Okay, I think I finally have the peace of mind to be able to write a bit about what is happening with me. I'm not really sure how clear I can be because I'm sort of in the thick of it but I'm having a bit of a reprieve. I need to take this moment... Continue Reading →
The Valium crossover–personal update
So, yeah, the Valium is kicking my ass. I thought I was sick before...shit. Well, really this is just a different kind of sick. Another episode in the iatrogenic illness department. I've been switching out .25 mg of Klonopin for 5 mg of Valium every two days. I think I have to stop for a... Continue Reading →
SSRI/SNRI withdrawal symptoms and then Benzodiazepine withdrawal symptoms
The SSRI/SNRI symptoms are originally from this website on Effexor withdrawal. I thought after this list I would also put a benzo withdrawal symptom list. Unfortunately there has not been enough study of other psychotropic drug classes to come up with comprehensive lists, though in my experience in all my groups I’ve seen there is a... Continue Reading →
The Klonopin-Valium Crossover explained
Note: not everyone finds crossing-over helpful. For those who determine it's a good idea here is some information. More info on benzo use and benzo withdrawal here: Benzo Info Valium (Diazepam) vs. Klonopin (Clonazepam) in Benzodiazepine Withdrawal by Dr. Reg Peart Victims of Tranquilizers About 20 different drugs, including diazepam, clonazepam, barbiturates and other non-benzodiazepine drugs have... Continue Reading →
“Lamictal (lamotrigine) withdrawal from hell” post continues to get hammered
Update 11/2011 -- the post mentioned continues to get more hits than any other post (ongoing). It's now got 100s of thousand hits. Lamictal is still a mostly unknown horribly difficult drug to withdraw from. This is mostly because people taking it often stay on it or switch to another "mood-stabilizer" or anti-seizure med, meaning... Continue Reading →
Another day in the life
I am marginally better from my low which really peaked on Christmas day. (can a low peak? ha!) The day after I wrote the piece I link to (the 25th) I continued to barely function. After administering an emergency .25 mg of Klonopin and finding that it basically made me OD, (I was drugged into... Continue Reading →
An awesome wikipedia page—benzodiazepine withdrawal
Wikipedia has a great page on benzodiazepine withdrawal and the potential hazards. If anyone ever doubts your experience of horror at getting off benzos direct them to this page that includes documentation of studies that prove benzos are nasty addictive shit. Of note it points out that people can become dependent within 7 days as... Continue Reading →
Finding the Right Healers for My Withdrawal Journey
Update 2026: This post predates my learning more about the importance of slow, methodical withdrawal. I started withdrawing when the online scene was just learning what was possible! It's hard to believe how many voices are out there now. This was first posted in 2008. The internet was brand new , really and totally different than it is now, both. This site was where people went for withdrawal info. Here and a few forums and/or email groups that are mostly all gone now. Given that I didn't yet know how protracted my situation would be I was still looking for professionals to work with. I did find a few gems but ultimately learned that my journey would be one of learning to trust mself and listen to my body. Nature would be my primary guide. So what's happening in my journey lately?
The truth about benzos (Valium, Klonopin, Ativan, Xanax, etc)
In The Guardian today: They used to be called 'mother's little helpers', pill prescribed to stressed suburban housewives as a miracle pick-me-up. Now benzodiazepines are proving popular again, this time as an alternative to heroin. The tranquilliser boomed in the Sixties and Seventies as a supposedly safe alternative to barbiturates. Mick Jagger and Keith Richards... Continue Reading →
Yes, recovery can be lasting and real
Part of the reason some people are so skeptical about real and complete recoveries is because a lot of people who achieve it move on. The don't hang around the mental health blogosphere and most of them don't go into working in mental health like I probably will. Most of them go off and live... Continue Reading →
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