False Copies

This is really meant as a lighthearted look at our symptoms but it does give benzo sufferers a more serious message.

I’ve written this before but perhaps relevant to the pic.......

It’s so easy to misinterpret the symptoms we experience. This misinterpretation adds further anxiety and fear so we seek answers from a doctor.

Many weird and often unique problems arise for us as we get free from benzos. These problems will sometimes mimic other illnesses and conditions that the medical profession would apply a label to and treat because that’s what they do. Usually, however, we are not really suffering these treatable conditions but a false copy of them. The false copy doesn’t respond to being treated as if it’s a true fact. The person now believes they have such and such condition so anxiety and stress about these symptoms are then compounded even though he or she is unlikely to have the diagnosis for real, merely a false copy of it.

The disturbed brain, trying to sort itself out in withdrawal, throws numerous false positives out which actually can’t and shouldn’t be latched on to and treated with further drugs. All that’s needed is reassurance that others have recovered from this if it was a product of Benzo withdrawal and recovery. In actual fact trying to treat individual symptoms can further disrupt the nervous system and make them worse. What the brain and body need most of all is freedom from further stress. Any additional fear can and will whip up the symptoms.
(Having said that please, always seek medical reassurance for any worrying symptoms that you experience. Suffering in silence and believing everything is caused by the drugs and their removal is not wise. Reassurance will go a long way towards preventing that catastrophising and adding fear).

The whole process is a conundrum and turns upside down any previous beliefs we had in how the body heals and what symptoms mean.