We held an emergency meeting as a Board and decided to continue our mission as an organization. We know Christy Huff would want this, and we believe we’ve made too much progress to stop.
We extend our gratitude to everyone who has offered kind messages on social media and shown respect for BIC and Christy’s family during this difficult time. While we continue to request privacy to mourn the loss of our dear friend, we wish to provide the following updates.
Christy Huff Memorial Fund
All donations made in memory of Christy will be directed toward the projects she was most passionate about, including research, media outreach, and public awareness campaigns regarding the risks associated with benzodiazepines.
Depending on the amount raised, we may allocate funds to support journalistic grants covering this story, cover the expenses of presenting at conferences, or finance research initiatives.
To contribute to this fund, please donate through our website and select the option “Dedicate my donation in honor or in memory of someone.” After selecting this option, you will find a space to type Christy’s name.
If you wish to notify her family of your donation, you can include her email, christy@benzoinfo.com, in the “Notify this person by” section of the donation form, and we will inform her family about your gift in her honor.
If you prefer to donate via check, please send it to:
Benzodiazepine Information Coalition
PO Box 1433
Venice, FL 34284
Please write “Christy Huff Memorial” on the memo line of the check and make it payable to Benzodiazepine Information Coalition. If you would like to include a personal note for her family, we will ensure it reaches them.
Nicole Lamberson, PA, has been appointed to serve on our Board of Directors as our Interim Medical Director
Nicole has been a powerful advocate for our organization since 2017, proudly serving on our Medical Advisory Board. While acknowledging that Christy Huff’s contributions cannot be replaced, we firmly believe that Nicole is the best choice for this position in her absence. We know Christy would share this sentiment.
Send Us Your Memories of Christy
In the future, we will memorialize Christy and plan to tell her story in conjunction with her family, as she wanted it told.
We need your help!
We’d love to hear from anyone whose life Christy touched, whether directly or indirectly, through her work. Email bic@benzoinfo.com or leave a comment on this post. If you met Christy or saw her speak, we’d love it if you included any photos or videos you may have.
We are deeply touched by the outpouring of support during this challenging time and extend our heartfelt thanks to all who have expressed concern and continued their support.
Please stay tuned for more information as we release it.
Dr. Huff was always kind and help me when I messaged her, this journey is from the Pitts of Hell. Dr. Huff, she would say, hang in there healing is happening. I still suffer everyday, I so wish I could message her again and hear iam making progress. Rest in peace Dr. Huff, your suffering is over. may God help us in this torture. Your friend Jerry LaRue
Cette pauvre Christie. J ai pu exprimer mes problèmes similaires elle a su me réconforter dans ce que je ressentait en plus c était une cardiologue de cœur condoléances à toute sa famille…
I never met her, but upon tapering off clonazepam I found her through you tube and her videos helped me immensely understand that I wasn’t crazy and everything I was going through was because of the evil drug. I’m so sorry for her loss. She has helped so many. Thank you for continuing this important cause.
I never met Christy but like so many here in the United Kingdom I felt I knew her – as a guide, friend and advocate – as I suffered two and a half years of debilitating symptoms after taking a benzodiapine (low dose and intermittently) exactly as prescribed. I felt her ‘holding my hand’ as I endured month after month of agonising akathisia, and many other intolerable symptoms, from which I am slowly recovering. Most importantly of all, due to her and the coalition’s work I never felt ‘alone’. As the UK medical profession shook their heads in disbelief that my symptoms could possibly be caused by such a low dose, I felt that there was someone – albeit from across the ocean – who was advocating for us all. Rest in peace, lovely Christy. Your worldwide legacy is greater than you could ever have imagined.
I was blessed to meet Christy through a mutual friend this past Fall. I am going through Benzo withdrawal and was introduced to her to play an online word game. She and I were both just looking for distractions and easy conversation. Although I didn’t know her for long, we developed a friendship and chatted daily about our lives and families. I am beyond heartbroken that she has left us. She made the world a better place. I am sending my most sincere condolences and heartfelt prayers to her family and friends.
Dena Ayers
Concord, NC
Christy’s posts and writings gave me hope, and validation when I had none. I don’t remember how I found her and BIC but in many ways, they saved my sanity and my life as she explained what I was going through, particularly inter-dose dependence, when no one else could. One doctor called me a drug seeker.
I was on Fluoroquinolones for years for UTIs and a doctor told me the damage caused by them contributed to my adverse reaction to ativan, which I was prescribed for an adverse reaction to predisone.
In the midst of my withdrawal and coming to live with BIND (Benzo Inducted Neurological Disfunction) having symptoms 5 and a half years after tapering off, and wondering if I will ever heal completely, Christy was my hero.
May her memory be a blessing to her family and the community she gave so much to.
I couldn’t believe she was gone:(
How were you diagnosed with BIND? What kind of Dr.?
Sincere condolences to her family.
Dr Christy Huff thank you for raising awareness about the dangers of benzodiazepines you and Heather Ashton are true angels my condolences to your family.xxx
She was a welcome, professional, believable & sane voice in the deep, dark woods of this insane place SO many of us find ourselves in with a medical community that seems to minor have a CLUE. She & some brave others spoke out & shared their journey.
