Baylissa

[[Be...]]

Last warning....stop these toxic interactions please. No one else needs to get "the last word".

 

This issue is now done. Agree to disagree. None of this is helpful.

 

Perhaps the entire thread should be taken down as none of it is helpful? I also see advice on taking antihistamines as well as gabapentin. If not advice then recommendations? I'm pretty certain that is against the rules. Trust me, Gabapentin does not need to be recommended and can come with a host of physical and mental problems in time. In fact, I have a progress log as I tapered off of it.  All research should be done. Not just on benzos.

 

No one gave advice or recommendations. Shayna mentioned trying antihistamines for her insomnia in a post, and I asked if any helped, because most people cycle through them as they tend to stop working, including Vistaril which I don't even know is available in Australia. I told her the Topomax experiement failed and my provider reinstated gabapentin for sleep, as Shayna had posted in the thread where I talked about Topomax. No where in my post did I either advise, or recommend, that anyone should use gabapentin or anything else. I simply stated what my provider had me using.

 

If you think I broke any rules, then please report my post to the mods. But I don't believe I did, as nowhere did I recommend or advise anyone to use antihistamines or gabapentin. I have spoken to many BB members regarding gabapentin, as they used it, or are currently using it. All of them tapered off with no issues whatsoever. These are members who use(d) 300 mg for sleep, no more. And my provider and I made the decision for myself, not for anybody on this board. What I said is no different then if I put 300 mg gabapentin for sleep in my sig. There's a lot of members with it in their sigs. You are overacting to something that was never implied. 

[Guest [...]]

Lots of overreactions about everything Lottie!

 

My view on drugs

 

If I didn't take my asthma medicine, I wouldn't be here.

I need something for these headaches, haven't decided what to try, but it will have to be something, as I can't live with these headaches for the years it will take to taper - I hold my head and scream for hours, that's how much they hurt

(these headaches were this bad before I added any drugs in, so please don't suggest it's from them, they are mostly hormone, low blood sugar, or dehydration related - my body is not functioning like it used to - it won't hold onto any liquid I drink, goes right through me, and I always have low blood sugar as I can't eat normal food anymore, hormones are screwed up from the benzos).

I take Trazodone, as I need to sleep for the years of my taper.

I now have to take H2 blockers (Rantidine) and H1 blockers (antihistamines) for my MCAS and severe allergies (I got this from antibiotics, just pray that you don't either, as it's awful being allergic to everything now, literally everything!) I can't even confirm if I have MCAS, as the proper testing is not available in Canada anymore (thankfully my cardiologist fellow trained with the top MCAS dr in the states and recognized my symptoms - not to mention that she confirmed to me, even if you test negative on all the proper tests, you can still have it! For the record Histamine Intolerance and MCAS are of the same family, histamine is just one mediator involved, whereas MCAS has more mediators that affect other people in different ways, the Dr confirmed this for me - really random on who gets hit with what - for the record people affected with MCAS from benzos do appear to heal from it).

 

I will also have to add in a stronger ant acid medicine, as when I lie down, my throat fills with acid up to my chin and burns!!

 

How am I supposed to live without these drugs, I have tried natural ways with limited success.

I'm being followed by the top cardiologist in Canada for POTS, if she determines I need medicine to keep the blood going to my brain, I will follow her advice and hope that it works.

 

I hate taking all these drugs - I took nothing before I took those antibiotics, only an inhaler when needed, which wasn't for 15 years until March of last year (suspected covid).

I so wish my doctor had given my hydroxyzine instead of zopiclone, when the antibiotics rocked my CNS, I wouldn't be here now.

 

The difficulty is that people really don't know how bad the other person really is doing. No drugs works for some, and I'm so envious, but I had no choice but to add these drugs in, if I want to stay alive long enough to get off these drugs.

 

But I also value others experiences of what happened when they took certain drugs, it has made me frightened to try things, I will have to try some things to alleviate some of the symptoms noted above. If they don't work, or I react to them, I don't know what I'll do!

 

Once I get off these drugs, I do hope that some of these conditions can resolve themselves in time, but does that mean I never had the conditions or it was all withdrawal?

That is the big question, to which no one on this board will ever be able to answer - I have my own view!

 

I think we can all agree that drugs or natural products have unintended consequences (whether they be antibiotics, magnesium, z-drugs, ADs.......) that is why we are all here - some are just luckier than others.

 

Not sure if anyone will even read this.

[[Hi...]]

