The Benzo Free Podcast

Road Trip to the Rx Summit in Atlanta (Day 5-6) / 1st Day of Rx Summit, Small Victories, Managing Benzo Limitations, BIND, Pelvic Floor Dysfunction and Urinary Difficulties, Fear of Heights, and Finding Ways to Do Things https://www.easinganxiety.com/post/rx-road-trip-day-5-6-conference-day-1-symptom-management-bfp120 Video ID: BFP120 Chapters 00:00 Welcome to Days 5-6 00:28 Day 5 Recap 01:31 Firs...

Road Trip to the Rx Summit in Atlanta (Day 4) / Nashville, TN to Alpharetta, GA / Driving and Flying Working Around Limitations, Emotions and Social Media, Setting Boundaries https://www.easinganxiety.com/post/rx-road-trip-day-4-limitations-and-boundaries-bfp119 Video ID: BFP119 Chapters 00:00 Welcome to Georgia 02:16 Managing My Symptoms 1 02:46 Hotel Room Tour 04:51 Driving in the Rai 05:42 Mana...

Road Trip to the Rx Summit in Atlanta (Day 3) / Branson, MO to Nashville, TN / Back Home in Missouri, People with Crosses on the Roadside, Getting Out There and Doing Things https://www.easinganxiety.com/post/rx-road-trip-day-3-people-on-the-roadside-bfp118 Video ID: BFP118 Chapters 00:00 Welcome to Opryland 01:11 Back Home in Missouri 03:27 Roadside Crosses: Preface 07:29 Roadside Crosses: Interv...

Road Trip to the Rx Summit in Atlanta (Day 2) / Salina, KS to Branson, MO / Benzos and indecision, the loss of confidence, life becoming small, and appreciation of the little things. https://www.easinganxiety.com/post/rx-road-trip-day-2-benzos-confidence-and-indecision-bfp117 Video ID: BFP117 Chapters 00:00 Welcome to Branson 01:24 Drive Status 01:58 Confidence, Indecision, and Benzos 07:10 Life B...

Road Trip to the Rx Summit in Atlanta (Day 1) / Denver to Salina, Kansas / Series introduction, why I like road trips, a friendly voice. https://www.easinganxiety.com/post/rx-road-trip-day-1-series-intro Video ID: BFP116 Chapters 00:00 Welcome to Day 1 00:47 About the Road Trip 02:45 Why I Like Road Trips 03:33 Our New Social Feeds 04:31 Human Connection 07:33 A Friendly Voice 09:11 I Hope You’ll...

David Powers is an artist, filmmaker, PhD candidate in psychology, and founder of Powers Benzo Recovery Coaching. After a severe car accident, David became dependent on diazepam. Now benzo-free, he helps others through his films, videos, and coaching. In Part II of our conversation, we learn about support, coaching, and membership sites. We also discuss psychology, overprescribing, gratitude, burn...

David Powers is an artist, filmmaker, PhD candidate in psychology, and founder of Powers Benzo Recovery Coaching. After a severe car accident, David became dependent on diazepam. Now benzo-free, he helps others through his films, videos, and coaching. In Part I of our conversation, we hear about David’s personal struggle with benzodiazepines. We also discuss research and funding, the limbic system...

What happens when COVID meets BIND? What happens when someone in protracted benzodiazepine withdrawal gets long COVID? Does it set off a wave? Does it make their benzo symptoms worse? Tune in for answers and more. In today’s episode, we explore COVID and benzodiazepine withdrawal (BIND). We also look at endogenous benzodiazepines, hear two benzo stories of success, and visit the launch of our new...

What can we do about tinnitus? What about brain lock? What about insomnia? Does alcohol help? Can flumazenil fix this? What about overwhelm and isolation? These and other questions are discussed as we dive deep into the mailbag. In today’s episode, we explore the mailbag — in particular, your YouTube comments. We also catch up on D’s health, progress with the workgroup, some exciting conference ne...

The Z-drugs: Ambien. Lunesta. Sonata. What are these? Are they benzos? Hypnotics? When did they hit the market? Can they cause dependence? Withdrawal? BIND? These questions and more will be discussed in our feature today. In today’s episode, we focus on nonbenzodiazepines, or Z-drugs. How are they like benzodiazepines, and how are they different? We also answer some questions about dosage, duratio...

Dr. Anna Lembke is our guest today — and trust me — you don’t want to miss this one! We discuss benzodiazepine tapering, substitution, the dopamine cycle, flumazenil, anxiety, social media, finding a doctor and so much more. Anna Lembke, MD is a professor of psychiatry at Stanford University School of Medicine, chief of the Stanford Addiction Medicine Dual Diagnosis Clinic, and an internationally...

