Started by Robin Myers91 · · 👁 82 views · 10K replies
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Jonathan Ruiz10 said:Dear experienced members,
I’m dealing with a situation involving my mother that’s weighing heavily on me. She’s always been a difficult person—honestly, I dealt with quite a few issues with her growing up—but now that I’ve come home to visit my family, I’ve noticed she seems to be losing her grip a little. It’s as if she’s becoming intentionally mean, almost like she can't control her own impulses anymore.
For instance, we’ll be sitting at a local Starbucks, and a woman walks by with her dog. My mom will just start loudly commenting, "Oh, look at her, obsessing over that little thing. Gross! I bet she can't even have kids."
Normally, I stopped arguing with her years ago—it's just not worth the energy—but when she says things like this, I feel forced to shut her down before someone decides to get physical with either her or me.
Or, take the other day, when an old acquaintance of hers—a former Police Chief—stopped by. My mother started making these scathing remarks about how anyone with nothing more than a middle school education could get hired in law enforcement. It was enough to bring my sister to tears.
Given all this erratic behavior, I’ve started wondering if the normabel her doctor has been prescribing continuously for the last 15 years might actually be the culprit. She originally started taking them for depression after losing her job, but now she takes them constantly, and I’m honestly not even sure why anymore. She’s never quite been herself, but it used to feel more like a personality trait rather than... this.
I’m terrified that the normabel has actually made things worse for her. On top of that, she occasionally has a drink—not like an alcoholic, mind you—but then she'll take her normabel on the same day. From what I understand, that’s incredibly dangerous, and the instructions specifically state you shouldn't be on normabel for longer than three weeks.
So, what am I supposed to do about the doctor who keeps handing these out? What kind of steps can I actually take?
I’m scared she’s going to lose her sense of reality entirely and start causing much bigger scenes or outbursts for all of us to deal with.
Basically, can anyone tell me if taking normabel for such a long duration can cause these kinds of effects, and if so, how???
Thank you all so much in advance!!!
Jonathan Ruiz10 said:Dear experienced members,
I’m dealing with a situation involving my mother that’s weighing heavily on me. She’s always been a difficult person—honestly, I dealt with quite a few issues with her growing up—but now that I’ve come home to visit my family, I’ve noticed she seems to be losing her grip a little. It’s as if she’s becoming intentionally mean, almost like she can't control her own impulses anymore.
For instance, we’ll be sitting at a local Starbucks, and a woman walks by with her dog. My mom will just start loudly commenting, "Oh, look at her, obsessing over that little thing. Gross! I bet she can't even have kids."
Normally, I stopped arguing with her years ago—it's just not worth the energy—but when she says things like this, I feel forced to shut her down before someone decides to get physical with either her or me.
Or, take the other day, when an old acquaintance of hers—a former Police Chief—stopped by. My mother started making these scathing remarks about how anyone with nothing more than a middle school education could get hired in law enforcement. It was enough to bring my sister to tears.
Given all this erratic behavior, I’ve started wondering if the normabel her doctor has been prescribing continuously for the last 15 years might actually be the culprit. She originally started taking them for depression after losing her job, but now she takes them constantly, and I’m honestly not even sure why anymore. She’s never quite been herself, but it used to feel more like a personality trait rather than... this.
I’m terrified that the normabel has actually made things worse for her. On top of that, she occasionally has a drink—not like an alcoholic, mind you—but then she'll take her normabel on the same day. From what I understand, that’s incredibly dangerous, and the instructions specifically state you shouldn't be on normabel for longer than three weeks.
So, what am I supposed to do about the doctor who keeps handing these out? What kind of steps can I actually take?
I’m scared she’s going to lose her sense of reality entirely and start causing much bigger scenes or outbursts for all of us to deal with.
Basically, can anyone tell me if taking normabel for such a long duration can cause these kinds of effects, and if so, how???
Thank you all so much in advance!!!
melloweagle30 said:I trust my doctor completely. She spent a long time weighing whether or not to prescribe it, but since my depression is actually triggered by bulimia, she decided this was the best route given my weight concerns...
Right now, I'm about 13 pounds heavier than usual. I know that isn't a huge deal because I'm still thin, but in my head, it feels like the number one issue, especially since I feel like I've lost control over my life and my food...
Naturally, when things get tough, I fall back into bingeing and purging, which just fuels that cycle of dissatisfaction and disappointment in myself, pushing me even deeper into depression...
Even though it's not typically recommended for people with eating disorders, it has actually been incredibly effective in treating bulimia and binge eating disorder...
I know that once I regain control over my life, everything will fall back into place. I've always been a bit of a control freak...
At the end of the day, I have full confidence in my psychiatrist and know she knows exactly what she's doing.
Thanks anyway.
Jason Hughes51 said:I’ve just started back on a new course of Valium. 😍 My doctor mentioned that I look much better lately, 😍 though she noted that it might take about three months before I feel any truly significant internal shifts. 🙂
It’s interesting how things have changed—the tablets actually seem to be working for me now.
As for xanax, I’m not taking that anymore. My psychiatrist, my primary physician, and I all reached the same conclusion: it just isn't necessary for me anymore.
Brian Wells said:Glad to hear it, Jason Hughes51. For me, after being on Valium for about a month and a half, I feel more alive,😉 like I can actually enjoy simple things. I'm calmer and more upbeat, though I still don't have the energy to cut down my lorazepam 3X1.5mg dose. How long have you been on Valium?
Did you quit xanax cold turkey, or did you follow a specific plan? If you have a method, a suggestion, or just an idea, please let me know.
I'm also open to hearing from anyone else who has tapered off benzos.😕.
😛
Jason Hughes51 said:I have been on Valium for just under three months now. My doctor mentioned that things should improve even further in a week or so, and once they see that I am doing okay, they will let me taper off immediately without much fuss. In theory, the tapering process shouldn't actually be a problem.
I didn't really follow a strict protocol. I used them initially to act as a sort of "bridge" until the Valium began to take effect, even if only slightly. I wouldn't say I had a grand strategy; I simply knew how difficult withdrawing from these can be, so I figured it was better to be prepared rather than wait.
I developed a little routine where I would take one before bed, or perhaps just half a tablet if I felt particularly unsettled during the day. I ended up taking that half dose a few times, though I was more consistent with the nighttime dose.
The transition went relatively smoothly. I didn't sleep for about three nights, but I made sure to exhaust myself during the day, and that seemed to do the trick. I experienced a bit of increased salivation and some restlessness in bed, but nothing truly unbearable.
Sleeping while on them was pure bliss. I would take a pill, tuck myself in, and I was instantly in dreamland; I wasn't waking up in a cold sweat anymore, but instead waking up in the morning feeling like a baby. I honestly might have stayed on them longer, but I don't think anyone needs that kind of dependency—so now I am just on the Valium.🙂
When I go out now, I don't have issues with men approaching me; I don't live in fear that something terrible is going to happen. After a little more time with my psychiatrist, I truly believe I will make it through this.
I had to head over to the clinic the other day to pick up my prescriptions. Aside from the fact that she thinks I look much better, I actually had to thank her for essentially pushing me toward seeing the psychiatrist in the first place.🙏
