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Irrational resistance to change.. is this a withdrawal effect too?


tsranga

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In withdrawal, I have been experiencing a behavioral pattern that has been puzzling me.

 

Whenever there is a change in my body or environment, I seem to experience a fight/flight like response. It varies in intensity, duration and frequency, and overall it does appear to be improving over time.

 

Some areas - 

1. Returning / new symptoms.

2. Season change / changes in light

3. Changes in routine 

 

Most of these seem to arise from sensory overload or changes to a set pattern - sight, sound, touch, hot/cold, smell. 

 

For example, I have a set time for yoga or meditation, but when it's a DST change or a smoggy evening  sky, there is almost a panic like response - with a strong urge to seek / hold onto the sun... And thoughts that I have to go without sun until next summer... 

 

 Another example is switching from shorts to pants, lighter to heavier clothes, no socks to socks as the weather gets colder. There is a strong resistance to wearing the warmer  clothing because of the changes in sensation, fear of getting too hot, being stuck with it for a long period.. etc. 

 

I used to react similarly to sounds and smells but they are more tolerable now.

 

 In general, there is a strong need to hold onto a safe pattern, and a fear of dealing with a new set of patterns for a long period of time.

 

Has anyone experienced this in withdrawal? And did it get better on its own or did you have to use some techniques (acceptance, mindfulness, defusion etc) to stop the mind from overreacting?

 

 

Chronic IBS since 1990

Former smoker (1992- Jun 2017)

Prescribed mirtazapine for sleep in Aug 2017 after IBS flare-up following Nicotine cessation.

Mirtazapine 7.5mg 8/17 to 5/18

Mirtazapine 3.75mg 5/18 to 1/19

Off Mirtazapine since 2/19.

Vit B, Vit D+K2 and Magnesium Glycinate as needed.

On Ayurvedic herbs for GI issues - Guduchi since Jul 2020, Indukantham since Oct 2020

On Ashwagandha 1g since Nov 2020

 

 

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  • 2 weeks later...

I havent feel exactly these things that you describe. But i do feel like any chance is causing a lot of disturbing sensations and emotions. 
 

The example you described with almost panicking over a cloudy day could be that there is a situation where you have felt bad before and the sudden changes trigger your response?

2009 Escitalopram 10mg

April 2013 got off August 2013 reinstated 

July 2015 Ketipinor 50mg (Quetiapin)

April 2021 got off Quetiapin 4w taper

May 2021 tapered off Escitalopram 

9 August 2021 back on Escitalopram 2,5mg. Down to 2 mg. Updosed to 2,2mg August 24 Down to 2mg September 2

Updosed to 3mg Sept 28 

December Still holding ❤️

June 9 2022 2,9 mg

June 19 2022 2,85 mg

December 2022 switched syringes and realized i am actually taking 3,4 mg

Supplements vitamin E 400 magnesium malate a fraction of 400, Rosita Cod liver oil

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No not really..   It comes out of the blue..  I used to experience constant fight/flight reactions during withdrawal in the first two years. as several of my sensory and functional systems were malfunctioning. They would overreact or or have a delayed response..  being too hot/too cold, different parts of the body at different temperatures, and I could never tell/trust what I was experiencing - whether I was hungry/full/hot/cold/sleeping/awake..   

 

For the most part, things are much better now, and the body is adapting well, but I still get occasional flares when things change drastically..   It's almost like the brain  thinks any change is a danger to the body, and for the most part, it is right, but it's an extreme response. 

 

For example, today for the first time in a while, the outdoor temp is at 73, much cooler than indoors, but I am feeling cold in my shoulder blades and feet and hot in my head and gut..  which is causing slight panic due to thoughts about dealing with the change in weather pattern. On some days, I am fine with the changes, but on days like today, it triggers a fight/flight response..  It usually is triggered by the gut-brain axis - today, for some reason, as soon as I woke up, I was hyperaware of repetitive sounds (sensory overload), then my gut started misbehaving, causing a lot of irritation/agitation, which then  triggered the temperature sensitivity.  The only promising aspect of all this is that I seem to recover quicker (a few hours / a day or two) these days.

 

 

Chronic IBS since 1990

Former smoker (1992- Jun 2017)

Prescribed mirtazapine for sleep in Aug 2017 after IBS flare-up following Nicotine cessation.

Mirtazapine 7.5mg 8/17 to 5/18

Mirtazapine 3.75mg 5/18 to 1/19

Off Mirtazapine since 2/19.

Vit B, Vit D+K2 and Magnesium Glycinate as needed.

On Ayurvedic herbs for GI issues - Guduchi since Jul 2020, Indukantham since Oct 2020

On Ashwagandha 1g since Nov 2020

 

 

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