The Benzo Book: Getting Safely off Tranqulizers

If you are trying to get off of benzos.. this is a tremendous help. I couldn't get any help from 3 different doctors I went to for help to stop XANAX. After 20 years on this horrible drug that no doctor told me was so bad...I realized it was doing things to me that I didn't like. I knew I needed to taper off and thought it would be fairly easy. I started the taper and realized how difficult it was getting so I asked my doctor for help. I was treated like ...it's no big deal!!! But I knew what I was feeling. So I went to a different doctor who told me she would have to research it!!!! But she didn't know everything about the drug she prescribes and didn't have time!! She just gave me more of the XANAX. I know from internet research that I needed Valium to help because it's not as strong and stays in the system longer so your body isn't craving the XANAX. When I told the doctors what I had researched on my own they treated me like a drug addict.If you have a doctor that knows the whole story about XANAX and will work with you...great!! But this book saved my sanity because of everything the body goes through during the withdrawal. I bought 3 different books but this one has the very best information.

I am a clinical psychologist who read this book to further my knowledge about Benzo addiction and withdrawal symptoms.This book was written by a man who had a lengthy and difficult experience during his slow taper off of benzos. He spoke about the symptoms that he personally experienced and how drastically often debilitating effects of benzo withdrawal affected his functioning, mood, and family life. In between discussing his own experience, he wrote chapters about the biological reasons that withdrawing from benzos can be so trying and even dangerous.The author also talked about the corruption in the FDA and drug companies, who are often in cohoots to approve drugs that are potentially dangerous for the sake of making money and advancing their own careers. He reviews some non-drug treatments for depression which have been minimized as they were not as lucrative as medications. It's an eye-opening perspective to be presented in our American culture, which suggests that we should take a pill for any and all ailments and turn a blind eye to the potentially dangerous side effects.This book is a must-read for anyone who is currently taking benzos or considering tapering off of them. Although some people have few problems getting off benzos, some have horrendous problems. He talks about the Ashton method of super-slow tapering and how it can help to find a psychiatrist willing to use this method to gradually reduce your dose.I would also strongly recommend it for clinicians and psychiatrists so they can guide their clients toward safe decisions about benzos and other medication options.

Anyone addicted to benzo's, whether physically or psychologically, needs to read this book...and then read it again. Often the dangers of these types of medications are not made fully clear to patients who have no clue how much damage they can do. Whether you just want to know more about benzo's, or you're fighting an addiction of your own, this book will be useful to you. Why? Because the author has been through nearly every nightmare that you can experience once you become dependent on these drugs. It's in these experiences that the reader finds small relief from their own horrors.This book is not written by a doctor, but it covers everything the average person wants to really know about this drug. If I want to know the damage a drug can do, my best bet to get the full truth is to ask someone who's been damaged by it...not a doctor. Too often, doctors are disconnected from the dangers of the drugs they prescribe. This book offers an opportunity to relate to someone else's experience and in it find some sort of comfort and direction for the process of becoming benzo-free.Personally, I think everyone who is considering benzo therapy or is currently using it should read this book. Yes, these drugs are generally safe...but they become even safer when people know just what can happen when you take them too often for too long. This is an aspect doctors often skip, so its up to the patients to educate themselves. Only a very small percent of people who use benzo's will experience what this author has experienced...but that number can possibly be reduced if people are just made more aware of how these drugs work and what happens when they stop working properly. For this reason, I highly recommend this book.

I'm conservative with book ratings and seldom give 5 stars. But I think this book deserves it. Not only does this book have a lot of useful information about benzos, withdrawal symptoms, and how to taper, but it also includes some helpful psychological techniques to deal with the symptoms. And I found the author's story well written and interesting to follow.You can find most of the information in this book online if you search hard enough. But I like having it all in one place, and like I said it is also an interesting read.

The author helped me understand what I'm going thru is normal. Benzo hell exists and that I wasn't alone in my fight to get off a substance I was over prescribed for 15 years. But most importantly he is giving me a glimpse of hope at stage 18 of the Ashton manel I didn't think could exist.

thanks for this important book in my life for me was very special reading i recomend to everbody who knows what is benzo medicines ok tks amazon for the best service tks all best wishs

i had known of Prof Ashton's Protocol but you make the whole thing make sense in easy language. you have really given me hope. i would recommend the book to anyone on benzos for whatever reason. i give 5 stars because of the huge impact the book made on me

Ordered for a friend they found it informative

Useful account of benzodiazepine addiction