Dear Ria:

It so  happens that I was on Clonazepam aka Kl0nipin for about 17 years. And I successfully stopped taking it in October 2013, been just over 4 years off it. One serious effort which included of a few months abstinence in 2012 failed. The second effort succeeded. It was difficult and I will be glad to share with you any and all the things that did and didn’t work for me.

Clearly, it can be done. And I am better for it.

anita

Dear Ria:

I experienced more anxiety when withdrawing from the drug than I did before starting that drug. Before starting the drug I slept well, but while getting off it, I slept poorly and suffered greatly.

At different times during the 17 years of taking 4 mg Clonazepam a day, I tried to get off the drug. Every time it was on my own, without the psychiatrist who prescribed the drug knowing about my attempt to stop it and without him guiding me in the process. My most serious and long term effort, in 2012, was one of those times and it failed. Following that failure I saw a new psychiatrist who was supportive of me getting off the drug. I saw him during the whole process of getting off it, very gradual. I felt safer knowing I had a professional behind me, one with experience on the matter, guiding me regarding how much less of the drug to take for the next week or weeks, whether I should take less next or keep the same dosage, etc.

My advice at this point: do the withdrawing with the support of a psychiatrist and have it done very, very gradually, have all the patience in the world.

I attended yoga classes 3-4 days per week, Tai Chi twice a week, other physical exercise every day, and quality psychotherapy starting at the end of my first failed attempt to get off the drug in 2012 and continuing through the final successful attempt. All those things helped.

Then there was that night, October 2013, the first night or so of taking no Clonazepam at all: I was in panic, the fear felt intense and I considered taking the drug again, felt that I couldn’t make it. This is what I did (following previous advice to do this): I went to a place in my brain that was calm, and from there, I observed the panicking part of me. The panicking part of me was not all of me.

It is like this: you can observe your big toe from your head where your eyes are located. You can see your big toe. It is part of you but it is not all of you. In a similar way, you can observe your panicking part from a calm part within you.

That exercise got me through that night and made my withdrawal from Clonazepam successful.

Post again anytime and I will reply to you.

anita