kzaug2014

Oh, Sharon, I wanted to let you know that your "fuzzy head" symptom may stick around for awhile ( drove me nuts. I felt like a complete idiot at times. Lol! )

Also, congrats to everyone on your sober time!

Winslow

42,hate cutting hair,living in Vegas,4 kids 3 girls 21,23,25 one son 17 and a 2 year old grandboy that I love more than anything!married 25 years this year,hmm can't think of anything else ATM,wow Kzaug,I'd be scared of doing crack!!anything "hard" but I guess alcohol addiction lands people in pretty much the same place as it is,it all sucks,no matter what drug it is

kzaug2014

I think I bottomed out last yr., when I got addicted to heroin for the 1st time in my 49yrs...definitely 1 of the "hardest" drugs lol.

Maybe after you have a bit more sober time under your belt, you could switch careers? I've been legally disabled for nearly 11yrs now, but recently, I just started selling antiques at a local auction website. I can go at my own pace, take days off if I'm hurting too badly, ect...Those wkly checks I get now sure help out too ( Social Security only pays once/mo & I was sick of being broke the last 1wk of every Mo.! )

Hope everyone is have a good wkend.!

Winslow

Hey all,Kzaug,I am considering going back to school, for what I dunno,I still don't know what I want to be when I grow up😁 but I know that I want to work until I'm at least 70,in working with the public I see how some who retire early are sicker,more bored,grouchier than the older folks that still work who are healthier and have more pep in their step I wanna be like them but I can't be cutting hair at 70,sheesh imagine that,hello to all and I hope we all have a great Sunday😊

kzaug2014

I think going back to school is a great idea, Winslow! They have career counselors to help you figure out what you want to do...just a thought. I agree about retiring. I think it's important to exercise your mind & body for as long as possible ( don't always practice what I preach lol. )

Sizzle & Sharon, how are you guys doing?

kzaug2014

I've been sick for nearly a 1wk now, not sleeping well and worst of all, woke up depressed as all get out this morning.
So I've been trying to take the advice I give so freely...try to stay positive, look at the bright side, blah, blah, blah!
Here goes...Ty Lord for the depression I woke up to today, so that I can better remember the feeling of utter emptiness that others here feel everyday.
Bright side? Knowing that sometime in the next wk or 2, I'll feel better. Also, I'm not actively addicted to opiates or benzos! Ty, God!

Sharon5

I am so sorry you're not feeling well, kz. It's tough going through depression. I've been taking an antidepressant for like 7 years! Paxil... the hardest one to get off of!!!... again, a very low dose, but I've never tried to get off it. Ugh! I'm still at .375 of my benzo withdrawal.Will drop to .25 on friday. I hope you start feeling better soon.I'll keep you in my prayers. it sux going through thedepression and anxiety

waffelafel

kzaug, maybe I missed it earlier in this thread but what are you withdrawing from?

Night 13 of my sobriety suddenly took a turn for the worse and my anxiety spiked. Will this never get better? It's very frustrating.

Winslow

I think Kzaug just has a cold Waffle😀 how are you feeling today? I think there's just ups and downs in all of this withdrawal mess,I'm a little concerned about my daughter now,she's been having horrid panic attacks, even got fired cuz her boss said she had complaints,so now she's on xanax which she hates cuz they make her depressed and sleepy, jeez,what a mess Sharon,how does paxil make you feel? Hope everyone has a nice Wednesday😊

waffelafel

Can your daughter cut the Xanax pills in halves or quarters? Benzos are short term stone-cold killers of panic attacks. I'm sure you know the risks though. Long term, benzos carry a high risk of tolerance, increasing dosage, and withdrawals. The worst part is, nothing changes while you're taking them. All the anxiety is still there when you stop. Short term though, they can be a godsend.

I'm dealing with panic attacks today. No alcohol and no benzos. I'm quite discouraged and I'll leave it at that. Shouldn't it be getting better after 13 days sober?

kzaug2014

Ty Sharon! Yea, I've been battling depression since I was a kid. In & out of therapy for the last 11yrs. ( also saw a psychiatrist for a couple of yrs when I was a teenager for eating disorders. ) I finally got a handle on my depression about 6mos after I quit opiates & benzos. ) I take Zoloft and it normally works very well for me. I don't plan on quitting Zoloft anytime soon, if ever.

