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23 years on and off Xanax. Tapering off as we speak with terrible withdrawal. Heavy head and neck tremors, internal tremors, heart palpitations, panic attacks, terrible anxiety, depression, thoughts of suicide, muscle spasms, electric "shocks" or "brain zaps", itching, hyperacusis, hypersensitivity. The list is never ending. Stay away from Xanax.

This sort of information is invaluable, I only wish I’d found it years ago! It’s honestly mind boggling that the majority of doctors and even mental health specialists (in my personal experience) don’t have even a basic understanding how these things work and are still so willing to prescribe and abruptly stop these meds. Thanks so much for these, everything is so spot on, every video is like an epiphany for me.

I have experienced all above. I'm in my last month tapering clanazapam, in my 24 th month. I'm so proud of myself. Hardest thing I ever done but now see the gift in it. Bless you

Thank you for getting this information out there, Paige! These videos kill me, because I was prescribed a benzodiazepine in May 2021, despite all this information being out there about the negative effects. I'm nearing the end of a 19-month taper, and it has been a version of hell I never knew existed, even doing a slow taper off. These drugs should not be used outside of a clinical setting. As far as I can tell, they should not be prescribed, ever. I wish this information would have been more widely available when I started taking a benzo, because had I known the risks, I would have run the other direction. These videos are helping get the word out.

Wish I’d seen this years ago. Currently tapering off klonopin. I just want myself back.

When I was teen I was an outpatient in a clinic and they prescribed me Klonopin because I said "I get anxious sometimes". After I left the clinic my physician continued to prescribe it. Still on it 15 years later. It's ironic/sad how the 3 things that you say can help with anxiety actively prevent people from recovering as long as they're on benzos, yet it's up to the patient to do the research and make the decision to go off the medication, knowing the withdrawals will be terrible.

I sent this video to my talk therapist. He discontinued therapy because you said it’s ineffective. 😢

I've been on Benzodiazepines for a year now, from Ativan, to Valiums, to now Klonopin and they've shattered my anxiety and made it so much worse. My tolerance to them rises and I have also abused them heavily. I'm over 80 hrs cold turkey from Clonazepam after abusing 6mg in a day and I'm contemplating going to the hospital. Benzo's have compromised my quality of life completely and my friends say I'm not even the same person when I'm abusing them. Going on Benzo's was a mistake, and even after going to a treatment center. They prescribed me Valium after. I wish I never took a Benzo.

I just wanted to add your videos are more than a breath of fresh air. God bless you. Please continue to put out this information. The world needs it. ❤️

Benzo withdrawal has been happening since their creation, and I can't believe they're still being prescribed over 50 years later. I'm an RN that survived a hellish withdrawal after only two months of daily doses. The acute withdrawal lasted about 6 weeks - the Ashton Manual helped me see how many of the symptoms I was experiencing were actually caused by withdrawal. It's now 8 months later, and I feel healing is still taking place. As an RN, I was put in a position to administer and advocate for the safety of drugs like this one - when they just aren't. After my experiences with pharmaceuticals, I find myself antithetical to this pill-driven profession. It's caused me to seek out how to be a healer outside "the System." Herbalism, naturopathy, etc.

This is a problem fueled HEAVILY by primary care providers (PCPs). I work in psychiatry, and few of my colleagues prescribe BZDs--only during short inpatient stays (mostly for panic), for alcohol withdrawal, and PRN with a limited script. The field of thought with many mental health providers is to avoid these medications at all costs, unless it is medically indicated...and often times it is. I wish these would be taken off the market for use related to anxiety or sleep outside of the hospital setting

Watch here for help with panic attacks kzfaq.info/get/bejne/r9uFaLqWy767gqs.html

Thanks Paige for giving so much on your channel. My issue is Idiopathic insomnia and no doctor has ever taken me serious on this one. I need help to fall asleep, then I sleep well. I have never felt the "sleepy" feeling when you want to go to bed. So I rely in a low dose of clonazepam (0.125) every night. I am 60 and have been taking it for like 22 years. I know therapy won't help. I am also autistic, without an official diagnosis.

Last Month went to a psychiatrist for the first time for my Anxiety. She gave me this Clonazepam prescription and told me to take as needed only. Well, i haven't take it yet . Gladly came across with this channel and made me grateful that i haven't started taking the meds. I don't want to put myself in a bad situation due to some medicines .

