Yearning to be addiction-free ASAP but asking for helpful ideas

I definitely have heard and understand your viewpoint about "diseases/bodies need pills/medication" and that's fine, I'm not saying you or I should never take medicine. I'm a pretty good researcher though (learned in law school - not bragging) and benzodiazepams like clonazepam, Ativan, Xanax, and valium are NOT intended to be used for years and years; they are short term drugs. No, I'm not a Doctor but very reliable sources say this - no long term on benzos, that's not their purpose - only short-term - and long term wreaks havoc on your GABA receptors, all 50 million or so of them. They are, imo and that of pre-eminent medical organizations NOT intended for long -term usage and one can become and does become habituated to them so you have to keep upping the dosage to get the same effect. Or they stop working, viz, I feel nothing! from taking 4 mg clonazepam as I am habituated to it and physically dependent on it. The drug companies won't tell you they're short term, or it's in the fine print, so to speak. And big pharma persuades Doctors to rely on benzos for patients.

As for anti-depressants, there are many generations of anti-depressants, some (SSRIs) also not so benign with severe !!! withdrawal symptoms. Eli Lilly, the manufacturer of Prozac and Cymbalta has been sued many times over alleged underreporting of withdrawal symptoms and suicides and anger by some on Prozac. These anti-depressants are not so innocent.

My solution is to taper off the benzo -.clonazepam completely! and use a non habituating one as suggested by my new great Psychiatrist. OR use natural supplements like omegabrite.com, exercise, therapy, B Complex, L-methylfolate and methyl B12.

Yes, I'm still at 4 mg clonazepam for one more week, then 3.5 for 2 weeks, and so on, then when you get to one, it's extremely difficult to get off that 1 mg and you have to go more slowly, .75, .5, .25 - 2 weeks each or whatever one's particular body requires to not go into severe withdrawal pains. If you go cold turkey - NEVER EVER EVER DO THAT - you can have seizures and even die. I don't want a drug like that in my body. And I want to feel my feelings. I will not be a slave to a benzo! I declare my freedom on August 1. : ) A personal decision. We each need to decide what to do under a Doctor's supervision. We need to speak up more, though, I believe.

As for the depression, I am asking my Psychiatrist if I can switch to Lexapro 10 mg and get off Cymbalta as it is, I've heard, intensely difficult as well, to taper off. I think, as a nation, we need to be active participants with our medical providers and have input into what we take and to ASK QUESTIONS! "Are there non-habituating / non physically-dependent alternatives, Doctor?" Etc. There are so many safer meds than benzos etc.

Thank you for your viewpoint, though! I know I will get off the benzo by about August 1.

May we all be well.

I used this NIH withdrawal study to determine my taper schedule BUT I will confirm with my new Psychiatrist next month (her first opening) and see how my body reacts to this taper schedule. NIH = National Institute of Health. ( NIH is about as reliable as you can get!)
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/20473065

I as many women lived the whole reproductive life with a disorder that is somehow new for the medical community and it's mechanism still unknown disphoric premenstrual disorder. Have been 20 years on antidepressant but still couldn't have a normal life (2 weeks without symptoms and 2 weeks with mental and physical symptoms) so strong that the condition is recognized as dissability. I did a complete hysterectomy and after it my symptoms of anxiety and panic attacks finished forever. I stopped completely all the benzodiazepines xanax/neuryl medication, just felt bad during 2 weeks because of withdrawal. Couldn't eliminate the zoloft because my brain is used to it. But I can say that I didn't get addicted to benzo. I am 1 and a half year post op and no benzo at all. I guess there are people with a personality with more vulnerability to addiction

I as many women lived the whole reproductive life with a disorder that is somehow new for the medical community and it's mechanism still unknown disphoric premenstrual disorder. Have been 20 years on antidepressant but still couldn't have a normal life (2 weeks without symptoms and 2 weeks with mental and physical symptoms) so strong that the condition is recognized as dissability. I did a complete hysterectomy and after it my symptoms of anxiety and panic attacks finished forever. I stopped completely all the benzodiazepines xanax/neuryl medication, just felt bad during 2 weeks because of withdrawal. Couldn't eliminate the zoloft because my brain is used to it. But I can say that I didn't get addicted to benzo. I am 1 and a half year post op and no benzo at all. I guess there are people with a personality with more vulnerability to addiction

I definitely have heard and understand your viewpoint about "diseases/bodies need pills/medication" and that's fine, I'm not saying you or I should never take medicine. I'm a pretty good researcher though (learned in law school - not bragging) and benzodiazepams like clonazepam, Ativan, Xanax, and valium are NOT intended to be used for years and years; they are short term drugs. No, I'm not a Doctor but very reliable sources say this - no long term on benzos, that's not their purpose - only short-term - and long term wreaks havoc on your GABA receptors, all 50 million or so of them. They are, imo and that of pre-eminent medical organizations NOT intended for long -term usage and one can become and does become habituated to them so you have to keep upping the dosage to get the same effect. Or they stop working, viz, I feel nothing! from taking 4 mg clonazepam as I am habituated to it and physically dependent on it. The drug companies won't tell you they're short term, or it's in the fine print, so to speak. And big pharma persuades Doctors to rely on benzos for patients.

