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Do you know anything about catatonia and Ativan?

Angie, at about 28mins50sec in, would love love love a video on this. About being impaired and making decisions and/or continuing with daily life. This can be quite confronting whilst in it. Where decisions can be and are made in the moment, but totally lost or forgotten about in the next. I also appreciate you touching on the identification. Given withdrawal and taper can go for slo long, it really does become apart of the daily structure of life, and can be quite significant to cease. Especially when we know symptoms still await us once we throw the scales and pill box away.

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Ive already been taking it too long stop trying to take it from me. The damage is done for me and im sick of ebery doctor trying to lower my dose because of this. Just stop putting new people on it. If I'm already gonna have memory issues or brain damage at 40 at least don't make me do it without my meds.

Thanks for posting. These medications are both life saving and a potential harm. It’s important we have the education to reduce harm. In my non clinical opinion, I just hope the outcome isn’t patients being tapered off when it may benefit them.

I took klonopin as prescribed for 30 years! No informed consent! My psych p.a. retired in april 2024 and I was able to get it prescribed by my g.p. until june. It was forcibly stopped and I'm 3 and 1/2 months out since my last dose. 6 e.r. visits, 3 hospitalizations later I'm experiencing protracted withdrawal! The last time I was in the hospital I put in my 72,played the game and am bedridden and have no medical care. I'm 61 years old and my body is not functioning. I was threatened by the hospital p.a. with forced hospitalization so i can't get any help. I'm a 988 call away from being locked up somewhere so I live in fear every day that someone is going to do a welfare check and I'll lose my apt and freedom. I'm miserable. Social security is a death sentence.

This applies to antidepressants as well. I have been experiencing all of the symptoms described for more than 3 years after discontinuing Paxil.

I've been on Benzos for 40 years, I'm so scared to come off, so very frightened.

What do you do when you suddenly lose your health insurance and with it all of your prescriptions?

I had just been diagnosed with Hashimoto's/Hypothyroidism and put on Synthroid only. (I was already on antidepressants since my early 30's). This was 13-15 years ago when I was 53 and about to go through Menopause. My only child, a son, would come through the door at the end of the middle school day bursting with anger about what happened at school. This raised my anxiety through the roof! I began drinking a bottle of Chardonnay from the moment he would come home from school. I don't know if I was advised or I sought a psychiatrist on my own, but I found this female Psych who was the "visiting Psych" to a Nashville TV station. With those credentials, I thought that I was in the best hands. She had a very nicely decorated waiting room and office. She noticed that I was sitting on my hands, while in consult, and said "You have anxiety!" She gave me a small written test with smiley and frowny faces to circle as answers about my level of anxiety during situations. She then wrote out the Rx for Clonazepam and said, like it was the coolest thing in the world, "One of these pills is like drinking 2 glasses of Chardonnay!" No words of warning, just like it was a cool thing to do and it's no big deal. I'm now on 1-1/2 mg of Clonazapam everyday, first beginning with only 1 mg and then bumping it up because I couldn't get to sleep fast enough. I'm holding at 1-1/2, but I'm still having anxiety, especially after Trump was almost assassinated (I was a young girl when it happened to Kennedy so maybe I was reliving the grief and tension of those times.) But, I want to get get off of this drug after I timed my refill too late and ended up not having any pills for 3 days. I began having symptoms immediately by not being able to fall asleep until 4 am. I had my Rx filled today after feeling like my brain was in a vice grip. I also felt as if the people at the pharmacy were looking at me like I was a drug addict. It could be the insomnia causing the symptoms. But I, too, am afraid of coming down with Dementia even though no one in my family had it, but there was an uncle who lived his adult life in a sanatarium. Thank you for this channel. I will be retiring in March of '25 and will set my tapering until that time in case I have difficulties. Thank you for listening. (I know I've written a lot here, but one of my current complaints and not knowing why I'm doing this, but I used to love doing DIY projects in my home and now I cannot get one started to save my life. Let alone finish one.) Is Benzo to blame?

7 years off here. 😢

Was on Ativan for 11 yrs, took it as prescribed 3 times a day. My GP started tapering me off, I was falling, so got switched to Valium and tapered for 2 years. I’m now off 7 months and it has been the worst. I’m now experiencing the symptoms you described plus burning skin, blurriness, it’s been a nightmare. I haven’t left my home in 3 yrs. Wish I’d never touched this drug from day one!

What I would like to know is can BIND heal while on a benzo? I was forced into a rapid taper and developed severe symptoms I think are BIND and weren't just withdrawal. I was then updosee. And I can feel the benzo working. But I can still feel the BIND damage underneath it. So now I'm a little scared to try to taper off because I'm sure it will just expose the injury more, and it is unbelievably awful. So can that injury that happened during the rapid taper improve over time even if I'm still taking a benzo and getting therapeutic effects from it? And maybe the name should be changed to BWIND. (Benzo withdrawal induced neurological disfunction) Because it usually tends to happen during benzo withdtawal.

Can’t imagine being a senior citizen tapering off long term Xanax use. It nearly killed me and I was only 25 and had only been on a low dose for three years, not decades.