My friend was given Gabapentin to help him withdraw off clonazapam. It took him 1 yr. I’m so proud of him. He said it was terrible Stopping Gabapentin was not difficult I feel so concerned for people battling benzo dependency

Paige, thank you for your deep research and knowledge. My daughter was prescribed Xanax, Ativan, Ambian and more for anxiety. Though benzodiazepines as you said are SUPPOSED to be short term, she ended up on them for at least 4 years that I know of. She became addicted to the Ativan and the longer she took it the worse her symptoms got….loss of sleep, impulsive spending, OCD, multiple suicide attempts….the list goes on. She did weekly talk therapy and psychotherapy. She lost her car and home and connection to family as time went by. Yes, she knew she was addicted but her Physicians Assistant who knew she was addicted kept prescribing the Ambien, Ativan and more. I watched my daughter as I had known her, slowly slip away. Sadly, she took her own life in November of 2018. Please keep warning people of the dangers of benzodiazepines because the dangers are real!! Lastly, thank you for this video. I has helped me with the guilt that I have sometimes that there is something I should have been able to do to help her.

I was prescribed clonazepam when I started doing anxiety attacks. They were chemically induced by marijuana, I was a chronic user for 15 years and all of a sudden I had anxiety almost all day!! now I'm terrified to smoke again...im pretty sure more factors were in play in my anxiety but I've always been skeptical of pharmaceutical drugs and after seeing this video I am so glad that I was scared to even take one of those. I just push through my attacks and I never touch the bottle...dodged a bullet!!! I had also heard that a famous clinical psychologist (jordan peterson) had to bring himself in detox because he was taking clonazepam. I need to have this conversation with my therapist. Thank you!!!

Thank you for these informations.The most of doctors don't recognise when someone hit tolerance !! They don't understand how benzodiazepines are dangerous and harmful! It is a big problem all around the world ! I would never recommend to take benzodiazepines more than 2 weeks. God bless you !

Been on 0.25 to 0.5 daily clonazepam for 3 years. Now I'm on day 105 and at 0.055. Jumping off at 0.025 I estimate another 2 months let's do this!

Doctors have had me on benzos for 30 yrs, I was being prescribed 4 milligrams a day but I realized this was making everything worse especially memory and learning issues, I’m now on .5 to 1 milligram a day trying to wean myself off slowly, I’m now 60 but I don’t ever think I can honestly get off of these totally because my brain is so used to them, I did go 30 days without any but I couldn’t function and I told my doctors, he said you should have never done that and put me back on so I blame these doctors that have had me on these for over 30 yrs but in the beginning I had such anxiety problems and sleeping problems that to me was a miracle drug, now I think my brain is completely rewired that at my age even if I tried to go off again that it would take so long for my brain to mend that it’s not worth it, so I feel stuck and don’t really know what to do because doctors just keep prescribing them!

Thank You for acknowledging and helping to bring awareness of these drugs!!! They caused me a lot of pain and illness,especially after I stopped and I just didn't know any better when taking them.....

I was prescribed Ativan for insomnia caused by menopause 16 years ago. I only took 40 mg per year. Five years later I was diagnosed with GAD and panic disorder. Next five years was a nightmare of antidepressants and psych meds that I couldn't tolerate or made me suicidal. NO ONE, of all the ER doctors, psychiatrists, therapists, and my own doctor, never told me Ativan could be the cause. I quit everything Jan/15. Had a seizure. Was given a one month taper plan which failed as the first two weeks got me totally dependent upon it. It took joining a benzo group to find out what had been happening to me. Now six years off and still having 12 hour panic attacks. It's like there is an alien inside me conducting experiments on my brain and body. I wasn't ill, but now I am. What you said about therapy not helping benzo patients is right on. I did intensive single and group therapy on a variety of focuses...the strategies and things learned help me on my good days. Fifteen years of terror due to Ativan. I was a school teacher and avid gardener and now I can barely get out of bed. I can't take much more. Six years off all drugs and still the brain and CNS have not healed. Thank you for this video.

I'm with you except for your support for antidepressant use. I had almost as a bad of a withdrawal from a tricyclic as I did from Ativan. During my time taking the tricyclic, I became more anxious and depressed and could not connect with people as I used to. I felt numb. I stopped dreaming during sleep for a two year period. The only reason I took it was to help me sleep, and now that I'm off I feel l'm able to engage in life in a whole new and meaningful way. I can engage with people, and I can take in beautiful scenery like I hadn't been able to. Dr. Breggin talks about how he sees some psychotropics as chemical lobotomizers. There should be more talk about psychotropic-mediaction related brain injury.

I can say from experience that this is 100% true. When on them i wasnt getting better, instead i got worse!!! Only when i finally got off them (i chose cold turkey) did I see how much damage it was doing! My anxiety is 10x more manageable and i can say i will never ever take benzos ever again, nor wil i think that a pill can fix a life of trauma. Therapy saved my life.

