I am now 66. I got off Klonopin using a water titrate. Was on large dose for 10 yrs. Was hardest thing I’ve ever done. I was completely housebound. I am 9 yrs free now and life is good! My brain has healed!
@@Noir-sr5bw I had protracted withdrawal for 18 months after my last dose. At 18 months the windows just stayed open. It was literally like a flip switched. I did try and make myself do things during protracted that were out of my comfort zone. Walking to mailbox and back. Driving around block. Doing this on my window days. It truly is frightening but promise it will be over someday. We all heal at our own pace
@@Noir-sr5bw things absolutely do get better. I was 24 months after taper that I finally got windows. One day they just flew open! I’ve not looked back! You will heal!!!
Thank you Dr Josef and Cathy. It’s very nice when you have an older person who’s been on these drugs for decades on your podcast who’s healed. It gives me hope.
Wow Cathy is incredible to say the least. Particularly loved the part about"living in her mind"when unable to sleep. Revisiting homes and doing math.. healing and challenging herself. This woman is a powerhouse & an inspiration. Everyone that is living through this should be listened to, bc they have lived thru war... hell, you name it. Thank you Dr. Josef as per usual, this is SO important.
I wish I’d heard of her a few months ago! My sister had a bad accident and went through a deep depression, nothing seemed to help but electro shock therapy. Although after each session (a dozen or more!) they gave her Ativan. She was a recovering alcoholic with 30 years sobriety. But could not get off the benzos 😢 After three years of pain, depression much of what Kath talked about, she had an amazing recovery! She fell in love, got married. She was skiing again, and scuba diving, hiking and seem to be 90% back to normal. It took her two years to get off of the benzos. Then in October 2023 after getting her second Covid booster, she seem to have a bad relapse of pain and depression. So of course they put her back on benzo, anti-depressants, antibiotics, steroids, etc. no one could find anything wrong with her, so she took her own life on February 14 of this year. Doctors are so blind in believing in their medications that they do not believe that it is exactly that that could be causing a lot of these issues.
Wow, so sorry to hear of this tragedy, keep in mind she was murdered by the drugs, that is not your sister's choice. Similar ending for my Mom when I was a kid, so i also say she was murdered...
True . But now there is more awareness of the terrible problems there is also crazy backlash where people are forced into cold turkey with no tapering options. If only there were more Dr Js or Dr Bs . They are out there but I haven’t been able to find on where I live .
Wow. So sorry to hear that. You are so right with how you finished your comment. As long as us (the public) can continue to shed light on how medications can injure people. Within time, the medical community will notice and eventually they will make changes.
Anyone who comes on here to tell their story is very brave,BRAVO! Why is it some doctors actually act like they have no idea about benzos, is it all just an act?
Thank you for sharing Kathy. I have been on Valium for 15 years and it messed my health up so very much. I had shingles 4 times. I kept getting sick and fybro, mcad, MCS, immune dysfunction. I am 18 months into a taper and down to 2.5 from 20 . I feel for you and it's very brave of you. More need to look into the effects of Valium. I started taking it for vertigo and it's not supposed to be taken for vestibular problems or it can cause long term problems. It took me being in groups and looking into things myself to find some of his out. Only Doctor of mine who understands the dangers of Valium is my m ad doctor. He has switched me to liquid to help me taper. He knows how hard it is . The muscle pain and neuropathy is insane. But my mood and anger has been a lot better. God Bless you !!!
I am also currently trying to stabilize at 20mg Valium but I'm feeling like how she described. I can barely stand up off the ground or the bed. Idk if it's from the valium or from the rapid taper my doctor tried to kill me with. I need to talk to someone who has experienced these things
A precious testimony to take into account by anyone, patient, helper, professional or lay. And a brilliant example of empathetic and meaningful listening. Thanks to both of you.
I hope that you temper the pot statement in working with coaching clients. Not everyone has a good experience with pot in withdrawal. Some are hurt worse. You are lucky that it was a good thing for you. Others aren’t. Personally I don’t ever want a substance to affect my brain ever again. So glad you healed and shared your story.
I agree about the pot. In fact, I recently did a gene test and I was told to not take cannabis. I finally found out why I was such a poor hippie because I couldn’t tolerate pot. I actually thought I literally lost my mind. And I never smoked it again. Please be careful. Genetics do matter.
I hate to break this to you, but I took Ativan for close to 10 years. I am 58 and four years off benzodiazepines after cold turkey taper in a facility. No one believed I still felt horrible after 4 weeks. I still get withdrawal symptoms! Th first two years were a living HELL, I’m surprised I survived. Please don’t give up. It does get easier
yes the red light from the screen was burning through my brain when i started going through valium withdrawal!! i had a massive headache at the start, then started all the other symptoms... the dissociation and psychosis was scary as f!!! lasted for 3 months, but am better now.. this happened in 2018
I’m 4 years out and still have symptoms. No one understands-not even in the rooms because the withdrawal is so brutal no one believes you. For me, benzo addiction was a totally different animal than alcohol. Thanks for sharing. I don’t get to share mine very often
I’d recognize that disordered, stream of consciousness speech pattern anywhere because that was me for years - an inability to directly answer a question without straying into non-related territory is how I might describe it. I wish Cathy more and continued healing. Amazing story.
Dr Joseph we spoke on Monday and it was difficult for me- I was nervous. Cathy’s story is parallel to mine with the Xanax. 27 years for me. It’s been brutal the last 10 years tapering myself from 6-8 mg a day to now 2 mg. My brain at this point just hurts and feels thick and heavy. Body pain is relentless. I use my diet to eliminate as much as I can. I to have had multiple physical tests but have always refused the meds offered. I’ve been caffeine free three months now and I’m so ready to start this taper with you! Thank God you added Georgia! I’m so proud of you!
So glad to hear you are on the way to recovery! All the best to you and happy you have such a compassionate and capable Doctor to help you on your journey. Take care.
