Caveat Emptor. Buyer beware. It’s good advice for anyone; it’s especially good for someone in benzo withdrawal. With the medical community’s head-in-the-sand stance on benzos, those of us who have lived through withdrawal are the ones leading the way in benzo education. There is a myriad of websites and social media groups dedicated to benzo withdrawal recovery. It’s good that there is a growing body of knowledge about benzo withdrawal. However, if you are in benzo withdrawal, it is a good idea to not take every piece of advice as “fact” and to do your own research. If someone said something has helped them, find out more details. Please listen to other’s advice or suggestions (including mine!) with a grain of salt. I remember when I was early off via a cold turkey with pheno, I shared with others that it was an acceptable path to take. It wasn’t. But I wasn’t far enough out to understand just how much real damage the cold turkey did to my brain/CNS. Now I would never recommend a cold turkey with pheno unless it was absolutely the last resort to get benzo free. I’d warn that the many months and years after the cold turkey are most likely going to be hell on earth. Mine sure were!
Please research any medication your (most likely benzo uneducated) doctor wants you to take. Gabapentin, Lyrica, anti-depressants, anti-psychotics, even mood stabilizers, and hormones can make us worse. Plus, many of the meds have their own nasty withdrawal syndrome. Be careful of over the counter drugs. Be careful with vitamins and supplements. Even those that are supposed to be calming can make us worse. Kava, valerian, even chamomile can rev up our symptoms as they work on GABA receptors. Magnesium, vitamin D, and vitamin B, have been known to set us back while in benzo withdrawal. Caffeine and alcohol are to be avoided, too. Neurofeedback, hypnosis, acupuncture, and EFT, although wonderful therapies, don’t totally resolve our benzo withdrawal symptoms. Neither does cognitive behavioral therapy, or, traditional talk therapy. Many holistic doctors prescribe vitamins or herbs, and even though they are natural, they can make us worse.
Please do your research, especially if someone is suggesting a procedure that has the possibility of permanent damage. Benzo withdrawal, although horrific, is temporary. Don’t throw out the baby with the bath. Don’t risk harm that could last forever, for a bit of relief today. I know it’s tempting. But it’s not worth it. I cringe when I hear people now advocating ECT (electroconvulsive therapy) for benzo withdrawal, for example! (I wouldn’t risk permanent brain damage, but that’s just me.)
In my very humble opinion, the best way to navigate benzo withdrawal is with acceptance, patience, faith in your Creator, family and friends, and things that you engage your hands and your mind as distractions. I know it can be a horrific path, and we often trudge it alone. But there is recovery at the end of it. Don’t give up hope. And please, whatever you do, don’t compound the damage from benzos with the negative reactions of a medication, therapy, vitamin, supplement, or a procedure like ECT that can damage you for the rest of your life.
THE ONLY KNOWN CURE FOR BENZO WITHDRAWAL IS TIME.
“…And please, whatever you do, don’t compound the damage from benzos with the damage of a medication, therapy, vitamin, supplement, or a procedure that can set you back, or worse, damage you for the rest of your life.”
You probably meant well, but could you please take this post down and write something more hopeful. Like you, we all get it that caution is essential; if there’s nothing else we learn from the withdrawal experience, it’s that.
But writing: “damage for the rest of your life” and the general tone of this post seems to suggest that you have forgotten what it’s like to read dispiriting messages.
Thank you.
Dear Alex, Thank you for your comment. However, I am not inclined to remove this post. I have changed the sentence you found offense to read: “don’t compound the damage from benzos with the negative reactions of a medication, therapy, vitamin, supplement, or a procedure like ECT that can damage you for the rest of your life.”
I disagree with you that everyone learns to be cautious in benzo withdrawal. I coach people from all over the world who have sought relief and are now paying a price for that relief. I want people to be reminded that many things in withdrawal can have a negative reaction on our recovery. I’m especially upset that there is now a suggestion swirling through our ranks that ECT is an acceptable way to rid one of benzo symptoms. I’ve been told that someone in our community underwent ECT and feels that it was a remarkable treatment. She feels great. I am happy for her. However, to encourage such a drastic procedure to rid oneself of symptoms that are temporary is upsetting to me. We all need to do our due diligence. Perhaps others may feel that the risk of permanent memory loss via ECT is an acceptable gamble in benzo, but you won’t find me condoning it.