I have been on Ativan for just about 3 years now. In the beginning of taking it, I absolutely needed it in the beginning. Now my anxiety has gotten worse. I pretty much have agoraphobia. After researching and researching and listening to other people's experiences, I decided myself to taper off 3 months ago, and the past 3 months that I tapered myself down to has been pure hell as of January 1st. After 3 months on the same dose, I've lowered my dose again and my mind is becoming more clear now of how this drug has made me waste a couple years of my life when I thought it was me that was getting worse when it was actually this drug. It makes me very very upset!

If I had to make a scale with anxiety being 10. “Normal” at a 5. And “sedated” or numb at 0. Clonazepam takes me from a constant 10 to a 5. I can think clearly and understand information. I don’t feel tired or sleepy. I just feel normal, not like I’m on anything. I’ve been on it “as needed” for 10 years now. I can go 3 days…a week…without needing it. Or sometimes I’ll need to take it twice in a day. I just never go over 1mg. So I don’t understand any of this. 🤷🏻‍♀️

I love your insight into these drugs, It is great to see a doctor who has a vision!

Everything you have said is what I have watched happen to my mom after the last 25 years of her being on klonopin. I have been by her side for a week helping her tapper off. It is so sad

I was on 12mg of Diazepam and 0.25.mg of Xanax from 1995 to 2012. With A good psychiatrist and psychologist...with the addiction center. I got out of it. Mindfulness and yoga helped as well. Im clean now. Playing good soccer and good music.

I was on ativan for ten years. The prescribing doctor told me nothing about benzos and she didn't help when I asked to come off. I only tapered for three weeks and my central nervous system went into overdrive and that's putting it mildly. Anxiety hit me so badly that I couldn't function, I couldn't stop moving (akathisia),I couldn't stop shaking, I couldn't talk or think. I'm 19 months off and things are starting to improve. My central nervous system is still very delicate and I can't handle stress but I'm still here. My hope is that doctors stop prescribing benzodiazepines because I've seen so much suffering. It's not worth it. I've lost nearly two years of my life.

mothers little helper...sad but true

Im 23 years old and I've been on Paroxetine and Xanax ever since I was 17. Paroxetine I do take everyday, however I can live fine without Xanax, I only keep with me at all times in case I have a panic attack... I get them pretty often so it REALLY helps me, it stops the attack and calms me down in a couple minutes. Luckily, I have been months without Xanax and I only get prescription when I go to the doctor to get my Paroxetine refill in around 6 months. I truly don't plan on stoping having the medication with me, nothing seems to work but that, but I also know that those drugs can REALLY make you addicted so I dont abuse it WHATSOEVER. Its only something I have when NEEDED.

I knew someone on benzos for years. Real paranoid about everything. Scary

I new i new inew, i was dealing with anxiety and emotional pain. I kept telling my husband no no no i need therapy i need therapy not drugs. I had talked to my dr. Told him no medication i want therapy. I was eating well, exercising, sleeping like a baby, had my personality. My goodness i was right, i new i new. I listened and gave in know my life is ruined.

I’m on my 48th month of tapering 5 mg alprazolom constantly decreasing by 10% each 30 days. I’ve been horribly damaged since 2013. I’m at .0300mg and wake up each day with horrible head pain and agoraphobia. I am not who I was. Hopefully I can stop my taper in March of 2021 and then hope for recovery. Benzos are straight from hell and should be eradicated. They ruin lives.

I was on benzos with ambien for 11 years.. my psychiatrist just keeps trying to throw more and more medications at me.. switching to new doctors.. I’m scared of psychiatrists now 😢 I’m still battling with thoughts of suicide and I just feel victimized. Attempted suicide again a few weeks ago

I had No idea that xanex and klonopin were causing me SUCH harm. I just thought I was getting “ worse mentally”. And I didn’t understand WHY. I never thought that something given to me to HELP my panic actually made me soooo much worse! I would have a panic attack. Take it and feel so much better. Hours later the anxiety was back with a vengeance! Just thinking “ we’ll I’m not doing well “. Despite therapy. Antidepressants etc. I just thought I was a very sick person. One night I called my brother who is a recovering addict. But is also my best friend in the middle of the night. Blabbering. Making no sense. Scared out of my mind and acting really off the wall. Didn’t sleep all night. Thinking some really paranoid thoughts with no basis. Like that I had premonitions that someone was going to die. My brother was terrified and so was I. I was on my front lawn at 4 am talking crazy bc I didn’t know why I felt so bad - this was not just one night of taking them. I took them for a few weeks at night. Slept through them. Woke up very depressed. Started the cycle all over. This night I took a whole which I usually take a half and stayed away bc I was so scared. Scared of I don’t even know what. I finally told him what I took not thinking anything of it. “ I took klonopin for an anxiety attack and why isn’t it working”. He said omg we need to talk. That is the devil. He came to me. Thankfully I did not go to a hospital bc he understood what my problem was. We had a huge talk and I eventually got off them. The best morning all I did was cry and cry and cry and felt like I was in the worst depression. Me not knowing the dangers of these drugs and just trusted my doctor was clueless. I was usually a natural type girl and didn’t take medication but after a year of intense grief and loss I needed sonething. I wish I would have known this before I took them. But I trusted my doctor and at first it was a GOD send to me for my anxiety. I still don’t overly feel right but I feel a lot better. I wish I had someone like you to tell me this before I ruined months of my life thinking I was just crazy 😢and embarrassing myself and causing myself and my family so much pain. You are amazing thank you for posting