Best of luck it is possible. I made the decision I no longer wanted to take Xanax after 2 years of use 11 years ago. I slowly tapered (Ashton manual) and tried a ton of naturopathic medicines to assist with the withdrawal and healing. top of the list GABA, L Theanine, Magnesium you can do it just make sure slow taper imo is the key
@@lisasmith814 Though it may seem like an excessive amount of time there are usually various factors. The taper may have started for a period of time and then stopped for a time. A "hold" period or even the need to go back to original dosage before beginning again. These scenarios may come into play with years adding up and yet one can honestly say that they have been tapering throughout this entire time. I think it's safe to say that even an extreme micro taper in and of its self would not take entire 10years. Don't know if this is the case but it is what comes to mind when I hear of this length of time. 🙏
Lots of emotions as I watch this. I’m tapering off Valium and I’m only 31. I was on (equivalent to 80+mg and now at 17.75 mg) My kids are young. I don’t want them to remember this. My daughter prob will because she’s nearly 7. It’s heartbreaking. I cold turkey’d multiple times then ended up protracted, yet still tapering. And I’m on Lexapro AND trazodone. People just don’t understand. I have a long road ahead. I’m hopeful that she slowly got better. Thank you for sharing your story Cathy. Our stories need to be heard.
I’m your age and was on the same equivalent as you. I’m at 20mg Valium. It’s crazy how similar our stories are. I go through trying to tough out a hard cut, then go back. I’d skip a dose, then end up in withdrawal. I don’t know you but know that there is someone just like you in your position.
WOW!! Thank you Cath, what a story. I also am healing from protracted withdrawal but it is getting better two years now. So happy for you. You have given me so many key words like focus it really does work. Just love your smiling face!! ❤
I knew a guy who was just anxious at his first computer programming job.. his psychiatrist or therapist put him into group therapy, on an SSRI and gave him benzos. He ended up saying he can’t work at all due to anxiety for next five years and quit his career to work at a grocery store. He looks like a scared soft little boy now. Like his nervous system was shell shocked. And yes he quit the SSRI cold turkey.
Thanks to Kathy . You really helped me understand what I've been dealing with for the past 4 1/2 years and its still happening daily. Its great to hear your story and know Im not crazy (as). All the same strange symptoms. What are the odds? Look at the comments, there seems to be more of us. These stories are so incredibly close to each other. My symptoms are like so many of us.Its awful. Feels like Im losing my mind and coming out of my skin at the same time. Exhausted but cannot sleep. It feels like madness. Living in my head. Lost my family and friends. I now live alone. I dont go out. My memory is hit. Hard. The car accident happened on 9/27/2019. I had a head injury. So the doctors took me off many meds. Like my psych meds.. Benzos, antidepressants, antipsychotics. Id been on those kinds of meds since i turned 21. I just turned 53. Most psychiatrists hear a few symptoms, relate it to, check the paperwork , prescribe what it says .
Thank you for this! I am on 20 mgs of Valium so this is super important to me. Keep making video's! Your so great! My ❤ goes out to you Cathy because I get blamed all the time for being angry and before Valium I was the sweetest peraon ever. I lost alot of my friends and family too. That's why I'd like to wean off. This is sickening.
Thanks a lot for sharing your personal story,.you’ve endured a lot of trauma,.the very thing that keeps most people on medications including myself,.seeing how you’ve worked on all of this is inspiring it really is,and it’s Lovely to see you living and enjoying your life on the other side of it all,.The biggest point to take away from your story for me is the positive way of changing your thought process through mind work in any way you can to help the healing,thanks Cathy : )
Her use of MS Solitatare reminds me of my recovery from Meningitis and how I used video games I once played previously to regain my mental focus stamina..it started off with 10 to 15 minutes and expanded to trying to accomplish various levels in one session in games like Populous a New Beginning, SIM City 3000 & Theme Hospital. All complex administrative games with only one relying upon combat. This helps with neuroplastiscity but also distracts you from pain for a while because you intensively occupy the mind but are not "drugging" yourself.
Thank you Cathy.❤ Thank you Dr Joseph for exposing this dark torture that people go through. The good thing is that all of a sudden you will be inundated with requests for help in your program. Don't doubt it... In time you will be overcome because you won't be able to take anymore patients ❤
Thank you both for this. I have a similar story, but I'm so confused because I have several autoimmune conditions. I have severe Crohn's. I was put on 10 mg of valium a day which was incredible to help with the crippling muscle spasms in my gut. I have psoriasic arthritis, psoriasis patches, IC, HS, inflammation of the eyes, vocal cords, and severe pain. I was recently diagnosed with fibromyalgia and I have to drag myself out of bed. I can also sleep 20 plus hours easily. I just want to sleep and be away from the pain. I'm so exhausted and miserable. I don't fluctuate my valium, but so many of your symptoms line up. I'm so isolated and sad on the inside. I have an amazing support system, but there are so many people who used to say they didn't know how I deal with everything and disappeared. I just don't know what is autoimmune and what is meds...
If doctors don't 'get it' it's no surprise others don't 'get it' either...The medical community needs to step up here, like you are doing Dr. Josef, b/c it is/they are causing harm..their most important responsibility is to 'first, do not harm'. What I"ve experienced compared to others is mild, but still disabling with some days easier than others, but generally it's hard...thankfully my husband, and children know me, and know that I'm suffering and are supportive. Thank God there is support her on the internet for those who have none at home or among friends or extended family.
