This Is Life With Lisa Ling

[[Te...]]

Did we watch the same show?

 

What was sensationalistic or irresponsible?

 

I'm shaking my head at all the criticism.

 

First of all, Krissy and her micro-taper, I thought, were very apt to show that these drugs are dangerous if stopped abruptly. I can understand completely why she would resort to being obsessive about her doses. She didn't want to go through the same hell again, which I believe was sizable.

 

Pill-splitting can be a very dicey business. It has to be just right, and which pill splitter is perfect??? Even shaving can have its downsides.

 

Personally, I thought Lisa's father being in the documentary put a personal twist to the story and "tied it up" so to speak. Lisa was always wondering why he had suffered so much. So are many others wondering. I think it very much had to do with Klonopin, which often is the last prescribers think of as causing a problem. Knowing what she went through, others watching the show could see themselves or other family members. It was a perfectly good piece and needed to be in there, I feel.

 

The show didn't have much time to show people bedridden. That might have been a good segment for the show, but Lisa had to draw the line somewhere.

 

I thought it was an excellent show, and look how many people are having a lightbulb moment and have come to BB to find out more in the last couple of days. No, you won't find any criticism from me.

 

[[Ms...]]

I’m thoroughly disgusted by this conversation and the lack of support shown to other survivors.

 

They were willing to show bedridden etc. nobody stepped up

[[Te...]]

I'm so sorry, MAB. I thought BIC did a fabulous job, Lisa Ling, too, and everyone involved. As I said, look how many new people are coming to BB every day now. The show has indeed struck a very strong chord!!!

[[ed...]]

Nothing sensationalistic about this program whatsoever in my estimation. Many of the things depicted captured my experience to a T. All the way to the liquid titration, the poly drugging, the dark thoughts that landed me in a hospital, the anxiety and depression that accompanied my pacing and crying, etc.. Nope, not sensationalistic at all. It truly was Real Life for me.

 

Best,

Ed

[[Ms...]]

I'm so sorry, MAB. I thought BIC did a fabulous job, Lisa Ling, too, and everyone involved. As I said, look how many new people are coming to BB every day now. The show has indeed struck a very strong chord!!!

 

Welcome to the newbies. Hopefully they can get what they need here. How do I see new signups?

 

I understand it didn’t cover everything that we need covered. This is good. This means we can push other places for more coverage. Lisa Ling understands what is going on as much as someone who has not experienced it can. She gets the fundamentals. She’s an ally and people here are acting like YouTube videos are gonna get the same exposure as veteran journalist. It’s so bizarre. She didn’t insult anyone and yet so many are still shading her.  It’s quite frankly deluded. Nobody outside of this world understands a thing. Now they might understand something. And it won’t be the wrong thing. That’s positive.

[[pi...]]

I saw the show and I'm glad that finally there is some publicity about the issues relating to benzo withdrawal.

 

I'm also happy and sad at the same time, to see the influx of new members. We welcome them and want to gather them together with our collective arms to provide information and support and to take away some of their fear.

 

We are all going to react differently to media and how subjects are presented. I would have preferred less drama and more science.  It would have been great to have doctors, scientists, researchers, pharm docs on the show giving concrete information about how benzos do what they do and why they can be so difficult to withdrawal from (for a certain subset of people).

 

This is just my opinion.

 

pianogirl

[[th...]]

I'm so sorry, MAB. I thought BIC did a fabulous job, Lisa Ling, too, and everyone involved. As I said, look how many new people are coming to BB every day now. The show has indeed struck a very strong chord!!!

 

Welcome to the newbies. Hopefully they can get what they need here. How do I see new signups?

 

I understand it didn’t cover everything that we need covered. This is good. This means we can push other places for more coverage. Lisa Ling understands what is going on as much as someone who has not experienced it can. She gets the fundamentals. She’s an ally and people here are acting like YouTube videos are gonna get the same exposure as veteran journalist. It’s so bizarre. She didn’t insult anyone and yet so many are still shading her.  It’s quite frankly deluded. Nobody outside of this world understands a thing. Now they might understand something. And it won’t be the wrong thing. That’s positive.

