Windows and Waves
Benzodiazepine withdrawal/BIND is often characterized by a “windows and waves” pattern. Windows are times when we are symptom-free or symptoms have lessened. Waves are times when we have an increase in symptoms. In this blog post, we will discuss windows and waves, why they may occur, and how you can cope with them as you navigate your benzo withdrawal journey.
Understanding Windows and Waves
During benzodiazepine withdrawal, your body and brain are working to recalibrate and return to a balanced state, i.e., homeostasis. This process can result in a range of symptoms, which can be both physical, mental, and emotional. The window and wave phenomenon refers to the alternating periods of symptom relief (windows) and increased symptom intensity (waves).
Windows are periods when symptoms seem to have lessened or disappeared altogether. These can last from a few hours to several days and can be a welcome relief from the discomfort of withdrawal. My windows were never times of symptom relief but rather times of fewer symptoms. Everyone defines what a window means to them.
Waves, on the other hand, are periods when symptoms intensify and can feel overwhelming. The duration and severity of waves can vary widely and be triggered by various factors such as stress, medications, supplements, or even no apparent reason.
Why Do Windows and Waves Occur?
The exact reason for the windows and waves pattern during withdrawal is not entirely understood. However, it is believed to be due to the brain’s attempts to regain equilibrium after being altered (neuroadaptation) by benzodiazepines. The process of healing during withdrawal is complex and involves multiple neurological systems. As a result, the recovery process is not always linear, and it can take time for the brain to heal.
Not everyone has windows and waves.
Some people never experience a window. Their symptoms remain the same (or possibly increase), but they never get any perceptible relief. Their healing may feel more linear than someone who experiences the typical window and wave pattern. People who do not experience windows and waves still heal in a normal timeline.
The heaven and hell pattern.
A percentage of people experience a “heaven and hell” pattern. Their windows and waves cycle every twenty-four hours; a wonderful window for a day, then a horrible hellish day. This twenty-four-hour cycle can be frightening, but it is a recognized pattern in the benzo community.
Coping Strategies for Windows and Waves
- Acceptance and Patience
One of the most important things you can do when experiencing windows and waves during withdrawal is to accept the process and be patient. Recognize that the journey is not linear, and you will have good hours and bad hours, good days and bad days. By accepting the unpredictability of your recovery, you can reduce the stress and anxiety that may arise from trying to control the process.
- Practice Self-Care
Taking care of yourself physically, mentally, and emotionally is crucial during withdrawal. Make sure you eat a healthy diet (WFPB) and exercise gently if possible. Prioritize activities that help you distract, and don’t be afraid to ask for help when needed.
- Track Your Symptoms
Keeping a journal or log of your symptoms can help you identify patterns in your windows and waves. This can be useful for understanding your triggers and finding ways to minimize them. Additionally, tracking your progress can be a helpful reminder of how far you’ve come and give you hope during challenging waves. (Remember that our assumptions on what caused a wave may be incorrect.)
- Connect with Others
A support system of friends, family, or a support group can be invaluable during withdrawal. Sharing your experiences with others who understand what you’re going through can provide a sense of camaraderie and help you feel less alone in your journey. Choose positive, solution-based support groups; otherwise, you may be triggered by the negativity.
- Mindfulness and Meditation
Practicing mindfulness and meditation can help you cope with benzo withdrawal’s emotional ups and downs. By observing your thoughts and feelings without judgment, you can develop greater self-awareness and acceptance. This can be particularly helpful when dealing with the anxiety and depression that often accompany waves.
- Seek Professional Help
If you’re struggling to cope with the windows and waves phenomenon, it can be beneficial to seek help from a doctor to rule out any other causes and set your mind at ease. Counseling from a benzo-wise therapist or a benzodiazepine withdrawal coach can be beneficial.
It’s essential to remember that recovery is a process, and it’s unlikely to be perfect. You may feel frustrated by the slow pace of your healing. However, focusing on the progress you’ve made and the small victories along the way can help you maintain a positive mindset which can reduce your suffering.
- Create a Calming Environment
During waves, it’s crucial to have a calming environment to retreat and find comfort. This can be a specific room in your home, a quiet outdoor space, or even a calming playlist or collection of soothing images. Having a designated space or activity to turn to during waves can help you feel more in control and grounded during these challenging times. I still listen to the Spotify channel, Peaceful Retreat, that I played during my recovery. At one point, I slept in a tent in my front yard, too triggered by my home. Be creative in making a safe space for yourself.
