I do not see how the two are interchangeable when they have distinct meanings. An addict seeks their drug. Someone who is dependent does not. I understand and agree that no one wakes up thinking they might be an addict, and that goes for dependency as well. I never expected to become dependent on klonopin. But I don’t seek it. And I dont crave it. If I could stop today and only go through a week or two of withdrawal, I would have done it a year ago. In fact I had stopped taking Klonopin cold turkey and 3 weeks later ended up in the hospital.
There IS a difference. I don’t know your story, Mr. Lewis, but this is part of mine. And I have never been an addict.
I agree completely with elocin. Your story hits home. But I’m not an addict. I don’t want anyone thinking of me as an addict. I don’t hunt down, sell my body,lie, cheat, steal money or many of the myriad of avenues addicts use to attain there drug of choice. Nope. I followed Dr’s orders. Picked up my script and took 1mg of Klonopin a day “as needed”.
You are a wonderful writer, extremely vivid as I can see and feel exactly what you are explaining, especially parts I have not experienced myself. I would love to write my story. And someday I will. But I will never call myself an addict, nor put that label on anyone else I know who has or is going through withdrawal due to an iatrogenic illness.
Thanks!
So… These wristbands you are speaking of… do they exist? Can we have them made? I can help with the legwork and possibly donate to the cause. I think they are a great idea and we need to raise awareness any way we can!
I have been suffering longer than I even know. I had NO CLUE the effects that psych drugs (mainly the benzos I have been prescribed for 7 years) would have on me, until my last dr CT’d me in December ’13 and I ended up in a psychotic state and in the hospital 3 weeks later. I am sure that I was in tolerance w/d for who knows how long before the acute w/d following CT. (Not to forget protracted w/d and interdose w/d.) Am i missing any? How many types of WITHDRAWAL can one drug cause!!! I reinstated in January this year and have tapered down from 2 mg clonazepam and I just made my second cut down to 1.75 mg a few days ago. I hold for at least a month. I still cannot find a dr that is willing to endure the long process of coming off this poison. They all tell me that it should only take a month or two and I need to find an inpatent rehab to detox. But no matter what I tell them or research I try to show them, I have been rejected. One dr (neurologist) actually told me it would be unethical for him to treat me unless I wanted to cooperate with HIS timeline of tapering, which comes from “clinical studies”.. and that my slow taper is too slow.
Besides having to endure the pain and suffering w/d from psych meds cause, the stress and overall lack of support with family, friends, the community and especially dr’s, is beyond time consuming and heart-breaking. Were it not for my online support FAMILY, I do not know what I would do, or where I would be right now.
I thank you, and Beyond Meds.. and of course my BPM family.. for helping to guide us through this process, bringing hope and light to a very dark time for so many people. I cannot wait for the day to be free from this, and since I have just begun, I still have a long journey ahead. It’s daunting to think about, so day by day… sometimes minute by minute… is all I can think about.
I have just recently started my own blog, http://mysoulthroughawindow.wordpress.com, to try and cope with this process and hopefully help others. I am obviously no where near an knowledgeable as many of the blogs I read, and I do not like feeling redundant.. but at this point, repetition and simply getting the information out there is key. Not only to my healing but for thousands of others.
OK.. I will be on my way now. Feel free to check out my blog 🙂 and THANK YOU again, for the continuing knowledge and support. AND please, let me know about those wristbands!
Mr. Lewis,
I do not see how the two are interchangeable when they have distinct meanings. An addict seeks their drug. Someone who is dependent does not. I understand and agree that no one wakes up thinking they might be an addict, and that goes for dependency as well. I never expected to become dependent on klonopin. But I don’t seek it. And I dont crave it. If I could stop today and only go through a week or two of withdrawal, I would have done it a year ago. In fact I had stopped taking Klonopin cold turkey and 3 weeks later ended up in the hospital.
There IS a difference. I don’t know your story, Mr. Lewis, but this is part of mine. And I have never been an addict.
I agree completely with elocin. Your story hits home. But I’m not an addict. I don’t want anyone thinking of me as an addict. I don’t hunt down, sell my body,lie, cheat, steal money or many of the myriad of avenues addicts use to attain there drug of choice. Nope. I followed Dr’s orders. Picked up my script and took 1mg of Klonopin a day “as needed”.
You are a wonderful writer, extremely vivid as I can see and feel exactly what you are explaining, especially parts I have not experienced myself. I would love to write my story. And someday I will. But I will never call myself an addict, nor put that label on anyone else I know who has or is going through withdrawal due to an iatrogenic illness.
Thanks!
So… These wristbands you are speaking of… do they exist? Can we have them made? I can help with the legwork and possibly donate to the cause. I think they are a great idea and we need to raise awareness any way we can!
I have been suffering longer than I even know. I had NO CLUE the effects that psych drugs (mainly the benzos I have been prescribed for 7 years) would have on me, until my last dr CT’d me in December ’13 and I ended up in a psychotic state and in the hospital 3 weeks later. I am sure that I was in tolerance w/d for who knows how long before the acute w/d following CT. (Not to forget protracted w/d and interdose w/d.) Am i missing any? How many types of WITHDRAWAL can one drug cause!!! I reinstated in January this year and have tapered down from 2 mg clonazepam and I just made my second cut down to 1.75 mg a few days ago. I hold for at least a month. I still cannot find a dr that is willing to endure the long process of coming off this poison. They all tell me that it should only take a month or two and I need to find an inpatent rehab to detox. But no matter what I tell them or research I try to show them, I have been rejected. One dr (neurologist) actually told me it would be unethical for him to treat me unless I wanted to cooperate with HIS timeline of tapering, which comes from “clinical studies”.. and that my slow taper is too slow.
Besides having to endure the pain and suffering w/d from psych meds cause, the stress and overall lack of support with family, friends, the community and especially dr’s, is beyond time consuming and heart-breaking. Were it not for my online support FAMILY, I do not know what I would do, or where I would be right now.
I thank you, and Beyond Meds.. and of course my BPM family.. for helping to guide us through this process, bringing hope and light to a very dark time for so many people. I cannot wait for the day to be free from this, and since I have just begun, I still have a long journey ahead. It’s daunting to think about, so day by day… sometimes minute by minute… is all I can think about.
I have just recently started my own blog, http://mysoulthroughawindow.wordpress.com, to try and cope with this process and hopefully help others. I am obviously no where near an knowledgeable as many of the blogs I read, and I do not like feeling redundant.. but at this point, repetition and simply getting the information out there is key. Not only to my healing but for thousands of others.
OK.. I will be on my way now. Feel free to check out my blog 🙂 and THANK YOU again, for the continuing knowledge and support. AND please, let me know about those wristbands!
Lyndsay