Your comment about a life balance is key. Good health and the right routine for you goes a long way. It minimizes the uncertainty in life that creates fear.

i increased my clanzapam from half a tablet to a whole tablet and the next day i forgot my phone password.

I just just told my doctor I was not going to take my ambien or Xanax anymore . I couldn’t function and kept forgetting things . I kept taking them before because they helped immediately and I liked that but It felt like when I was drinking to not have anxiety . And when I would stop taking them I had the worst withdrawals. Shaking sweating mood swings severe depression and suicidal thoughts irritability and severe anxiety attacks and the need to move and no sleep this went on for over a week it was terrible each time . I have been off these medications for about a month and I wish I could take them they felt great when I was on them but I just wasn’t me anymore and the people close to me noticed I just was not all there . My life felt apart .

I can’t watch this. I’ll worry and panic. I’m a holistic health coach and nutritionist. I love fitness and health. But sadly been on benzo - klonpion since age 16. And 32. And I’m housebound as of 2 years. I want to get off but it helps me so much :( ugh

We need more of you in our health system.

I know that you’re trying to help with negatives effects of benzodiazepines,,, I’ve had SVT and extreme anxiety since the age of 11. Now 52 male and have been on alprazolam for years and have never had to increase over 2mg a day max most usually less around 1-1.5 and I have never had SVT and /or panic attacks since . I just don’t worry about things like I used too and I did some cognitive therapy but I truly enjoy life and iam happy I can live again and have been on them for many years. I have a high IQ and also a graduate degree as well as running my own business for years. I just see all the doom and gloom associated with this medication if taken and it certainly has not been my case / responsibly. I may try to taper off just to see the difference but I would rather live the quality of life that I’ve been gifted because of these medications then live with all the doom and gloom /worry I used to ensue everyday . I don’t feel any sort of elation or release of my responsibilities when I take them. I do get however get a little hyper and or slightly edgy if I forget to take them for a couple of days but nothing sever or more then feeling like drinking two cups of coffee / I do know the dangers of possibilities of seizures with immediate cessation and difficulty with with withdrawals and I do like the Ashton method or water titration when I get ready to try . I do however believe-there is a positive between benzodiazepines and SVT as it must neutralize the extra receptor(s) that cause the ventricular tachycardia,,, Just has to be a correlation. So in summary I know they have helped my quality of life tremendously and possibly will have to pay the piper in my later years if iam blessed to have them but I believe there is too much negativity placed on these medications as an “all in one” scenario of being a prolific detriment to every individuals well being / iam living proof , although maybe rare that my quality of life for the 15 years + or so I’ve been taking them has substantially improved - thanks / James

I think it’s different for everyone. I was doing terrible with anxiety & PTSD, trying different med options. It was until I got prescribed with a benzo that my life changed!! I understand the risks, especially with dependency and withdrawals, along other issues, but everyone is different, and few clients cannot speak for many others. I’ve been on them 6 years only as needed, never had the urge to take more than prescribed, and never been dependent. Ever. These with my therapy completely gave me my life back. Never had no issues, even anything, everything improved for me. Again, everyone is different. I believe as long as a client has a good plan with their psychiatrist/therapist/dr and healthy check ups then I don’t think it’s bad.

My experience with benzos has been good. It has kept my panic disorder leveled out for a long time. My health is good. They do work for me. No side effects. So for some people it is a life saving medication.

Been on various benzazapines over 20 years, it's effective and safe. Keep your opinion to the 12 step people.

There are those of us who got years of therapy before trying benzos like myself and was not effective at all. I live a life of drug free now, but life way worse without benzos.

Thank you so much for making this video. I wish it would have been the first to come up on my search.

My wife has been on these for almost 25 years. She asks how can she come off safety? Withdrawal immediately causes seizures. I see she has almost all the negative side effects. She was told that she may not be able to ever.

i was unaware of these side effects when i was given this prescription from my doctor to treat my panic disorder. though i did not make myself so dependent on it, but i felt that the effects of it is happeng now. dizziness, imbalance problem, insomia, and a new onset of irritation. thanks for the information. it helps me more how to fight anxiety now without the use of these drugs.

