Benzodiazepine Awareness with Geraldine Burns

Episode 46: An Interview with Dr. Josef Witt-Doerring

In this episode I have a very frank interview with Dr. Josef Witt-Doerring. Dr. Witt-Doerring is a psychiatrist and former FDA medical officer/pharmaceutical physician who now treats patients with drug injuries. If you're interested in what he has to say you can find out more about him over on his website WittDoerringpsychiatry.com or YouTube channel at Witt-Doerring Psychiartry. He is the type of psychiatrist I wish we all had run into.  I hope someday, every psychiatrist runs thei...

Episode 45: Austin - Disabled to Becoming a Nurse

This was one episode I wanted to do for a while, but due to computer problems back in September of 2021 and then both of our lives getting hectic, I’m just now getting back to doing this unbelievable story which I feel will give so many hope of a full recovery. When I interviewed Teryn in Episode 22 she talked about the other woman she met in the benzo groups who was as sick as her.  Today I have the pleasure of interviewing Austin who is that person.  Like Teryn she had become so ...

Episode 44: RECAP SHOW 2022

It's been six months since we did our last podcast, so in this episode I'll talk about how the past year has gone for me, we check in with Lisa on her very slow symptom guided taper.  We talk to Mellie who is fully recovered now, and we talk with Jim Thompson who we have been following with his Benzo taper now completed and his journey off of his antidepressant. Finally, I'll give some great updates with others that have we have interviewed in the past that you will want to hear. I ...

Episode 43: Medical Prescribers LISTEN to your Patients

This is an episode I’m doing by myself addressing medical professionals to be more informed and cautious when prescribing. I list reasons people were put on benzos from a survey years back. I list books and websites for them to educate themselves and I ask them to take responsibility for their lack of knowledge and harm they have caused.

Episode 42: Melissa Bond, Journalist - A Decision to Hold on a Taper

Melissa Bond is a narrative journalist and poet. In the years of her dependence on benzodiazepines, Melissa blogged and became a regular contributor for Mad in America.   ABC World News Tonight interviewed her for a piece in January 2014. Melissa is a respected writer on the perils of over-prescribing benzodiazepines and has been featured on PBS Story in the Public Square, Radio West, the podcasts Risk!, IGNTD, and Psychology Unplugged. The Salt Lake Tribune and the New York Post ha...

Episode 41: Jennifer DeGuilio: A Positive Attitude Through Tapering

Jennifer DeGuillio is a wife, mother of four and a health coach, who specializes in ketogenic living, nutrition, health and wellness.  She has coached hundreds of women, who have successfully sustained a healthy lifestyle.  Jennifer loves sharing knowledge and helping others. She is a passionate person who will go the extra mile and over-deliver. When an Iatrogenic illness to benzodiazepines took her by surprise, she used this same healthy lifestyle and positive attitude to approa...

Episode 40: A Nurse - THE ONE NO ONE THOUGHT WOULD HEAL, BUT DID!

Beth is a wife, mother and a Registered Nurse who is going to school to be a nurse practitioner and will be studying Functional Medicine once she gets her NP.  She also has her degree in Psychology.  She will tell you her amazing story from being one of the most debilitated survivors of psychiatric drugs in the benzo communities that many thought she would never heal.  But she did heal! Her story will encourage anyone who is sick and feels they can’t get better. Never give up the ho...

Episode 39: Jennifer Swantkowski, Ph.D. - Victim, Advocate, Author

Jennifer Swantkowski has her masters in social work from the University of Houston, a post-graduate fellowship in End of Life Care, and a PhD in Clinical Social Work from Smith College in Northampton, MA.  She has worked as a family therapist at the Austen Riggs Center in Stockbridge, MA and was an adjunct professor at Boston College.  She then returned to Houston, Texas  where she served as an individual and family therapist at. The Menninger Clinic, was an instructor for individua...

Episode 38: RECAP SHOW 2021

In our 2021 Recap Show we catch up with the same four we followed last year.  Hear how Jim Thompson, Mellie, Lisa and Ken are doing one year later.  I’ll also update you on a few others just so you can see the progression of healing and how life goes on after benzos.  I’ll also update on myself and what transpired at our November 8th hearing at the Massachusetts State House regarding our benzo bill.

Episode 37: Conversation in the Kitchen

In this bonus episode I had Marjorie Carmen and Sonja Styblo, both benzo survivors, over for dinner and decided to record a quick conversation.