 

Yeah. I sent it to a lawyer friend of mine. He watched a little bit of it and said "Typical response from opioids." Jesus. If that is what an intelligent person takes away from that video, we are in trouble. Then again, he didn't watch it all. _sigh_

[[Ms...]]

I'm so sorry, MAB. I thought BIC did a fabulous job, Lisa Ling, too, and everyone involved. As I said, look how many new people are coming to BB every day now. The show has indeed struck a very strong chord!!!

 

Welcome to the newbies. Hopefully they can get what they need here. How do I see new signups?

 

I understand it didn’t cover everything that we need covered. This is good. This means we can push other places for more coverage. Lisa Ling understands what is going on as much as someone who has not experienced it can. She gets the fundamentals. She’s an ally and people here are acting like YouTube videos are gonna get the same exposure as veteran journalist. It’s so bizarre. She didn’t insult anyone and yet so many are still shading her.  It’s quite frankly deluded. Nobody outside of this world understands a thing. Now they might understand something. And it won’t be the wrong thing. That’s positive.

 

Yeah. I sent it to a lawyer friend of mine. He watched a little bit of it and said "Typical response from opioids." Jesus. If that is what an intelligent person takes away from that video, we are in trouble. Then again, he didn't watch it all. _sigh_

 

 

Lol. Yes. So far to go.

[[be...]]

It was a good try but what I found seriously missing was a frank discussion about how long it takes to heal and WHY........

[[Qu...]]

MAB, I don't think they are acting like they can get the same exposure as Lisa Ling. I think they just want to do something. Isn't that a good thing and not something to be contemptuous over?

 

I am very grateful and am not taking any issue whatsoever with the episode. It has literally gotten me through the past few weeks. I do have a question: when you said that, in terms of presenting the bedridden, "Nobody stepped up." What do you mean? Was the production of this show announced somewhere, like BB, asking for people's participation? As far as I know it was presented as a finished product. If it wasn't announced, how could we step up?

 

I had a conversation with a member of BIC recently and asked for ways that I could help. The only answer I received (multiple times) was to fill out a survey/questionnaire that I had already filled out, and that the matter at hand (the FDA) was being handled and I should sit back and not worry about it. Are there things you want us to be doing? Like when you say "This means we can push other places for more coverage." Do you mean BIC can push for more coverage? I wish there was some discussion on how the rest of us could do that.

 

I love that you all worked so hard on this. I just want to help and for other people to feel like they can help too.

[[Ms...]]

Yes it was announced everywhere multiple times. They wanted to go further than the community was willing to provide. Or medicine. It was so hard to find any sort of “expert” at all. It turns out medicine doesn’t know anything and they got to experience that trying to find an expert. How benzodiazepines work and what’s going on with our damage is unknown so how can we have accurate science about that. We legitimately do not know. This had to pass their legal team as well.

 

I would love a series showing everything from top to bottom. But it would be an expensive series. I could do an entire episode on tapering. An entire episode on the medical field. I could do one on extent of damage. I could do one on society and how they treat us. I could do one on worsening outcomes. I honestly could spend an entire decade doing this and still would not have told the entire story

[[th...]]

It was a good try but what I found seriously missing was a frank discussion about how long it takes to heal and WHY........

 

The didn't cover this because it isn't known why. I asked my psychiatrist and Dr. Wright the same question and their answer was the same: there is no research on this topic. The very best you will get is speculation.

 

And, it doesn't seem like there is a set amount of time "to heal." It is probably different for everyone. People that have an easy time of it aren't on this forum.

 

 

[[Te...]]

I'm so sorry, MAB. I thought BIC did a fabulous job, Lisa Ling, too, and everyone involved. As I said, look how many new people are coming to BB every day now. The show has indeed struck a very strong chord!!!

 

Welcome to the newbies. Hopefully they can get what they need here. How do I see new signups?

 

I understand it didn’t cover everything that we need covered. This is good. This means we can push other places for more coverage. Lisa Ling understands what is going on as much as someone who has not experienced it can. She gets the fundamentals. She’s an ally and people here are acting like YouTube videos are gonna get the same exposure as veteran journalist. It’s so bizarre. She didn’t insult anyone and yet so many are still shading her.  It’s quite frankly deluded. Nobody outside of this world understands a thing. Now they might understand something. And it won’t be the wrong thing. That’s positive.

