Any positive stories about Benzo tapering? I need hope

Especially the antidepressants. They work well for very few people and are absolute hell to discontinue.

I was on Xanax for about 25 year's. I have been off of them for about 10 years now. I tapped of off them under Doc Care it took about 3 month to do so. . Life is better now that I have quite taking them

Psychiatry is a dying discipline. I worked at a state 'asylum.' In the 1980's when psych medications became prescribed widely in the USA, laws were created to free the mentally ill of the 'bondage' of state hospitals. The patients had Rights. Thus, the institutions released in droves chronically mentally ill people into the community, with inadequate services, to become homeless or die by suicide or in some cases hypothermia or starvation. This was largely due to the fact that the first thing the mentally ill do is stop taking their medication. This process was done under the guise that as long as people took their psych meds, they could live a normal life. In the '80's and '90's our census went from 1600 patients to 300. I asked a retiring psychiatrist how long the antidepressants worked as I was on Prozac. He said about 2 years and then his patients needed to be switched to a different antidepressant. I had much respect for this doctor because he devoted his life to helping the mentally ill and one does not get rich helping others.

I can only share my own Santa experience when I was first prescribed Xanax I had no idea of what it was the doctor told me it would be good my anxiety I didn't even take it for a while.. eventually I tried it I noticed it was very very good for anxiety but then I started abusing it a bit took one as soon as I felt slightly anxious ..big mistake.. started becoming somewhat dependent on them.. tell my psychiatrist he weaned me off of them because I had read a lot of horror stories.. good I started learning to deal with my anxiety and other ways meditation exercise my diet I noticed eliminating sugar alcohol and Darry helped a lot which they claim can be triggered.. but then I found I still had days I need a little help went back to the doctor got a refill of Xanax and now I take them as needed and along with all my other tools they are just another tool that I don't need every day but nice to have it on those really bad days

My doctor prescribed Xanax 8 years ago for sleep after my sister died very suddenly. I have taken .25 mg as needed ever since, mostly for sleep help but sometimes for anxiety and/or panic. I don't take it often, and 20 pills usually lasts me for several months. I have never felt addicted or suffered any negative consequences from taking it occasionally, but now after reading comments on this forum, I am feeling anxious about taking it.

@ritchie
It depends on how often you take it but xanax is virtually all out of your system in 2-4 days and half is gone in about 11 hours. Although I’d check with a physician to be sure but if you have gone that long without any withdrawal symptoms I wouldn’t worry about it.
Take care,
Jake

I used to feel afraid too ... I would read the experiences of others... when I tapered I didn't have any issues others had... and I'm 3 months no ativan... I knew I wanted to get off and I tapered the way my Dr told me and took it one day at a time. You got this!

I'm wondering if anyone had success with tapering off benzos in 3 weeks. I have been on lorazepam since January with a max dose of 2mg/day. My primary and neurologist recommend I taper down from 1.5mg in 3 weeks. I'm having horrible tolerance symptoms so I just want to get off of it but everything I read says that is way too fast.

As I said, I don't take it often. I go for weeks or months without taking it. I take it on an as needed basis for sleep and/or anxiety. I had a prescription of 20 pills that lasted almost a year.

Hello @helpthehelpless7 and welcome to Mayo Clinic Connect. Tapering properly is so important so its good of you to reach out for support in conjunction with what you are being told from your medical providers.

Members such as @ch2232 @sears and @laurine7 may be able to come in and share some of the resources they've found to be helpful in their tapering experience.

Is there a reason why you are being advised to taper in 3 weeks?