I copied this from my old SA account because I thought it might help give members here some perspective....

When I first started my taper and experienced withdrawal in late 2006, I’d never heard of a lot of withdrawal symptoms:  anhedonia, akinesia, dysautonomia, and a whole alphabet soup of obscure Greek terms.  When I joined an online support group and began learning about symptoms related to withdrawal, I was incredibly relieved to know others suffered the same way I did.  Since one of the consequences of my withdrawal was extreme hypochondria, learning that others had the same symptoms helped me confront and deal with them.  It helped me “name my dragons”; I knew what was happening to me, and that gave me the ability to manage my thoughts and work my way through each new symptom as it cropped up.

 

Naming your dragon can be tremendously valuable in recovery, but it can be a double-edged sword.  Once you recognize a physical symptom is rooted in withdrawal, accept that and leave it there.  Doing excessive research and looking for constant reassurance that your specific symptoms are part of withdrawal only gives them more power.  As many times as I harassed my doctor with new ailments during my withdrawal, looking back I can see I knew in my heart of hearts there was nothing physically or permanently wrong with me. 

 

The purpose of a support group is for members to obtain information, get support, and obtain the tools needed for recovery.  Comparing notes on symptoms can help if it reassures you others have had the same experience.  But constantly referring to every unpleasant feeling is pointless.  Worse, it can lead to one of my pet peeves, falling into the trap of convincing yourself your symptoms are worse than everyone else’s and nobody understands your unique suffering. We all have suffered in our own ways, but the collective strength of the knowledge here can overcome any transitory symptom.

I'm slowly learning this, it's hard when it's loud not to overthink or look for reassurance, I'm having one of those weeks at the moment. Deep down I know it's withdrawal but my mind is saying keep checking to be sure 🤦 I try to practice acceptance and just get on with things as hard as it can be with our sensitive system.

4 hours ago, Troy021079 said:

I'm slowly learning this, it's hard when it's loud not to overthink or look for reassurance, I'm having one of those weeks at the moment. Deep down I know it's withdrawal but my mind is saying keep checking to be sure 🤦 I try to practice acceptance and just get on with things as hard as it can be with our sensitive system.

Oh my gosh, I was the research champ! I found some truly exotic diseases based on a single symptom. I even started worrying I had some kind of truly insidious disease that didn't express symptoms until I was on death's doorstep. A couple things helped me get through it. First, I accepted that the fears came from my anxiety and not anything physical; the anxious thoughts were just looking for a place to land and disease was the spot. Next, I realized anything serious doesn't have just one symptom it usually manifests as a series of worsening symptoms and dysfunctions. A headache is just a headache and not a brain tumor. Finally, I started practicing Exposure Response Prevention (ERP). You practice not reacting to the initial flash of fear. Even if its just for a few minutes at first, don't immediately start an internet search when you notice a new symptom. Ask questions like "Have I felt this before? If so, its just another occurrence." or "Do I have any other symptoms?" ERP gives your nervous system a chance to calm down and get some perspective. Its tough but we can control our impulses.