Episode 36: Let's Talk About Setbacks

In this episode I’m going to talk about setbacks and what substances I’ve seen cause problems and stress and how we shouldn’t be afraid of them because it may never happen.     LINK: http://curable.com/ 

Episode 35: Mark - A Psychotherapist, Took multiple attempts to Become Benzo Free

Mark Stoll has been a psychotherapist and coach for over two decades integrating mindfulness centered approaches and traditional cognitive therapies into a way of life that that helps people free themselves from the prison of their minds so they can engage life and connect to matters most. No one has benefitted more from these skills than him when the hell of benzo withdrawal hit last year. After multiple attempts to get off Klonopin, he was finally successful in September 2020 but...

Episode 34: To Sue or Not to Sue: An Interview with Attorney Michael Mosher

In this episode I interview Attorney Michael Mosher who has 30 years of experience. Mr. Mosher has an extensive background in pharmacokinetics, the adverse reactions of various drugs as well as the proper administration of each psychotropic drug including anxiolytics (eg. Xanax, Ativan, Klonopin), hypnotics (Halcion, Dalmane, Restoril), stimulants (eg. Ritalin, dexedrine, Adderall), anticonvulsants (eg. Tegretol, Depakote, Neurontin), antidepressants (eg. all the SSRIs, Effexor and ...

Episode 33: Rose Yesha - A Prescription for Klonopin at 17 Years Old

Rose Yesha at age 17 had one panic and was prescribed an antidepressant. Within a week she had a severe reaction to the antidepressant and was put on benzodiazepine. She holds a Ph.D. in Information Systems with a concentration in Health Informatics and Behavioral Health Analytics. Listen to her story of how she got caught in psychiatry and is now working to get her life back along with her advocacy work to inform others. https://m.facebook.com/pharmademix/ (Pharmademix) https://m...

Episode 33: Rose Yesha - Trapped in Psychiatry After One Panic Attack

Rose Yesha at age 17 had one panic and was prescribed an antidepressant. Within a week she had a severe reaction to the antidepressant and was put on benzodiazepine. She holds a Ph.D. in Information Systems with a concentration in Health Informatics and Behavioral Health Analytics. Listen to her story of how she got caught in psychiatry and is now working to get her life back along with her advocacy work to inform others. https://m.facebook.com/pharmademix/ (Pharmademix) https:/...

Episode 32: RECAP SHOW

In today’s episode we catch up with Jim Thompson to see how his taper is going and how his group is doing during Covid. We also get an update from Lisa who is working with Dr. Gary Kracoff, check in with Ken to see how he is doing since he was prescribed a benzo during Covid, and Melli who we talked to when she was benzo free day one. Then I’ll read updates on a few others past guests of the show.

Episode 31: Kim: A Short Term User - Goes from disabled to living a full life again

Kim was a married, working full time and the mother of one child at the time she was prescribed a benzodiazepine for neck pain. Within a short time she developed symptoms of tolerance and withdrawal and actually became very disabled to the point she had to return to her parents to be cared for. Listen to her story of suffering and recovery. She eventually goes back to work and has two more children. Recovery is possible!

Episode 30: Phil Eichinger - 30 Years on Benzos Who Heals to Total Health

Today we are doing our 30th show and I am so pleased to bring this interview with Phil Eichinger who was on Ativan and other medications for 30 years. He is not only TOTALLY recovered, but says he is healthier than ever. If you ever thought your body couldn’t heal, or you were on too long and you can’t get better, this is the story of hope you need to listen to.

Episode 29: Ep. 29 Surviving the Holidays in 2020

Last December I did a Surviving the Holidays Podcast and said what I did to get through each year till I was well. Try to listen to that one before this one. But this year being more stressful with Covid-19, I thought I would bring you some things I’m thankful for and some suggestions for this time of year.

Ep. 28 Lisa - Dr. Kracoff’s Client from Bedridden to a Smooth Taper

Lisa is a MA resident who was working full-time as a software consultant and entrepreneur. She was prescribed a benzo to get a medical procedure along with Vicodin to endure the procedure. You will hear how she became deathly ill while trying to taper and worked with Dr. Gary Kracoff who turned her health around so she can now successfully finish her taper. In no way are we saying the only way to get better is to work with a functional medicine doctor and take supplements. Some peo...