The whole world has gone WOKE.

 

SHEEESH :D

[[di...]]

Thank you but I have had every test and nothing shows up.  I have worn a halter monitor for palps, been tested for Lyme, mcas, lupus, ms, cushings, crohns and much more.  I had mris mra, spinal tap, cortisol tests saliva and blood, my doc and neurologist say it is paws and give it time..  I had no preexisting condition except insomnia.  I sleep 5-6 hours now and so that’s better and so much more has gotten better but what I have is unbearable.  I had exhausted the tests at 18 months. So now at 20 months with same baseline of sx I am told to wait.

If that is what the doctor and neurologist say, is it possible that you could get them to put it in writing (that it is PAWS from the benzo), so as to encourage a potential therapist to accept what it is and work on that basis? I don't know the answer to this question but it seems like an avenue that is worth exploring. Again, I hate it that it seems to be necessary to act strategically to access the right support (because vulnerable people slip through the cracks) but unfortunately that is absolutely the state of health care outside Scandinavia and probably a few other second world nations.

 

I understand that you are very frustrated and stressed out. Are you aware that people might be put off helping you in case you react negatively? It would be nice to think that a therapist would be objective and professional but it's human nature to make more effort to understand someone who we find agreeable versus disagreeable. I make no judgement of you because for a time, I was being completely disrespectful towards all doctors I met. Basically, anybody who won't acknowledge the reality of overprescription of psych meds and the huge and profoundly negative consequences of that fact for both the individual and wider society, is dangerously ignorant if they are a practicing physician. So many people are on these drugs that as a doctor, it is vital that you either know you don't understand (and refer patient to someone who does immediately) or you understand correctly. Otherwise, you break the Hippocratic oath. He can only do more harm than good by treating something other than benzo withdrawal when the problem is benzo withdrawal.

 

Let me leave you with this. I at least understand your frustration. Because what would be the point in someone trying to help you figure out how to cope with what is happening when your number 1 problem doesn't exist in their mind? Are there any mental health charities that could advocate for you? I was pushed into inappropriate (in some ways harmful) treatment when I was in a terrible state of withdrawal, because I hadn't thought of doing anything other than what the doctor suggested. Or I couldn't remember all of the suggestions. But in the UK, there are charities who can sort of help to place you in the right treatment. So if you explain your problem of not being believed, there is a hope they might find someone who is prepared to believe you. I don't know how it is in other countries.

[[Co...]]

Last warning....stop these toxic interactions please. No one else needs to get "the last word".

 

This issue is now done. Agree to disagree. None of this is helpful.

 

Perhaps the entire thread should be taken down as none of it is helpful? I also see advice on taking antihistamines as well as gabapentin. If not advice then recommendations? I'm pretty certain that is against the rules. Trust me, Gabapentin does not need to be recommended and can come with a host of physical and mental problems in time. In fact, I have a progress log as I tapered off of it.  All research should be done. Not just on benzos.

 

No one gave advice or recommendations. Shayna mentioned trying antihistamines for her insomnia in a post, and I asked if any helped, because most people cycle through them as they tend to stop working, including Vistaril which I don't even know is available in Australia. I told her the Topomax experiement failed and my provider reinstated gabapentin for sleep, as Shayna had posted in the thread where I talked about Topomax. No where in my post did I either advise, or recommend, that anyone should use gabapentin or anything else. I simply stated what my provider had me using.

 

If you think I broke any rules, then please report my post to the mods. But I don't believe I did, as nowhere did I recommend or advise anyone to use antihistamines or gabapentin. I have spoken to many BB members regarding gabapentin, as they used it, or are currently using it. All of them tapered off with no issues whatsoever. These are members who use(d) 300 mg for sleep, no more. And my provider and I made the decision for myself, not for anybody on this board. What I said is no different then if I put 300 mg gabapentin for sleep in my sig. There's a lot of members with it in their sigs. You are overacting to something that was never implied.

 

As suggested to me by my GP, I have used (and still do on occasion) hydroxyzine (Atarax) for insomnia. I've written about it a number of times as my sleep has never fully returned to normal since my withdrawal from benzodiazepines (their use being for a neurological disorder, not insomnia). But, as you indicated, it rapidly ceases to be effective if used habitually. So, typically, there are many months between use for me, or maybe even a year or more sometimes. When I do use it, I use it to reset things when my sleep has really deteriorated and for only a few days or a week or two at the very most. It works well for me as I can remain disciplined about its use.

