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Thanks. My health issues these past couple of years limited the growth of the channel and I lost some audience. Now that I'm healthier, I know I can rebuild it again. Thanks for the encouragement.

Hi Paul, Happy to see you online too. It's nice to have something to keep me busy and look forward too. I know it will start small, but I really think it is something we can grow together and that is the part of it that I like the most. Talk soon, D :)

Thank you. I'm so glad they have helped you. Right now as I write this reply to you I have scenery on the TV from Arches National Park with piano music. Stunning imagery. I equally love the rain ones, as you do. Always been a fan of a rainy day to relax the soul. So glad these have helped you too. Take care, D :)

Thank you. Life has its ups and downs, and we have to survive the downs to enjoy the ups. Or something like that. :) Take care, D

Hello again, rebound anxiety is still anxiety. I've had it off and on for 10 years, so I know it quite well know. I had some anxiety pre-benzos, but nothing like what I had after I withdrew. With the people I work with we focus on mindset a lot, and anxiety management tools. There are so many things that help. I truly believe that the more we can ease our anxiety, the more we ease all of our symptoms. Have you tried exercise? Meditation and Mindfulness? Tai Chi? Swimming (the water is therapeutic)? CBT? And so many others. Please take care. D

@@easinganx yes I also had anxiety pre Benzo and as you say nothing like this. I totally agree that dealing with the anxiety will alleviate a lot of the symptoms but I have been mostly bedbound and can do short walks and Potter in my garden. I'm not able to get near the water unfortunately even though I live right on the coast but I do lots of meditations. I will think about doing tai chi or just gentle movement and lots of self soothing. 🙏

I get it. We can only do what we can do. I've had many days like that too. Walks are a godsend, so if you can do short ones, don't stop. And working in the garden is wonderful, and good for you. But, also be kind to yourself. Your body is healing, and it's okay if you have limitations. Please take care, D

Unfortunately, fibro and BIND don't work well together, too many similarities. Still, if I know one thing is that we do heal and get better. I'm not just saying that. I too was desperate only a few months ago, but I kept moving forward and now my nerve pain is 80% better. I know you are still tapering so please be kind to yourself and take your time. We do heal, even from some of the most complicated injuries. Take care, D

@@easinganx thanks for your encouragement and try not to look too far ahead do it one day at a time.

Hello there and thank you for tuning in from Australia. I am so sorry to hear about your nerve pain. I am not a medical professional and I can't tell you how to taper. Remember that Ashton recommends to take your taper slow and be flexible, even if that means stopping for a while to allow symptoms to subside. As for coping strategies, I usually focus on the things I can do. Sometimes that is limited, but it gives you something to keep your mind busy. I've also found exercise to help, especially with benzo nerve pain. Sugar often increases symptoms with myself and others I have worked with. Burning off that sugar and watching what you eat can help. Also, I believe that exercise helps to keep the nerves busy, which can elevate some of the pain or at least take our minds off them. Not sure if that is helpful at all. In the end, time is usually the best friend. Remember, these is just opinion and I can't advise you on your taper. Please work with your doctor to find the best pace for you. Take care, D

Hello there and thanks for the comment. Most likely not. Although benzos and withdrawal can cause headaches and migraines, it more likely causes muscle tension. The two places this shows on most people is the neck, head, and shoulders and the pelvic region. Most benzos are strong muscle relaxants. So along with the neurological effects of w/d, there is often also a rebound effect from the removal of muscle relaxants. It's a mean combination, and one I still deal with. Yes, there are cognitive effects for many of us, but you might try the muscle route first. Stretching is amazing as is yoga and massage. I still get tight muscles in the head and neck, had formication on my face for years, and some headaches, so I'm quite familiar. Best, D

Wow, thank you so much. That is so kind of you to write. It means the world to me when I hear that the work I did helped others. Truly. Please take care and keep in touch. Best, D