Ep. 27 Dr. Gary Kracoff - Interview with a Pharmacist/Holistic Educator

Dr. Gary Kracoff is a registered pharmacist with a doctorate in naturopathic medicine who provides in-depth consultative services at Johnson Compounding & Wellness in Massachusetts. Gary’s guiding philosophy is to treat the person as a whole, not to chase symptoms. He focuses on finding the “why” to what is happening physically and mentally, and works with individuals to restore balance in the body. Gary frequently lectures at pharmacy, medical, and health-oriented conferences. He is...

Ep. 26 Dr. Steven Wright - Working to Make a Difference

Steven Wright, MD, is a residency-trained family physician with 38 years of experience. Although no longer providing direct medical care to patients he remains active in addiction medicine (board certified) now for 33 years and medical pain management for 17 years. He has a particular interest in benzodiazepines, having developed, run, and presented at The International Benzodiazepine Symposium in 2017 in Bend, OR. He is the medical consultant for the Alliance for Benzodiazepine Bes...

Ep. 25 Author/Journalist Robert Whitaker: A Frank Conversation about the Past, Present and Future of Benzodiazepines

In this podcast Garrett and I have the pleasure of interviewing Robert Whitaker who is the author of four books, and co-author of a fifth, three of which tell the history of psychiatry. In 2010, his Anatomy of an Epidemic: Magic Bullets, Psychiatric Drugs, and the Astonishing Rise of Mental Illness won the U.S. Investigative Reporters and Editors Book Award for Best Investigative Journalism. He is the founder of madinamerica.com, a website that features research news and blogs by an ...

Ep. 24 Paula - Never Give Up on a Friend / 40 Years on Benzos and Antidepressants

This podcast is very special and personal to me because I’m going to be speaking with one of my childhood friends, Paula. We have known each other since kindergarten, went to the same grammar school and high school. After high school she went off to Marquette University in Wisconsin where she got her Bachelors Degree. She majored in English Literature with an additional major in Elementary Education. She returned home and started her career at a college. Eventually she opens up he...

Ep. 23 Wayne Douglas World Benzodiazepines Awareness Day Founder

In this episode, I speak Wayne Douglas who is a New Zealander living in Japan teaching English and does translation. He is currently writing his book Under the Rising Sun which will be on his website Undertherisingsun.com. He is the Founder of World Benzodiazepine Awareness Day on July 11 and frequent guest on Dr. Peter Breggin’s podcast. He is an advocate for a change in the prescribing of benzodiazepines and is currently working on a self made documentary based on a speech he ga...

Ep. 22 Teryn - From Hopeless to Healthy

In this episode you are going to be hearing from Teryn who when she was a 19 year old girl was prescribed Paxil then later klonopin after the death of her mother. Eventually, she gets married and finishes school to become a speech therapist, and has beautiful daughter as her life is turned upside down from pharmaceutical drugs. She is unable to work and care for her daughter and her marriage dissolves. She develops multiple chemical sensitivities, moves into a green/echo friendly typ...

Ep. 21 Josh - Owner of SLYKShades.com

In this podcast I interview Josh Fitzmaurice who was a certified public account who was misdiagnosed and in January 2017, became chronically ill after his nervous system was damaged by a prescribed benzodiazepine. He was too ill to continue his job as an accountant and had to move back home with his mother to begin his road to recovery. His life became a constant battle to keep a positive mindset and never give up hope that he would get better. He knew he had to find a healthy distr...

Ep. 20 D E Foster - Benzofree.org

D E Foster is a former database developer, contract screenwriter, and writing instructor at the University of Colorado. For the past seven years, D has experienced an odyssey of debilitating withdrawal complications from the long-term use of clonazepam (Klonopin), a prescription benzodiazepine. Unable to continue to work in his previous professions, D turned his focus to writing a book, "Benzo Free: The World of Anti-Anxiety Drugs and the Reality of Withdrawal," which was published i...

Ep. 19 Ken: Prescribed a Benzo during the COVID-19 outbreak

Since the COVID-19 virus started, most of us wondered how many more innocent people were going to be prescribed a benzodiazepine. An article came out stating that anti-anxiety drugs have risen 34% during this pandemic. In this episode, I interview one of those innocent patients prescribed a benzodiazepine during the pandemic. After leaving a message for his doctor, 20 minutes later he gets a text his prescription is ready. No conversation with his doctor, no conversation with a pha...

Ep. 18 Suicide - The Jonathan Wagner Story

WARNING - In this podcast we talk to Debbie Wagner, Jonathan’s mother about his prescription of klonopin for trouble sleeping after changing shifts at work and his ultimate suicide. If you are very sensitive, PLEASE don’t listen to this podcast, but let your family members, friends, and medical professionals listen. The Wagners now have a foundation called the You Are Not Alone Jonathan Wagner Foundation to bring awareness about the potential dangers of benzodiazepines. Their webs...

