The Energon Pub

For the last 10 months, give or take, iv'e been going through what's known as Benzodiazapine Withdrawel. The only reason i'm making a thread is because most people and doctors are ignorant to this very real problem, and as a result, thousands of people who go through this go without any kind of help. I just want to spread awareness and warn fellow members who may be currently on or have been suggested to take it.

First off, I won't sugercoat anything. Benzo withdrawel is hell. Its a different hell for every person. I once heard a man had been detoxing from a heroine addiction and was offered klonapin as an aid, and promptly said HELL NO.

If your on it, and have only been on a few months, id'e suggest withdraweling slowly, and finding another medication. If you've been on it for years, you have a choice to make. One that can change your life for the better if you stick with it, but can also ruin you, your life, your family life, and can leave you unemployed and feeling like every day is your last...Its an uphill battle and If you have any friends or family who are on the pills they deserve this knowledge.

If you or any family or friends are on any prescription drugs, do your research. If they are benzos, then tell them and warn them.

Please, I wouldn't wish this on anyone. Doesn't matter who or what they've done, nobody deserves this. My doctor was so dumb to this he took me off practically cold turkey and iv'e not breathed in right for months. Imagine living almost a year feeling like you got punched in the gut. Imagine always fealing anxiety, even when you sleep, if you sleep. Im 22 years old, I look like a 35 year old man, including the thinning hair and wrinkles. You don't want this, and nobody deserves it.

It sucks especially because seemingly nobody knows about it at all. You can go through withdrawel for literally years. It can ruin you. I just wanted to issue sime kind of warning.

If your on benzos, just do your research and be safe.

Holy crap dude. High five for telling this to a bunch of internet-strangers, that takes some nuts.

Thanks for this. I'm sure it took a lot of courage to stop using it and to talk about it. As a natural health professional in real life, I see a lot of people who are addicted to this drug. It's given out much too often, in my opinion, with no warnings. I hope people heed your warning and advice and I wish doctors would be much more cautious in prescribing it.

Good luck to you. Consider looking up alternatives for both the anxiety and the withdrawal, they can help immensely in many cases.

I'm a 35 year old man......

Sudden ceasing of any kind of psycho-medication is inadvisable and very strange coming from a professional doctor. Sorry to hear you're going through tough times though.

Have you considered talking to a different doctor about the situation? (I'm sure you have, but felt like asking.)

RhA wrote:Holy crap dude. High five for telling this to a bunch of internet-strangers, that takes some nuts.

You guys aren't strangers to me. In the very least, you aren't stranger than me

But yeah, due to were I live (GA like 20 miles from civilization) And my situatiin, seeing any real doctors isn't an option. I'm stuck riding it out. And the last doctor gave me pills for my sleep, knowing I had anxiety, and the pills caused panic attacks. The doctors out here are, well im surprised they don't work at mcdonalds or something lets just say that.

But thanks for the support anyways, this is criminally ignored, and benzos are perscribed like candy. I wish there was a way to spread awareness but people are ignorant out here. Ask Rodimus, he can vouch, Georgia suuuuuucks.

You have my sincerest support buddy, I hope your situation will improve soon, just know I'm always here as a shoulder.

BeastProwl wrote:But yeah, due to were I live (GA like 20 miles from civilization) And my situatiin, seeing any real doctors isn't an option. I'm stuck riding it out. And the last doctor gave me pills for my sleep, knowing I had anxiety, and the pills caused panic attacks.

This all sounds very weird, but not - unfortunately - unsurprising. I'm sorry you had to get caught in the web of medical malpractice.

Wow, this is horrible. I'm sorry that you have to live through this, addiction alone is terrible but going cold turkey is likely even worse.

I can sympathize - Psychotropic drugs are handed out way too readily in the UK too and without much attention to side effects. Drug addiction is a brutal thing and your doctor was negligent to cut you off like that, without staggering the process.

I am actually allergic to SSRIs. I found this out a few years ago because I had a growth in my nose and they prescribed a steroid which reacted badly, causing confusion, panic and paranoia. Cue the Doc handing over a cocktail of Prozac and sedative which I'm then allergic to as well - pushing my anxiety through the roof. I kept thinking spiders were out to get me and was seeing the horrid things everywhere.

I know about the paranoia believe me :S Not to mention your motivation to get up and do anything just, leaves you, and everyone around you just judges you for being "lazy" and telling you you wouldn't be tired if you didn't "stay up all night", easy for someone who can sleep to say.
And the worst part is you can explain what is actually really wrong with you to everyone from doctors to family and you'll never get any help. Whats so hard about doing some research before making a stupid comment or prescribing something that'll make it worse? It's like if you go to a diner, and ask for anything, they'll usually cook it up ok, but you ask for eggs? Oh hell no, that's not happening on the first 5 tries, and after about 3 they spit in it because it's somehow your fault.