Thank you so much for this video! I' m going to show this to my therapist.

I've been taking this medicine for 20 years now... any questions anyone😄😎

I decided to try xan with a girlfriend a week ago. My introduction to this substance wasn’t very remarkable while on the drug, but became markedly noticeable when I stopped using. I had been taking several mgs per day with no previous exposure to benzodiazepines before. I didn’t know you can’t just quit them cold turkey and not expect to experience some withdrawal. Last night was the first night in a few days that I was able to fall asleep for more than a minute. It does get better the more you focus on exercise which has done loads for me. I started researching the topic of benzodiazepines to become more informed and more aware. I’ve been off them for almost a week and today is the best I’ve felt by far this week.

Thank you so much. I was prescribed Klonopin for 20 years. I went into tolerance withdrawal and had the most horrendous symptoms. No doctor understood at all. I found support groups on FB and online. Without them I would not have known what to do. I tapered off over months but teh symptoms persist - they are better but teh healing is very very slow. I do have faith that I will heal. How could the medical providers have been so careless with my health.? If there are any lawyers watching tis, I hope they can see the next big scam ahead - much bigger than the Opioid problem

There is significant evidence that benzodiazepines cause tolerance to the anticonvulsant & hypnotic effects but not the anxiolytic and sedative effects ESPECIALLY when it comes to the longer acting benzodiazepines like clonazepam, diazepam and chlordiazepoxide. Depression does seem to be a significant issue with long term use of benzodiazepines, however antidepressants also cause tolerance, withdrawal and can worsen depression. I've been on clonazepam for years and I have had great success with therapy even while being on a benzodiazepine so I think that to look at this issue through a black and white perspective is not helpful. Some develop tolerance and do not benefit from therapy while on benzodiazepines. Others do not have these issues. My grandma was on alprazolam 1mg for 15 years and never had any worsening anxiety, depression etc. I think it comes down to some people relying on the benzos vs. some using them as a tool to help during therapy. Also the dosage is important. If you're on 3mg of clonazepam a day and doing psychotherapy then yes, i could see the memory issues becoming an issue. If you're on .25mg of clonazepam a day, then there shouldn't be a large enough dose to cause memory issues. I tried almost every antidepressant out there and none of them helped at all and simply gave me terrible side effects and coming off of them was a nightmare even with a slow taper. I came off of clonazepam once 2mg a day with a slow taper over a year and withdrawal side effects were minimum. The only antidepressant that seemed to give any relief was mirtazapine but the weight gain was awful and coming off of it was hell. I think many psychiatrists are seeing the issue of benzos the same way they tell their patients not to think of things. They see benzos as black and white. They're bad unless taken short term 100% of the time. Thats simply not true. I know it's not true because i look at my grandma as a perfect example of someone who took even a short acting benzo long term and she never complained of having any issues. I even asked her directly if she has any issues from her Xanax and she said "Not really, it just makes me kind of sleepy when i first take it." This is after 15 years of daily usage.

I'm 43, was very sick then and now. But I feel benzo, valium have made me much worse i have every thing mentioned above, and I feel I am getting worse by the year! I'm lowering the dose now. It's all I can do! Does it help now? No! not even at stupid high doses. I just lay there awake. I asked to be put on this stuff, begged for it almost. It was only thing that gave me relief. Now I find it was a curse Help!

Klonopin/xanax and alcoholism ruined my life for over a decade . Im about 3+ months sober . Quit cold turkey (knowing what i know now, wasnt the smartest idea). I know it gets better but its like i go from 0 to 60 in any social situation. My highs are way higher but my lowers are rock bottom lows .

What you say makes absolute sense. Social support, exercise, good nutrition etc etc is a far superior substitute than running for the ‘quick-fix’

ETOH withdrawal patients are routinely given benzos to treat withdrawal symptoms. I've had these patients, and I would think, "okay, so we're just trading one addiction for another."

My mom has all those negative side effects. She is 72 and been on lorazepam over 25 years. She takes 2mg every 6 hours. 3 per day. She has lost her heart and soul. Very sad. 😔

Great presentation. I utilized it with an Online Class that I teach at UMASS this evening!

I have been taking Xanax for over six years now if I dont take it it is hard to breathe and my chest and arms hurt.I was diagnosed with Cancer six years ago where I was supposed to be dead by October 2015 so I lived and one month later my wife filed for divorce because she met someone at work so i went through a three year divorce where I lost everything due to the corruption in the court system.So now it gets worse so I take it more than twice a day.It seems that I get really sick if I dont take it and I have been to a counsellor but at the end of the day it feels like the Xanax is the only thing that is keeping me alive and functional.

