by Jennifer Leigh | Feb 13, 2021 | Recovery |
I am starting to create short videos of me discussing “all things benzos,” from deciding to taper, tapering, cold turkeys, and being benzo free and coping with symptoms. I will also address how to talk with family, friends, and medical professionals about...
by Jennifer Leigh | Feb 13, 2021 | Recovery |
The sun reaches her warm fingers through my window, searching for me. “Wake up!” she insists. Already, the birds are singing, welcoming the new day. I open my eyes and lazily stretch my arms up over my head. I want to linger in the coziness of the...
by Jennifer Leigh | Jan 12, 2021 | Coping Skills, Uncategorized |
Going crazy is a common fear in benzo withdrawal. Our thoughts can be chaotic, a rush of horrible tangle of things. Our thoughts may arrive in an orderly fashion, but still oozing their wretched words or images. Our thoughts may insist on digging up memories of the...
by Jennifer Leigh | Jan 4, 2021 | Recovery |
No matter where you are in your relationship with a benzodiazepine, it’s important to know a few facts so that you can make the best decisions about your health and well-being. Whether you are still on your prescribed daily or “as-needed dose,”...
by Jennifer Leigh | Jan 3, 2021 | Recovery |
We’ve ushered out 2020. (What a challenging year it was!) Welcome, 2021! Let’s put our focus and energy on our healing. Let’s put our health first this year. If we focus on the four cornerstones of well-being— eat right (whole-food plant-based), move...
by Jennifer Leigh | Oct 30, 2020 | Hope |
Deep in the throes of benzo withdrawal, I sat at my front window, peering out on a world that I no longer felt a part of. Derealization made everything surreal and distorted. I thought my heart might break from my longing to be healed, to be normal again. Tears pooled...
by Jennifer Leigh | Oct 28, 2020 | Coping Skills |
Sometimes, when the night falls after a quiet day and I’m cozy on my couch, I allow myself to journey back in time. Back to when I was in benzo withdrawal. I suffered. I suffered horribly. Pain, burning, twitching, dizziness, and fatigue coursed through my body....
by Jennifer Leigh | Oct 11, 2020 | Recovery |
This month, October 2020, marks my ten year anniversary of being involved in the Benzo withdrawal community! I can’t believe that much time has gone by. When I started my healing journey to get off the Benzo I took (as prescribed) for almost 18 years, there were...
by Jennifer Leigh | Oct 6, 2020 | Coping Skills |
Deep in the clutches of benzo withdrawal, my mind tried its best to convince me that everything was dangerous. From petting my cat to walking past the cabinet where I stored peanuts to feed the squirrels (what if I had become allergic to the nuts, even at ten feet...
by Jennifer Leigh | Sep 15, 2020 | Coping Skills |
I had an extremely traumatic withdrawal experience. I’m thankful that it’s over. I’m thankful too, that I didn’t have to deal with the chaos that is going on in the world today while I was recovering. The added stress is a big challenge. How do...