Hi Waffelafel! Congrats on 13 days! I'll be 15mos clean from opiates & benzos next wk. I went to the doctor this morning and I have bronchitis ugh! It takes awhile for the body & brain to even out after the yrs of abuse we put them through. I think that nearly everyone goes through a lot of anxiety in early recovery. You're not alone! Take it 1 day at a time & post here when you need support.

Hi Winslow! I'm very sorry to hear about your daughter. Maybe she should go back to her doctor & tell him the xanax is making her depressed & tired.

kzaug2014

Waffelafel, have you tried deep breathing? It can help to deal w/anxiety a great deal. There are different techniques...Google deep breathing & give it a try.

Soberwolf

Congrats on day 13 Waffalafel

Awesome job on your upcoming 15 months Kzaug

Winslow

Hey all,anxiety is the most useless,good for nothing feeling that the human body has! It just feels like a waste of time to be anxious over nothing, I've had anxiety drive me to drink in the past but I won't let it again, my daughter went to the e.r cuz she thought she was dying,they gave her an ativan and told her to ask her doc for it but the doc gave her the xanax instead, which is dumb cuz its short half life you keep having to take it,I told her she needs to see a psychiatrist whocan help her,aanyways in the mean time she just started a new job so we basically just put a band-aid on the anxiety for now but of course she's worried about dependancy,grrrr,just venting, hope everyone is well and I hope we all have a great Thursday😊

kzaug2014

Ty Soberwolf, you're a sweetheart!

Hey Winslow! I'm sorry you had a rough day. I agree with you about anxiety! So frustrating! Mine was through the roof too. It sure feels like more is going on than just being sick. I think I may be going to PASS or something.
I hope your daughters doctor doesn't plan on prescribing xanax long term because that band aid really sucks when it's ripped off.
I hope your day is better tomorrow.

kzaug2014

Ummm, PAWS, not PASS! Spellcheck, grrr lol!

kzaug2014

My mood has lifted & for that, I'm very thankful!
Winter is officially here! Snow everywhere...Eeek! I'd sure love to move to a warmer climate, but I'd never leave my kids & grandkids.

Sharon & Winslow, hope you guys are okay? Sizzle, you too, but I see your still posting & I'm glad.

Isamybella

I figured I'd join this thread, too. My anxiety started around this time last year after going cold turkey from opiates. I was prescribed Ativan and Lexapro. I took the Ativan for the first 2 or 3 months then was switched to klonopin and Mirtazapine (Remeron) because the Lexapro wasn't helping.

So I was on Ativan for 2 or 3 months and have been on 2mg/day of klonopin for about 9 months now. A couple days ago I saw a new psychiatrist because my old one was reassigned and she wants to take me off the Mirtazapine and start Paxil in 2 weeks because it's supposed to work better for Anxiety. Someone also told me to ask about Buspar because it really helped her anxiety.

Anyways, my psychiatrist wants me off the klonopin completely and told me to take 2mg/day for 5 days then drop it to just .5/day until I run out (which will be about 2weeks at .5mg/day. Today I just decided to take 1mg for 5 days instead of 2mg/day then drop it to the .5/day until I run out. My anxiety has been bad but I know it's going to be bad through the taper anyways. At least I get to taper. I just hope it's enough and that I can handle it. I have a 4 year old daughter that I'm home alone with all day until my hubby gets home from work.

Sounds like there's a few of us on here going through this right now. I just can't wait for the anxiety to go away and hope the Paxil or whatever med I'm put on next actually helps.,

kzaug2014

Welcome Isamybella! The more, the merrier!
I'm not sure why your psychiatrist would advise you to jump from 2mgs to .5mgs. It's not even logical??? But, I think you're very wise to taper to 1mg before .5mg. How many days do you have left to taper?

There are many things I have learned over the past yr & 1 really important fact is that benzos actually CAUSE anxiety, once a person's tolerance builds up. As you know, once your tolerance builds up, you need a higher dose to attain the prior results. And if a person doesn't up their dose, they may actually feel withdrawals ( even if they don't realize it. ) Benzos are meant to be prescribed short term only, 8-10wks tops! The 1 exception is people suffering from seizure type disorders, like epilepsy.
I want you to know that life is soooo much better now, benzo free!
(( Hugs ))

Winslow

Hey all, still trucking along,Isamybella,that taper sounds rapid! How are you feeling? I've always read that a person should taper 10% each week,maybe even every two,but if you're doing well then I guess its working for you,mines going slow purposely cuz I don't want to be in crazy withdrawal during the holidays and get so worked up that I end up drinking the anxiety away,Kzaug,are you recovered from your cold? Hope everyone is doing well and has a good night😊