- Develop a Wave Survival Plan
Having a plan in place for when waves hit can help you feel more prepared and less overwhelmed. This plan can include specific coping strategies, relaxation techniques, or even a list of people to contact for support. Having the plan to turn to when you’re in the midst of a wave can provide structure and guidance. I sat in a chair in my garden when my symptoms became intense and listened to the birds, felt the breeze on my face, and watched the clouds scurrying across the sky.
- Celebrate Your Windows
Lastly, it’s important to celebrate and appreciate your windows. These periods of relief can remind you of your progress and provide a glimpse into what life can be like once you’ve fully recovered. Make the most of these windows by engaging in activities you enjoy, connecting with loved ones, or simply taking a moment to acknowledge your strength and resilience. Remember, symptoms do not mean that we are not healing. We are healing, even when we are symptomatic.
In Conclusion
The non-linear healing process of benzodiazepine withdrawal, characterized by windows and waves, can be challenging to navigate. However, by understanding the nature of this phenomenon and implementing coping strategies, you can better manage the ups and downs of your recovery journey. Remember, you are not alone, and with time, patience, and support, you can overcome this challenging period. You will go on to live a happier, healthier life after benzo withdrawal.
Join the conversation.
Leave a comment. Let us know your experience with windows and waves and how you best cope. Thank you for participating.
I’m amazed that Drs. don’t acknowledge this!
I’ve spent the last 8 years trying to figure out what was wrong with me!
Going through an Ssri switch, which was a nightmare, ending up back on my original Ssri, and still not feeling better!
Tinnitus, parethesias, head pains, fatigue, mood swings,muscle tension! Palpatations, the list goes on and on!
Distraction seems to help, but rest is difficult!
I’m at .25mg clonazepam daily! Fear taking less even though it’s probably not helping anymore!
Definitely an excellent article. Right now I am tapering of clonazepam taking for 12 years. It’s been 4 months a lot of windows and waves . Everyday is different. I am saving money so I can have a consultation with you. Thanks for all your videos are helping a lot.
I’m 10 months off of being on clonazepam for over a year. I’m still having weight/collagen loss, dry mouth, and insomnia. Some anxiety in the mornings. I know everyone is different, but should I be farther a long in healing being 10 months out?
Sorry to hear you still have symptoms. You are well within the normal timeline for healing. Of course, if you are concerned about a symptom, see a doctor to rule out any other causes.
You are very welcome! Keep healing! We do recover and go on to lead happy and healthy lives.
I am sorry to hear you’ve been struggling. The med switching is fairly common since doctors aren’t educated about benzos. Many of us were in tolerance withdrawal and didn’t know what was causing our ill health.
Excellent article! I am 2 years 8 months in recovery and this still resonates with me. Mostly windows for me but I am still overwhelmed by the waves. This article reiterates the need to be patient with my healing journey.
Patience is a marvelous thing! You have the right attitude.
I’m a bit confused about tolerance. If you are in tolerance and the benzo isn’t working why can’t you taper quicker? Your body is going haywire anyway.
Can taking one of these eventually lead to adrenal and endocrine and GI shut down? Stuck in survival energy/mode, look 70 lbs, can barely eat, I was in active withdrawal needing more but didn’t know that’s what it was, I was going thru abuse and major physical and emotional stress and pain when my body said I’m flipping now to adrenaline surging, triggered non stop by ongoing trauma and no safety, now there’s nothing left of me, in a diar state, can hardly eat sleep lost normal urge, brain and body seem stuck and looped, can’t connect with God, feel like I’m losing my mind in the suffering pain, trying to find help made me worse, brain seems to be on autopilot with not being able to handle any kind of stress and it surges, drs have not been supportive, idk what is coming from what, can’t get into homeostasis, nervous system tripping, surging, is this something benzos can do? It was prescribed to me in 2015 for an injury that I’m still dealing with, affecting head jaw teeth neck spine pelvis, prolly vagus and brain stem, body reacts to everything, it’s experienced so much trauma going thru trying to find help for multiple health issues, the injury happened before Xanax, I had signs of pre-existing other issues prior to Xanax, I was on some type of SSRI from 1994 to 2013ish, was barely off them when a Dr injured me and then got put on X, I didn’t know what it was, idk what to do, I was forced on a taper while already in withdrawal, I got worse, went thru a year of hell, I’m on half dose but it’s still technically high especially for my weight, I’m skin and bones, new psych Dr doesn’t want to touch it, says I’m too sick, feel like I’m going crazy, I have yet to hear of anyone in my state and idk what is this drug, can it damage the adrenals and hormones and our ability to handle stress? Can it cause surging all the time. Can it rewire your brain so your body forget how to work? Need direction and can’t find it on my own.