Hi Caralina_girl86, I'm so sorry for all of this. Yes, I am very familiar with what you are describing. First off, I'm not a physician so nothing I say should ever be considered medical advice. I just need you to know that. Second, head and neck tension is extremely common in benzo w/d, as you know. Also, we often get misdiagnosed, mostly because most physicians don't know about BIND (protracted benzo withdrawal), or that it even exists. PT can be very helpful, but you also want to be careful. Work with your therapist and help them understand that you need to listen to your body. If something seems like too much, back off a bit and take it slower. Our bodies don't respond the same as others, and we sometimes need a slower and more mild approach. Please take care and let me know how the PT goes. Also, massage can help a lot too. Best, D

@@easinganx I’m so confused 🫤 . I’ve read the past two years that nothing can help BIND and benzo withdrawal but my main system is this stiffness in my neck and head, that’s it. So you’re saying Physical Therapy could help that although it’s a symptom of benzo withdrawal?

Yes, it can help. While we can't do a lot to stop BIND or the symptoms it may cause outside of patience while we heal, we can sometimes ease the symptoms. Activity is good, within reason. Whether it's mental or physical, do what you can. With PT you can pull a muscle or stretch too far during BIND. I've done it a few times. The trick that I discovered is to listen to your body. Don't push it, and don't let you PT push it. Tell them at your first meeting that your muscles are locked up due to a neurological condition and that you need to take it slow. I've had a lot of success with that. Baby steps. But, it can help. Also, massage, acupuncture, and other holistic methods have had some success with people. When we say there is not a lot we can do for BIND, we are mostly focusing on eliminating symptoms and speeding the healing. Not much we've found there so far to speed things along. But, there are some treatments that can ease the symptoms somewhat along the way. Take care and thanks for writing, D

Thank you for that. I do appreciate it. D

Hellos @Humanikey, Thanks for the comment. So glad you have your family for support, that is a true gift. Clonazepam is a special beast all by itself. Wish it was different, but it's not. I was on it for 12 years. So sorry that you cold-turkeyed like that. We need docs to reduce their prescribing, but equally understand how critical it is for current users to have their doses, until they can taper on their own timeline. I will be going live soon on our new community site which launches Oct. 1st. Hope you'll check it out. Take care and stay close to that family. You've got this is and together you'll get through it. Best, D :)

Thanks for the comment. So sorry for your struggles. Yes, it does ease over time. I had twitching too and some muscle jerks. Quite common off benzos, especially this early. Still get them now, but they are rare. I have a visualization that helped me with a lot of this. Imagine the twitching and jerks as a new nerve ending healing. Each one that heals, is one more on your way to be past this. They have to work out the damage that was done and it takes a bit of time. Take care and thanks again for reaching out, D :)

Great message, thanks for posting it. Yes, for so many of us, me included, sugar is a nasty beast, and sets off so many of our symptoms. Sorry to hear about your CT. Wish you had a better experience and thanks for reminding others of the slow taper. While I'm not a medical professional, most experts who know benzos recommend slow, flexible taper. Take care my friend, talk soon, D

@easinganx I think your work is brilliant....and if you would ever like to share my story from ct lorazapam withdrawal had severe benzo BIND. Happy to share my story to help the community....because it was the stories and podcasts that kept me from suicide Thankyou.

Thanks so much for being willing to share. We have them posted on our website, but I just haven't been able to post new ones for a while. Once I get some help, that would be a good thing to get back too. Please remind me again as move forward. I do love sharing, and hearing your stories. Please take care, D

Thank you so much. Sorry it took me a bit to reply. Nice to meet someone else at 10 years out. Hope you are doing well and will join us online at the uneven community. I'd love to hear more about your experiences there.

