A collection of studies on Robert Whitaker's website that show how benzodiazepines create worse havoc in the bodies of those given them: Benzodiazepines/Anxiety In the early 1980s, governmental medical authorities in the United States and the United Kingdom concluded that benzodiazepines were addictive and should not be used on a long-term basis. Studies showed that... Continue Reading →
The accidental addict –documentary: benzodiazepines in the news
The Accidental Addict (NZ news magazine) Assignment programme from 1995 dealing with the issue of iatrogenic benzodiazepine dependence. This is a 15 year old documentary. Why in hell are doctors still handing this crap out like candy? This phenomena of severe benzodiazepine withdrawal and post-withdrawal syndrome has been known about for two decades at least! The... Continue Reading →
Speech Psych Drug Withdrawal Symptoms (Dysarthria) – brief personal progress update too
The below was written by one of the members on the benzo board I frequent. I found it useful and thought I would share it here too as these are symptoms not often talked about. The fact is this thread got lots of attention. These are relatively common withdrawal problems but you won't find mention... Continue Reading →
Benzodiazepine Recovery Tips
Clearly, I'm reading and posting all these articles on benzodiazepines because I'm coping with the following issues with a post withdrawal syndrome. It's a syndrome that can go on for many months and in some cases years. It's much easier at this point in the journey to print the words of others who have gone... Continue Reading →
The Revival of the Market for Benzodiazepines — By Robert Whitaker,
This is a piece by Robert Whitaker that was written for the benzo community and published by a friend of mine in this newsletter on a benzo withdrawal support website. I received permission to reprint it here. One of the topics Whitaker's new book Anatomy of an Epidemic: Magic Bullets, Psychiatric Drugs, and the Astonishing Rise... Continue Reading →
Benzodiazepine withdrawal and basic information page: Xanax, Klonopin, Valium, Ativan, Clonazepam, Lorazepam, Alprazolam, Diazepam–to name the most commonly used
I thought I would put a page together on benzo information and benzo withdrawal in particular since I have more collected info about this class of drug than the other 5 classes of psychotropic meds I've withdrawn from. Basically benzos and now antidepressant drugs are the two classes of drugs for which there is really quite a lot of info on the web regarding withdrawal. It's still mostly anecdotal and not studied, but it's been recognized much longer that there are severe problems with withdrawing from these two class of drugs so it's easier to collect information regarding such. So here is what has become a rather extensive collection of articles and stories that deal with just benzos.
Warnings of the dangers of benzodiazepines hit the media
About 2 decades too late and a good decade after the alarm bell was sounded in the UK but it's better late than never. From the Washington Post: Benzodiazepines, often prescribed to manage anxiety, panic and sleep disorders, include Xanax, Ativan, Valium and Klonopin. Originally pushed as an alternative to barbiturates, their use has grown... Continue Reading →
An open letter about debilitating chronic illness (mine caused by psych med detox)
I found this written by a woman name Ricky Buchanan. I've discovered by creeping around the CFS and Fibromyalgia boards online that my day to day lived reality is like theirs. I am agnostic about giving myself such a label but I gain much support and don't feel as alone when I interact with people... Continue Reading →
The 39 psychotropic drugs I’ve taken
It's potentially dangerous to come off psychiatric drugs rapidly. For guidance in safer withdrawal methods see here. You think maybe something wasn’t quite right? This journey started the summer of 1985 and is about to end this summer of 2009. I have been withdrawing the past 5 years. Nothing ever did work and in retrospect... Continue Reading →
Severity Of Post-Stay Depression in ICU May Be Predicted By Use Of Benzodiazepines
This of course comes as no surprise to those of us who have suffered at the hand of benzos. Especially those of us who have only taken benzos. These docs should be querying us---they would learn sooo much!! We KNOW that benzos cause depression in a good percentage of anyone using benzos not just those... Continue Reading →
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