Hi Everyone, I wanted to write a detailed post about Diazepam (Valium) with the plus sides of taking this but also talking in-depth about the harmful side effects of long term use.
I have to start by telling my story, After a near-fatal diving accident I was prescribed this medication to ease my severe anxiety and PTSD after the accident. I was told by the GP to pop these tablet-like taking smarties (sweets) and every time I had the slightest inclination of anxiety episode or a full-blown panic pop another tablet into my mouth then give it 20mins to work then re-evaluate the situation and take yet another if the anxiety had not gone away and subsided. This I did and my anxiety and panic attacks were so severe and so bad in the initial beginning I was having 3 major episodes a day often having to end up in A&E every night on a heart monitor then being released once the panic had gone in the early hours. . I was like this for a few years and by this time found myself taking so many Diazepam 5mg I was going through 30 tablets in 3 days and having to go back to the GP's for more, this was from 1988 to 1992.....Since this time I have been in control of my life, overcome the panic disorder and free from the involuntary addiction of Diazepam and this is how I weaned myself off this powerful sedative?
I went to the local library to research how anxiety and panic begins to evolve in your body and what your body does in response to counteract the feeling and process of it. Anxiety begins in the brain with shock to the nervous system, a trauma or an incident that triggers or frightens the brain to sense fear, death or possible imminent danger is coming and your bodies response is to go into the "flea or flight situation" by producing Adrenaline ( a chemical hormone we all have and need to make us alert, run, walk, get up in the morning, function correctly and help us respond quickly) The natural body counter-reaction to producing adrenaline after the problem or situation has come and gone is by the body then produces Endorphine ( a chemical hormone which relaxes tension and tense muscle tissue, calms your reflexes and heart rate down, relaxes rapid breathing and and induces rest and relaxation) ....When you give the brain an initial shock possibly through trauma or hearing a loud "Bang" the brain overreacts and it produces massive dose of adrenaline hormone sending the heartrate soaring as your blood thickens to save vital organs from injury, making your heart beat much faster pumping the thick blood around your body giving you high blood pressure, you become instantly faint as the blood rushes from your brain to your vital organs leaving you breathless, sick. and dizzy and your vision becomes blurred and often you experience tunnel vision, your mouth is dry, you become extremely hot and sweaty, you may get a headache and severe chest pain and tightness like a heart attack....the list goes on.
When you take Diazepam it blocks the brains electrical receptors producing this chemical imbalance and allows the bodies natural endorphins hormone to flood in and counterbalance the adrenaline and you come out of a panic state very quickly and begin to feel normal again.
Your body after only a few constant weeks of taking regular medication becomes accustomed to the Valium very easily and with a daily regular dosage intake you can quite easily become involuntarily addicted without even knowing it. Your body begins to crave Diazepam and it will go into a panic mode until it gets another tablet and you can find you are now caught up in a vicious spiral circle of feeling all manner of things from feeling afraid you may run out of medication or the GP's will be closed unable to see you especially at a weekend or a National holiday or you choose not to travel too far from the comfort and safety of your home been by your phone, with your trusted bottle of Diazepam in hand always wanting a GP's to be on call for you should you ever go into crisis mode and need instant medical attention....IT HAS NOW TAKEN OVER YOUR LIFE TOTALLY?
Here is how I took my life back, but first you have to be told that this is by no mean easy to get out of, it takes real determination and effort and a lot of work on your behalf to achieve this. A GP doesn't care at the time what Diazepam has done to you by this time nor offers you a cure as there is no such thing but you can take your life back in sections bit by bit over time. You will feel a hunger type pain in your solar plexus ( a knot under your ribs) which is your diaphragm tightening in spasm to say it needs more Diazepam and feeding. Knowing this now, I cut my tablets in halves and quarters with a kitchen knife or a craft knife to allow me to take small increments of Dizepam each time this happened not giving in to its cravings. I began taking halves only, rather than a whole tablet and exercised every day either with walking, a cycle ride or swimming which for me worked best and what I chose. I fought the hunger pain and took only a quarter or a half depending on the severity of the pain and discomfort it caused me, This was by no means easy as it craved and hurt all the time but it is better doing this than going cold turkey without medication at all and risking having a major panic attack coming on again. If you do, however, have a panic attack while going through this process "STOP" and take Diazepam as you would usually do so and after the episode has gone completely then go back onto the reduced halves doses over a period of weeks, I gave myself 6 weeks to wean my system off them totally. I was off them totally by the end of 6 weeks and it felt great. Still keep the Diazepam on your prescription and in a bottle just in case you have an episode and you can medicate when needed and always tell your GP what your intentions are and what you are doing as they need to be aware you are doing this to yourself. Take your time while doing this and do this at your own rate but most of all make a diary to look back over your notes and see your progress which is important for you. Also equally as important is to cut foodstuffs out of your daily intake that induces a fast rapid heart rate like caffeine, energy drinks, ect look at the foods you eat and do your own research. keep exercising as this is great food for your wellbeing and your brain plus it is great for your heart and helps to regulate and slow this down and get used to it pumping and beating without going into crisis distress mode. I hope some of this information is helpful to you and if you need more advice or information please inbox me and let me know how I may be able to help you as my hand is reaching out to you all in destress as you are NOT ALONE take care stay safe x
xx
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