 

I just looked at the Introductions. I think Sofa said something like 50 people came forward yesterday. That's unheard of!! And many said it was because they'd seen the show and were wondering why they felt so sick before.

 

Lisa Ling is the real deal. She took exceptional care in interviewing everyone. I can't believe people are shading her. What a crock of sh*t!!!

 

YES!!! They'll understand. That's what I took away from this, too.

 

I can feel the benzo anxiety kicking up because I'm getting very angry about the whole thing.

[[Fl...]]

If the show had been done according to the specification of some folks here it would have been a snoozefest. The only people who would have been interested are people like us. They chose to put a lot of focus on suicide. What do you think is going to get more attention? Charts and graphs talking about gaba and glutamate, or the story of a guy who had his life taken from him just because he listened to his doctor?

 

As far as being real goes, that's about as real as you're gonna get.

 

What did everyone think they would be getting? This wasn't a show for us, it was a show for the masses. A tv show. A news/entertainment piece. Their primary focus is to get as many people to watch the show as possible. They could have taken other angles with this (you know what I am talking about) but the fact that they didn't throw us under the bus like just about every other media outlet has done is HUGE.

 

As far as Lisa's father being featured in this, keep in mind that NONE of us can prove that it was benzos that harmed us. We are all speculating. Most of us know damn good and well what caused our issues but none of us can prove it.

 

 

[[Qu...]]

And it will make people think, what about my mom/dad/grandma/pa etc. the people who are the most vulnerable are the people like her dad, who can’t speak for themselves and who have to rely on others to do so for them.

[[La...]]

For me, one of the big things that distinguished this piece from others -- e.g. Dr. Oz, Dr. Phil -- is the Lisa Ling's visible reaction to what she was learning. She was moved. She wasn't sensationalizing it or distancing herself from it in a clinical or TV-show-host sort of way (think Dr. Oz and Dr. Phil). The fact that her own father had had a reaction to the medication or withdrawal from it meant she had some skin in the game. Unlike the TV doctors, she showed a capacity to care about the plight of those whose lives had been affected so deeply.

 

Kudos to those who participated both behind the scenes and in front of the camera. It wasn't an easy piece to do from either side of the camera, I'm sure.

 

There's always more to do. Of course, there is. But I'm really glad that this piece was done and that at least part of the story was told.

[[Te...]]

Yes it was announced everywhere multiple times. They wanted to go further than the community was willing to provide. Or medicine. It was so hard to find any sort of “expert” at all. It turns out medicine doesn’t know anything and they got to experience that trying to find an expert. How benzodiazepines work and what’s going on with our damage is unknown so how can we have accurate science about that. We legitimately do not know. This had to pass their legal team as well.

 

I would love a series showing everything from top to bottom. But it would be an expensive series. I could do an entire episode on tapering. An entire episode on the medical field. I could do one on extent of damage. I could do one on society and how they treat us. I could do one on worsening outcomes. I honestly could spend an entire decade doing this and still would not have told the entire story

 

Yes. Anyone who doesn't understand that is ridiculously asking for way too much now. It has to be piecemeal. Having researchers, scientists, etc., on here the first time would have defeated the purpose entirely. People's eyes would glaze over, just as they do when we try to explain GABA and glutamate. No, this was the right show for the right time. Real people relating their experiences.

 

Exactly right. It would take forever to get through what's happened to us. This, IMO, was the perfect start and got the info across loud and clear.

[[Te...]]

For me, one of the big things that distinguished this piece from others -- e.g. Dr. Oz, Dr. Phil -- is the Lisa Ling's visible reaction to what she was learning. She was moved. She wasn't sensationalizing it or distancing herself from it in a clinical or TV-show-host sort of way (think Dr. Oz and Dr. Phil). The fact that her own father had had a reaction to the medication or withdrawal from it meant she had some skin in the game. Unlike the TV doctors, she showed a capacity to care about the plight of those whose lives had been affected so deeply.

