Hi,here in the states many doctors have stopped prescribing benzos to long time patients. Many in the state’s are being cut off cold turkey or being tapered off them. Just wondering if any of you are having this happen. My doctor retired,I took them as prescribed, now I am forced to taper as doctors no longer want to prescribe them.
I am angry that I was ever put on them. I took them as prescribed too. But I tried tapering many times. Some doctors hand them out like candy and other force you to taper off at an unreasonable rate. It’s like nobody knows the proper way.
Anyways my doctor retired years ago and had to deal with this too. My new doctor tapered me too fast, would not allow them. I could no longer function or work. I went in to see him and told him this and he directed me to go inpatient at a mental institution. I showed up and they would not admit me because I WAS NOT SUICIDAL. LOL I did not sleep for days, was in a constant state of panic and shaking constantly but they would not admit me.
They ended up sending me to a drug rehab place. Everybody was like talking about how they are getting clean from abuse of hard drugs and I was like “this is not me I don’t think I belong here, I took prescription drugs as prescribed and never abused them, I don’t even drink alcohol or soda, let alone abuse anything.” They thought I was in denial. About two weeks in they found out that I was cutting my Benzo in half the entire time because they actually gave me the wrong dose. (I told them from the start the dose was wrong but they did not believe me) I thought that I was going to be in big time trouble because they found all the pills I had on me from not taking them. I got called in a private secure room. They realized the mistake then told me “you actually took the amount you should have even though we accidentally gave you too much. You don’t have a drug problem and you don’t belong here.” I explained that they my doctor will not give them to me any more and I needed a solution. They said I was dependent on them but not abusive and that although they recognized I needed help I was released and they had no suggestion of where I could go next. At this point I had major bills from the program, insurance did not cover it, and have not worked for over a month.
I doctor shopped until I found a doctor that understood, “Hey I don’t like these but at this point I can’t function without them. I always took them as prescribed and never abused them”. I have adverse reactions to any SSRI and was prescribed a benzo to counteract the bad effects of “the safer alternatives”. I was much better off on no meds before I got “help” years ago but at this point I can’t function without a benzo. Over time I self tapered without the doctors knowledge and I managed to get down to half my prescribed dose but never managed to fully kick them. I refill them and stockpile them in case my new doctor retires that I may have time to find a new doctor.
Wish you luck. Some people can stop no problem, others like me though… Google Jordan Peterson who is a Canadian clinical psychologist. He taught at Harvard and University of Toronto. Despite his background he was put into an induced coma to get off of them! LOL I am not a millionaire and can’t afford that treatment but I would if I could. I hope you are like my sister who can just stop taking cold turkey without any adverse effects.