13 years on psychotropics

[Sheila]

Oh, Stan, I'm so sorry you're suffering like this. But it's just an awful wave. This is typical of w/d. This wave will end.

Some days, it feels particularly Sisyphean -- we all are making such a very good effort, trying to maintain our lives, do our chores, do things to heal ourselves -- and we don't get many rewards. It's depressing, frustrating, anxiety-provoking.

But, it *will* end, and we will take all this wisdom and strength and do good things with them. And, you'll be able to feel enjoyment and happiness again.

[Junior]

Wow. Radical acceptance! Very impressive. I believe some of these things will turn out better than you can imagine right now. But, increasing the acceptance of what *is* happening is very, very helpful and wise.

I agree. Acceptance of what you are going through is very important.

One thing I would like to say, however, is that I would like to see you have another focus besides withdrawal. When we met up in Paris I noticed that all you wanted to talk about was withdrawal. I would have liked to have expanded and talked about other things. I know it's hard when you are retired and live alone but I think it would be good if you had something else. Something to take your mind off things. It has also occurred to me that a feature of GAD (ok, so now it's two things ) is to overanalyse and try to get to the bottom of things. Sometimes we don't need to. Sometimes we just need to let go and I think your decision to accept your situation is a step in that direction.

Good luck!!

[Cindy]

I just wanted to say that part of the protracted withdrawal process IS over analyzing the withdrawal. Having gone through it myself it is almost next to impossible to get through the early w/d being able to focus on anything else (although I’ve commented before that you should TRY to focus on other things even if it is one minute at a time). I’ve met others behind me in the process and their experience was the same. The further along you get into recovery you slowly begin to put it behind you. I was put on Paxil inappropriately and never had an anxiety disorder. I was actually evaluated by Johns Hopkins anxiety clinic (one of the best hospitals here in the States) while I was going through early withdrawal and they couldn’t come up with a “diagnosis” of anything.

[stan]

ribcage / spinal discomfort is back since two days

when I move the spine or head, I always have a kind of dizziness or brief interruption;
and something that had left came back, I have new periods of malaise lasting 5 / 10 minutes or more, 3/5 times per day;
a mixture of sensations of problems in the kidneys (adrenaline?) ribcage, spinal, intestinal, and then it fades and
obviously there is the fear that it is serious, maybe a kind of fibromyalgia, inflammations;
I hope that will leave as soon as possible

[stan]

i forget to add shoulders in fire, neck spine in fire, and a global weakness, and heels who hurt very hard when in bed (a strange pain) and many little ...

[Sheila]

The heel pain might be muscle tightness. What do you think about some gentle stretching? Or soaking your feet in warm / hot water with lavender?

[stan]

thanks, but i have difficult to move because ribcage pains, so prepare hot water is more a problem, i prefer wait it goes away

[Cindy]

Stan, I had that neck/shoulder pain (and head pressure) for quite sometime...I put a hot water bottle on my neck for probably two years when I went to bed at night and it did help me get to sleep. Also, when you talk about rib cage pain I had a "weird" feeling in my upper body that I described two ways: 1..as if someone was rubbing sand into my muscles and/or it felt like a tightness like springs coiled too tight.

[Sheila]

Cindy -- I really appreciate the support you're giving to people who are having a hard time!

[Cindy]

No problem, Sheila