Thank you so much. I appreciate the warm wishes. Take care, D :)

Hey Gary, Congrats on 80%, that's great! On finding a doc, I know. It's a long, long road for some of us. As I've mentioned on the podcast, I stopped looking for a benzo-wise doc, but instead find docs who don't discard it and who I trust and can work with. It's not perfect, but it definitely helps. Unfortunately, we have to become the educated ones. Take care my friend, D

Hello there, thanks for the message. I'm so sorry for what you are going through. We've all been there. I've lost hope more times than I can count. But, somehow, I always find it again down the road. I understand the fear too, and I know how dark these times can be. The memory loss can affect everything, and I sympathize with your plight. I truly do. Please hang in there. I've seen sudden healing even at 10 years out (something I'm hoping for), so I know it happens. I wish I could be more help. Please keep in touch and take care, D

Hi Greg, 5 days off 3 mg K, wow, so sorry. That is very rough. I'm so sorry for all that you are going through. I know it is dark, but I still have hope that we all heal. The anger, hate, irritation, can be overwhelming. It's so hard to find the positivity during times like this. I wish I was more help. Please take care of yourself and keep at it. Keep in touch, D

Hi Paul, Great to hear from you. And thanks for the great feedback, my friend. Always appreciate it. It's easy to get caught in that hole and start to get comfortable there. I don't want to do that anymore. I want to get back to the light, and I know I can do it. We all can. Murphy says hi and he loves being on the podcast. Such a ham. Talk soon, D

Thanks. Look forward to getting some more content out soon. D :)

Great feedback. Thank you. Give my best to your son. I know it's hard out there for everyone. D

Thank you, I appreciate the feedback. Hope you are well. D

Hey Gary, Valid point, and yet, we keep trying . Every little bit does help. I agree they don't know the older terms either, but the one thing that doctors read (sometimes) is research literature. So we keep trying. D

I hear ya, but i do not share your optimism, why....my new PCP NEVER heard of PAWS,nor did my 73 yr old cardiologist and the list goes on....​@easinganx

This one did get a bit dark, but they won't stay that way. It was where I was and I was just being honest. Still, even in that darkness, I had confidence that it would pass and that things would get better. And they did. D :)

Will do. Promise. D

​@@easinganxD. .we have all been there D, we keep pushing , and obe day our journey on earth is done,,,,,until then we push through, we love deeper and we live life the hest we can and we continue to make a difference, as you do

Hey Gary, I wsa depressed for a while, but doing better now. Plan to have a new podcast out tomorrow and I'm slowly ramping back up again. Thanks for sticking with me. D :)

Thanks Greg, I'm recording a new BF podcast episode for tomorrow, 8/1. I took the much needed time for self-care. Thank you. Now, it's time to get back to work, and I'm looking forward to it. Please do send me your story. I'd like to read it. I'm so sorry for all that you have been through. Truly. Talk soon, D

@@easinganx I'll write it and send it soon.

Thank you Jewel.. Hope you have a relaxing day. D

Sure. Send it to foster@easinganxiety.com. Thanks, D :)

Faith can be a huge blessing. I'm a skeptic at heart, but I have faith in something larger than me, and that guidance helps me through dark times. D :)

Life today is so fast. I try and slow things down when I can. D :)

Thanks for sharing. So curious. I'm hearing from more people with similar pain. Did yours start recently? Thanks, D :)

Thanks. We all need to let it out sometimes. D

​@@easinganx41 months off still anxiety still broken sleep 6 7 hours when it get better

I'm so sorry to hear that. Benzo belly is one of the most common symptoms from BIND. it does pass, trust me. My stomach is significantly better than it was. Best, D

Thanks Graham. I love the soundscapes, they can soothe me too. D :)

Thank you. D

Thanks Paul, As you can tell I've been offline for sometime. But, I am slowly getting back online and will post some new podcasts soon. Appreciate the kind words and friendship. Best, D

I'm so sorry to hear that. truly sorry. I now understand a bit more and empathize with those who have had the severe nerve pain. I just wish we had some answers. D

@@easinganx 🙂