Oh Dr. Jenn, thanking you so much for your wonderful advice and knowledge. I am almost 8 months off, all my neurological tests are normal, but my withdrawal symptoms seems to be so different to the some on the list. I feel like I am in one big bad painful daydream with symptoms mostly on left side of head. Is this par for the course. Thanking so much.
Thank you so much for your knowledge and advice. I have been off for 9 months now and very symptomatic. Mostly the left side of my head. I can feel like me for a matter of seconds then go missing for another few seconds. It’s also painful. Is this par for the course? Thanking you again. BTW all my neurological tests show my brain is in excellent health
Sorry to hear you are still symptomatic, but nine months off is not an unusual timeframe. I’m glad you’ve been checked out and know that there isn’t anything seriously wrong with you. BWD/BIND symptoms can be very bizarre and scary but most often are benign. Keep healing!
I was on klonopin for 18 mos after losing my husband of 40 years to pancreatic cancer. No sleep and anxiety, is why Dr prescribed. While on the Benzo, I started having neurological issues but testing didn’t show anything. I tapered and got off the .5 mg of klonopin in 6 mos as I had no help with taper info until I found the Facebook support groups. It will be 3 years off for me in May and I am still suffering. I am 74 and possibly the older you are….the harder it is for the body to heal? I still wake up with an adrenal rush and it lingers for a while. Just had my cortisol tested and it was high off the chart. Now they want to test me for Cushing disease. I don’t know how anyone going thru Benzo withdrawal would have normal cortisol levels with all the stress and anxiety withdrawal puts you thru. I have seen some improvement with tight muscles but still can’t exercise. Have digestive issues, lower back pain, and now dealing with bladder prolapse (probably due to lack of muscle strength). For me it is hard to reduce stress when all these weird symptoms pop up! It has caused health anxiety for me. But I continue to keep pushing forward, praying for homeostasis someday in the future. Thank you Dr Jenn for helping us to hav hope! I used to watch your videos on YouTube when I really didn’t want to live anymore with this horrific withdrawal!
I am so sorry you are suffering so much. Benzodiazepines can cause one to become very disabled. I am not an MD, so I can’t diagnose you, but benzo withdrawal can cause weight loss, feelings of going insane, memory loss, constant fight/flight/freeze, etc. We can’t heal from benzo damage fully until we are off them. It’s best to do a slow taper and to listen to our body as we go. Sending you healing and comforting energy.
Good question. If we taper too quickly, we can shock the brain/nervous system and become even more symptomatic. We can also risk serious symptoms such as a seizure. It isn’t that the benzo quit working; it is still affecting the receptors; the problem is some of the receptors have stopped working, so there aren’t as many to keep everything calm. Being gentle with our brain/nervous system is best.
I am sorry for your loss. It hurts my heart to know you suffered that loss and then the damage from a benzodiazepine. But keep the faith! We do heal in time. It’s good to rule out any other cause for our symptoms. If nothing is found, we can rest assured that it is “just” benzo withdrawal. Three years is a long time to have to cope with symptoms, I know. But they will fade away as more time passes. Sending you lots of love and comfort.
I’m beginning to wonder if it’s worth it to go thru this, does increasing the dose make these symptoms go away?
I haven’t tried that as I’m so afraid of everything!
I’m 68 and don’t want to spend the rest of my life like this!
I am so limited in what I can do!
Increasing the dose may or may not stave off some tolerance withdrawal symptoms. If you up the dose, you’ll most likely hit tolerance to that dose. At some point, the drug may not work at all, even at very high doses. No one is supposed to stay on a benzo for more than a few short weeks. I know that withdrawal symptoms can be overwhelming, but we are healthier without the drug in our systems. Long-term use can cause many serious health problems. I hope you can find a taper method and schedule that works for you if you decide to come off your benzo. Only you can make the decision to remain on it or start to taper. No one should be forced off their benzo against their will.
