friend has been on them 20 years. Her brain is damaged and getting worse. She won’t get off them.
So when am I going to notice my withdrawal brain damage? I stopped taking Xanax & clonex after 4mg of each per day for over 10+ years. I stopped the Xanax 2 weeks ago & the clonex 7 days ago. Where’s my crazy withdrawal symptoms & when does the brain damage kick in?
It will take you by surprise, while you on it and yeah the xanax won't work againt the neuro problems it will only still help with the panic attacks
Did you taper either of them, or was it more of a cold-turkey?
@@bubbles-triumphs cold Turkey
@@bubbles-triumphs I am doing better. I haven’t had a paralyzing panic attack in over 2 weeks. I don’t even remember in my life feeling this “normal” regarding a feeling of calm or neutral. Maybe it’s different people have different body chemistry but please someone explain to me why I was made to be scared shitless about stopping these meds & such high levels when it was NOT that bad at all. Aderall was extremely hard to stop taking and I was taking 60mg/day for a decade. It was raw hell. I was so sick & nobody talks about that. (?) It was truly horrible.
I honestly don’t understand.
I’m thrilled to hear you are doing better @Michelle. There seems to be no way to know whether or not someone will go through withdrawal. Some people can just stop taking them and be okay, others cannot. I do not know if anyone understands this. Psychiatry does not. Our brains are so complex.
Can we do a vid together? I have a nice setup (fancy mic, OBS, professional interface)
I have on benzodiazepines since I was 19 and my doctor stopped me cold with 6mg of xanax and 1mg klonopin
I need help doc. I'm scared to death. I'll never touch another benzo. It's so damn scary. I'm not myself at all. Now that I've identified it I'm scared it'll never go away. I can't remember any damn thing. Agitation and lack of patience is unreal. I had a major panic attack that sent me E.R. my hands went numb like I was touching a light socket. Insomnia lasts for weeks. Now I'm extremely weak. Soo fucking scared. I need me to be me at least mentally. Am I going crazy Doc? I wouldn't want this for an extended amount of time. What can I do to heal Doc? Time? Is it guaranteed? Since I've stopped will it come back out of nowhere? Just as severe or worse?! 😢😢 HELP!!!!!
I am 62 and here in Sweden, they dont know at al how to taper my bensos. They want me to taper out 6mg xanax/day for 25 years!!!! At 5 months!!! Thank you!!! your videos helps me to maybe get it slower!! And the clinics always mix me with heavy users of street drugs, u know amfhetamine heroin cannabis and more.... I mostly have nothing common with them i have a "normal" life work friends not criminal and more!!! If i could get it done with Ashton manuale or like that, i will be free ! i am trapped in this non functional system..... Why!!???
6 mg xanax a day!? Wow! That is a really high dose.
@@bethhayes1 yes!
Says permanent and then says most recover ..... if you work with people on this why say permanent when you know they are in hyper arousal state.im in a group that 1000s have recovered and recovering . The brain can rewire itself . This guy seems to just be the typical main stream dr
Please will my muscles ever heal... Please Dr... Can you please answer me ❤.. Please
Am I hearing some doublespeak? Permanent means permanent, not long lasting.
klonopin was hard for me because of long release my blood pressure is high mostly when sitting 150/105 but it used to be at 175/125 140 bpm im 25 fuk no i dont have a heart prob …. insomnia is common pins needle and muscle pains stomach problems …. headaches stuff but off from it completely 20 days … well people on benzo are messed up but it heals with time biochemistry is fkd up your body forgets what normal level are be it bp reading impulses it regains back my pulse rate which used to be at 130 140 came back to 108 when im anxious chillin at 80-90 mostly starting 2 weeks were horrendous i was shaking my whole body ive uploaded it on my shorts but whatever fuk these legal drug dealers whove got know idea about the chemicals …
psychiatry is Total BS. #coldfuckinturkeychickenpenguin
when i was coming off of benzos at age 16, my bp was at 200/110 and heart rate 160bpm...
I was 100% convinced im gonna die of some heart problem
fuck that shit like fr i felt as if i was 90 year old very sick guy
@@chinaprodukt777 yea quite but the reality is you wont die its gets better and you get a lesson for the rest of your life ... im 55 days off and still rough
Omg this is scary!!! What if I have air hunger permanently?? It's so severe . 😩
Absolutely will go away 100% and you will heal. This video isn’t a good one
Im off them 2 years I use to take 7 to 14 fake benzos a day tried to cold Turkey myself it was horrible and im lucky i didnt take a fit I went back taking them till I went to treatment and detoxed properly stay safe people
How you doing now any brain zapping
What about ssri?
Can someone please detail what the protracted withdrawal symptoms are? I quit Xanax cold turkey more or less after 6 years without noticing any problems but I tried taking it again after 2 years and my tolerance seems to be permanent. I quit because after 6 years they hadn't been working for 4 years so my mental state wasn't very much changed when I stopped putting them in my system. I was as anxious on them the last couple years as I have been since I quit them. How could I get tested to see if I damaged my brain?
this man is lying! If your brain were damaged you wouldn't be able to do anything anymore... restore your nervous system and tackle your intestines! As long as you stay off the benzo you will recover completely!