Cathy, thank you so much for sharing this inspirational story of your journey of healing and recovery I'm a 68-year-old woman that's been on Xanax for 15 years and your words described my life to a t I've given up hope felt suicidal have no friends families not available boyfriend is giving up but you bring me hope I just want me back thank you so much from the bottom of my heart ❤️
Thank you so so much ❤ I can relate to everything Kath says. Especially the picture of the very bad car accident (I used to describe it like you are lying on the street while your intestines falls out of your body, and every person around just walks by and maybe looks at you and then hurry to ascape or turn their head away" very very crucial...the fact that every body ran away, when I was about to die, even the ones that knew me the best. It has been a very very traumatic experience alongside with the inside out destruction of your identity of the drug. Nothing can describe that pain. That chok. That crucial unfairness. Everything, you have build up in your life are being torn away over night!!! It is indescribable. Thank you SO much for giving me and others hope 🙏♥️.
This story was so beautiful Iv watched Josef for a while now and I think it’s time to share my Story from hopelessness to almost 19 years of Benzodiazepine
Dr. Josef, I have no words to tell you how much I respect your integrity. I hope your initialize inspire more psychiatrists to take stance on these issues.
Wow I've just cried so much listening to Kath this is real and she has explained it better than anyone else I know has done so . Wow ,yes it equivalent to a brain Injury. The first time I herd it explained this way was from Dr peter Breggin. Dr Josef you are a true beacon of light ✨️ full of compassion and understanding. The world honestly is a better place with you in it. Thank you for all you do for us broken souls . Believing us and our suffering means so much. May you always be protected 🙏.
Thanks for sharing.it's very important to highlight experiences like this. We are brought into a place where we sabotage our relationships and it is because of the drugs . Then we are left To grovel with the injuries and different levels of disability and tragedy alone. Should never happen.
Do you get a summary of your visits to physicians? I usually do, and I put them in a stack "to be filed." One day I read one and I was shocked! There were things in it that never were discussed with me, diagnoses that I'd never knew off, etc. I think this is done to get a higher "level of care" determination. I still go to this doctor, but I don't discuss anything of my personal life lest I be diagnosed as depressed. As far as my doctor goes, I'm one happy camper.
It’s amazing what my doc notes say too. Sometimes I feel like they must have switched the names on my chart. One said I had three sons & I was a meth addict. I’ve never even been pregnant nor ever taken meth nor anything illegal.
I started reading my note years ago, and this is the norm. Most recently the lady that administered a cognitive test to me diagnosed me with OCD despite the fact that she knew I was suffering with BIND. I told her I know I’m definitely not OCD and asked her why she wrote that in my records, and she told me it was because I told her I like to be organized. Unbelievable.
@@kmjansen do you pay with insurance? They must write an approved diagnosis in your chart so the billing department can send it off to your insurance company. BIND probably does not have a corresponding billing code. They don’t feel the need to be correct about the diagnosis. They do though feel the need to be paid!
So moving . Another amazing brave person whose story is so important to the current re- education of everyone who has they own stories . And of course we have to thank Dr Joseph for his incredible work tapering but not judging. If only my doctors had this attitude. I do feel things are changing.
thankyou!! very encouraging after hearing soo many stories and feeling ill for tapering after 15 yrs on valium...20mg down to recently 2.5..i could tell my body is happy i decreased again
Thank you 🙏 for allowing to hear your story Cathy If someone could type the car crash introduction Cathy spoke of I would be extremely grateful minute 12 of video 💚
Hello, trying to make sense of what you are sharing, i just want to add it doesn't have to be these specific medications that you can experience the same side effects from. Mine unfortunately started with prilosec.
I’ve said exactly what she said to my family. I said if I was in a full body cast, would you guys feel sorry for me as well? Also, can benzo withdrawal cause weight loss. I have no appetite. I’m so embarrassed to see anyone because of my appearance. I pray I can heal. 20 years of being on these medications.
Oh! Yhe ole peel the onion stuff! That means you can move on to another diagnosis/medication. Since you can't describe your issues in 15 minutes, you can fill in the blanks yourself, but they can help you out with a new med (maybe two or three).
Thank you for this story: like other drugs like alcohol, marihuana,.. Benzodiazepines cause a change in behavior. I have a old friend who has a change in his nature since mid of the 0-years. Its not spoken out by now, but i strongly suspect that she is taking benzodiazepines since than. (I my self did marihuana and beer in the evening almost daily for several years). This is also 'not ideal' but probably still a much lower burden than to have a benzos-problem). My own mood changes reversed since I stopped smoking pot and drinking regulary, hope other people can do the same for them selfs(even if the drugs they take are even much more nasty to come off).👍
This is all well and good, but by now research should be done on what are the physiological changes produced by the drug and it's withdrawal. As long as we remain ignorant, this will keep being like a phantom pain, impossible to observe from the outside and thus not believed, and because of that, the damage of the drug will be ascribed to anything else, including psychiatric problems, which will lead to further medication and further damage. Or to being completely ignored. As long as research is not done, the paradigm won't shift, and as long as the paradigm doesn't shift, the problem won't be solved. It will keep growing.
who will pay for this research. we are trying word of mouth to make changes. I gave up the word 'should" it is a do-nothing word. do or don't, not should. Once we start to understand, change can come. this is a start.
But i used to be on diazepam for years on and off..i dod not feel ir go through anything bad as far as withdrawal. I weined off slowly by having my doses lowered and my last script was for only 5 mg..i can still use them but i dont..only if my anxiety is really bad..but not daily
That’s great. Different bodies react differently to different medications. But that’s great if they help you. It would be nice for people who it harms to be believed, helped and not ostracized by family, friends & community.
Older people especially women going through menopause and older experience symptoms worse than younger people..who haven't been on it for decades with no health issues
@@Hffefhjjhff ? Plenty of people, all ages and men experience this too.. This eebonha e been injured by benzoes should not be saying " I have it worse" or one has it worse then the other. That's just odd in itself. People have to come together somehow and realize suffering and injury is subjective and biased to the individual. One upping doesn't help anyone.
@@Blu6556 , it helps everyone until it doesn't. Being in the groups it's interesting to see people with works for telling a group of thousands that they do just fine and have for years. Why even bother joining? This is a similar thing. It's just odd.
