Today is the start of “Senior Week” at Benzo Free. This week, we will focus much of our attention on the group of people most at-risk when it comes to benzodiazepines — the elderly. If you know of someone — a parent, a grandparent, a neighbor, a spouse — who is taking benzodiazepines or Z-drugs long-term and is having problems with dementia, falls, confusion, or other complications — perhaps benzos are a factor. Be on the lookout for blog articles and a special podcast episod

Can a unique blend of neuroscience, compassion, and spirituality be the secret to success in benzo withdrawal? Jennifer Leigh seems to think so. And so do many of the people she has coached. Our interview guest today is Jennifer Leigh, PsyD. In this enlightened conversation, Jennifer shares neurological insights she has acquired from her doctorate studies in psychology along with lessons from her own personal journey through withdrawal. You don’t want to miss this one. Video

For all those who feel alone in benzo withdrawal, I just wanted to say, “hi.” Benzo withdrawal is an incredibly lonely illness. Even if you have a loved one to take care of you — and I know many of you don’t — you still are the only one trapped in your benzo-addled brain yearning for someone to climb in there with you and help you find your way out. But it doesn’t work that way — does it? So, I just wanted to say, “hello.” It’s just me. I don’t want anything. I don’t need any

Summary A caregiver’s story of her husband’s dependence on Xanax and the struggles to find any doctor who would help them with his taper. Details Key Topics: Caregiver, Anxiety, Benzos, Dependence, Withdrawal, Doctors, Xanax (alprazolam), Polydrug, Antipsychotics, Antidepressants, Listen on the Podcast: https://www.easinganxiety.com/post/benzo-bad-guys-anger-aggression-depression-and-obsession-bfp013 Content Warning Stories presented on Easing Anxiety may contain triggering c

Have you ever heard of Benzo Rage? What about other withdrawal symptoms like depression, aggression, or violent tendencies? All these behaviors can be escalated by benzos and learning how to deal with them just might be the key to success. In today’s episode, D explores the behavioral symptoms of benzo withdrawal and shares a few resources which might help manage them. He also shines a light on Benzo Buddies, shares a comment about yeast overgrowth and candida, and tells a ca

Benzo use during pregnancy is a very difficult dilemma for pregnant women, especially for those who are already dependent. The decision of whether to stay on the drugs or taper during pregnancy is not without risks. There have been many warnings about complications with benzos during pregnancy, but a recent analysis has helped shine a light on a few of the concerns. The Norwegian Mother and Child Cohort Study A recent journal article regarding benzo use during pregnancy was j

As part of our Caregiver Week at Benzo Free, we have added a new page to our website titled “For the Caregiver.” This new page combines 10 Tips for the Caregiver with other resources to help you in this journey. And this is only the beginning, as we uncover more resources and develop more tools to help you out, we will add them to this page and even expand it into an entire section if needed. Some of these tips were discussed in our podcast episode this week, “Conversation wi

Summary A benzo story of dependence to Xanax and other medications. His withdrawal includes functional medicine and concerns about liver damage and severe inflammation. Details Key Topics: Anxiety, Benzos, Dependence, Withdrawal, Doctors, Xanax (alprazolam), Polydrug, Antidepressants, Antipsychotics, Functional Medicine, Holistic Medicine, Symptoms, OCD Listen on the Podcast: https://www.easinganxiety.com/post/conversation-with-a-caregiver-bfp012 Content Warning Stories pres

The underappreciated angels of the benzo community are the caregivers. What’s it like to take care of someone going through benzo withdrawal? What are the key hurdles? What are the burdens? And most of all, what are the secrets that no one told you? In today’s episode, D interviews his very own wife and caregiver, Shana Foster, who shares her insights from 17 years of experience. We also have a benzo story from Indonesia and shine our spotlight on W-BAD and their benzo awaren