What medicine can we take that isn't so dangerous
Kava
But what can you do for it ???
Can flumazenil or psilocybin therapy help?
Weed helps 😊
@@MyHeroMacademiaif you have a propensity to go psychotic, weed can actually precipitate a psychotic episode. Trust me, going psychotic is horrendous. Last time I was hospitalised for 2 months, but didn't recover completely until 6 or 7 months later.
TALK ABOUT THE DEATHS, PLEASE, DOCTOR.
Yeah, well. You should try trying to deal with Loxapine and Ativan damage. By comparison, benzodoazepine is a cakewalk.
You do know that ativan is a benzodiazepine don't you?
??? Ativan is a benzodiazepine
Ativan is a benzo and it’s no cakewalk
None of it is a cake walk
Ativan is a benzo. Not sure if the other one is.
Stop the scare... You're the only one who is saying its forever While the National Benzo Coalition says c fifferent..And the nerve of you charging the fees you do is awful.. promising help for such awful fees is sad
Don't know about this guy 😭
@@warrenbates2949 guy charges 800.00 per. YA scare people go c way to get clients
Gary, I’ve lived with some level medication injury, benzo or otherwise, for three decades. I know people 27 years off who still suffer immensely. I know people who had to take their life nearly 10 years off and others looking into assisted death at 10 years off. That was after only 2 weeks of Ativan. I’ve even supported a close friend who had to go to Switzerland for assisted death after suffering for 5 1/2 years. She had two young kids, new husband. Super sad.
The point is he’s not telling lies. Stories like mine and others in Living with Akathisia get marginalized and silenced as fear mongering in the Benzo community. That is why you don’t hear them. It’s sad too, because everyone in the benzo community wants benzodiazepine injury acknowledged but doesn’t want it to be permanent. They are the ones that want it both ways.
The fact is, I was kicked out of the two largest Benzo Recovery groups on FB within two months for trying to share my experience. It was triggering everyone when I knew what I was saying was true. I’d been a pain patient. I’d come off opiates and had nasty tapers. This last Klonopin injury was in a league of its own.
Are you referring to the doctor in this video?? you mention terrible high fees... how much does he charge??
@@sarahmurphy-nf4yl 600.00 hr ouch it maybe higher now
What are the odds of this happening after getting high just once a year on benzodiazepines?
It is not likely with only very occasional use...It would usually take over 2 weeks of daily use to become physically dependent..Then again.. some people can take them daily for 20 years with no problems....there is no way to tell who will suffer terribly and who will not.
@@Q1776Q Greal tapring is the key.
Rare but it could happen. There are people who have had extreme long-lasting adverse effects from taking as little as one dose of a benzodiazepine. This is rare but I have encountered these people in the online support groups.
@@jeffzest8393 I'm not sure what Greal is ... but I tapered 1MG of Ativan for about 2.5 years...and it was pure hell on earth.
@@c.taylormorgan3668 Just about any medication has rare serious side effects for a few.
You lost me at FDA
Stop the fear. Come off the medication gradually. Unnecessarlily creating stress for those tapering!
The truth must be told. The rare person who will have permanent benzo withdrawal might be saved by this video. Also, science needs to study these cases in order to help. And it seems like only the public (mostly users of these meds and those around them) can push for that. But only if we are informed. This is informing us.
I understand the need for those tapering to stay positive, they should limit their negative input (avoid this channel for example while they are tapering).
Another solution would be for the channel to somehow mark such videos as potentially triggering for people tapering, so people tapering can still watch other helpful videos from this channel and avoid the triggering ones.
@@anteg9084I’m one of those cases and would definitely volunteer. They should be studying people with chronic akathisia. They should be looking at our genetics and developing screening tools. One of me is too many.
Like they say, the truth needs to be told
Well said Jeff 👍
@Dicktrickle216 only that this isn't the truth
Not without any proof MRI studies or that if they can't find anything it's just anxiety
How can you recover if its permanent? In general! Sheesh crappy answer
the doctor gave me xanax. He didn't explain anything. I think it's a cure for gerd. Now I'm suffering, losing my job and partner. I am very sorry. Even though I am a man who really hates cigarettes, alcohol and drugs. Now my religious side is gone. I hope to die soon even if I have to go to hell.
What is he talking about? Protracted withdrawals I've been off this 43 years so I guess I'm screwed I tried to stop years ago and I went through some of the most scary things of my life they took me off of real fast just stopped I got to quit watching these videos because they're just making me worse have derealization
Your scaring people like me by saying brain damage..
We all recover... like with alcohol and any other drug... it's a choice!
Oh no great… 😮
Can I see you?
No it can't be permanent and your not a real doctor
Actually he is an MD, psychiatrist.
Are you trying to scare people? Geez