I go through sleeping 12-16 hrs a day. I just can't make myself get out of bed even if the house is on fire. I know it's not depression. I'm tapering off using Valium. My first benzo was Ativan but after 3 years I got suicidal ideation. Switched to klonopin after about 4 years they caused suicidal ideation. Finally, a doctor told me to get off the benzos. To find a doctor to help me taper.Impossible to do. No doctor would help me.
@@Dewalt1957 why do you say this?? I am older that you and on for longer?? Read Brenee Brown. focus on something else. I have watched many tell themselves that they will never get better but eventually do. focus on anything else but healing. Change your thoughts.
@@Dewalt1957I am 69 and on it since 1980's. It is a journey not a battle to win. Healing happens while we keep distracted and busy learning to do anything else. a benzo is a benzo. valium stays in your system longer so lessons inter-dose wd.. educate, inform research. distract, healing is happening now.
I have to say, I find these stories interesting but they frighten me also. I wish I knew what i know now about all medications. in 2002 I was prescribed 1mg bid of clonazepam, a months supply and 7 refills. knowing now, 2 weeks max. All i take clonazepam for now is to not withdrawal. There was one time my doctor went on vacation and wrote a prescription for 2 weeks instead of 4. In 2 weeks the wd never got better. Just worse. would barbiturates help? I know other benzos won't, the only drugs im not sure of other than heavy doses of opioids would be the barbiturates. anyone?
This channel is really weird for me. A lot of what people describe here I experienced, but to my knowledge, was never on these drugs. The aspect she described about being unable to shower without pain, yeah. Experienced that. In many cases it would last for the next 12+ hours. Deep raw burning electrical pain, whole body. hands and feet would turn dark red, autonomic dysfunction probably. I originally thought it was the temperature change as well, both from hot water and evaporative cooling afterwards, but I ended up deciding it was actual just the contact itself. The rhythmic pattering of a shower overstimulated the system. A bath would do likewise, but less so, in this case I think it was actually temperature and change in the weight of the hair, redistribution of oils, whatever. It's weird. It's like this channel is an externalized manifestation of everything terrible that's ever happened to me. I made it apart from myself... and so now I will see it coming from others, as though it was transferred. Or maybe we were all experiencing it at the same time and I just didn't know until now.
What medications have you taken? Antibiotics? Supplements? Acute stress? A lot of us believe this is a nervous system injury and sometimes the nervous system can be thrown into disarray due to extreme stress, poor health (diet, etc.) and non-med reasons. Regardless, I hope these videos are as validating for you as it is for many of us
Also , living in the vicinity /visiting a former or current meth lab can give strange symptoms....sometimes people aren't aware they are living around- in contact with a lab or former lab. ( Rental houses , apts.)
“ welcome to the world of benzo withdrawal “ . Are you listening any doctors ? Especially in Sydney & everywhere . And the NSW Health Department of Pharmaceutical Services. ( & others ) If so why making doctors panic so they cancel patients to cold turkey without offering any scientific tapering or other realistic treatment options .
Christine Robert's- How are u doing now? .....how were you able to cope .......with this ....going cold turkey? .....What did you do afterwards to cope with the symptoms? in need of helping a friend? - 🙏 praying can u help .....by leaving a comment
Hooked on valium my college yrs.manned up,quit cold turkey.Tough! But did it.worked middle east 16 yrs also helped continued detox.now 65,lucky to live where no Rx required for tramadol,hydroxycine,pregabilin.responsible self medicating exists & works
I am now 66. I got off Klonopin using a water titrate. Was on large dose for 10 yrs. Was hardest thing I’ve ever done. I was completely housebound. I am 9 yrs free now and life is good! My brain has healed!
Im off 30 months I feel so hopeless. Massive dpdr head sx and everthung sound terrible will this get better
@@Noir-sr5bw I had protracted withdrawal for 18 months after my last dose. At 18 months the windows just stayed open. It was literally like a flip switched. I did try and make myself do things during protracted that were out of my comfort zone. Walking to mailbox and back. Driving around block. Doing this on my window days. It truly is frightening but promise it will be over someday. We all heal at our own pace
@heyjude6335 How much were you taking?
@@Noir-sr5bw things absolutely do get better. I was 24 months after taper that I finally got windows. One day they just flew open! I’ve not looked back! You will heal!!!
@@bb3b644 3mg daily
Thank you Dr Josef and Cathy. It’s very nice when you have an older person who’s been on these drugs for decades on your podcast who’s healed. It gives me hope.
Wow Cathy is incredible to say the least. Particularly loved the part about"living in her mind"when unable to sleep. Revisiting homes and doing math.. healing and challenging herself. This woman is a powerhouse & an inspiration. Everyone that is living through this should be listened to, bc they have lived thru war... hell, you name it. Thank you Dr. Josef as per usual, this is SO important.
I wish I’d heard of her a few months ago! My sister had a bad accident and went through a deep depression, nothing seemed to help but electro shock therapy. Although after each session (a dozen or more!)
they gave her Ativan. She was a recovering alcoholic with 30 years sobriety. But could not get off the benzos 😢
After three years of pain, depression much of what Kath talked about, she had an amazing recovery! She fell in love, got married. She was skiing again, and scuba diving, hiking and seem to be 90% back to normal. It took her two years to get off of the benzos.
Then in October 2023 after getting her second Covid booster, she seem to have a bad relapse of pain and depression. So of course they put her back on benzo, anti-depressants, antibiotics, steroids, etc. no one could find anything wrong with her, so she took her own life on February 14 of this year. Doctors are so blind in believing in their medications that they do not believe that it is exactly that that could be causing a lot of these issues.
Wow, so sorry to hear of this tragedy, keep in mind she was murdered by the drugs, that is not your sister's choice. Similar ending for my Mom when I was a kid, so i also say she was murdered...
