The Sleep Is A Skill Podcast 084: Nicole Lamberson, Co-founder Of The Withdrawal Project & Rep Of Benzodiazepine Information Coalition (BIC): What You Need To Know About Benzos For Sleep + Info On This MUST-KNOW Benzodiazepine Nonprofit!
Benzodiazepines are a type of medicine typically used to treat anxiety and insomnia. However, when used over the long term, they can be highly addictive and dangerous for many reasons.
In this episode, we hear from Nicole Lamberson, a physician assistant, and member of the Benzodiazepine Coalition. Benzodiazepines and other “z-drugs” devastated Nicole's health.
She has experience taking benzodiazepines (Klonopin, Xanax, Valium) and a Z-drug (Ambien) and with withdrawal syndrome, which caused significant disruption to her sleep (insomnia). Nicole and the Benzodiazepine Information Coalition caution the long term use of benzos for sleep. We discuss sleep and anxiety during the withdrawal process & beyond, the strategies to address these concerns, and ways to connect with qualified benzo-literate doctors to support a tapering process when applicable. The Benzodiazepine Coalition is an organization dedicated to raising awareness about the risks of these drugs, and Nicole is proud to be a part of their work. By sharing her story, she hopes to help others avoid the same problem and be aware of what can happen if they are prescribed these drugs.
GUEST BIO:
Nicole is a Physician Assistant residing in Virginia. She obtained a BS at James Madison University in 2000 and then went on to complete the Master of Physician Assistant program at Eastern Virginia Medical School in 2004. She practiced in an Urgent Care and Occupational Medicine setting until severe illness from benzodiazepine withdrawal syndrome left her unable to work.
In 2005, she was prescribed Xanax for “work-related stress.” Over the course of five years, she developed many classic symptoms of benzodiazepine tolerance withdrawal, which multiple psychiatrists misdiagnosed as mental illness. This resulted in prescribed polypharmacy to “treat” the troubling symptoms of tolerance, including two benzodiazepines prescribed simultaneously, a Z-drug, an antidepressant, and an antipsychotic. In late 2010, after discovering a magazine article authored by a journalist experiencing similar symptoms from his prescribed benzodiazepine, Nicole was prompted to research further and made the connection between her own troubling symptoms and the medication. This was followed by her immediate decision to withdraw. Unfortunately, lacking the proper guidance or information at the time regarding the absolute need for a slow taper, she was negligently cold-turkeyed in a detox center. This ultimately resulted in a severe and protracted withdrawal syndrome that persists to date.
When symptoms allow, Nicole writes about benzodiazepines and their potential to cause severe and/or protracted withdrawal syndromes and volunteers her time helping with ongoing benzodiazepine awareness initiatives including Benzodiazepine Information Coalition and the Benzodiazepine Action Work Group of the Colorado Consortium. Nicole also co-founded The Withdrawal Project and she does marketing, distribution and outreach for Medicating Normal-The Film. She is an associate at the International Institute for Psychiatric Drug Withdrawal. She hopes to continue to use her lived experience to advocate for more education and awareness around benzodiazepine risks and harms as well as for changes in prescribing and withdrawal practices. Other interests include the primal lifestyle.
SHOW NOTES:
💊 Nicole suffered from the profound effects of Benzo and z drugs, which led her to join the Benzodiazepine Coalition
💊 Benzodiazepines/Z-drugs (sleeping pills) and sleep disturbances
💊 What are the risks of long-term use (beyond a week or more)
💊 According to BIC, between 40 and 80% of people who take benzodiazepines for any significant period will develop physical dependence and have withdrawal syndrome.
💊 What is the withdrawal syndrome when coming off benzodiazepines
💊 Tips will help you get the proper assistance and avoid missing clear information and guidance
💊 Physical dependence on a drug can be a severe problem, but it is not the same as addiction
💊 Are you still safe from the adverse effects of Benzodiazepines even if you are not abusing them?
💊 Benzodiazepines coalition offers a variety of strategies and treatment options to help you safely explore your benzodiazepines drug physical dependence with qualified professionals
💊 FREE RESOURCE: medicatingnormal.com/watch is a good film that summarizes the problems with benzos and psychiatric medications
SPONSOR:
Huge shoutout to our sponsor: Biooptimizers!
They are my nightly source of magnesium supplementation
go to www.magbreakthrough.com/sleepisaskill for the kind I use every night!
Website: benzoinfo.com
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DISCLAIMER:
The information contained on this podcast, our website, newsletter, and the resources available for download are not intended as, and shall not be understood or construed as, medical or health advice. The information contained on these platforms is not a substitute for medical or health advice from a professional who is aware of the facts and circumstances of your individual situation.
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