"Recovery from addiction to a Benzo"

I was living in Spain and was prescribed a Benzodiazepine to help me sleep. It was supposed to be taken for a short time but I was prescribed it for many months. When I attempted to come off the drug, I was given instructions by the doctor. I tried but I failed to come off the drug.

When I moved to Edinburgh, some time later, I contacted my GP here who referred me to CGL for support. At the time I was feeling very down, having failed to get off the drug. I was invited to attend Zoom meetings with other CGL clients. As I was in my late 70s I was apprehensive about being the oldest member in the group, but everyone was non-judgemental.

I also had regular telephone conversations with Jason from this time forward and his support and encouragement were paramount in my successful recovery. I found out that the method I had been told to use the first time to get off the drug was not a valid one. It wasn't me that failed, it was the method.

Jason explained I needed to take baby steps and would outline our conversation at the beginning and summarise at the end. He would give me tasks to work on between conversations. He had an answer to every question or doubt I expressed and praised my efforts to work on my problem. I began to feel good about myself and I could see that I could eventually overcome the addiction. I hated the drug for how it made me feel and I was never tempted to regress.

I continued to attend the Zoom meetings and they were also very helpful. Hearing the experiences of others and listening to them share their strategies for dealing with common situations was not only informative, but made me feel less alone. The group leaders were experienced and encouraged everyone to join in the conversation. They were also able to keep the meetings on track and I never felt that my time had been wasted.

It took about 10 months for me to completely free myself of the Lormetazepam. The time spent was well worth it!