top of page

How to Make Your Prescriber a Partner in Your Benzodiazepine Recovery Journey


Collaborative Relationship
Collaborative Relationship

Are you feeling overwhelmed trying to explain your experience with benzodiazepines to your health care provider? Do you wish your prescriber understood the challenges you're facing and supported you through the tapering process but you're at a loss on how to get there?


You're not alone. For many people navigating benzodiazepine withdrawal and Benzodiazepine Induced Neurological Dysfunction (BIND), one of the biggest hurdles is getting their healthcare provider to hear them. The medical system is often unprepared for the complexity of benzodiazepine dependence and withdrawal. With the right tools and preparation, it is possible to build a collaborative relationship with your prescriber. A relationship grounded in trust, knowledge, and mutual respect.


Why Your Prescriber Matters


Prescriptive Support
Prescriptive Support

Whether you're just beginning to consider tapering or are struggling with your current plan, having a prescriber who understands the importance of a slow, patient-led taper can make a significant difference in your recovery journey.


A supportive provider can:


  • Deprescribe with a taper plan that’s flexible and individualized


  • Validate and monitor your symptom trajectory


  • Work with you to adjust the rate and speed of your taper based on your response


How to Prepare for the Conversation


Have A Written Plan
Have A Written Plan

Unfortunately, many providers still rely on outdated or overly simplified information about benzodiazepines, often underestimating the risks of physiological dependence and the severity of withdrawal symptoms. That’s where you will need to fill the information gap, not just as a patient, but as an informed advocate for your own healing.



5 Steps to Prepare for Your Conversation


Here are a few steps to help you prepare for a conversation with your provider in a way that’s clear, concise, and backed with resources:



1) Organize Your Story Clearly and Concisely


Write down your experience in a way that your provider can digest it quickly.


Include:

Information about Your Benzodiazepine Prescription History
Information about Your Benzodiazepine Prescription History

  • How long you’ve been on the benzodiazepine and at what dose


  • Why it was originally prescribed


  • If you've previously attempted to stop the benzodiazepine including a brief explanation of how and what happened


  • The reason you want to taper off the benzodiazepine now


  • Succinctly describe what you've experienced physically, mentally, and emotionally while on it or while tapering if that is your current situation


  • How you'd like to taper off including a brief summary of how this can be accomplished



2) Bring Credible Resources With You


Don't Forget to Bring Printed Resources to your Appointment
Don't Forget to Bring Printed Resources to your Appointment

Often, it’s not enough to tell your doctor about your lived experience. You have to show them that you're not alone and that your concerns are backed by evidence. Below you will find a list of resources that may be helpful when talking to your prescriber.


Print out key pages and highlight sections that speak directly to your concerns and relate specifically to your lived experience. Offer to share links inside your patient portal for a more comprehensive view of the resources you are sharing.


Visit our RESOURCES section below for a complete list of materials.



3) Use Language That Builds A Collaborative Relationship


Building Collaborative Support
Building Collaborative Support

Rather than demanding your doctor adopt a certain viewpoint, try inviting them into your process.


Use phrases like:


  • “I really value your input and would appreciate your support on this”


  • “I’ve been doing some research and wanted to share with you some of the resources I've compiled”


  • “This is what’s been working for others with similar experiences in my support community, can we explore this together”


These types of statements make the conversation collaborative rather than confrontational.



4) Know Your Boundaries and Be Willing to Advocate for Yourself


Advocate For Yourself
Advocate For Yourself

Even with all the preparation in the world, some prescribers may not be receptive.


If you're met with dismissal or resistance:


  • Stay calm and reaffirm your desire to taper in a slow, safe, and supported way


  • Consider bringing a loved one or caregiver with you to your appointment who has educated themselves with the available resources and information on safer tapering practices to support what you are sharing


  • Try to be as rational and factual as possible, even if your emotions are running high. Providers respond best to information presented in a structured, non-confrontational way.



5) Remember Your Voice Matters


You Are Not Alone
You Are Not Alone

If after following the steps laid out here you cannot get your current health care provider on board you may have to consider whether a change in prescriber is necessary for your safety and healing. An included link to the Benzodiazepine Information Coalition's Benzodiazepine Cooperative Provider List has been provided to aid in that endeavor if necessary.