I am beyond grateful.
I am beyond sad for her family & friends.
I am beyond grateful the BIC is continuing. She definitely would’ve wanted that.
From Stephanie in BC, Canada
I want to send my condolences to all of Christy’s family and all the people she helped in this community. Christy was a support to me at one time when I was really sick and I can’t thank her enough for that. She gave her time to many people and gave them hope when they had none. Going through a health crisis and the Benzo injury at the same time truly made her one of the strongest people I know and coming from someone who was extremely sick from this injury says a lot. She will be missed and I pray for peace for her family. Rest in peace Christy 💕💕💕💕🙏🙏🙏
I am heartbroken by the passing of Christy. Her story was one of the first I found when I was ill. She was so brave sharing her story on her blog, which validated my experience. I thanked her personally for sharing through social media and she was very kind in her response.
As I started my own research and my podcast, I was honored she was willing to share her story there. Later, she helped me with a personal project for the show. Christy was always willing to help and I admire her fierce advocacy work, which has raised so much awareness for the Benzo harmed community. I praise her for her work towards getting the updated Black Boxed Warning, the Colorado Deprescribing Guidence and countless other projects. I have had the honor to get to know her more personally and she is on of my heroes I met in this journey.
My deepest condolences to everyone close to her and BIC. May she rest in peace.
Naftal Benisty
the Netherlands
I’m very saddened by the loss of Dr Huff. Her work as a medical professional with lived experience is such a very profound contribution. I haven’t been in the benzo community for several years as I’ve tried to get on with my life. I’m sure she’s done so much more than I know. Thank you so much Dr. Christy. My heartfelt condolences to her family and friends.
Dear Benzodiazepine Information Coalition,
I was deeply saddened to learn of the passing of Dr. Christy Huff. Please accept my heartfelt condolences on this sorrowful loss.
Dr. Huff was a remarkable individual who inspired many through her courage and compassion. Even during the immense challenges of her own difficult benzodiazepine taper, as documented in her powerful report “One Year Off Benzodiazepines: A Doctor’s Journey,” she consistently responded to my inquiries with great kindness despite her struggles. Recalling her warmth and generosity fills me with profound gratitude.
Dr. Huff’s legacy, including seminal works like “One Year Off Benzodiazepines”, “CHRISTINE’S STORY: ATIVAN, WITHDRAWAL, AKATHISIA AND SUICIDE,”, and “What I Was Not Taught in Medical School About Benzodiazepines”, and any other valuable activities will continue to educate and provide hope to thousands in Japan too who have read her accounts of perseverance in the face of adversity.
Her contributions have left an indelible mark, and she will be dearly missed. During this time of mourning, please let me know if there is anything I can do to honor Dr. Huff’s memory. My thoughts and prayers are with you all.
Sincerely,
Atom Yah
Benzo Info Japan
Web: https://benzoinfojapan.org
X: https://twitter.com/benzoinfojapan
For Christy’s friends, family, BIC colleagues, and our broader bz recovery and activism community: I am so sorry for your loss. I never met Christy in person or otherwise, but followed her work, research, and activism closely. Her work, research, and activism directly touched my life as I moved through the processes of: (1) recognizing the harm of bzs I’d been taking as prescribed; (2) communicating that harm to my PCP through research and advocacy (much of which she conducted/authored); (3) identifying peer support communities I would need as I embarked on the deprescription journey; and (4) persisting through my own difficult journey through tapering and BIND knowing there is HOPE. What tremendous gifts these are to me, a complete stranger! Through her choice to use her training and professional networks for advocacy, Christy modeled for me how one might take injury and pain and turn it into something productive and world-changing for others. Again, I am so sorry to hear this news, and send all my condolences to those who knew and loved her, including those of you at BIC.
BIC has a unique role to play in advocacy for reform of the bad medical practices which lead to prescribed BZD harm, and it must go on despite this heartbreaking loss. The Alliance also does excellent work–especially when it works in collaboration with BIC– but to date the medical directors of the Alliance have not had lived experience. My personal feeling is that BIC plays a unique role in speaking for the BZD harmed patient community. Without lived experience, misunderstandings and mistakes may be made by even the best intentioned reform minded health professionals. Christy was a medical professional who could speak from personal experience of prescribed BZD harm, and Nicole has a foot in both worlds too. That is essential for our medical director. This tragic loss hits hardest at those who knew Christy best. Her family by far first and most, her close friends and her colleagues next. Please accept my deepest condolences and heartfelt sympathy.
Thank you for sharing your thoughts here. I couldn’t agree more about the necessity for advocates with lived experience to be among ranking members of these important organizations. It is vital for those enduring the horror to find validation and hope through shared experience due to the isolating nature of the injury. Dr. Huff’s contributions to this cause have helped countless people, myself included and will continue to do so into the future.
This is extremely sad for all the BeNZO community! Christy was one of the first interviews I heard that explained what was happening to me. RIP Dear Christy! Heaven gained another Angel! 😢🙏🏻❤️
I’m so saddened by the loss of Dr Huff. Her important work must continue. My deepest condolences and prayers to her friends and family in this difficult time. May she rest in peace. ❤️