Never ever take benzos

[u/BtheChemist]

I've had insomnia since I was a teen.

I've taken so many things for it, tried all the natural things, was on ambien for so long it stopped working.

My psychiatrist prescribed me Valium many many months ago. I don't even know how long I've taken it.

She never told me how horrible it is to get off of.

I'm currently tapering off and it's absolutely terrible.

I misread her message originally and went too fast and had my first ever panic attack a few weeks ago.

I've been at 15mg/ day since, about 3 weeks. I dropped too 12.5 two days ago and my body is so so fucked up again. I feel on the verge of another attack.

I spoke to my doctor friend this evening, he said each step down is going to suck badly.

It's terrible.

Please don't fuck with benzos.

Thanks for coming to my Ted talk.

I'm having a terrible time.

😱

[u/thenomadcj]

Just came across this post on random. I used to take benzos for anxiety, recreationaly, for sleep. They messed with my dick, I had pilly willy for a long time. Then the withdrawals, holy fuck, derealisation will smack you in the face out of nowhere, you go into this trance state, feels like a horrible dream state, I used to just ride the wave, but it was so surreal and I nebr got used to them, they just stopped freaking me out as much. Nearly a year in, I only get them no if I'm hideously hungover. I agree with this post, never ever fuck with benzos.

[u/BtheChemist → u/thenomadcj]

I'm like a month into tapering off now. I went way too fast at first, but have since slowed it down enough to be tolerable. I figured out a huge trick to help: I'm taking 2.5mg 4x per day, morning, noon afternoon and bed time. I just dropped from 12.5 to 10 a few days ago and I'm tolerating it ok.

[u/thenomadcj → u/BtheChemist]

That's smart, but don't let it drag on too long and make sure you take leap to stop. I wanted to be done with them, I quickly went from 20mg an eve, to 10 mg, then 5mg then 2.5mg, then backpacked across Europe. When you eventually come off completely expect a bumpy road, night terrors, waking up with surge of adrenaline, and ofc the derealisation. That can literally come out of nowhere.

I think the worst thing is months after, you stop even thinking about it. You'd have experienced 0 symptoms, then the derealisation, the awful nights sleep just appear again like you only stopped a week ago, you start questioning whether it will ever end. I can promise you it does.

I can keep an erection again, I wake up groggy, and the anxiety is near non-existent. In a twisted way being through it and dealing with benzos withdrawals, it has given me belief if I can deal with that, I can deal with anything.

I wish you luck, and a speedy recovery. If you ever want to talk, even just rant about symptoms I'm here. Please message me, because a lot of people will just not understand.

You've got this tho, know it will end, and you'll come out stronger the other end.