True . But now there is more awareness of the terrible problems there is also crazy backlash where people are forced into cold turkey with no tapering options. If only there were more Dr Js or Dr Bs . They are out there but I haven’t been able to find on where I live .
Wow. So sorry to hear that. You are so right with how you finished your comment. As long as us (the public) can continue to shed light on how medications can injure people. Within time, the medical community will notice and eventually they will make changes.
Anyone who comes on here to tell their story is very brave,BRAVO!
Why is it some doctors actually act like they have no idea about benzos, is it all just an act?
The withdrawls from weed and alcohol child's play compared benzos and anti-depressants.
Opioids as well! Puke for a few days and feeling better. Ask me how I know? 🤯
Thank you for sharing Kathy. I have been on Valium for 15 years and it messed my health up so very much. I had shingles 4 times. I kept getting sick and fybro, mcad, MCS, immune dysfunction. I am 18 months into a taper and down to 2.5 from 20 .
I feel for you and it's very brave of you.
More need to look into the effects of Valium. I started taking it for vertigo and it's not supposed to be taken for vestibular problems or it can cause long term problems. It took me being in groups and looking into things myself to find some of his out. Only Doctor of mine who understands the dangers of Valium is my m ad doctor. He has switched me to liquid to help me taper. He knows how hard it is . The muscle pain and neuropathy is insane. But my mood and anger has been a lot better.
God Bless you !!!
I take Klonopins for vertigo too.
@@catmando268 , I wish I had stuck it out on the Meclizine. I use medicine now for vertigo and dizziness because the Diazepam stopped working.
I am also currently trying to stabilize at 20mg Valium but I'm feeling like how she described. I can barely stand up off the ground or the bed. Idk if it's from the valium or from the rapid taper my doctor tried to kill me with. I need to talk to someone who has experienced these things
A precious testimony to take into account by anyone, patient, helper, professional or lay.
And a brilliant example of empathetic and meaningful listening.
Thanks to both of you.
I hope that you temper the pot statement in working with coaching clients. Not everyone has a good experience with pot in withdrawal. Some are hurt worse. You are lucky that it was a good thing for you. Others aren’t. Personally I don’t ever want a substance to affect my brain ever again. So glad you healed and shared your story.
I agree about the pot. In fact, I recently did a gene test and I was told to not take cannabis. I finally found out why I was such a poor hippie because I couldn’t tolerate pot. I actually thought I literally lost my mind. And I never smoked it again. Please be careful. Genetics do matter.
This is EXACTLY my story …
So sorry. Hope you are feeling well now.
40 years on Xanax here. Still very unwell. 14 months off after short taper. Recently have been in bed. Loss of people is horrible.
I see you. Almost thirty for me. It’s brutal and I’ve lost everyone.❤
Yep! Nobody has embraced my offer to tell my story but here is one at least.
I hate to break this to you, but I took Ativan for close to 10 years. I am 58 and four years off benzodiazepines after cold turkey taper in a facility. No one believed I still felt horrible after 4 weeks. I still get withdrawal symptoms! Th first two years were a living HELL, I’m surprised I survived. Please don’t give up. It does get easier
Almost 10 months off, feel terrible and have lost almost everyone
So sorry....very painful
The more people get this information maybe things will start to change? Thank you for sharing with us!
Pretty good description of the hell that is years of benzo withdrawal.
yes the red light from the screen was burning through my brain when i started going through valium withdrawal!! i had a massive headache at the start, then started all the other symptoms... the dissociation and psychosis was scary as f!!! lasted for 3 months, but am better now.. this happened in 2018
I’m 4 years out and still have symptoms. No one understands-not even in the rooms because the withdrawal is so brutal no one believes you. For me, benzo addiction was a totally different animal than alcohol. Thanks for sharing. I don’t get to share mine very often
I’d recognize that disordered, stream of consciousness speech pattern anywhere because that was me for years - an inability to directly answer a question without straying into non-related territory is how I might describe it. I wish Cathy more and continued healing. Amazing story.
Dr Joseph we spoke on Monday and it was difficult for me- I was nervous. Cathy’s story is parallel to mine with the Xanax. 27 years for me. It’s been brutal the last 10 years tapering myself from 6-8 mg a day to now 2 mg. My brain at this point just hurts and feels thick and heavy. Body pain is relentless. I use my diet to eliminate as much as I can. I to have had multiple physical tests but have always refused the meds offered. I’ve been caffeine free three months now and I’m so ready to start this taper with you! Thank God you added Georgia! I’m so proud of you!
So glad to hear you are on the way to recovery! All the best to you and happy you have such a compassionate and capable Doctor to help you on your journey. Take care.
Best of luck it is possible. I made the decision I no longer wanted to take Xanax after 2 years of use 11 years ago. I slowly tapered (Ashton manual) and tried a ton of naturopathic medicines to assist with the withdrawal and healing. top of the list GABA, L Theanine, Magnesium you can do it just make sure slow taper imo is the key
10 years tapering??? 😱
@@lisasmith814 Though it may seem like an excessive amount of time there are usually various factors. The taper may have started for a period of time and then stopped for a time. A "hold" period or even the need to go back to original dosage before beginning again. These scenarios may come into play with years adding up and yet one can honestly say that they have been tapering throughout this entire time. I think it's safe to say that even an extreme micro taper in and of its self would not take entire 10years. Don't know if this is the case but it is what comes to mind when I hear of this length of time. 🙏
Lots of emotions as I watch this. I’m tapering off Valium and I’m only 31. I was on (equivalent to 80+mg and now at 17.75 mg) My kids are young. I don’t want them to remember this. My daughter prob will because she’s nearly 7. It’s heartbreaking. I cold turkey’d multiple times then ended up protracted, yet still tapering. And I’m on Lexapro AND trazodone. People just don’t understand. I have a long road ahead. I’m hopeful that she slowly got better.
