Withdrawal: Ignore the Horror Stories 

I agree that’s why I made my channel. Positive Benzo Withdrawal. I saw a need for positive stories of healing. I highly encourage people to start their own channel and archive their journey both the waves and the windows. Show the progress. I had to go back and watch my own videos that I made 10 things I do daily and 25 things I did to get out of the worst wave just last week during a setback. They were SO helpful because I had totally forgotten my coping tools. Archiving your journey will snow proof that the healing is happening. Thanks for your good Work!! 🙏🏽🙏🏽

This was one of the Best videos. My doctor suddenly retired and I'm wondering how to stop. Watching all these nightmare videos gives me more anxiety then I ever had. I believe I can make it through this with strong willingness to get my life back. Thank-you my friend 🙏

This is an old video, but so glad I came across it. So well spoken. I'm about done with my taper, has been rough but I am trying to remain so positive and this video helped.

Thank you for this video, I’ve gone through this before cold turkey. It was terrible and I didn’t think I ever going to be myself again. While I was living in terror I was telling my mom about the negative things because I thought that I was gonna be this way forever, but then she told me that she has already seen so many differences already. I was so focused and scared of my withdrawal symptoms that were constantly present, that I didn’t even see the improvements that I had been making. I was slowly getting better but I was too blinded by my fear and withdrawal symptoms that I wasn’t even trying to engage in any healthy activities, my diet, and working out. My situation is very complex and I’m going to be getting tapered instead of getting cut off cold turkey. I still have the same fears about when my taper ends and I’ve been reading about all the terrible symptoms. However after my mom kept urging me to watch this specific video I am finally glad that I did. I have to start doing things right now for my mind and body to be healthy even before I start my tapering process. That being said, when I look back at how I was doing when I was cut off cold turkey I was improving, I was just too scared too notice it.

You made me breathe better while I watched this. 🙏🏻

I have not had one Ativan in 14 days, just by listening to your video and the Reading and listening to bible verses on RU-vid when ever the withdrawal would start. I got through it. I would look for success stories but I couldn't find any without the horror stories. Your video is a great help for any one wanting to come off this drug. You are right, you can't compare yourself to others.

Thank you so much! This is absolutely so true, and positivity is KEY! It isn’t easy….. but nothing worth it is! 😊 Keep busy, don’t focus on your symptoms so much, distract yourself and mind with other things. THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR THIS. 🙌🏻💯

Thank you for this video! I have been scared to death when watching these horror stories.

Thank you so much for making this video!!! I searched "quit cymbalta" and found this, I've been on that horror story journey for a few days now, trying to find something encouraging and hopeful but only becoming more scared. I forced myself to watch this video until the end even though my brain was like "no cmon we gotta go look for more withdrawal disasters because what if something like that happens to us" and I am going to watch it again later because I know this is what I need to hear, this is something that will actually help. Thank you again

Good common sense… Thankyou! I have tapered off over 7 months. It is now 22 days since I stopped completely taking antidepressant 😊 The symptoms I am experiencing are not overwhelming, I am coping with them and am feeling a sense of freedom. Your videos have been and continue to be my support and reassurance. I thank you 🙏🏼

Whatever you said is 100% true. When we look at the horror stories of others after their withdrawal from antidepressants we are gonna feel like we will never get better.

Well Done Sir You are doing a great job adding a very good dose of Encouragement in the lives to those going through the process ... its really difficult to describe What withdrawl feels like but you did very great Described it and coated it with Sweet positivity tnx again ! After watching you i m never ever searching online for more of those horror stories

They are not "horror" stories. It is actually an issue. Receptor adaptation does occur, when taking anti depressants, and the more receptors the drugs act upon, the more potential issues to occur once drug cessation has occurred. As the brain is such a complex system, a heterogenous response is likely. So some may indeed experience severe symptoms, and some may not. If this is mentioned in the video, I apologise. But I just wanted to put this out there. As brain neurochemistry and diversity is vast. And reaction to these powerful drugs, are not predictable.

