some of it was way over her head , but some of it was right on target.in the course of the next hour , carol learned that the drug she had become addicted to was never meant to be taken for longer than ten days.she discovered that the worst thing she could have done was to stop taking it abruptly , and that this had most likely caused her to become so ill.finally , as she read further , she could not contain her emotions.the duration of the illness , she learned , lasted only a short time for some.for others , the illness could last for years.the condition was known as benzodiazepine withdrawal syndrome.each website emphasized that stopping the drug abruptly was a big factor in the magnitude and duration of the withdrawal process.her tears began to flow .