Thank you for sharing your story Cathy. Our stories need to be heard.
It gets better. You can do it. The children will embrace the healed parent, and forget the times of illness. I was raised by an alcoholic.
Thank you!
I’m your age and was on the same equivalent as you. I’m at 20mg Valium. It’s crazy how similar our stories are. I go through trying to tough out a hard cut, then go back. I’d skip a dose, then end up in withdrawal.
I don’t know you but know that there is someone just like you in your position.
They won't remember it. But they WILL remember what a great mum you have always been to them. 🕊️🙏🏻
WOW!! Thank you Cath, what a story. I also am healing from protracted withdrawal but it is getting better two years now. So happy for you. You have given me so many key words like focus it really does work. Just love your smiling face!! ❤
Did it take two years before you started to feel better? When did your mental symptoms go away. Hope you don’t mind me asking.
Thanks Cath for sharing your story. I hear you and it’s also helping me feel validated in my own story. ❤️
Yes what she said.😢
Yes...what they said...
Dearest Lady l admire your resilience ❤
I hope you realise how many people you will inspire so many of us!
Bless you❤
Thank you, it is hard at times to accept praise after so much pain. hugs
Thank you for sharing your experience with us all.
I knew a guy who was just anxious at his first computer programming job.. his psychiatrist or therapist put him into group therapy, on an SSRI and gave him benzos. He ended up saying he can’t work at all due to anxiety for next five years and quit his career to work at a grocery store. He looks like a scared soft little boy now. Like his nervous system was shell shocked. And yes he quit the SSRI cold turkey.
Am almost 10 months off benzos and look like a scared soft little boy too at work
@@isaacm159 I just decided I have to be rude to people and stopped caring about boundaries somehow - ended up fired for being rude and erratic.
Thanks to Kathy . You really helped me understand what I've been dealing with for the past 4 1/2 years and its still happening daily. Its great to hear your story and know Im not crazy (as). All the same strange symptoms. What are the odds? Look at the comments, there seems to be more of us. These stories are so incredibly close to each other. My symptoms are like so many of us.Its awful. Feels like Im losing my mind and coming out of my skin at the same time. Exhausted but cannot sleep. It feels like madness. Living in my head. Lost my family and friends. I now live alone. I dont go out. My memory is hit. Hard. The car accident happened on 9/27/2019. I had a head injury. So the doctors took me off many meds. Like my psych meds.. Benzos, antidepressants, antipsychotics. Id been on those kinds of meds since i turned 21. I just turned
53. Most psychiatrists hear a few symptoms, relate it to, check the paperwork , prescribe what it says .
Thank you for this! I am on 20 mgs of Valium so this is super important to me. Keep making video's! Your so great! My ❤ goes out to you Cathy because I get blamed all the time for being angry and before Valium I was the sweetest peraon ever. I lost alot of my friends and family too. That's why I'd like to wean off. This is sickening.
Thanks a lot for sharing your personal story,.you’ve endured a lot of trauma,.the very thing that keeps most people on medications including myself,.seeing how you’ve worked on all of this is inspiring it really is,and it’s Lovely to see you living and enjoying your life on the other side of it all,.The biggest point to take away from your story for me is the positive way of changing your thought process through mind work in any way you can to help the healing,thanks Cathy : )
thanks
Her use of MS Solitatare reminds me of my recovery from Meningitis and how I used video games I once played previously to regain my mental focus stamina..it started off with 10 to 15 minutes and expanded to trying to accomplish various levels in one session in games like Populous a New Beginning, SIM City 3000 & Theme Hospital. All complex administrative games with only one relying upon combat.
This helps with neuroplastiscity but also distracts you from pain for a while because you intensively occupy the mind but are not "drugging" yourself.
Thank you Cathy.❤
Thank you Dr Joseph for exposing this dark torture that people go through.
The good thing is that all of a sudden you will be inundated with requests for help in your program.
Don't doubt it...
In time you will be overcome because you won't be able to take anymore patients ❤
Thank you both for this. I have a similar story, but I'm so confused because I have several autoimmune conditions. I have severe Crohn's. I was put on 10 mg of valium a day which was incredible to help with the crippling muscle spasms in my gut. I have psoriasic arthritis, psoriasis patches, IC, HS, inflammation of the eyes, vocal cords, and severe pain. I was recently diagnosed with fibromyalgia and I have to drag myself out of bed. I can also sleep 20 plus hours easily. I just want to sleep and be away from the pain. I'm so exhausted and miserable. I don't fluctuate my valium, but so many of your symptoms line up. I'm so isolated and sad on the inside. I have an amazing support system, but there are so many people who used to say they didn't know how I deal with everything and disappeared. I just don't know what is autoimmune and what is meds...
If doctors don't 'get it' it's no surprise others don't 'get it' either...The medical community needs to step up here, like you are doing Dr. Josef, b/c it is/they are causing harm..their most important responsibility is to 'first, do not harm'. What I"ve experienced compared to others is mild, but still disabling with some days easier than others, but generally it's hard...thankfully my husband, and children know me, and know that I'm suffering and are supportive. Thank God there is support her on the internet for those who have none at home or among friends or extended family.
You are so brave Kath, thank you for sharing your story.
Cathy, thank you so much for sharing this inspirational story of your journey of healing and recovery I'm a 68-year-old woman that's been on Xanax for 15 years and your words described my life to a t I've given up hope felt suicidal have no friends families not available boyfriend is giving up but you bring me hope I just want me back thank you so much from the bottom of my heart ❤️
Thank you so so much ❤ I can relate to everything Kath says. Especially the picture of the very bad car accident (I used to describe it like you are lying on the street while your intestines falls out of your body, and every person around just walks by and maybe looks at you and then hurry to ascape or turn their head away" very very crucial...the fact that every body ran away, when I was about to die, even the ones that knew me the best. It has been a very very traumatic experience alongside with the inside out destruction of your identity of the drug. Nothing can describe that pain. That chok. That crucial unfairness. Everything, you have build up in your life are being torn away over night!!! It is indescribable. Thank you SO much for giving me and others hope 🙏♥️.