I have not forgotten what it is like to read dispiriting messages. I listen to people’s suffering all week long. I do my best to encourage and instill hope. I KNOW that they are going to heal. But I also know that some are going to suffer more by trying a treatment that sets them back unless they are reminded to stay the course. This post is that reminder.
Everyone heals. In time. Hold on. Find ways to distract. Take good care of yourself. Be kind and gentle with yourself. One day, you’ll wake up and withdrawal will be over. You’ll get on with your life, better than ever.
Dr Leigh
It has been sometime since I followed you religiously while tapering off my medication. I have now been 19 months off all medication. I still suffer from insomnia and bouts of anxiety. I am continuing to press forward and still hope thay given time I will fully recover. I would just like to thank you for all of your kind words and sharing your own personal struggle. I appreciated the time you took to respond to me when I commented but am so happy for you to have moved forward experiencing life in its fulness again especially with your family. Thus is my hope too. Much love and continued success.
Okay.
Thank you.
Hi Jenn
I’ve just given myself a fairly unpleasant setback by taking some Claritin for a sinus infection. I was about to go on holiday and it was, I thought better than taking antibiotics.
Earlier in the year I had tried to help a poor woman in the early throes of benzo withdrawal who was suffering terribly and called me several times a day in terrible distress. This caused me the worst setback I had experienced in 7 years off the drug and sadly I had to distance myself.
I hope one day to help others as I have been helped, but feel I need to wait until I’ve turned the final corner.
I just want to reassure anyone in the early throes of withdrawal that those of us in protracted withdrawal feel fine most of the time, but suffer setbacks from time to time.
Thanks Jenn for all your efforts to assist people. When I have a setback, yours is the site I come to for reassurance!
Thank you for writing this as I had been in Communication with the girl who had received it before she went through with it and now afterwards. We both were/are severe suffferers of the DP and terror. It sent my benzo brain running loops to think it healed her. I reached out to others who also confirmed it to be barbaric and to never be taken lightly. Time is hard when the mental agony is so horrific but through is the only way. Xo
Hi Dr. Leigh,
I went to Alternative to Meds & left after two weeks. Before that I went to Cluffside Malibu & did the unthinkable & went cold turkey with pheno. My family has paid close to 200,000 to try & get me well. At AMTC they put me back on 10 mg of Valium & now I am home & taking 15 mg Valium. Should I go back there to get off. They are all about vitamins & supplements to make you better. Is this a con? I found I was getting worse when I arrived & was so unmanagable that they put me back on the Valium after being off for 7 weeks. What do I do? If I go back they will taper me off, probably too fast, claiming that the sauna will detox the substances out of me & the vitamins will help relieve the symptoms. Many of the supplements are what you mentioned in your last post. I’m back to square one & taking more than when I went to Cliffside. I believe I’m kindling. At Atlernative to Meds they put me on triliptal & it is doing nothing. In fact I think it is making me worse. Also I take a high dose of Trazadone for sleep 150 mg. It helps some but with 10 mg of Valium. I only get about 5 hours of sleep & im going through horrible withdrawals now on 15 mg of Valium. Again any suggestion? Have you heard about Alternative to Meds in Sedona?
Thanks, Heidi
Heidi, I went to ATMC and was pulled off 0.5 Ativan within a week. Bad idea. All detoxes do this and it is not safe. Can you try tapering the Valium as per Ashton manual?
Dear Anonymous,
When did you go? Did you find it a con? Did you stay the full 2 months?
Dear Anonymous,
Thank you for your insight. That is what I’m going to do, I’m not sure if my psychiatrist will go for it. What was your experience at AMTC? Did you stay the full 2 months? What happened after you were pulled off the Ativan? Did you have horribly withdrawals? What did you think of all the supplements? Did they help or harm you? I just spoke with someone from there & they said they could get me off the 10 mg of Valium in one week. That’s equivalent to 2 mg of Ativan. Complete place is a con!!! Wish I never would have gone or let them put me back on a benzo. It has set me back years!!!! I think they did it to keep me there & get my money. Hope to hear your insight. Best of luck. How are you now?