 

There are no rules preventing members from reporting factual use of their medications. There is world of difference between this and urging others into use or cessation of medications.

[[Be...]]

Last warning....stop these toxic interactions please. No one else needs to get "the last word".

 

This issue is now done. Agree to disagree. None of this is helpful.

 

Perhaps the entire thread should be taken down as none of it is helpful? I also see advice on taking antihistamines as well as gabapentin. If not advice then recommendations? I'm pretty certain that is against the rules. Trust me, Gabapentin does not need to be recommended and can come with a host of physical and mental problems in time. In fact, I have a progress log as I tapered off of it.  All research should be done. Not just on benzos.

 

No one gave advice or recommendations. Shayna mentioned trying antihistamines for her insomnia in a post, and I asked if any helped, because most people cycle through them as they tend to stop working, including Vistaril which I don't even know is available in Australia. I told her the Topomax experiement failed and my provider reinstated gabapentin for sleep, as Shayna had posted in the thread where I talked about Topomax. No where in my post did I either advise, or recommend, that anyone should use gabapentin or anything else. I simply stated what my provider had me using.

 

If you think I broke any rules, then please report my post to the mods. But I don't believe I did, as nowhere did I recommend or advise anyone to use antihistamines or gabapentin. I have spoken to many BB members regarding gabapentin, as they used it, or are currently using it. All of them tapered off with no issues whatsoever. These are members who use(d) 300 mg for sleep, no more. And my provider and I made the decision for myself, not for anybody on this board. What I said is no different then if I put 300 mg gabapentin for sleep in my sig. There's a lot of members with it in their sigs. You are overacting to something that was never implied.

 

As suggested to me by my GP, I have used (and still do on occasion) hydroxyzine (Atarax) for insomnia. I've written about it a number of times as my sleep has never fully returned to normal since my withdrawal from benzodiazepines (their use being for a neurological disorder, not insomnia). But, as you indicated, it rapidly ceases to be effective if used habitually. So, typically, there are many months between use for me, or maybe even a year or more sometimes. When I do use it, I use it to reset things when my sleep has really deteriorated and for only a few days or a week or two at the very most. It works well for me as I can remain disciplined about its use.

 

There are no rules preventing members from reporting factual use of their medications. There is world of difference between this and urging others into use or cessation of medications.

 

 

Thank you Colin for weighing in on this. That's all I did, was report factual use of my meds, and nowhere did I urge anyone into using or stopping a med. The post I made is the last one on page 5 of this thread, if you would like to review it yourself and tell me if I did/say anything not allowed. I certainly don't mind any correction if warranted.

[[Ju...]]

I have a therapist, I have a psych and not one believes anything I tell them.  So what now?

 

Find a new one if you are dissatisfied.

 

Really Colin. This is absolutely absurd. The reason this damn board stands is because most doctors do not believe in benzo withdrawal. At least not to the extent that we experience it. Yes, I understand, you're the big guy on the benzo board. Noted. Now how about behaving like it. This site is supposed to help people. I've seen so much bad advice and fighting through the years where it need not be because you want to make sure that everyone knows who runs this place. That is in no way helping others.

[[Be...]]

Lots of overreactions about everything Lottie!

 

My view on drugs

 

If I didn't take my asthma medicine, I wouldn't be here.

I need something for these headaches, haven't decided what to try, but it will have to be something, as I can't live with these headaches for the years it will take to taper - I hold my head and scream for hours, that's how much they hurt

(these headaches were this bad before I added any drugs in, so please don't suggest it's from them, they are mostly hormone, low blood sugar, or dehydration related - my body is not functioning like it used to - it won't hold onto any liquid I drink, goes right through me, and I always have low blood sugar as I can't eat normal food anymore, hormones are screwed up from the benzos).

I take Trazodone, as I need to sleep for the years of my taper.

I now have to take H2 blockers (Rantidine) and H1 blockers (antihistamines) for my MCAS and severe allergies (I got this from antibiotics, just pray that you don't either, as it's awful being allergic to everything now, literally everything!) I can't even confirm if I have MCAS, as the proper testing is not available in Canada anymore (thankfully my cardiologist fellow trained with the top MCAS dr in the states and recognized my symptoms - not to mention that she confirmed to me, even if you test negative on all the proper tests, you can still have it! For the record Histamine Intolerance and MCAS are of the same family, histamine is just one mediator involved, whereas MCAS has more mediators that affect other people in different ways, the Dr confirmed this for me - really random on who gets hit with what - for the record people affected with MCAS from benzos do appear to heal from it).