Wow this women is amazing. She is such an inspiration . I hope she has complete happiness in life .
Thankyou for sharing ❤
This story was so beautiful Iv watched Josef for a while now and I think it’s time to share my Story from hopelessness to almost 19 years of Benzodiazepine
Dr. Josef, I have no words to tell you how much I respect your integrity. I hope your initialize inspire more psychiatrists to take stance on these issues.
Wow I've just cried so much listening to Kath this is real and she has explained it better than anyone else I know has done so . Wow ,yes it equivalent to a brain Injury. The first time I herd it explained this way was from Dr peter Breggin. Dr Josef you are a true beacon of light ✨️ full of compassion and understanding. The world honestly is a better place with you in it. Thank you for all you do for us broken souls . Believing us and our suffering means so much. May you always be protected 🙏.
Thanks for sharing.it's very important to highlight experiences like this. We are brought into a place where we sabotage our relationships and it is because of the drugs . Then we are left
To grovel with the injuries and different levels of disability and tragedy alone. Should never happen.
Very encouraging and good advice. Happy for your healing.
Do you get a summary of your visits to physicians? I usually do, and I put them in a stack "to be filed." One day I read one and I was shocked! There were things in it that never were discussed with me, diagnoses that I'd never knew off, etc. I think this is done to get a higher "level of care" determination. I still go to this doctor, but I don't discuss anything of my personal life lest I be diagnosed as depressed. As far as my doctor goes, I'm one happy camper.
It’s amazing what my doc notes say too. Sometimes I feel like they must have switched the names on my chart.
One said I had three sons & I was a meth addict. I’ve never even been pregnant nor ever taken meth nor anything illegal.
You are so switched on!
People need to document everything 😢❤
@@Blu6556l hear you!
There is nothing wrong with you,in fact you are the start of people believing that they can heal.❤
I started reading my note years ago, and this is the norm. Most recently the lady that administered a cognitive test to me diagnosed me with OCD despite the fact that she knew I was suffering with BIND. I told her I know I’m definitely not OCD and asked her why she wrote that in my records, and she told me it was because I told her I like to be organized. Unbelievable.
@@kmjansen do you pay with insurance? They must write an approved diagnosis in your chart so the billing department can send it off to your insurance company. BIND probably does not have a corresponding billing code.
They don’t feel the need to be correct about the diagnosis. They do though feel the need to be paid!
Positive and inspiring
So moving . Another amazing brave person whose story is so important to the current re- education of everyone who has they own stories . And of course we have to thank Dr Joseph for his incredible work tapering but not judging. If only my doctors had this attitude. I do feel things are changing.
thankyou!! very encouraging after hearing soo many stories and feeling ill for tapering after 15 yrs on valium...20mg down to recently 2.5..i could tell my body is happy i decreased again
Thank you 🙏 for allowing to hear your story Cathy
If someone could type the car crash introduction Cathy spoke of I would be extremely grateful minute 12 of video 💚
God bless u Cathy thank you for sharing your story its so helpful and hopeful x
What a sad story from a very sweet lady. You are a hero❤
I'm not sure if this is 'just' about Valium/benzo's, but about all of the things she was on. It sounds horrible. I'm happy for her that she is better
It was just about benzodiazepines. It’s so brutal. Cheers for her aye?
There’s no “just” and “benzos” in a sentence. If you don’t see it’s Just Benzos then you haven’t been hurt by Benzos.
This was so helpful!!!
Exactly hun you are fantastic ❤
Hello, trying to make sense of what you are sharing, i just want to add it doesn't have to be these specific medications that you can experience the same side effects from. Mine unfortunately started with prilosec.
Amazing interview.
Thanks to both of you.
Can you try and interview someone on your show that has pssd like symptoms from ashwagandha use
I’ve said exactly what she said to my family. I said if I was in a full body cast, would you guys feel sorry for me as well? Also, can benzo withdrawal cause weight loss. I have no appetite. I’m so embarrassed to see anyone because of my appearance. I pray I can heal. 20 years of being on these medications.
This is a horrific evil, crime... very 💔 life destroying poison.
Sadly i am existing w this crap.
I need help. I was on a rapid Valium taper and I'm in the same scenario right now. Where can I get in contact with Cathy? I
Imagine the billions of lives thrown into this living hell .. Complete nightmare 🤯🤯
Yes just imagine?
100 times over!!😮
Billions?
@@DeniseHurd-qm7id YUP .it's Not just the patient affected, their families also. Figure that times the many decades this has been going on , criminal.
@EC-yd9yv sorry but it isn't billions. Less then 20, 000 people in the benzo groups.
If you mean being born, then I agree
Oh! Yhe ole peel the onion stuff! That means you can move on to another diagnosis/medication. Since you can't describe your issues in 15 minutes, you can fill in the blanks yourself, but they can help you out with a new med (maybe two or three).
Im angry of Psychopharmaka😢 They destroyed Life😢😢😢
Thank you for this story: like other drugs like alcohol, marihuana,.. Benzodiazepines cause a change in behavior.
I have a old friend who has a change in his nature since mid of the 0-years. Its not spoken out by now, but i strongly suspect that she is taking benzodiazepines since than. (I my self did marihuana and beer in the evening almost daily for several years). This is also 'not ideal' but probably still a much lower burden than to have a benzos-problem). My own mood changes reversed since I stopped smoking pot and drinking regulary, hope other people can do the same for them selfs(even if the drugs they take are even much more nasty to come off).👍
Dr josef will this protracted stuff go away its been 30 months ppl in mh house are getting mad at me. I csnt help i still gave sx. This is awful
This is all well and good, but by now research should be done on what are the physiological changes produced by the drug and it's withdrawal.
