@MuddyBoots:

I found it so hard to get off benzos that i settled for harm-reduction. I went from 1mg of Clonazepam (the equivalent of 20mg of Valium) to 5mg of Valium. I found i had trouble behaving if i went below 5mg of Valium. I had troubles with anger and fear. I was belligerent to a staff at Walmart and believe i narrowly escaped getting barred from the mall.

I used The Ashton Method to reduce my benzos. That's where you substitute in Valium because it can be cut in such small amounts. I reduced by 1mg of Valium per week. At first it was relatively painless, but as i say, the lower i got, the harder it was to function.

I've just accepted that i am a person who needs 5mg per day of Valium to function. I'm glad that i tried to get off benzos and relatively happy that i reduced my use by 75%.

One milligram of Lorazepam (Ativan) is equivalent to 10mg of Valium, as i understand it.

During a chaotic few years in my early 30s (now 57) after my divorce, i ran out of benzos when i moved around the country a lot and was without a doctor. I found it very hard to function and nearly impossible to sleep. Reality came in waves and my pupils dilated wildly. It was hard to get anything done and i was without a fixed address for six weeks. It was a hair-raising experience.