Thank you for this! Clonazepman saved my life and then I tapered off it without ANY side effects. All those horror stories proved to be nothing but. Had I known that sooner, I would have saved myself a couple of months of hell, being afraid to take what I needed based on those scary messages.

Today I start tapering off Lexapro. I was on 10mg for 16 months. So glad I came across your post. Makes a lot of sense.

Thank you! The worst thing you can do is listen to the negativity. I noticed the ones who stuggle the most are the ones who doesn't surrender to a higher power and who doesn't find some kind of support group. Xanax withdrawal brought me to my knees and left me with no other choice to look at myself and turn my will and life over to Christ.

Finally, somebody is noticing that all the 'horror" stories can be really very triggering..finding information that I can actually use is fairly simple, but, if I'm not careful, I can get sucked into the issues that others are having. If only everybody was the same, these things would be much simpler. Of course then things would become boring. Your video makes great sense, no offense. Thanks

Didn't watch the video, just read the title, and can agree. Came off of xanax 8mg/day in 19 days. No withdrawal afterwards. wanna stress out that i don't recommend this tempo, else you're gonna have withdrawal symptoms like i did, which really sucked. but ur brain gets used to it. even if you rush, you can do it.

I Just gonna say those videos scarred the shit out of me especially benzo buddies i tried coming of years ago and gave up because of the story's and vids , being alone with this is bad enough ! Now I'm 12 years on clonazipam I got on benzo buddies 8 years ago for support and got exact opposite and doc doesn't help much bit I don't go on .Thanks for this!

thank heavens there are nothing but horror stories - you have seen a true need and are meeting it thank you

I think this is pretty simplistic. It is a natural trajectory of an injury: denial, anger, acceptance, grief, healing. It is easy to see these steps affecting a person going through withdrawal. AND these "horror stories" do serve a purpose, they let you know you are not alone and that other people are persevering and that you can too. And many do come out and tell about them getting better later on - which is tremendously helpful. Seeing the hell they were going through and then coming out on the other side. I don't think I could have managed without getting information so that I could dig into strategies for getting better: supplements, exercise, fasting, etc. Fasting has been the one big game changer for me. I never would have known about it if I merely "stayed positive" from the start: I don't see how anyone could honestly advocate for this, while I do see the benefit of it at a later date. The grieving and accepting of the horror was healing in itself: crying and emotion activates the parasympathetic nervous system and that is of tremendous benefit, and helps regulate.

I can't thank you enough for your testimony. You have given me and surely many more people who are withdrawing and needed to here your positivity and giving us the true spirit to heal.

well done..im 7 weeks in..CT from 6 years 10mg valium.....sudden weight lose very soul destroying !! watch dozens of vids all bad....

I understand. But I've been thru horrors way before I found anything on the net. I've lost my dignity although. Been off month and month at times with no improvement. Gran mal's, ICU. We can only endure so much for so long with no longer any purpose left.

Even horror stories eventually heal. You can see my progress on my channel and I have helped thousands of people just by showing the good AND the bad.

Thank you sir,your message is Soo very true. There needs to be more videos out there such as yours. As you said, each individual recovery is their own.

It's so true that some people with positive experience do not post as much. I did not think about posting anything since I did not experience any side effects from tapering many drugs (effexor/rivotril) before that I did not even know those side effects exist! However, these horror story made me anxious when before I tapered another drug (seroquel xr). And guess what? I am one of those who was anxious about using and tapering off drugs and end up having no horrible side effects from the drug itself. I guess I might be lucky. I don't know. Any symptoms or experience are literally from my worries from the horror stories. There is nothing to suppress my emotions so I have to control my emotions a bit more. But other than that, the drugs I was prescribed worked well and my tapering journey has been even better than what I can ask for. I know some people really go through bad tapering experience. But if you have not tried it yourself, there's no use worrying and making things worse! I hope this helps your minds. An advice I can give for my smooth is to trust your psychiatrist and go slow :) Have a nice day!

