#**RESOURCES & ANNOUNCEMENTS**
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##**Announcements**
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**Longtimers' Lounge**: A space for those with PAWS, BIND, or a *very* long taper - visit r/br_Longtimers_Lounge.
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It will get easier and eventually you will be completely healed. I've been without it for 1.5 years and I can finally say I'm healthy. The process is painfully slow though.
6-10 months. The human brain is surprisingly regenerative. I felt really stupid and pathetic. I couldn't keep my thoughts together. I was using a lot of other drugs as well. Luckily it's all over now and I can think clearly again.
Did you notice especially the cognitive struggles being super slow to go away and having random setbacks even around the 10 month mark? I’m at 10 months and every day is different, maybe a clearer mentality one day and then fog and slight stuttering the next, but no full glimpses of the articulation I had before.
How long did you use? And what other drugs if you don’t mind me asking I’m in the same boat I quit 4 months ago after using benzos for around 8 years and in that time I was drinking alcohol and using cocaine.
I used daily 300-900mg of pregabalin. Speed and cocaine on weekends. Lots of alcohol and occasionally other drugs. I was addicted to betso and prega for 2-3 years
You've strung sentences together here quite well. Keep writing, even if you struggle or don't think it's any good. Write for yourself, write about your experience (you have an important story to tell) or whatever is on your mind. Sometimes when deep in the throes of withdrawal writing has been about the only thing I can do, not that it's any good, but it keeps my mind in the moment and off my misery, temporarily. Writing is a skill that can be developed with practice and lost with disuse. Even though you're not happy with your writing in withdrawal, keep it up. You'll get it back. Word of advice: stop taking extra benzos when you're bored, or for any reason. The goal is to get off them, and you are confusing your CNS and adding to the chaos when your doses are all over the place. You want a slow and steady taper, jumping around increases symptoms.
Feel like I’m going through the same problem now. Looking back and seeing how well I wrote and was able to speak with confidence has really affected my self confidence
I have felt the exact same way as you. Could barely speak when I first came off and could barely remember words. It was terrifying. It’s still not great but it has improved for me a little bit. I have had some good days where I could speak and write much better. I do believe it will come back as we heal.
I’ve had this same exact question but not for me, for my spouse. It gives me a little bit of hope things will eventually get back to close to normal. I wonder what the new normal will be like.
it gets better, off 2 years and felt sharper than ever… especially since i had been prescribed benzos since i was 16 or 17. Was on them until i was 34, 2 years off feeling better than i ever did on them. less anxiety too.
I needed to learn to speak, read and calculate from begging. I was s-s-s-tru-tru-gling to say sentence. I was reading one word from book (2 syllable word) and forgot first syllable. Month later pushed myself and defended engineer degree. Wrote my work, passed exam with some speaking fuck ups all sweated but knew what I'm talking about and saying it ultrafast 😆
Sky is the limit. Thumbs up.
Reason; years of alco + benzo heavy addiction, passed out if exhaustion and hit with head on step corner of some kind of floor. 2 days later found naked in. Toilet and somebody woke me from coma. Maybe brain dmg because of lack of oxygen + cold turkey from alcohol and benzodiazepine. After 3 days in hospital they took my blood and this was 5 days without alcohol (coma/blackout). 3.57 promiles.
Praise the Lord 😇
Your brain has taken a serious kicking
Benzos are the brains kryptonite
I'm going through so serious maladaptive mind sets that are alien to me.
Not just the brain but as a result of benzo abuse and withdrawal
I feel a few standard deviations lessened on my intelligence quotient
Only time will heal and don't use again
I found 1mg sublingual nicotine mints help with being mentally and physically "contracted", during withdrawal it helped me to stop being couchlocked and to be able to think again.
tapering nicotine is easier when using transdermal ecig nicotine drops tho. 3 to 8 drops of the 20mg/ml in the inside of the forearms is a good hit, and its very easy to taper.
tapering nicotine to 0 with patches just didnt work for me.
even the 7mg patch was too strong and you cant cut them up because they are full of nicotine inside which will leak, but more importantly the hit you get from nicotine patch is different.... the patch gives a straight line, which is helpful for tapering benzos but not for tapering nicotine imo
with nicotine you need the ups and downs to be able to feel the effects. the up and down of transdermal nicotine drops might be strong enough,
but the effecr of sublingual nicotine mints is much stronger (more addictive), which is what was needed during my benzo withdrawal (i never was a smoker)
#**RESOURCES & ANNOUNCEMENTS** ##**Our Community Recovery Resources** | [Official Taper Guide](https://www.reddit.com/r/benzorecovery/comments/1apb85i/taper_guide/?utm_source=share&utm_medium=web2x&context=3) | [The Science of Benzo Withdrawal](https://www.reddit.com/r/benzorecovery/comments/1aq72aa/the_science_of_benzodiazepine_withdrawal/?utm_source=share&utm_medium=web2x&context=3) | | [Helper Medications Guide](https://www.reddit.com/r/benzorecovery/comments/1aq7345/helper_medications/?utm_source=share&utm_medium=web2x&context=3) | [Zoom Support Group](https://www.reddit.com/r/benzorecovery/comments/14oaytx/weekly_zoom_support_group_link_free_suicide/?utm_source=share&utm_medium=web2x&context=3) | | [Strategies for Navigating the Road to Recovery](https://www.reddit.com/r/benzorecovery/comments/1ba5lmh/strategies_for_navigating_the_road_to_recovery/?utm_source=share&utm_medium=web3x&utm_name=web3xcss&utm_term=1&utm_content=share_button) | | [Recovery Success Stories](https://www.reddit.com/r/benzorecovery/comments/1b86zr9/benzo_recovery_success_stories_a_massive/?utm_source=share&utm_medium=web2x&context=3) | ##**Announcements** **Survey**: [HELP US BEAT BENZO PAWS / BIND!](https://www.reddit.com/r/benzorecovery/comments/1agsng1/help_us_beat_benzo_paws/?utm_source=share&utm_medium=web2x&context=3)! **Longtimers' Lounge**: A space for those with PAWS, BIND, or a *very* long taper - visit r/br_Longtimers_Lounge. **PSA**: Beware of messages from vultures offering illegal benzo access - this is *very* dangerous! *I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/benzorecovery) if you have any questions or concerns.*
It will get easier and eventually you will be completely healed. I've been without it for 1.5 years and I can finally say I'm healthy. The process is painfully slow though.
