Benzo Free : The World of Anti-Anxiety Drugs and the Reality of Withdrawal

Do you suffer from anxiety or insomnia? Have you ever taken Xanax to help? What about Klonopin, Ativan, or Valium? Perhaps Ambien or Lunesta? Over 36 million people in the U.S. take benzodiazepines, nonbenzodiazepines (z-drugs), or thienodiazepines every day, and very few know anything about them. My goal is to change that. Benzo Free is the result of four years of investigative research on over a thousand scientific studies, articles, and personal accounts. This book is not a diatribe against doctors or the pharmaceutical industry. That?s not my style. Instead, my goal is to provide an honest and objective analysis of the world of anti-anxiety medication, tell the real story of withdrawal, and share my personal experiences along the way. And I?ve documented hundreds of references to back up it all up. Benzo drug use, addiction, and dependence is an underground epidemic. This is not an exaggeration. Some have even claimed these drugs are the ?world?s deadliest pills.? Just spend a few hours online on the benzo recovery boards and you will quickly understand the magnitude of this problem. Most governments and medical associations advise against prescribing benzos for longer than four weeks, and yet millions are currently taking them long-term. Some for as long as 20 years. Why is this a problem? Simple. Benzos are addictive. The research in this book proves it. Not only can these drugs come with some severe side effects during normal use, but once one decides to withdraw, things can become very serious, very fast. Tapering from the medication slowly, as recommended, can lead to something called benzodiazepine withdrawal syndrome (BWS), a debilitating, painful, and often life-altering neurological illness which can last months, even years. Stopping these drugs cold turkey, not recommended, can cause seizures, hallucinations, paralysis, and even death in extreme cases. It is estimated that almost half of all long-term benzo users will experience BWS. That?s over two million people in the U.S. and U.K. alone.  I am one of those people. I took clonazepam (Klonopin) for over 12 years, tapered for 18 months, and have now been benzo-free for four years. During this time I?ve had over a hundred medical appointments with a variety of specialists, faced a wall of disbelief and scorn from friends and doctors alike, been unable to hold a job, and endured some of the most painful and debilitating symptoms one could imagine. It?s been a long five years, and I still struggle today. If you have been taking a benzo or z-drug long-term, please don?t panic. Benzo withdrawal is manageable, even easy for some. There are a lot of excellent resources out there to help you on your journey, and this book is just one ...