Funny thing! I've withdrawn many times in life. This is the first time ever watching others crazy ass videos. So of course I was scared as all hell at first. Then my mind said, you've been in PAWS before and it won't happen again. Being in a different place in life, vitamins, food and so many things helped me. 11 days off benzo's and 4 off Suboxone. Low dose because I was using fentanyl for months. Anyways this is a cake walk in comparison to other times!!!!! Still some issues, sleep and all. But I already was so prepared. Had surgery so no reason to use anymore.

Hello, I’ve been on 0.5 k for 6 months , was perfectly ok with quitting ct until I get the horror stories. I’ve even got up to day 4 then quit but I always was going through a little post partum depression and stress

I can on RU-vid looking for someone to tell me it’s going to be ok after all this. Thank you.

I never felt the urge to abuse xanax and when I had to taper off, it was no problem. Hate that they terrified me on it. Really helped with my panic attacks

Thank you 🙏 finally a message of HOPE

What if we can't exercise? The first 6 months off I was doing cardio, walking, cleaning, still going out, socializing, and after about 6 months I got worse and worse. I don't understand it if I was doing things that were supposed to help.

Thank u 4d positive notes...im on a 100mg for neurophaty...it helps with pain & sleeping...i have some withdrawal after 8 hr ish....i pray itl get better....amen

I took only as prescribed and did an 8 week dr taper , it was brutal and hellish. I am 2 months out from last dose and still have paws

Did you have problems with understanding emotions, have you had a constant electric shock-like sensation in your head; accompanied by a severe headache followed by fatigue? (prolonged fatigue) *Then a weird feeling of not feeling fully immersed in life (you feel you can't live and be in the moment; a weird sensation that you're not fully in immersed in life? + you don't get social queues? I think what I had was a seizure on antidepressant medications; or maybe due to meningitis mis-thought of as having initial side affects due to antidepressant treatment initiation... It's just weird.

I am about to stop my seroquel it has ruined me made me a depressed fat zombie with no feelings I need off it and I know its gonna be painful but I can do it I pray I just wanna feel alive even if I dont sleep for a while

Negativity and self pity are a bad thing. Fierce determination is necessary as its not fun tapering. But we all have to focus on the end goal.

Great topic, there’s so many more people with horror stories than success especially on the Facebook groups. It’s such a longgg process that even at 16 months I don’t have many expectations other than make it through the day... did people who jumped around your time healed too? Have they done success stories or video? Thanks as always Michael

Thank you. It’s nice to hear some positive for a change.

This what l wanted to hear all along searching for benzo healing. Thanks much and subscribed.

Have been on lorazepam for 3 years 1mg twice a day everyday..so scared to taper off them..thanks for the positivity

It doesn't feel like I'll ever have my confidence and swagger back. It's still so hard to be around people and even make eye contact. It's rediculous :(

Thank you giving hope l can succeed to. Just yesterday was listening horror stories of benzo taper withdrawals .From 8mg xanax down 0.25mg was wondering how and if I could fight it off by December 2022 . Yes l want and will succeed listening to you vid

Thank you!!!! You gave me so much hope!

How can you withdraw from antipsychotics especially when you cant sleep at all without it?

My last day of taking venlafaxine 😬 thank you! I really needed to hear this today because I know its gonna be rough but I'm looking forward to seeing my old self again 🥳😂

Enjoy your videos with positive tone. How many people do you know that are healed?

I'm one year off Zolpidem. I have not slept properly for a year now. It's after midnight and I feel extremely tortured. Every night I wish that I would jusr die. That's how terrible this is for me.