What happens when you need surgery during protracted benzodiazepine withdrawal (BIND)? How do you manage the anxiety? Do you take meds? Benzos? Opioids? How do you handle recovery? Join D on his personal 14-day journey. In part 2 of this 2-part series, the surgery is completed and D reviews his decision to be given a benzodiazepine for sedation. He monitors its effect on his symptoms, discusses hi...

What happens when you need surgery during protracted benzodiazepine withdrawal (BIND)? How do you manage the anxiety? Do you take meds? Benzos? Opioids? How do you handle recovery? Join D on his personal 14-day journey. In part 1 of this 2-part series, D discusses his anxiety, insomnia, and other complications leading up to the surgery. He also shares his fear of cancellation, his struggles to fin...

Are benzos effective for treating anxiety? Insomnia? Seizures? If they aren’t safe, what is the evidence? How many BIND symptoms are there? Could these be permanent? And what about COVID? Tune in for the surprising answers. In today’s episode, we ask some key questions about benzos and provide real answers, with evidence to back them. We also share questions from our international listeners on CBD...

Have you ever been afraid to turn on the news? To check your social media feed? To visit your favorite discussion group? Have you ever been so afraid of your own emotions and reactions that you isolate completely? Well, so has D. In today’s episode, D tries something different…again. He hits the record button with absolutely no idea what he is going to talk about. No script. No topic. No agenda. W...

COVID and BIND. Symptoms and setbacks. Isolation. Distraction. Memory loss. Relationships and loss. And of course, acceptance and success. What do these all have in common? Well, they all are related to benzos, and we will cover them today.   In today’s episode, we revisit our mailbag and hear your comments, your questions, and your feedback. D also shares his 8-year anniversary and even invents a...

Two benzo survivors. Two caregivers. Pizza. Cookies. And a covered porch in a rainstorm.  What else could you want? Join us for this very special and revealing conversation about living with benzos from two couples who know it intimately. In today’s episode, we share our second benzo chat recorded on our recent road trip. On June 5th of this year, Shana and I joined Steve and Heather on a porch at...

Enough about me — it’s time to hear from you. Welcome to our very first “Benzo Chat.” An in-person, casual conversation with you, the champions living day in and day out with benzo dependence, withdrawal, and BIND. In our inaugural episode, we sit down with Rob in the great state of Oklahoma. We talk online forums, exercise, insomnia, diet, detox, cognitive dysfunction, and so much more. His story...

What’s it like being sick while in protracted benzo withdrawal, or BIND? Do you rest or push through it? Do you take medication? Antibiotics? Steroids? What if you’re away from home? And what do you do to avoid getting sick next time? In today’s episode, D shares his experience on the road battling a respiratory virus, along with a wave of symptoms from BIND. He also explores self-care, setting pr...

Do we truly recover from protracted benzo withdrawal (BIND)? What does that look like? What about from other psych medications? Can we realistically get back to “normal” after all of this? And if so, how? Join D and Dr. Jenn for this intimate conversation.   In today’s episode, we welcome therapist and benzo coach Jennifer Leigh back to the podcast. Dr. Jenn has helped many individuals recover fro...

CONGRATULATIONS! We made it! Episode 100! Thank you all for getting us here. Pour the champagne (non-alcoholic of course), gather around, reminisce a bit, and let’s celebrate. And how do we do that? Well, with stories of success, of course. In today’s episode, we share several positive stories from individuals who have struggled with BIND (benzo withdrawal) and who have found success. We also look...

What do we call this condition so many of us have been dealing with for so long? Benzo withdrawal? Protracted Withdrawal? Persistent Benzo Withdrawal? Benzo Toxicity? Benzo Brain Injury? Or something completely different? In today’s episode of the podcast, we introduce a new term to many of you — Benzodiazepine-Induced Neurological Dysfunction (BIND). We look at what it means, where it came from,...

What is mindset, and why is it so important in benzo withdrawal? Are setbacks common, and how do you work through them? Are benzos too limited now? Is it okay to wait to withdraw? Is this permanent? These questions and so much more. In today’s episode, I dive into our mailbag again and listen to you. Your questions. Your comments. Your stories. You are the heart of this podcast, and these are my f...

Dr. Alexis Ritvo is a board-certified addiction psychiatrist and assistant professor of psychiatry at the University of Colorado School of Medicine. She is also Medical Director for the Alliance for Benzodiazepine Best Practices and Co-Chair for the Benzodiazepine Action Work Group. In Part II of our conversation with Dr. Ritvo, we dive into the world of the benzo experience that so many of us fac...

Dr. Alexis Ritvo is a board-certified addiction psychiatrist and assistant professor of psychiatry at the University of Colorado School of Medicine. She is also Medical Director for the Alliance for Benzodiazepine Best Practices and Co-Chair for the Benzodiazepine Action Work Group. In Part I of our conversation with Dr. Ritvo, we dive into the world of benzo advocacy and outreach. We discuss ongo...