The typical healing time for benzo-induced damages is 3-18 months, after discontinuing the drug. As of this post, January 2023, I’m only 2+ months in, and still on the rollercoaster of waves and windows, mostly waves.
To understand the process, there is an important distinction to make between withdrawal symptoms and what is now known as BIND.
Withdrawal defines the period of time the drug is eliminated from the body, up to 28 days for benzos. That’s acute withdrawal. Symptoms during this time are often severe but usually short lived –
Hallucinations, tremors, seizures, other severe neurological symptoms
Withdrawal is more about the elimination of the drug from the body. Youre still experiencing drug effects.
BIND (Benzodiazepine-induced neurological dysfunction) refers to the symptoms that can last months or years after the drug is discontinued. These can include:
Anxiety, fear, cognitive dysfunction, akathisia, G-I disorders, tinnitus, muscle pain, tics and tremors, neuropathies, etc.
BIND is about the neurotoxicity changes in the body, on the CNS and peripheral nervous systems. effects can last much longer than withdrawal. BIND can occur during drug use, but most frequently after the last dose and can last months or years.
“Benzodiazepine-Induced Neurological Dysfunction (BIND) is a constellation of functionally limiting neurologic symptoms (both physical and psychological) that are the consequence of neuroadaptation and/or neurotoxicity to benzodiazepine exposure. These symptoms may begin while taking or tapering benzodiazepines, and can persist for weeks, months, or even years after discontinuation.” More on BIND:
Doctors have been taught that the complications of benzodiazepine use are only acute, self-limiting withdrawal symptoms. So the symptoms they know to look for are the typical withdrawal symptoms of hallucinations, tremors, and seizures, and they only last for a few weeks. Doctors have never been taught to look for the other symptoms of BIND, or that those symptoms can last months or even years.
Many organizations are currently actively publishing research to increase awareness of the reality of BIND.
Protracted withdrawal refers to symptoms that linger after 18 months off the drug. The protracted group remains relatively small, thankfully.
waves and windows 