Your videos are great keep making them!

I have been self tapering from low doses of valium thanks to this channel. Even taking less than 10mg a day on excessive days, I had restless leg syndrome due to withdrawl and the lack of sleep triggered a grand mal seizure in Nov. Hearing people's stories truly scared me and started my own self tapering without the help from the 'multidisciplinary team'. Very intimidating wirh the fear of them cold turkeying me as ive been taking valium for decades after a bad TBI and PTA 29days I would be prepared to share my whole story if asked

Tapering off klonopin after 9 years thank you for your videos! Doctors have no idea what they’re doing with benzo withdrawal. It’s sad when the best advice is given in online forums

😮😪

Thanks for information.

I've successfully tapered benzos twice through absolute hell and am doing it a 3rd time due to severe 10/10 akathisia. Over 15 years of dealing with this. And the akathisia just loves to keep returning after years of doing well again. And benzos were the only thing that would save my life. Even despite the horrific withdrawal and kindling, they've saved my life. Idk if I'll survive it again though. Imagine being someone who barely survived and watched many of their friends not survive it... and then having to go back into battle not once, but then a third time. That's me. Tapering a benzo is hell. Tapering a benzo while kindled is even more hell. 10/10 akathisia still blows them both away and I have it on a hair trigger. This lady had it easy and is part the reason people are getting ripped off benzos. Imagine 10 years down the road and developing severe akathisia and having doctors refusing to prescribe the one thing that will save your life and then being ripped off them again because "you weren't on them long enough to be dependent". MFer I was dependent again the moment I took that first pill... but you know what, it stopped my akathisia so I'm still alive now.

On klonopin for 9 years, withdrawl is Fin hell, I cant withdraw faster than 4% a month without being able to function and keep my job. Wish doctor at the time didn't say "don't listen to the horror stories when prescribing them to me". These pills have ruined my life.

Why do doctors pretend this stuff isn’t real ????!

40 years prescriptions here. It’s horrible

Thank you for this video. I was on 3 mg of Klonopin for seven years after my mother died. My doctor refuses to help me taper, so I’m doing it myself. Dry cutting. In nine months I have went from 3 mg of Klonopin daily, to 1.125 mg at this time. The symptoms you describe about BIND are very real! I agree with everything you stated in this video and I thank you for the resources

LOW DOSE MORPHINE WILL INSTANTLY ALLEVIATE ALL BENZO WITHDRAWALS. Morphine is safe, does not cause damage to any organ and morphine withdrawal last 10-14 days compared with benzo's lasting practically forever. Low dose Morphine can be safely used for months to years to decades whilst the benzo withdrawals run their course then morphine can be removed when the time is right...just don't forget that some aspects of benzo withdrawal seem to be permanent so Morphine might be useful indefinitely.

It does seem like the patient is put in a position of walking on egg shells, putting our best foot forward to present this perfect scenario to work with a provider who made the grave mistake of prescribing long term in the first place. Understand the rationale, but puts a lot of pressure and expectations of on a patient to, almost, put on a show in order to persuade and educate a medical professional about an outcome known for decades about benzodiazepines, short term use, otherwise risk the high likelihood of a patient developing dependency.

You may want to consider introducing yourself and stating your credentials as providers would be more likely to listen and hear what you have to say.

I have suffered from BIND for over 4 years. I got hurt multiple times while starting and stopping klonopin. I attributed it to something else because I had no idea this was even possible. I tell people, don’t fear seizure or death, fear things you have to try and live with like chronic akathisia or other BIND symptoms. Dr. Christy Huff lost her life to her BIND symptoms 5 years off this March 2024. I miss her so much.

- Benzos have saved some people's lives.

Every word is true. I was injured stopping a benzodiazepine. I am still injured/crippled in chronic akathisia, tardive dystonia, TD, tinnitus and many other terrible things 4 years off of klonopin.

How did you get off of the Ativan 😮

This channel is designed to scare the shit out of everyone. It's very simple. Find a competent doctor and taper off any medication slowly and under the appropriate supervision. I've successfully weaned down my Klonopin with no issues. I also have an exceptional psychiatrist and psychologist. These channels attract misery. What we all should be scared of is that many of us were injected with an experimental drug against our wills. Our freewill was taken away from us under the guise of protecting the general welfare. Get jabbed or lose your livelihood. Get jabbed, or you can't work, eat, stay, here. Wake up, people. Channels, podcasts, accounts, and profiles like this led me down rabbit holes when I was in the throes of GAD. Stop the fearmongering. And remember two things -- misery attracts misery and there is always hope.

Wow. So much fearmongering and despair on this thread and thousands of others about benzo withdrawal. It's very simple, find a competent doctor who will taper you off appropriately and safely. All of you are looking to drive each other crazy.

The providers listening should probably protect the patients still on them from being forced to cut and injured. You are worrying about seizures and dementia and taking too many when the real danger is people being harmed at prescribed dosages coming off. Especially after stopping them too quickly. The process to safely taper a benzo takes 9 months to several years. What I learned is just because you can push through symptoms doesn’t mean it’s a good idea. Protracted injuries, dare I say “permanent neurological injuries” from benzodiazepines are real and injuring thousands.