Hi Jenn..
I’ve suffered a setback just short of 4 years and have spent the last 4-5 months back to suffering quite a severe return of windows and waves. It’s weird because I can still see a lot of my previous healing in my windows (which are short lived compared to previously) but my waves have become frequent and debilitating again. I’m so frustrated because I thought I’d made it toward the end of the war and I’m now back in the trenches again. All the fight/determination I relied on to make it as far as I had just doesn’t feel like it’s freely available to call upon.. because every time I pick myself up and try and move forward again a big wave keeps punching me back down. How did you pick yourself up after your setbacks and regather the energy to go again? Cause I’m exhausted and overrun by negative thoughts every time the symptoms start up again and I know the days gonna just be another one of sickness.
Weak moment!
I do want to get off this drug!
Fearful of getting off, fearful of staying on!
I have spoken to a psychiatrist who tells me .25mg should not be that difficult to wean!
I’m still a little messed up over my experience with Ssri switch!
I have just started tapering from a high dose to the middle dose you find of alprazolam. so far so good, but I do not know how long to stay on this middle dose and how many tablets to take per day before I go to the lowest dose. please assist me with this. I have been on these tablets for 10 years and am terrified of the withdrawals. thank you. Unfortunately, I live in South Africa.
Many people use the Ashton Manual as a guide for tapering speed. You can find it on this website on the page Benzo Basics page.
The general rule of thumb is to taper no more than 10% of your current dose every two to four weeks. Of course, as you get into the very small amounts, you may need to taper more, otherwise the taper can be quite drawn out.
I wish you the best on your healing journey!
Most doctors are not educated about benzos. They don’t know about tapering or withdrawal symptoms. They don’t know that a “small dose” of a benzo such as Xanax or Klonopin isn’t a small dose at all! They are 20 times stronger than Valium, and Ativan is 10 times stronger. A “expert” cold-turkeyed me off .635 of Clonazepam which was approx. 13 mg of Valium! But he told me that the dose I was on was insignificant. I ended up in the hospital for a week, hallucinating. Please do your own research and educate yourself so you can be the best advocate for yourself.
So sorry to hear. “Battle fatigue” is a real thing. I’d do my best to practice acceptance, be out in nature, engage in a creative outlet, and be patient. You will recover in time. eel free to join my Heal With Dr. Jenn support group for more tips and encouragement. It’s a very positive place where we focus on solutions.
dear dr jenn, thanks for the contribution! I had asked about it.
I often have this pattern with the 24 hours. sometimes the windows are very short, only 3 or 4 hours. my question: will it stay like this? or will the windows eventually get longer? and the waves less bad?
for the first 7 months i was doing relatively well compared to now.
and then it started. However, I also discontinued Doxepin.
maybe it’s because?
Thank you and best regards
Clarissa
It is hard to predict anyone’s recovery process. Everyone’s journey is unique. There is a good chance that your window/wave pattern will shift. Windows become longer and stronger, and waves become shorter and less intense. But I can’t promise that, as I’ve seen every imaginable situation. Oftentimes when we stop (or start!) another medication, our symptoms intensify. You are on the right tract for healing. Keep going; you’ve got this!
‘Windows and Waves’ – I do so very much wish more was written and recognised to the poor souls that get no ‘windows’, particularly when they also have become very protracted and feel they are doing something wrong and are stuck despite doing nothing different to so many others. I don’t think there is one person who we are supposed to look to for inspiration who went through this without their beautiful windows. I really want to say to those who have ‘windows’ how very fortunate, I won’t say lucky, you are. I really understand having a feeling well period for it to become horrible again would be distressing, however if that happened to me, and I’m sure the others like me, I would cling to those moments so hard, and they would give me strength. I say this from the most desperate state too, so I know I could do this, the only thing is I don’t have those moments and a windows and waves person could never understand this and that is not to take away the horrid suffering endured.