Ep. 17 Baylissa Frederick

Baylissa is a psychotherapist, coach and author with two decades of experience working with people from all over the world. She is involved in helping people affected by antidepressant, tranquilliser and opiate physical dependence and withdrawal. She delivers keynote speeches on the subject, has provided awareness presentations to organizations including the British Medical Association (BMA) and the Royal College of Psychiatrists, and offers training workshops to psychotherapists and...

Ep. 16 Gidget in Ohio

In this episode you will hear Gidget's story of how a prescription for Xanax after her father passed away led her to decline. Years later, a second issue arises from taking just one fluoroquinolone antibiotic. Through her suffering she moderates support groups, learns homeopathy and works with a medical doctor to interpret genetics.

Ep. 15 Lindsey in Delaware

In this NEW episode if you ever wondered if you could recover from a benzodiazepine, a floroquinolone, a steroid, a cold turkey in a rehab and a detox facility, Lindsey’s story of recovery will bring you hope.

Ep. 14 Carmela Paladino - Day 1 Benzo Free

In this episode I speak with Carmela (Mellie) Paladino. If you are still tapering and wonder how you would feel the first day you are done with a long, difficult withdrawal, this episode will help you to finish your fight to get to the other side. NJ Bill A3495 https://www.njleg.state.nj.us/2020/Bills/A3500/3495_I1.PDF Carmela"s email: [email protected]

Ep. 13 Jennifer in North Carolina

In this episode I speak with a mother who was prescribed medication instead of traditional talk therapy to deal with trauma. The prescribed mix of antidepressants and benzodiazepines turn her life upside down. She suffers years of debilitating withdrawal symptoms and is faced with a difficult decision in order to give her daughter a better life.

Ep. 12 Stephanie and Scott, the difference a support person can make

Scott Wilkinson and Stephanie Morgan who were friends in high school, connect through Facebook after many years. This episode shows the difference having a support person can make in your recovery. Great episode to have your family and friends listen to.

Ep. 11 Marjorie Meret-Carmen

In today's episode, I interview Marjorie Meret-Carmen, an 80-year-old benzodiazepine survivor, who is an educator, author and a social and political activist. She proves that at any age, you can take your life back from an iatrogenic illness.

Surviving the Holidays

In this episode I discuss what I had to do to survive the holiday season. Stay tuned for the postscript after the show.

Cindy Samora Interview

Cindy was one of my first benzo friends and is an inspiration to many. She was prescribed Valium for years, was then cold turkeyed by a doctor, put back on valium, then moved to Montana where she met a wonderful naturopath that helped her and taught her how to get her health back. She even became homeless at one point and still maintained a healthy diet to sustain her health. She is now working and helping out with her grandchildren and continues to give hope to many that you can ...

Jim Thompson interview

Jim is an amazing example of a good patient whose life was turned upside down because of his doctor’s prescribing methods. His advocacy work and desire to help others while still tapering and working will encourage many.

Millie Kieve interview

Millie Kieve runs the UK charity Adverse Psychiatric Reactions Information Link at www.april.org.uk. Millie not only deals with benzodiazepines, but all medications that cause psychiatric side effects which can then lead a person to being prescribed a benzodiazepine. I encourage anyone to please research her website before you take a medication.

Ep. 6 Legislation and Conversation with my son

In this episode I speak with my son, Garrett, about the legislative process, growing up with a mother sick from tranquilizers and how the podcast came about.

Legislation and Conversation with my son

In this episode I speak with my son, Garrett, about the legislative process, growing up with a mother sick from tranquilizers and how the podcast came about.

Ep.5 Where Have I Been

After a year long break, I'm back. This episode I talk about what has been going on in my life and why I have been away from making new podcasts.

EP. 4 DOs and DONTs (Part 2)

In this episode I expand on the first do's and don'ts podcast.

Ep.3 DOs and DON'Ts

After the last episode I thought about how I wanted to share some of the common mistakes that can be made while withdrawing. So in this podcast I will list off some Dos and Don'ts for you. If you are enjoying the information in the Podcast please rate, subscribe or add a comment; I'd love to know who's listening and what you think so far.

Ep.2 Getting Ready to Taper

In this episode I'll discuss the process of getting ready to taper.

Benzodiazepine Awareness with Geraldine Burns