As for anti-depressants, there are many generations of anti-depressants, some (SSRIs) also not so benign with severe !!! withdrawal symptoms. Eli Lilly, the manufacturer of Prozac and Cymbalta has been sued many times over alleged underreporting of withdrawal symptoms and suicides and anger by some on Prozac. These anti-depressants are not so innocent.

My solution is to taper off the benzo -.clonazepam completely! and use a non habituating one as suggested by my new great Psychiatrist. OR use natural supplements like omegabrite.com, exercise, therapy, B Complex, L-methylfolate and methyl B12.

Yes, I'm still at 4 mg clonazepam for one more week, then 3.5 for 2 weeks, and so on, then when you get to one, it's extremely difficult to get off that 1 mg and you have to go more slowly, .75, .5, .25 - 2 weeks each or whatever one's particular body requires to not go into severe withdrawal pains. If you go cold turkey - NEVER EVER EVER DO THAT - you can have seizures and even die. I don't want a drug like that in my body. And I want to feel my feelings. I will not be a slave to a benzo! I declare my freedom on August 1. : ) A personal decision. We each need to decide what to do under a Doctor's supervision. We need to speak up more, though, I believe.

As for the depression, I am asking my Psychiatrist if I can switch to Lexapro 10 mg and get off Cymbalta as it is, I've heard, intensely difficult as well, to taper off. I think, as a nation, we need to be active participants with our medical providers and have input into what we take and to ASK QUESTIONS! "Are there non-habituating / non physically-dependent alternatives, Doctor?" Etc. There are so many safer meds than benzos etc.

Thank you for your viewpoint, though! I know I will get off the benzo by about August 1.

May we all be well.

I used this NIH withdrawal study to determine my taper schedule BUT I will confirm with my new Psychiatrist next month (her first opening) and see how my body reacts to this taper schedule. NIH = National Institute of Health. ( NIH is about as reliable as you can get!)
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/20473065

When I tried to stop the clonazepam, it went really badly. I had a Major Depressive Episode and had a seizure along the way. I want to tell you that yes, the slower the better!! As long as you have access to a doctor that's giving you the drug, work your way down as slowly as possible. I know that feeling that you want off all of it and you wan to do it NOW. Please, take one drug at a time. Don't try to stop smoking weed while you're weaning from the benzo. Withdrawal from marijuana can also be a tough experience and you definitely don't want both going on at the same time. I'm glad you see that drug free is the way to go, barring some pressing psychiatric diagnosis. The SSRI's are also hard to stop and need the same amount of care weaning off. When it's medicine that isn't ordinarily abused, they just call it Discontinuance Syndrome. One of my favorite euphemisms.

When I tried to stop the clonazepam, it went really badly. I had a Major Depressive Episode and had a seizure along the way. I want to tell you that yes, the slower the better!! As long as you have access to a doctor that's giving you the drug, work your way down as slowly as possible. I know that feeling that you want off all of it and you wan to do it NOW. Please, take one drug at a time. Don't try to stop smoking weed while you're weaning from the benzo. Withdrawal from marijuana can also be a tough experience and you definitely don't want both going on at the same time. I'm glad you see that drug free is the way to go, barring some pressing psychiatric diagnosis. The SSRI's are also hard to stop and need the same amount of care weaning off. When it's medicine that isn't ordinarily abused, they just call it Discontinuance Syndrome. One of my favorite euphemisms.

When I tried to stop the clonazepam, it went really badly. I had a Major Depressive Episode and had a seizure along the way. I want to tell you that yes, the slower the better!! As long as you have access to a doctor that's giving you the drug, work your way down as slowly as possible. I know that feeling that you want off all of it and you wan to do it NOW. Please, take one drug at a time. Don't try to stop smoking weed while you're weaning from the benzo. Withdrawal from marijuana can also be a tough experience and you definitely don't want both going on at the same time. I'm glad you see that drug free is the way to go, barring some pressing psychiatric diagnosis. The SSRI's are also hard to stop and need the same amount of care weaning off. When it's medicine that isn't ordinarily abused, they just call it Discontinuance Syndrome. One of my favorite euphemisms.

Terrific idea - I will do that, find accountability partners. Thanks very very much!