 

Kudos to those who participated both behind the scenes and in front of the camera. It wasn't an easy piece to do from either side of the camera, I'm sure.

 

There's always more to do. Of course, there is. But I'm really glad that this piece was done and that at least part of the story was told.

 

Yes, Lisa was very moved. I could tell that, too, Lapis, and I appreciated the fact that she was so honest and forthright in what she said. It came across perfectly. Having to deal with her father going through such suffering made it all the more real. Kudos to everyone involved with the piece!!

[[th...]]

I'm so sorry, MAB. I thought BIC did a fabulous job, Lisa Ling, too, and everyone involved. As I said, look how many new people are coming to BB every day now. The show has indeed struck a very strong chord!!!

 

Welcome to the newbies. Hopefully they can get what they need here. How do I see new signups?

 

I understand it didn’t cover everything that we need covered. This is good. This means we can push other places for more coverage. Lisa Ling understands what is going on as much as someone who has not experienced it can. She gets the fundamentals. She’s an ally and people here are acting like YouTube videos are gonna get the same exposure as veteran journalist. It’s so bizarre. She didn’t insult anyone and yet so many are still shading her.  It’s quite frankly deluded. Nobody outside of this world understands a thing. Now they might understand something. And it won’t be the wrong thing. That’s positive.

 

I just looked at the Introductions. I think Sofa said something like 50 people came forward yesterday. That's unheard of!! And many said it was because they'd seen the show and were wondering why they felt so sick before.

 

Lisa Ling is the real deal. She took exceptional care in interviewing everyone. I can't believe people are shading her. What a crock of sh*t!!!

 

YES!!! They'll understand. That's what I took away from this, too.

 

I can feel the benzo anxiety kicking up because I'm getting very angry about the whole thing.

 

Same here. I get anxiety because I feel invisible in all of this. And trying to explain it over and over is draining.

[[re...]]

As I said earlier, apart from a couple moments at the beginning and at the end, I thought it was a very good program. I understand the criticisms here, but this show was just a first step. Maybe later, if the ratings were good enough and so forth, someone might produce a longer show, or perhaps a series, exploring the issue more thoroughly. This show was not sensationalistic so much as dramatic, and what it dramatised was real. Maybe suicide and microtapers are not the norm among difficult benzo withdrawals, but then, difficult benzo withdrawals are not the norm among all benzo cessations (or so we're told, at least). For me the point is that people came away from this show with a different attitude toward benzos, an attitude of caution. Some people may be saved from naively wandering into a long-term relationship with these drugs, a Fatal Attraction that may be much more difficult to leave than to enter. If the show accomplishes that one thing, I'd call it a success.

[[fi...]]

It was a good try but what I found seriously missing was a frank discussion about how long it takes to heal and WHY........

 

A good "TRY"?? Certainly you mean a good "START"

 

Its unbelievable to me the lack of respect for those who worked so hard on the show.  I would love for any of the critics to go out there and find and successfully contact a decent journalist with a national audience, then educate and convince and see the show to fruition.  PLEASE when you've done this - let me know - I can't wait to rush to my computer and criticize your work 

 

Pill cutting is not news nor does it make a good show -Micro Tapering IS - and this community IS -  these people have ratings to think of.  Lisa Ling is ENTERTAINMENT not NEWS.  The show wanted someone who was sicker with aka.  BIC looked and looked for someone who could demonstrate just how sick people get.  No one was able to do it.  And I understand why.  Krissy spent TWO FULL DAYS with a a camera crew of 6 plus Lisa in her home - this is one of the reasons they had to use videos.  They also have things like journalistic integrity - they can't point the finger only at Benzo's when most people are poly drugged. 

 

Of course there is more to tell - but you can't throw a torch out there to begin with - you have to first light a candle and let people become curious.  and remember that we patients live in an echo chamber.  the reality is that most of the world has never even heard of a "Benzodiazepine" even if they are TAKING ONE - Lisa's show was the PERFECT introduction to the problem.  I hope you all will take a look at her Facebook, Twitter and Instagram where she's ASKING PATIENTS TO TELL THEIR STORIES and DEFENDING them when people call others addicts........I am just blown away by the criticism here.