Thanks for the video Michael. Your videos have helped me more than you could imagine and have given me that extra push that I need for getting through this. It’s weird because shortly after commenting on one of your videos after being okay from month 2 to month 7 of withdrawal, I got hit with really bad symptoms. Nausea, panic, out of touch with reality feelings, everything. Since then, my focus has shifted more towards the long term effects I read of the short. I understand most us heal, but does it last? I know it’s best to stay away from negative comments but after my last episode I decided to look up what I could be going through and people 8+ years out are saying that they are being hit with waves as if they were in acute withdrawal when stress gets too overbearing. Do you think we’re stuck with a weak nervous system when all this is over with. That could explain why I felt ok for 5-6 months and then worse again as stress picked back up in my life.

Hi there! Sorry I have been asking a lot of questions. I am off benzo now and doing so much better. Right now it’s mostly muscle weekends and I feel as though I have more Inflammation than usual I have noticed though a few sore ribs. It’s very weird and out for the ordinary. I’ve done to the doctor a few times and they say everything looks fine. It may be a stress response. Have you heard of this? It’s really not normal for me. I don’t have mental symptoms anymore. And am sleeping great. Just feel as though my body hurts and is really tight. Thanks for reading, I really appreciate your videos!

Good advice, too many anticipate and self fulfill withdrawal symptoms.

I needed this video as I am tapering only 4 days left in my .25 Ativan and I’m more scared of the stories I see, some were truly terrifying ... as I have been feeling “ok” so far with the taper I’m wondering if some don’t go through the hell and some do Or if I’m bound to hit that horrible stuff soon?

TOTALLY agree , but the thing is that WD in majority of the cases is sth that we never been told abt by Drs ,so that causes most of horror stories. I'd like to ask if i stopped a drug CT 8 months ago'' even it was under supervision of the Dr'' is it common that WD will resolve not consuming longer months or the CT is such a HUGE mistake that necessitates reinstating?

I had heath issues like hangovers, heart problems suicidal thoughts and Depression As well as loss of control a motor function and much more symptoms. The following day after taking S. Will I discuss these symptoms with my doctor and he decided to go up. I experienced pain and suffering for years after that. Then when I got to be an adult. I was given advice to try for the first time in my life going off of the medication. Which all of a sudden seemed to make most of my symptoms to all of my symptoms, lesson. Or completely go away. Thought I was alone suffering in this way From Sariquil. I never had any of the heath problems before take med like this.

Hi I’ve been off zopiclone for 6 months now I was on them for 4 years and still not sleeping more than 2 hours. How long does it take for sleep to come back. I don’t let it get me down I just thank god for life & think positive but the stories you hear are scary . Thank you

God bless you

thanks for sharing your journey!

is my brain screwed if i CT compared to someone who tapers off..

thanks amigo, feels good to hear experienced advice

Iam 6months off librium and still suffering. I do have a few OK times but that's about it I just want to heal thanks.

Good man!! Its very imperative to not buy into other people journeys.

I was breathing in a bag 😖 before I watched your video.

Withdrawal is real. I cut 10% a month and the lower you go it is very hard. Many of us we do 5% a month reduction. Please do not say that this is not real. Unfortunately 50% people go through insanity. Many are lucky because the way they metabolize the medications. Yes the concentration of the active ingredient stays in the blood from 24-78 hrs and out but many meds will remain stored in the fat tissues for many months. That’s why sometimes especially with Prozac, people feel great after stoping the meds and then after many months are hit with crazy symptoms. Then they go to ER and sent to psych doctors or even admitted to a ward and told that their illness is back and put on cocktails of 3-5 different meds. That’s how they become slave to Big Pharma.