I definitely know the risk, I'm only one 1mg of Klonopin a day and it takes all of my health anxiety away. I also am in therapy. Sometimes therapy is just not enough and SSRIs did nothing for my anxiety. I do hope one day I won't need Klonopin, but it did help give me my life back. I was in a place where my anxiety prevented me from doing anything. Klonopin gave me that little courage to do more and live

I’ve abused diazepam and temazepam for 2 years every single day apart from stopping for a week. The withdrawals are horrific at one point I’d be taking easy 200mg diazepam every day and the same with temazepam if not more. The tolerance builds up very quick. Stay away they are probably the worst drug on the planet to get addicted to i only wanted to get rid of this pain I feel every day of depression and horrible anxiety and this happens to me. So far I’m 3 days off them going cold turkey. 🙏

started taking klonopin around 2017 and now i'm stilkl taking them the benzos have slowed down my brain and it's hard to focus i haven't been able to finish my final year engineering project because i am too unfocused and also terrified of my professors

This is an important lesson/warning. Thank you for sharing. Benzodiazepines are amazingly dangerous and addictive if used over a month. My doctor prescribed me Ativan for over 15 years, and it was terribly difficult to withdrawal from its use. Near the end of my dependence, my withdrawal symptoms would set in as quick as 6 hours from the last dose and felt worse than the flu. Oddly enough, my doctor would not even help with a taper so I simply drove to the ER and asked them to help. It was a quick, yet painful detox over 6 days. (This was in mid-2018) The physical withdrawal symptoms persisted for about a month, and the social anxiety has lasted nearly 3 years. It’s my understanding that my brain needs to time to “re-wire”, and would appreciate any additional tips or recommendations to help with the prolonged emotional withdrawal symptoms, namely social anxiety. Mine is a cautionary tale for anyone whose doctor prescribes them Benzos more than 2 weeks.

I have been on benzos off and on, mostly on since 1998. My girlfriend committed suicide when we were 18, not long after I became a firefighter. From what it’s been described to me, basically a perfect storm of “ptsd” and emotional exhaustion. I’ve been off the meds around 5 months now and, I’m back to waking up with panic attacks at night again. It’s a circle that sucks and I hate it. I am going to order the book you showed on the video and give it a read. Thank you for posting the video. I’ve been arguing with myself again on going back on medication, which I don’t want to do. I will try the book.

I only have been taking ativan for 2 months and it has practically destroyed my life!!!... I am currently on a taper. Suffering withdrawal, feel terrible. Suffer mostly from over sedation. Yesterday I had a very good day, as far as a withdrawal day, but today, -- not so good. One of the worst things I suffer from is extreme thirst. It makes me almost want to give up everything. Drinking milk, sipping it helps, as does chewing gum. Ativan also gave me hyponeutremia, which is low salt in the blood, so that drinking too much liquid is dangerous, can make seizures. I have PTSD. And, I was prescribed ativan. :( But, now the water is muddied. So, what do I do???... Just keep tapering ativan. Still, talk to my therapist, still fight the ativan, still hope that, yes, - YES... I will have a life after ativan!!!... I won't accept anything else!!!

Healing occurs eventually it just takes time. Everyone has to pay the Piper. Nad+, cold showers, exercise mostly cardio, lion's mane, a clean low carb paleo diet helps speed up healing and lowers the glutamate storm.

I appreciate this information and am very thankful you put this on KZfaq.

My dad's doctors have been prescribing him lorazepam for _YEARS_ . He is 86. [He also shares it with my mother, by the way.] It was prescribed for insomnia, but I don't think it even helps much. My dad already suffered one bad fall with a fracture, and I also feel that the lorazepam has slowed his recovery and ability to walk as he used to. I now notice marked mental decline (short term memory problems, depression, increased anxiety, trouble speaking). What can a family member do when doctors keep prescribing such a harmful drug so recklessly???

I've been taking diazepam 5mg at bedtime to help me sleep for about 15 years now and have had no problems. I used to drink a lot of alcohol and since using benzodiazepines, I've quit drinking. I would say that it is a miracle drug. Keep in mind that all meds affect different people differently.

