In late March, we put out a call to action for U.S. patients who had suddenly lost access to their prescribed benzodiazepines, making safe tapering impossible. Today, we’re grateful to share that The New York Times has published the resulting article: “When They Couldn’t Get Benzos Anymore, Quitting Was Torture.”
The piece highlights the horrific experiences patients face during forced discontinuation, including BIND (benzodiazepine-induced neurological dysfunction). We were surprised to see the quoted experts were Dr. Carl Salzman and Dr. Edward K. Silberman—members of the International Task Force on Benzodiazepines, a group known for advocating in support of benzodiazepine prescribing. Even they had to admit the grim reality: “some patients were left shaving flakes off pills just to survive.”
We were also surprised by the article’s suggestion to switch to an antidepressant. There is no evidence that antidepressants help with benzodiazepine withdrawal, and they carry their own risks, including physiological dependence and withdrawal. We do not support substituting one psychiatric drug for another without full informed consent and a clear, patient-led choice.
That said, we’re glad patients now have a nationally recognized article they can point to when pushing back against prescribers attempting to cut them off—especially the line: “It’s absolutely insane to pressure people to get off and to withdraw people abruptly.”
We thank journalist Christina Caron for her thoughtful reporting—and for generously providing a gift link so the article is accessible to all.
Most of all, thank you to every person who bravely shared their story. You made this possible.
Read the article here.
Please help. Klonopin prescribed at age 20 not knowing what I do now. Cold turkey 4 mg a day. Went to detox and came out sicker. Feel like I’m dying
My name is Matt. I’m a disabled American veteran dependent on Valium. I’m down to 2.5 mg and my Physchitrist is hell bent on getting me off these pills. I asked if she knew about the Ashton method. Well anyway the veterans administration has facilities for Sundance abuse and ptsd and other things. The detox off pills program is 3minthd long no matter what. I hope I cxx as n get off these last of these pills and have don’t type of life left without protracted withdrawal dad. I’m 65 yrs old and it’s been brutal in my body coming off third pills
Thank you for listening to me
Yes I’m one of those people
Where to even begin? When you have a drug so strong,deadly ,and addictive that we have to “shave pieces off to survive”,and even “known benzo-advocates”,(we have a couple of these on a local street corner), warn about the deadly possibilities of cold-turkey and fast withdrawal,WHY in the name of God’s mercy are “doctors” STILL so ignorant and reckless?(Investigate,if you don’t know already, how the the opioid epidemic in Appalachia started with:”safe,effective,non-addictive,doctor-prescribed OxyContin”.Death rate in this area now hovers close to 42% higher than the rest of the U.S.). Years ago,the late,great Dr Heather Ashton warned about SSRI’s, but here we are: “doctors” poly-drugging the life out of people in benzo withdrawal. They add and abruptly take away more dangerous chemicals than a child playing with their first chemistry set. Dr Frankenstein blushes. On the note of SSRI’s,here’s a little ditty “doctors” don’t play for the people they get hooked on these monsters: Reversible Vasoconstriction Syndrome.Many people on long-term SSRI’s have found out the hard way: RVCS is not “rare” or particularly “reversible” and it’s totally life destroying. Maybe the best cure for “doctors” who believe THEY know best is for them to actually take the life-destroying dope they pedal for awhile. You go first.