Hey thanks for this video bro I’ve been taking bars for 4 or 5 years and just tiered of this way of life I was taking 7 to 9 bars a day I’ve finally got my self down to 1 or 2 footballs a day but I’m scared to death it’s scary but thanks your video helps thanks bro much love and hope I make it to be clean

Feeling difficulty in tongue muscle ,front side of head is numb while touching,cudont recognize time if is 6am or 5pm , Every past memory cannot recall , Feeling low, Eye see everything shadow ,a terror ,strange fear, Suffocation,aggrofobia Cannot enjoy ,nervousness loaded, Insane N list goes long N tell me how long this stick with me? Its 7 months n took zapiz on n off for 6 yrs N m 24 yrs From Nepal

Hi Michael, I just found your videos today and find them encouraging. I've been on Xanax, 1.5 mg for four years at bedtime and now want off..................Unless mentioned elsewhere, how did you taper, what amount of reduction over what period of time etc? I currently take care of my mom with dementia and that's how I got on this crap to begin with to help with sleep. I tried cold turkey, a couple of years ago ang though I was going to lose my mind by the 5th day. From the research I've done, the slower the taper, the less side effects and w/d symptoms. Please offer any advice or input. Thanks

You cannot beat brain chemistry through mere "positive thinking". You have to find a method that works. i am at about 17% dosage and I was hoping to discontinue the psych drugs completely very slowly over the next 4 years. However it may end up taking closer to 6 years of slow tapering to get from 17% to 0%.

I have been 3 years on benzo valium 10 mg at night for sleep , now i am going to stop taking them cold turkey , the problem is i can't sleep , how much time will the withdrawal symptoms last ?

Thank you

Thanks you’re very helpful 👍

Thank you ☺️

Thank you.

Thank you!

Thank you for this. It really sums it up and helped ne

Absolutely spot on!

I was on ativan 1 mg every 8 hours for 6 months then i changed it to diazepam and tapering for 3 months now im on 3.5 mg of diazepam every 24 hours & im fraid to quit , what to do ???

Does cbd oil help with withdrawals?

Love the TRUTH

It's been 28 days now into my decision to cold turkey off 16ml bruponorphen daily to nothing daily. No suport offerd and its been brutal the symptoms are still with me I hope this ends bc if does not I will take my life just to feel better.

thanks for motivating

I went through opiates, benzo, lyrica. all for nerve pain. surprisingly lyrica was worst withdrawal by far. did not expect this. benzo was the easiest

Very Nice !!!

You are so wise and real. What you said really resonated with me, Wish we could meet.

Great video!❤️

💚thank you

Ignore advice to See psychiatrists?

Ambien is deadly! I can't live anymore..! What should I do? I am 56 years old

You seem like a nice guy but the negativity is my life s*** I'm trying but nothing works feels like my body shutting down and I'm going to die but thanks for the kind words

I stayed on benzos for YEARS after reading and watching all the horror stories. I was able to quit clonazepam in 2 months.

My wife WAS a horror story. We both lost a year of our lives to Xanax and Prozac. Her doctor wanted to up the dosages, but after 4 car crashes and not being able to function like a normal human being for months, my wife and I decided that she should wean off these drugs. For an entire year she was a shut in dealing with horid symtoms that started to subside in the 11 month. We got a new doctor who helped her to finish out the withdrawal with a minimum amount of drugs. She is now better that she was before the anti-depressants and close to 100% drug free.

