Hi tudy. I am very experienced with benzodiazepines and I will attempt to help you. First of all, it is generally recommended NOT to take other drugs during the benzo withdrawal process, as they can aggravate symptoms and/or prolong the healing process. This isn't true in all cases, and it is definitely possible to recover even if you add in other drugs but I would just recommend you try to get through this naturally and let your body heal. Eat a good healthy diet and try to get some (but not a whole lot) of exercise. Rest is very important, sleep as much as you can and try to avoid stress and over exertion.
The bad news is that what you read is correct. It can take another year or potentially even longer, for you to heal.
The good news is that you WILL recover. And you will be so happy to get your life back again and you will come out a stronger person having gone through this experience. Don't even think about giving up or going back on benzos, you will feel so good once this ends and you will be proud of yourself for having made it through one of the most difficult challenges a person can face. Seriously, I have seen benzo withdrawal compared to being in a concentration camp. I didn't believe it, I thought it was an exaggeration and I never would have believed it had I not experienced it myself.
There is NO reason for you to hopeless. That is silly. Look on the bright side, you don't have cancer or MS or ALS or some disease that is going to be permanent. You are going to get better, you just have to be patient and focus on getting through one day at a time. Regarding the time frame, yes, it's possible it could take you another year or longer to get better, but it is also very possible that you will get better sooner than that. So don't think "I can't take another year", you may not have to. A lot of people notice improvements after six months.
I also must tell you to disreguard pretty much everything podsnomo said. I'm sure he means well, but is uninformed.
Actually this is very common. DO you not know anything about benzos? Just google benzo withdrawal. Also see benzo.org.uk and benzobuddies.org. I am 99.999 percent sure what the OP is experiencing is benzo withdrawal. OF course its always possible she has other health problems bu tthere is absolutely no reason to think so based on what she said.
More bad advice. Why would she want to go back on one of the most harmful drugs on the planet? The drug which caused her current misery. Not only does reinstating as its called, not always work but then she'll have to go through this all over again and potentially much worse next time she wants to get off. If you think it is wise to just take benzos your entire life, well I'm afraid I must disagree. They can cause so many problems over the years. New side effects develop that were not present in the beginning. They made my life a living hell.
This is also questionable advice. First of all, few doctors understand benzo withdrawal. Secondly, there is not much they can do. They will throw more drugs at her, which could potentially complicate the withdrawal or have other side effects. They will not want to treat her if she refuses to take the drugs they prescribe.
The cure for benzo WD is time. There is some evidence that flumazenil can help also, but you need to go to a special doctor for that. I tried it and it did nothing for me, but some report some success with it.
Anyway tudymagrudy, you might want to visit the forum I told you about (benzobuddies.org) if you wish to speak witbh others going through the same thing. The negative side to the forum is that it can be scary to read of people who have been off benzos a longer time than you and were on a lower dosage and still havent recovered. I would recommend reading the success stories section. Benzoliberty.com is another site with some helpful success stories.
I am also willing to answer any questions you may have. I had a major xanax addiction (4-6 mg a day for 1.5 years) and come off it was a living hell. It was about two years before I had any significant improvement. What dose of k-pin were you on and what are your most troubling symptoms?