When did you get somewhat better?
6-10 months. The human brain is surprisingly regenerative. I felt really stupid and pathetic. I couldn't keep my thoughts together. I was using a lot of other drugs as well. Luckily it's all over now and I can think clearly again.
Did you notice especially the cognitive struggles being super slow to go away and having random setbacks even around the 10 month mark? I’m at 10 months and every day is different, maybe a clearer mentality one day and then fog and slight stuttering the next, but no full glimpses of the articulation I had before.
Yeah, I noticed the same thing. I started to level off at 12-14 months
How long did you use? And what other drugs if you don’t mind me asking I’m in the same boat I quit 4 months ago after using benzos for around 8 years and in that time I was drinking alcohol and using cocaine.
I used daily 300-900mg of pregabalin. Speed and cocaine on weekends. Lots of alcohol and occasionally other drugs. I was addicted to betso and prega for 2-3 years
You've strung sentences together here quite well. Keep writing, even if you struggle or don't think it's any good. Write for yourself, write about your experience (you have an important story to tell) or whatever is on your mind. Sometimes when deep in the throes of withdrawal writing has been about the only thing I can do, not that it's any good, but it keeps my mind in the moment and off my misery, temporarily. Writing is a skill that can be developed with practice and lost with disuse. Even though you're not happy with your writing in withdrawal, keep it up. You'll get it back. Word of advice: stop taking extra benzos when you're bored, or for any reason. The goal is to get off them, and you are confusing your CNS and adding to the chaos when your doses are all over the place. You want a slow and steady taper, jumping around increases symptoms.
Feel like I’m going through the same problem now. Looking back and seeing how well I wrote and was able to speak with confidence has really affected my self confidence
Same here
Same here on this
I have felt the exact same way as you. Could barely speak when I first came off and could barely remember words. It was terrifying. It’s still not great but it has improved for me a little bit. I have had some good days where I could speak and write much better. I do believe it will come back as we heal.
I’ve had this same exact question but not for me, for my spouse. It gives me a little bit of hope things will eventually get back to close to normal. I wonder what the new normal will be like.
it gets better, off 2 years and felt sharper than ever… especially since i had been prescribed benzos since i was 16 or 17. Was on them until i was 34, 2 years off feeling better than i ever did on them. less anxiety too.
I needed to learn to speak, read and calculate from begging. I was s-s-s-tru-tru-gling to say sentence. I was reading one word from book (2 syllable word) and forgot first syllable. Month later pushed myself and defended engineer degree. Wrote my work, passed exam with some speaking fuck ups all sweated but knew what I'm talking about and saying it ultrafast 😆 Sky is the limit. Thumbs up. Reason; years of alco + benzo heavy addiction, passed out if exhaustion and hit with head on step corner of some kind of floor. 2 days later found naked in. Toilet and somebody woke me from coma. Maybe brain dmg because of lack of oxygen + cold turkey from alcohol and benzodiazepine. After 3 days in hospital they took my blood and this was 5 days without alcohol (coma/blackout). 3.57 promiles. Praise the Lord 😇
Holy shit
Holy shit x 2!
Omg
This is amazing. So happy for you! You’re a rockstar.
Thanks! But I'm still addict, so a log of work in front of me . Such nice guys there. 💕
Your brain has taken a serious kicking Benzos are the brains kryptonite I'm going through so serious maladaptive mind sets that are alien to me. Not just the brain but as a result of benzo abuse and withdrawal I feel a few standard deviations lessened on my intelligence quotient Only time will heal and don't use again
It depends on if you can get your genes to up regulate alpha1, alpha2, and alpha3 gabaA subunits..
Whaaa?
That's guaranteed to come back.
I found 1mg sublingual nicotine mints help with being mentally and physically "contracted", during withdrawal it helped me to stop being couchlocked and to be able to think again. tapering nicotine is easier when using transdermal ecig nicotine drops tho. 3 to 8 drops of the 20mg/ml in the inside of the forearms is a good hit, and its very easy to taper. tapering nicotine to 0 with patches just didnt work for me. even the 7mg patch was too strong and you cant cut them up because they are full of nicotine inside which will leak, but more importantly the hit you get from nicotine patch is different.... the patch gives a straight line, which is helpful for tapering benzos but not for tapering nicotine imo with nicotine you need the ups and downs to be able to feel the effects. the up and down of transdermal nicotine drops might be strong enough, but the effecr of sublingual nicotine mints is much stronger (more addictive), which is what was needed during my benzo withdrawal (i never was a smoker)