It seems that people are just sitting around waiting for their symptoms to go away. Misery loves company and I truly feel for everyone who is still experiencing symptoms. I had to do whatever it took to pick myself up and go. I needed to excercise at the gym when I felt like i couldn’t walk, even if I just did 20 minutes on the elliptical. I had to go for walks, I had to start going to AA. I had to start going to church. I had to volunteer my time, I had to eat better. I couldn’t just sit around, wither away and die. I go to therapy at the VA and anxiety groups there as well. You don’t really hear about what people are doing to overcome their symptoms. It just sounds like they are waiting around for everything to get better. Medication withdrawal doesn’t work that way AND LIFE SURE AS HELL DOESNT WORK THAT WAY. If I sat around every time I started swearing feeling anxiety come on, if I sat around when I had strange pains in my legs and feet, I would’ve driven myself crazy. What I want to hear and read about is : WHAT ARE YOU DOING FOR YOUR RECOVERY BESIDES SITTING AROUND WAITING FOR SYMPTOMS TO START AND STOP. We have to force ourselves to do things. The brain WILL once again achieve homeostasis, as well as the CNS. But if your sitting around reading stories in Benzo buddies written by other people who are just sitting around expecting to get better, what in the world do you expect? “Oh my left toe hurt today and my tinnitus was bad....” great! DO SOMETHING no matter how bad you feel. Don’t journal all the bad stuff. I made an hourly journal and a daily regimented schedule that I had to stick to. If I deviated I would feel sorry for myself and end up on Benzo buddies. I don’t even drink but I go to a 7am AA meeting every single day no matter how terrible I felt. Some days I would pike twice before I left my house because my anxiety was so bad, but you know what, I still did it and felt good about myself. The way I see it, I could either stay in misery or I can finally live, not just exist. I hope people read this and take it seriously. I am going to start making positive videos as well. There needs to be more of us. Yes, it was an awful few months, but we can handle it and get through it. For those who are protracted, is it really all bad? I keep hearing stories from people who are waiting to feel “normal” again after being on benzos for 10 years. I got news for you cupcake, you will never be the “same” as you were 10 years ago even if you never took medication. It’s called life and we age. What were you doing to learn how to cope with anxiety the 20 years you were on a benzo? What are you doing today treat it now? Medication is NOT the answer. Sorry, there is no magic panacea. It takes hard work to get well. It takes being in uncomfortable situations. It takes every bit of energy you have to want to live, because what’s the alternative? Death. So we are either living or dying and I got news, I’m done dying. Time to start living

it's about time. All the horror stories make people afraid to try. I keep looking for encouragement but almost never get it watching videos. I tapered for 5 weeks off xanax cutting in half every 2-3 weeks and had very few problems. I'm on day 1 without any and so far it's all good. Hard to relax but nothing horrible. I really hope it continues. Great video dude. We need way more like this.

I am one who is not having the horror feelings like everyone I have seen. I have been on Clonazapam for 20 years. 1.5ml a day. I started tapering 5/10 % off every 2 weeks or less. I started last October 2018 and I am down to .25ml at night. I have gotten a few sweats at night and a few nights where I only slept 3 hours. But I started taking melatonin and that helps me sleep about 7 hours. I had all the bad symptoms before they put me on clonazapam, it helped me over the years, but I decided last year to taper off. I was shocked that all the horror has not come back to me. So I am going to taper off the .25 in about 2 months. My last doses will be every other day. I will listen to my body on this part. Like you said, all these videos had me so scared to try and go off. But I am confident I will be free soon. Thank you for the positive vibes.

UPDATE on my previous comment: I am now completely OFF of Abilify!! YAY! I had a bunch of withdrawal symptoms: Emotionally drained, overwhelmed, dizzy spells, nauseous, headaches, crying spells, panic attacks, and a general feeling of unease. HOWEVER, they subsided and now?? My hair isn't falling out anymore! My drive to be intimate is back! I'm not hungry ALL the time! I'm more fun, have more energy, etc... NOTE that these may not be typical results for everyone. Just for me, and what other pills I'm on. Everyone is different. Anyway. Thank you so so much for your amazing video.

Believing all those horror stories on RU-vid will let your brain create it. Love this

You are so right. Dont watch these withdrawal videos. They only show the worse. I quit opiates, benzodazepines, lyrica etc in the past and cam out a new improved man. Stronger and happier. Im now about to quit cymbalta. You rememinded me not to read into others horror stories. Im doing this and staying positive. Thank you bro!

I agree more people néed to post their success.Where's the hope and support friends?

I love your positive spirit, thank you so much.

Quitting cold turkey is like wanting to immediately land a plane when you are in mid air by switching it off. Thanks a lot for sharing this, youtube is flooded with those type of videos, often made by people quitting cold turkey by themselves without any medical advice by an expert (a psychiatrist) OBVIOUSLY its gonna hurt a lot. There are other ways of achieving this, like gradually lessing the dose.