 

Thank you FG and Terry and whomever else has posted positive reviews and supported BIC

[[Fl...]]

For me, one of the big things that distinguished this piece from others -- e.g. Dr. Oz, Dr. Phil -- is the Lisa Ling's visible reaction to what she was learning. She was moved. She wasn't sensationalizing it or distancing herself from it in a clinical or TV-show-host sort of way (think Dr. Oz and Dr. Phil).

 

I have seen other episodes of this show and they focus on her empathy and the fact that she learns from these experiences. That's probably a big part of the reason why they placed an emphasis on the things they did in the benzo episode.

[[Fl...]]

Look at the Introductions page of this forum and you will see an avalanche of new members since the show aired. Over and over people reference seeing Lisa Ling's show. The show is sending people here for help who desperately need help. People are being saved.

 

I'm just guessing here but I would be willing to bet that this has never happened before in the history of BB. And there have been dozens and dozens of news pieces on benzos in the past 8+ years I have been here.

 

That's why I was so excited when I saw this. This is the most important thing to happen to date in the history of the benzo cause.

[[Cu...]]

It was a good try but what I found seriously missing was a frank discussion about how long it takes to heal and WHY........

 

A good "TRY"?? Certainly you mean a good "START"

 

Its unbelievable to me the lack of respect for those who worked so hard on the show.  I would love for any of the critics to go out there and find and successfully contact a decent journalist with a national audience, then educate and convince and see the show to fruition.  PLEASE when you've done this - let me know - I can't wait to rush to my computer and criticize your work 

 

Pill cutting is not news nor does it make a good show -Micro Tapering IS - and this community IS -  these people have ratings to think of.  Lisa Ling is ENTERTAINMENT not NEWS.  The show wanted someone who was sicker with aka.  BIC looked and looked for someone who could demonstrate just how sick people get.  No one was able to do it.  And I understand why.  Krissy spent TWO FULL DAYS with a a camera crew of 6 plus Lisa in her home - this is one of the reasons they had to use videos.  They also have things like journalistic integrity - they can't point the finger only at Benzo's when most people are poly drugged. 

 

Of course there is more to tell - but you can't throw a torch out there to begin with - you have to first light a candle and let people become curious.  and remember that we patients live in an echo chamber.  the reality is that most of the world has never even heard of a "Benzodiazepine" even if they are TAKING ONE - Lisa's show was the PERFECT introduction to the problem.  I hope you all will take a look at her Facebook, Twitter and Instagram where she's ASKING PATIENTS TO TELL THEIR STORIES and DEFENDING them when people call others addicts........I am just blown away by the criticism here.

 

Thank you FG and Terry and whomever else has posted positive reviews and supported BIC

 

I'm seeing members here posting in inflammatory manners towards any who have had anything critical to say about the program.  Using solid caps (yelling) & exclamation points.  Is is really so difficult to be courteous to fellow members?  Try to remain civil, while making your point.  Everyone is entitled to an opinion & BB is supposed to be a safe space.  I think it should be taken into account that both members & their loved ones who viewed this program do not have any idea of what is involved in a tv show production (unless, of course, they have that background).

 

Additionally, the general public (who we'd hoped the show would reach & connect with) probably has not viewed anything regarding this on youtube, Dr. Oz, Dr. Phil, or on social internet communities.  This was their first introduction.  The most vital information wasn't contained in the show at all, but in the aftermath, which is on youtube; the only people who that will reach are those already in the situation & if they choose to forward along to others.  Not the general public, who could have been reached via the program. -  Krissy's Q&A & Nicole Lambertson, P.A. (Physician Assistant) w/BIC.  First segment should have been cut in half & the other half given to her, or edit some time out of both to give to Nicole. 

 

 

[[Bl...]]

 

 

I would love a series showing everything from top to bottom. But it would be an expensive series. I could do an entire episode on tapering. An entire episode on the medical field. I could do one on extent of damage. I could do one on society and how they treat us. I could do one on worsening outcomes. I honestly could spend an entire decade doing this and still would not have told the entire story

 

Boy....isn't that the truth! You missed one. How U.S. Veterans are affected by this mess.