You're not alone. Many have walked this path before you, feeling confused, afraid, and unsure how to help their healthcare provider understand. Remember, you are the expert in your own experience. Your symptoms are real. Your voice matters. You have every right to be in charge of your body, your taper, and your recovery. With the right preparation, supportive tools, and the courage to advocate for yourself, you can take meaningful steps toward a safer, more compassionate healing journey.



Resources


Here are a few helpful resource ideas you may want to consider bringing to your appointment.


Guidelines & Manuals

Clinical guidelines and manuals developed by medical associations, healthcare organizations, or individual healthcare professionals are often more effective at informing medical practitioners of your condition.


  • ASAM Guidelines: These guidelines that came out in March 2025 were funded by a grant from the US Food and Drug Administration, US Department of Health and Human Services and endorsed by nine professional medical associations. The document is quite lengthy at 233 pages. Although the entire document is important, you may want to consider taking pages 1-2 (listing professional endorsements as well as professional organization contributors) and pages 6-12 (ten key takeaways) to your appointment in recognition of your provider's time constraints.


  • FDA 2020 Box Warning: Under the section, 'What Safety concern is FDA announcing' the last paragraph states: "Physical dependence can occur when benzodiazepines are taken steadily for several days to weeks, even as prescribed. Stopping them abruptly or reducing the dosage too quickly can result in withdrawal reactions, including seizures, which can be life-threatening."


  • Maudsley Deprescribing Guidelines: Comprehensive resource describing guidelines for safely reducing or stopping (deprescribing) antidepressants, benzodiazepines, gabapentinoids and Z-drugs for patients, including step-by-step guidance for all commonly used medications, covering common pitfalls, troubleshooting, supportive strategies, and more. Although this guideline was intended for health care providers and medical professionals, patients can purchase it for a cost. If it is in your budget and your health care provider is receptive it could be a valuable resource for both you and your prescriber.


  • The Ashton Manual: Written by the late Professor Heather Ashton in 1999 and later revised in 2002 (with an additional supplement added in 2012), The Ashton Manual is a foundational guide for benzodiazepine withdrawal, widely respected by patients and recognized by some medical providers.


  • World Health Organization 2023 Benzodiazepine Guidance: In late 2023 the World Health organization (WHO) released their guidance related to the treatment of adults with generalized anxiety disorder and/or panic disorder. In that guidance benzodiazepines were not recommended for the treatment of either condition rather, they concluded that benzodiazepines should only be considered for short term use in the emergency management of acute and severe anxiety symptoms for the maximum of 3-7 days. For a complete guide to WHO's 2023 Mental Health Gap Action Programme (mhGAP) guidelines for mental, neurological and substance use disorders click here.


Research Articles


Medical research can be quite effective when trying to communicate with a medical professional. The BIND Paper listed below first identified Benzodiazepine Induced Neurological Dysfunction (BIND) in 2023 and it has been well received.



Support Sites


Several other support organizations in the benzodiazepine community provide a variety of tools to aid in the conversation with your healthcare provider.


  • Benzodiazepine Information Coalition (BIC) : The Benzodiazepine Information Coalition has put together information on their website titled 'How to Find Tapering Help.' The former medical director of BIC, the late Dr. Christy Huff posted '10 tips to find medical help with benzodiazepine cessation' in the summer of 2021. You may find some takeaways that will help you prepare for the conversation with your healthcare provider in her ten minute video.


  • The Alliance for Benzodiazepine Best Practices: The Alliance for Benzodiazepine Best Practices has created multiple patient tools in the form of pamphlets that you can print off and bring to your appointment. These pamphlets were designed to assist in establishing a collaborative patient provider relationship.


  • Colorado Consortium / Benzodiazepine Action Work Group: A group of individuals with lived experience came together in the summer of 2025 under a grant from the Colorado Consortium to develop Benzodiazepine Resources for affected individuals and their loved ones. In their Provider Education section you can find information that may prove helpful when preparing to talk with your benzodiazepine prescriber.



References



For Information Purposes Only – Not Medical Advice


All information presented on Uneven Life is for informational purposes only, and should never be considered medical or health advice. Withdrawal, tapering, or any change in dosage of benzodiazepines or any other prescription drugs should only be done under the direct supervision of a licensed physician.


Please read our site disclaimer for more information.





1 Comment

Guest
2 days ago

This is beyond amazing. I wish I would have all of these resources and supportive suggestions from day one. This will still help me moving forward though, and this post will be a survival guide for others just staring off!

Edited
Like
bottom of page