I cannot even describe the depletion the absolute desperation and fear that this can now never heal because the body/brain and mind can only take so much. I say this not from a place of a person who is a doom and gloom, as much as this makes everyone anyway, and hasn’t tried/done everything possible, pushed, not pushed, but definitely fought to hang on to life responsibilities through huge challenges. I now could vomit at the emails I get about healing, trauma……. on and on for the things I have tried and failed to help this, it’s like nothing works and there isn’t anything i don’t know now about the vagus nerve. I still work on it too but the slightest stress reaction still continues . I’ve never eaten so healthily in my life, take no supplements, have had so many tests, and push myself to do light exercise when I can, only to be revved up and then having massive payback. I could do much more in the beginning I might add, which is so terrifying and only adds to the terror that you are so chronically ill from suffering continuously, I really don’t know, and being ‘still’ is torture also, impossible to relax. Only last weekend I, after being triggered, went into my garden, absolutely no connection to nature, when i used to be the opposite, and pulled some weeds to try to ‘distract’. I’m still paying the price and feels like it’s damaged me. So, the correlation of things like this helping some people ends now, and it used to help me somewhat at first and believe it would now if there were some windows of respite to gather self and hang on to, something to tell that addled brain even if it doesn’t believe it. Instead, you are afflicted with horrible jealousy, anger and resentment and even that feels damaging, especially when it’s not your kind of personality. You see a person talking about their wave, doomed and hopeless, then next week they are out able to live some life, it’s soul destroying and you resent them, so horrible but true. You are upset by normal people reminding you of normality, and also the people you should identify with having something you don’t; it is absolutely abhorrent. I beg our ‘Dear God’ for just one day of reprieve, maybe it will suddenly be gone, but how?are the thoughts you fight.
It’s incredible as ‘we’ seem to get waves on top of continuous symptoms, but no windows. I myself have been put here for nearly 10 months now, into my protracted state, after continued stress situations, culminating in something that just took me down, trying to endure and get through, and I’ve stayed here. I’ve never been so frightened, distressed and brain damaged feeling in all this time. Still every night I say to myself tomorrow could be different, even if that was just 20% or even 10. It isn’t and us like this are fearing what has happened.
I so want to be able to tell my story one day, but it feels I won’t be able to now, and what if doomed to a life of chronic illness from what this has potentially done to the physical body, and I do know I’m not alone here, however so many just are not visible anymore. I suspect this may not be published so as not to upset any new people etc, I whole heartedly understand, however I have been one of those people too and is this my fault? I do know there is a lot of self-blame which is so painful when all you know you’ve done is cope, endure, but the triggers get more and more severe intense. I just can’t take this subject anymore but it’s my reality and the strength it is taking to write this I don’t have, it’s very distressing, I cry as I do, however hoping it will prove cathartic and maybe someone feeling the same might read and identify, because in essence that’s what we need so desperately; validation comradeship wherever we find ourselves. This journey has gotten so very lonely and isolating, on a much deeper level that the beginning, probably added to as you become the person or people despised for this happening to them and if you go public you risk being gaslighted to death by the very community you used to use for support sometimes. Anyway, I digress here, I just wanted to highlight the windows and waves thing because I was so very frightened to read this article, because I felt it would trigger me as it doesn’t apply to people like me and so much just pushes me to give up now, I know how hard I’ve fought for this to resolve, keep going, do all the right things, but feel the trauma, both psychological and physiological is so deep cumulatively, battle fatigue doesn’t come close. Believe me I fight these thoughts, but I’m so tired I can barely walk or verbally talk, yet bursting and literally everything is stress intensifying things for such a long time, how can this not attack the human body. Maybe this is a huge long wave of this on top and will lift and recovery can start, I am aware it’s gone like that for others, I’m just really concerered the body can’t take it anymore, seriously! you will finally go mad, but still try to keep going with the heaviest broken heart. I hope and pray for that, the shift you sometimes hear about with this sort of experience, and for everyone too no matter what this looks like. If this was a virus then the human race would be wiped out very quickly indeed I believe. For now ‘it’ makes you feel never so left behind, begging for a window of hope, and full of horrible feelings which is not you, but it is now. The why don’t I have windows worry fear and envy is so very painful, and extra devastating. Reality is we all just want our lives back and I wish that for everyone
I understand your dismay. Not everyone gets a window and wave pattern. Some have symptoms all the way through until they are healed. We all heal, no matter the pattern of our recovery. Keep going! You’ll get the finish line in time. Sending you healing energy. Thank you for sharing your story with us. It takes courage to put your truth out into the world. We appreciate your vulnerability and honesty.