I took Alprazolam for 27 years and it has terrible effects and can be almost impossible to get off. Always took the "recommended" dose and never more, but it really changes you and disables people! I was then asked to take ssri to get out of the benzodiazepines, but have had some terrible side effects from them. I really get anxiety and spasm when I don`t take benzos in a couple of days even though it is a small dosis. What do you recommend?

coing off 40 plus years down to .5 mg 1 day skipping a day once in awhile and praying like hell I can get off them..feeling terrible like my brain is dead can't focus forgetting words confused tired at times then can't sleep for long,,,lots of short term memory issues,,,,pray my brain recovers thanks

Yes I absolutely agree that psychotherapy therapy is pretty much a waste of time when a person is drugged by a benzo and anesthetized. The patient WANTS them only because they haven't been told what the benzos are actually doing longterm. My experience? I was on benzos for 40 years. I am now OFF everything--, trying to recover from the horrific physical damage the withdrawal has done to me. I'm so glad I'm off. Contact me if you want more info.

Great information Paige!! I am just beside myself with this detox. I'm super upset this is not even kidding. I feel like an animal that has been used for testing. This is not even a joke. I'm not happy about this at all. It's been a daily battle for 102 days. I want to get better. Is that even possible??

What about benzos causes agoraphobia? While I was on then I developed it, now still almost 2 years off I have it and can’t handle outside stimuli.

It’s better to take it in combination with other meds and have it prescribed by a higher qualified doctor, a neurologist in my case. I take Klonopin for tics. It helps to take breaks to not build a high tolerance. Tics can get worse, but anxiety is usually fine. Nothing to visit an ER for. It affects everyone differently. I never had seizers or anything stopping it. Exercise and other things help also “very important when taking benzos”. If it’s not for you don’t take it. It has helped me tremendously long term. Just don’t be going through a script in a week then people wouldn’t be having such bad side affects that everyone is mentioning.

You're saying all of this. How do you stop anxiety and panic attacks. People are suffering like me for instance. Therapy does not work.

Doctor ! I am from Pakistan.i am shy, sensitive, unconfident and can not face socially and speak public since from my childhood. I feel panic attack shaking body, heart beating, sweating and not able to speak while in panic attack condition. My father also have same symptom maybe it is from genetic.I am taking colonazepam since 2009 almost 11 years . My schedule is 0.25mg in morning and at night 0.25mg daily. in 2016 suddenly in morning, i feel my body is tremor and shaking heart beating and pulse rate very high. I take colonazepam but not recover . Till now 2020 that time i am writing this comment i can not recover from this effects. Tremor, pulse rate very high whole body and heart beating, heat just like bounce . Please help me out this . I also can not trap off colonazepam beacuse i can not face the withdrawal symptoms. Please tell what can i do.

I can most definitely agree with making long term use (anything over a month) basically entirely discouraged....BUT in some situations, what happened with opioids is now beginning to happen with benzos......I have a four figure ER bill because my bp hit 197/137 .... I had never had a panic attack that bad, and I had never had a severe headache, so I told myself "I am not stroking out tonight....today isn't the day I die or become a vegetable"......So I ask my pdoc for a one off PRN script of klonopin for panic attacks....He wouldn't have it......Not even the psychiatrist at MHMR RXs benzos.....But THEY DO ABSOLUTELY HELP ARREST A PANIC ATTACK and taken ONLY prn (like say a quanitity of 30-60 with no refills for at least a year) they are not that problematic unless abused.....Now I am in the situation where I have real physical causes for hypertension in addition to psychogenic.....WHen the big one hits I am afraid I will just tell myself "It's just a panic attack, but I can't have a milligram of klonopin because they are now basically verboten".....

Was on Ativan 12yrs for spasms throat muscles... henceforth new dr weaned me off Ativan for 8 months..had all the awful symptoms that associated with benzo ... been a yr now I’m benzodiazepines free however can’t stand for more 10 mins at a time without legs and extreme back pain occurs which is new for me ..

I took 10mg Valium for the first time yesterday. I got it as a prescription to help with my difficulty in breathing due to the extreme stress of having my daughter stolen from me by my ex-wife recently. Again. I've been through this before and we went through the family court several years ago. Things have been stable with a 50/50 custody arrangement. But recently, my ex broke the court orders and has made a bunch of false claims in an effort to claim full custody for herself. You can probably imagine how stressful this was, and I thought I was experiencing asthma symptoms, not being able to get enough oxygen. Turns out asthma medication had no effect and it was my "fight or flight" response demanding oxygen. One pill is all it took for things to go back to normal and I felt fine during the effects of the Valium. I was truly amazed. But after reading about the negative effects, I think I need to be super cautious. The prescription says: "Take ONE tablet up to THREE times daily under acute stress for maximum sparing use" I really don't want to get a tolerance for this. The pill did wonders for not only my breathing but also being able to focus on other things in life than my horrible circumstances. I have not taken a 2nd dose. But I think I should keep these pills handy for times when I have to deal with my ex or otherwise subject myself to severe stress. What I really want to know is how often I can take 10mg without building up any sort of dependency or tolerance.