As long as we remain ignorant, this will keep being like a phantom pain, impossible to observe from the outside and thus not believed, and because of that, the damage of the drug will be ascribed to anything else, including psychiatric problems, which will lead to further medication and further damage. Or to being completely ignored.
As long as research is not done, the paradigm won't shift, and as long as the paradigm doesn't shift, the problem won't be solved. It will keep growing.
who will pay for this research. we are trying word of mouth to make changes. I gave up the word 'should" it is a do-nothing word. do or don't, not should. Once we start to understand, change can come. this is a start.
The having to pee every two seconds! That’s a thing especially with those meds
Yes, it causes muscle spasms. It is gone now...
But i used to be on diazepam for years on and off..i dod not feel ir go through anything bad as far as withdrawal. I weined off slowly by having my doses lowered and my last script was for only 5 mg..i can still use them but i dont..only if my anxiety is really bad..but not daily
Thats good. Do you not think this happens? 🤔
That’s great. Different bodies react differently to different medications. But that’s great if they help you. It would be nice for people who it harms to be believed, helped and not ostracized by family, friends & community.
Older people especially women going through menopause and older experience symptoms worse than younger people..who haven't been on it for decades with no health issues
@@Hffefhjjhff
?
Plenty of people, all ages and men experience this too..
This eebonha e been injured by benzoes should not be saying " I have it worse" or one has it worse then the other. That's just odd in itself. People have to come together somehow and realize suffering and injury is subjective and biased to the individual. One upping doesn't help anyone.
@@Blu6556 , it helps everyone until it doesn't. Being in the groups it's interesting to see people with works for telling a group of thousands that they do just fine and have for years. Why even bother joining? This is a similar thing. It's just odd.
I LOVE HER
Yep
I go through sleeping 12-16 hrs a day. I just can't make myself get out of bed even if the house is on fire. I know it's not depression. I'm tapering off using Valium. My first benzo was Ativan but after 3 years I got suicidal ideation. Switched to klonopin after about 4 years they caused suicidal ideation. Finally, a doctor told me to get off the benzos. To find a doctor to help me taper.Impossible to do. No doctor would help me.
Extreme fatigue is very common with benzos. I had to seek many places to get help for taper meds.
@kathbates9878 I guess my age is not in my favor. 65 been on benzos since I was 43. Been fighting this battle for too many years.
@@Dewalt1957 why do you say this?? I am older that you and on for longer?? Read Brenee Brown. focus on something else. I have watched many tell themselves that they will never get better but eventually do. focus on anything else but healing. Change your thoughts.
@@Dewalt1957I am 69 and on it since 1980's. It is a journey not a battle to win. Healing happens while we keep distracted and busy learning to do anything else.
a benzo is a benzo. valium stays in your system longer so lessons inter-dose wd.. educate, inform research. distract, healing is happening now.
Also didn’t catch this, are you off meds or still tapering?
I am off meds now.
I have to say, I find these stories interesting but they frighten me also.
I wish I knew what i know now about all medications.
in 2002 I was prescribed 1mg bid of clonazepam, a months supply and 7 refills. knowing now, 2 weeks max.
All i take clonazepam for now is to not withdrawal.
There was one time my doctor went on vacation and wrote a prescription for 2 weeks instead of 4.
In 2 weeks the wd never got better. Just worse.
would barbiturates help? I know other benzos won't, the only drugs im not sure of other than heavy doses of opioids would be the barbiturates.
anyone?
This channel is really weird for me. A lot of what people describe here I experienced, but to my knowledge, was never on these drugs. The aspect she described about being unable to shower without pain, yeah. Experienced that. In many cases it would last for the next 12+ hours. Deep raw burning electrical pain, whole body. hands and feet would turn dark red, autonomic dysfunction probably. I originally thought it was the temperature change as well, both from hot water and evaporative cooling afterwards, but I ended up deciding it was actual just the contact itself. The rhythmic pattering of a shower overstimulated the system. A bath would do likewise, but less so, in this case I think it was actually temperature and change in the weight of the hair, redistribution of oils, whatever.
It's weird. It's like this channel is an externalized manifestation of everything terrible that's ever happened to me. I made it apart from myself... and so now I will see it coming from others, as though it was transferred. Or maybe we were all experiencing it at the same time and I just didn't know until now.
What medications have you taken? Antibiotics? Supplements? Acute stress? A lot of us believe this is a nervous system injury and sometimes the nervous system can be thrown into disarray due to extreme stress, poor health (diet, etc.) and non-med reasons. Regardless, I hope these videos are as validating for you as it is for many of us
Have you considered looking into a CRPS diagnosis? Some of the symptoms you’ve described are in track with this.
Also , living in the vicinity /visiting a former or current meth lab can give strange symptoms....sometimes people aren't aware they are living around- in contact with a lab or former lab. ( Rental houses , apts.)
3 decades of clonazepam 😢
“ welcome to the world of benzo withdrawal “ . Are you listening any doctors ? Especially in Sydney & everywhere . And the NSW Health Department of Pharmaceutical Services. ( & others ) If so why making doctors panic so they cancel patients to cold turkey without offering any scientific tapering or other realistic treatment options .
I did cold turkey two years ago... Best thing i did....
How are you doing now?
Christine Robert's- How are u doing now? .....how were you able to cope .......with this ....going cold turkey? .....What did you do afterwards to cope with the symptoms? in need of helping a friend? - 🙏 praying can u help .....by leaving a comment
@@Butterflywishes-rf9dt i did cold turkey it messed me up 5 years later still dont go cold turkey
Hooked on valium my college yrs.manned up,quit cold turkey.Tough! But did it.worked middle east 16 yrs also helped continued detox.now 65,lucky to live where no Rx required for tramadol,hydroxycine,pregabilin.responsible self medicating exists & works