One of the promises I often make on the podcast is that "I will keep this brief." If you've listened to the podcast for any length of time, you probably know that I often struggle to deliver on that promise. Well, this time I am going to hold true to it. So, here it goes... I'm back from vacation. It was good. Podcast episode coming this week. Excited to get back to work. Hope you are well. Talk soon. There... how was that? Take it easy, D :)

When was the last time you took a vacation? Have you ever postponed, or cancelled a vacation? Have you done this repeatedly? We all need to take some time away. This is essential for everyone — and even more so for those of us dealing with anxiety, benzo withdrawal (BIND), and other psychological and neurological issues. In an article from Forbes magazine titled "Why Taking Vacation Time Could Save your Life," the author refers to a study that found 26% of respondents had ne

I'm hitting the road again...and this time, it's to a national drug conference. Over six months ago, a few of us at the Benzodiazepine Action Work Group applied to present a seminar at the Rx and Illicit Drug Summit in Atlanta, Georgia on April 10-13, 2023. To our pleasant surprise, we were accepted. The title of our presentation is "Benzodiazepine Safety: A Patient-Centered Approach" and it includes information on benzodiazepine prescribing, deprescribing, the patient experi

OPINION Monday, April 3rd, 2023 — The above article crossed my desk about a month ago — and it concerned me. I did a bit of research over the past few weeks which lead me to write this post. Let me give you a bit of background first, and then we can discuss my concerns. On Friday, March 3rd, Colorado Governor Jared Polis signed House Bill 23-1071 into law, which allows psychologists to prescribe mental health medication. According to the Denver Post, this bill "creates a proc

Few individuals deserve higher praise than the benzo caregiver. These are the angels who take care of us through thick and thin. My wife was my angel, and she was amazing! I would not be here doing this without her undying love and support. For that, and so much more, I am truly grateful. But, others are not so lucky. Some individuals dealing with BIND (benzodiazepine-induced neurological dysfunction) — also known as protracted withdrawal — don't have the support I had. Many

In a recent article published by Psychology Today, Brian A. Kinnaird, Ph.D., a former police officer, shared his battle with mental health diagnoses and benzodiazepine withdrawal. The March 24 article is titled "A Former Cop's Battle With Benzodiazepines" and it's a powerful story. In this personal perspective, Kinnaird shares how he was "thrust into the medical model (or 'disease-based' approach) of mental health," and that his treatment "consisted of multiple diagnoses alon

Five Years and still going strong! Join Easing Anxiety in wishing the Alliance for Benzodiazepine Best Practices a wonderful 5th anniversary! If you haven't heard of the Alliance for Benzodiazepine Best Practices (Alliance) before, it might be time you checked them out. Their work in the areas of benzodiazepine awareness, education, and patient support is ground-breaking and so varied that it is difficult to list in a single post. They continually make progress in the areas

According to a press release in Digital Journal from March 17, 2023, the "market for benzodiazepine medications is expected to reach US $3.1 billion by the end of 2032." This is an increase of approximately $800 million since 2022. The compound annual growth (CAGR) is expected to be 2.8% globally for benzodiazepines, and as high as 3.0% for alprazolam (Xanax) specifically. The article attributed the increase in demand to "the rising frequency of anxiety disorders and elevated

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