They do not care! They damaged you and then it's your fault and there's something else wrong with you so they give you another damn drug.

I am so grateful to be off Ativan. I have been mostly downgraded from Panic Attack disorder. I went from multiple attacks a week to not remembering when the last one was. My biggest trigger was centered around my family members health struggle. I was their care giver. I spent years on ativan and ended up getting attacks out of the blue simply because my body would give me symptoms inorder to get me to take my meds.

Where can I watch this? All I can see is 'request a screening' on the website, and can't find anywhere to watch. Is it just me who can't find this?

My doctor didn't recognize me in tolerance.

Help us!😭

where do you find that kind of dr that works so well and understands that his client (me) wants to go at their own pace. how do I find that person. I live in rural area so don't have many choices.

I’m 56 years old and doing a liquid compound taper off Ativan for 5 months it’s horrible tapering off.

Bind is a type of encephalopathy. An can be detected threw a spinal tap.

“Withdrawal” is just brain change= brain injury being unmasked. It’s not “withdrawal” when it’s 6 months off a drug. It’s especially not when it’s years and years off. It’s protracted benzo injury (damage). “Withdrawal” insinuates the body is missing something and wants it back. I can assure anyone reading my body does not want the benzo back. I even tried a benzo 4 months off to stop the neurological madness. It did not work the same. After a few months off, they are often a new set of symptoms different from the withdrawal. The benzo no longer works the same with a damaged brain. Neither will other classes. It may feel like it half works, but that’s when you should worry you are doing more damage.

Everything this woman is saying is the truth. I have thousands of friends hurt just like me both while on, and after stopping, a benzodiazepine. Even many of the benzo groups will marginalize and minimize some of these BIND injuries because they are scary. I got hurt after stopping it taking it twice a week and letting it run out. I got hurt again taking it 1x/day at night. I had no concept that interdose withdrawal could rough you up neurologically. I had no idea you could get this hurt while stopping a medication. Most of my worst symptoms took 4-12 months to erupt after stopping. I first had a tinnitus explosion from another planet. Well.. I FIRST lost 71lbs a year prior to my final jump after 3 failed quick taper jump attempt. I was wracking myself on the head, reinstating ever lower 15 days out and then trying again a few months later. Rinse repeat until kindled to oblivion. I am 4 years off Klonopin. I jumped May 2020.

Thank you for spreading awareness. My life was irreparably altered stopping a benzodiazepine. I tell people, “Don’t fear seizure or death or worry about addiction. That is the least of your worries. Fear things you have to try and live with like chronic akathisia or other horrible BIND injuries.” I suffer horribly 4 years off of Klonopin. I have lost over 20 friends to chronic akathisia and other BIND symptoms since March 2021. I have hundreds of friends clinging to life right now as we speak. It’s murder not suicide when it happens. Those people jumped to escape a burning building. Often a building that had been burning for years. They were amazing to make it this far.

I'm 5 months into a cold-turkey withdrawal (not recommended) from .25 - .5 xanax for 2 yrs and I'm 58. Holy cow, when I think of what I've been through these last 5 months, I can't believe I've made it this far and I'm by no means out of the woods yet. I have improved, and I have some fairly good days, but then I get hit out of nowhere and then I'm out of it again. Something that really helps is exercise and stretching, eating very healthy, and keeping my mind distracted with projects. As hard as it is to exercise, its imperative in my opinion. I really delved into learning the intricacies of making sour dough bread and kimchi. I make boxes full of bread for family. Between projects and exercise, I managed to beat insomnia, which is important, because sleep is necessary for healing. Pharmaceutical companies are not concerned about people. They are concerned with the bottom line. The almighty dollar. I'm convinced they don't care that people are suffering or that their reps lie to doctors to get them to prescribe their drugs. It's a corrupt business. I believe we, now more than ever, need to be our own best health advocate and not simply take the doctors word for it. Research it first.

Please address the brain's role in gaba and glutamate (calming and excitability) production. While tapering, if panic attacks continue, what then? Please provide relevant and reliable research evidence.

Withdrawals symptoms are the same in both diagnoses. So what’s the point of this video?

I've been on 2mg Klonopin for 11yrs for anxiety, and NOT by my current psychiatrist. No warnings, was told it was a good choice because I have epilepsy and Klonopin is used for that also. I had been on celexa for 25 yrs and all of a sudden it stopped working for my anxiety. So I went from celexa to Klonopin overnight, in the blink of an eye. I was so naive. No warnings, I didn't even know there would be withdrawals.Fast forward I started becoming very depressed. I'm 60 yrs old. I want off this med now. My Dr is very open to a slow taper. I want to go in a detox center for benzos, then rehab. My Dr and counselor are very very good and both came into the picture after I was already on Klonopin for 5 years. My Dr has been very supportive. Yes I'm scared but Klonopin has killed my memory, made me like a zombie, and I read it can bring on dementia. God will bring me thru this.

🙇🏻‍♀️📝📑 thank you both! Love Shanda 💁🏻‍♀️🇨🇦