I was addicted horrible. I turned into a person that I didn't recognize. I was mean and cruel. I am now benzo free. The withdrawals is hell. Double hell coming off Restoril, used for short term* insomnia. I was on it for 10 years.

Hi, interesting clip! But what you say here is to my experience not the case. I think it depends on person, biologi we have and our gens! I have been using clonazepam 1 mg/day for 20 years. And never needed to take higher dose. And it really help my gad. But then once again....if you are a person that have problems with tolerance it could be a disaster. But if you are a person that can handle it and use it the right way, and in the right purpose it could be a very good medicine. So once again.... It's probably more about what gens we have. I quitted antidepressants many years ago! And that if some medicine gave me withdrawal.

I've had ocd for over 20 years, it does not get any better...

Hi Paige I just wanted to recommend that you watch videos from the Medicating Normal. Your explanation of the subject is a very good and logical one, and I think that this might be interesting for you (and also for everyone else who read these comments).

Great video, excellent, accurate and responsible information - thank you. A major problem with eliminating benzodiazepines is that there aren't many safe and/or effective medications that can help significantly with anxiety that can be substituted. Yes, there are other medications such as anti-depressants that can also reduce anxiety, but if they worked well enough, benzodiazepines prescriptions would have ceased. Also, it can take a while for patients to find the best anti-depressant for them, and the right dosage for that matter too - which of course, is another risk for patients. You are correct that psychotherapy is highly effective, but some patients will need more than that. The medical profession have known of the dangers surrounding benzos for long enough and have had a lot of time to come up with a better medication. In the scheme of things, they aren't much safer than barbiturates. It's an area that still needs so much attention, time and research.

By the way thank you for your concerns for others. Helping others from a professional point of veiw. Many are aware of their concerns. But, many times their concerns are not valid by professionals ☹️ 🐛🦋🌺💖💕

Dangers to all meds mam not just benzo its a great med if used correctly!!!

i only take lorazepam when im really edgy and about to have a panic attack.

A benzo saved my life in severe alcohol withdrawal. Only needed it about a week and haven't drank since. We need to start taking responsibility for our own actions and stop blaming the drugs and or drug makers. BTW, I notice you "conveniently" forgot Librium for the alcohol withdrawal.

I took benzos for 7 years because my ms got worse and so did the anxiety. But the last 3 years they started not to work as well. So i made the worst mistake of my life and took more than prescribed. My prescription was 3 pills a day and it didn't take long before it went up and up till i was taking 10 a day. On my last year taking them ms hit me hard and i lost the sight in 1 eye. The depression and anxiety got so bad that i was up to 18 a day. I woke up not knowing who i was at times, or where i was. Bad hallucinations, and at times i felt like i was a completely different person even with their own thoughts and memories. And because of that i ran out of a 3 month script in less than a month. That would then lead me to attempt killing myself a few times. After the nasty withdraw ended i swore never to take them again.

It's Weind, i just got out of detox a week and a half ago. 8 days in a facility that i can only describe as a prison. Fast forward a week. These doctors gave me a cocktail of medication (Benzos) to take. My only guess would to be to keep my away from alcohol, in hopes i forget about it? No tools, no help phone line. Just about 3 bottles of pills; and was told if you run out, come back. Not sure if this is TMI but if you could break this don for me to make some kind of sense, i would greatly appreciate it. Anything is better than death. My RX is as follows 2mg Lorazapam ... Take when needed. 7.5mg Imovane/Zopiclone...Once before bed time 50mg Trazadone... Take 3 tablets at bedtime Now, doesn't that seem a bit much?

A great video. Lots of info. I'm sorry though I cannot trust doctors anymore. I have been injured to bad by benzos!!!

This is definitely one of the most informative videos on benzodiazepines.

Benzodiazepines destroyed my beautiful mother. They gave her a life of pain and illness and ended up killing her. Feeling very sad right now

I have been on benzodiazepines since I was 14 years old. I am 67 now. I came through high school, straight A's. Same with life. Raised 2 sons 7 years apart, lost a daughter to crib death between boys. My nerve pills were a given. I have taken valium and xanax for 50 plus years. I am as sharp as a tack, but I have had 2 breakdowns. I believe they were withdrawal from xanax. Can you help me before I wind up in the looney bin?

Found your channel to be helpful without the eeeks your going to die from withdrawals...I have been on Alprazolam 0,5mg 3xday , my doctor left and now the new one said no. No to refill or anything about what/why .I heard cold turkey will kill me and that's how it has been left for me to do. I am 68 yrs. old and very stressed after fire, head on car accident and husband with failing organs at 55 yrs old. What advice can you help me with. I am hoping to go off without killing myself or my marriage.