I wanted to clarify some stuff, most people have said that benzos are the worst to come off but which ones in particular?. I've been taking 3mg of Lorazepam (Ativan) for a year and now I've made the decision to come off of them. My psych changed me over to diazepam (Valium) as it has a longer half life etc. This is my 2nd week of reducing the dose by 2mg and I'm having no side effects at all. If all goes to plan then I should be clean after 3 months. Am I lucky or is it gonna get worse later?
It depends on the dosages and the half-life of the particular benzo. I think people consider short acting ones, e.g alprazolam aka Xanax, worse than longer acting ones, e.g diazepam aka Valium. But as far as I know, there is no painless way to get off. You will inevitably feel shit as your receptors get back to normal function. And it takes ages for that to end. In your case you just replaced one benzo with another longer acting one. I think the reason a lot of people consider benzos the worst to withdraw from is the length of the withdrawal and the severe mindfuck of the whole experience.
I experienced a moderate alcohol withdrawal once, and while it only lasted no more than a week for the main symptoms, it was still pretty bad and the mindfuck-y/anxious/hallucinatory aspect was the worst part. I can only begin to imagine what it feels like to be in that state for months. No thanks for me, I stay off benzos.
Opioid withdrawal on the other hand feels more organic. Yes, physically it's a hell of a ride, but I would say that there is that distinct feeling of "I know it'll be over soon, just need to wait patiently" and the mindspace is a lot clearer than with GABAergic withdrawal. It's also heaps shorter unless it's methadone or the likes one is withdrawing from.
That said, I think nothing compares to the not-unlike-datura experience that is benzo/GABAergic withdrawal. Oh, and it's bad for your membrane.