 

I will also have to add in a stronger ant acid medicine, as when I lie down, my throat fills with acid up to my chin and burns!!

 

How am I supposed to live without these drugs, I have tried natural ways with limited success.

I'm being followed by the top cardiologist in Canada for POTS, if she determines I need medicine to keep the blood going to my brain, I will follow her advice and hope that it works.

 

I hate taking all these drugs - I took nothing before I took those antibiotics, only an inhaler when needed, which wasn't for 15 years until March of last year (suspected covid).

I so wish my doctor had given my hydroxyzine instead of zopiclone, when the antibiotics rocked my CNS, I wouldn't be here now.

 

The difficulty is that people really don't know how bad the other person really is doing. No drugs works for some, and I'm so envious, but I had no choice but to add these drugs in, if I want to stay alive long enough to get off these drugs.

 

But I also value others experiences of what happened when they took certain drugs, it has made me frightened to try things, I will have to try some things to alleviate some of the symptoms noted above. If they don't work, or I react to them, I don't know what I'll do!

 

Once I get off these drugs, I do hope that some of these conditions can resolve themselves in time, but does that mean I never had the conditions or it was all withdrawal?

That is the big question, to which no one on this board will ever be able to answer - I have my own view!

 

I think we can all agree that drugs or natural products have unintended consequences (whether they be antibiotics, magnesium, z-drugs, ADs.......) that is why we are all here - some are just luckier than others.

 

Not sure if anyone will even read this.

 

I read it!

 

Only thing that helps me with headaches is gel ice packs, there's a pile in my freezer door. At least if they are dehrdrated-related or low blood sugar, simply getting fluids and food help. But the hormones you can't fix. Famotidine is a better H2 blocker than ranitidine. Pepcid is the brand name for it, plus it has less side effects. Also, don't lie flat. You can buy bed risers to put under the feet of your headboard, or use a wedge cushion. I have an adjustable bed so I can raise it until the dreaded "acid cough" stops. Even though the V blocks DAO production, which effects the ability of the digestive system to break down histamine in food' I'm lucky that I carry two genes that cause my body to make more DAO, so I think that is compensating for the effect of V. I just stick to a very bland diet which is mostly low histamine, which I'm sure you do too. It's rather boring.

 

I know what I have going on now, I did not have before W/D, and I expect they will resolve themselves after. Your situation is a bit more complicated, but I wish for you that everything is W/D related, and will parade out the door right after your last benzo dose. And then you can just chuck out some of those drugs beause you won't need them either. But none of us really knows, our experience is our own. I try to be hopeful, but it is so darned hard. I have days I want to give up, days I just wish God would take me, yet I don't want to go because what would happen to my two cats? Sometimes, the cats are the ones giving me the reason to get through this. For others, it's their children.

[[Co...]]

I have a therapist, I have a psych and not one believes anything I tell them.  So what now?

 

Find a new one if you are dissatisfied.

 

Really Colin. This is absolutely absurd. The reason this damn board stands is because most doctors do not believe in benzo withdrawal. At least not to the extent that we experience it. Yes, I understand, you're the big guy on the benzo board. Noted. Now how about behaving like it. This site is supposed to help people. I've seen so much bad advice and fighting through the years where it need not be because you want to make sure that everyone knows who runs this place. That is in no way helping others.

 

I regret that you do not like my answer. But it is the correct one and the only one I can supply you. I will not advocate for amateur or unprofessional counselling/therapy. A good counsellor will not need to understand the specifics of your medical problems to assist you. Though, they should attempt to educate themselves on the subject to provide a better service. But the truth is that even if the counsellor has experienced benzodiazepine use and withdrawal themselves, their experience and situation will not mirror yours. Just look to the widely differing stories relayed here by your fellow members. A lack of personal experience by the counsellor should not be barrier to providing good counsel (from a good counsellor).

 

What we (all of us here) provide is peer support. Professional help is very different is not dependent upon the practitioner having a common experience with their client. It might help, but it should not be essential.

[[Co...]]

Thank you Colin for weighing in on this. That's all I did, was report factual use of my meds, and nowhere did I urge anyone into using or stopping a med. The post I made is the last one on page 5 of this thread, if you would like to review it yourself and tell me if I did/say anything not allowed. I certainly don't mind any correction if warranted.

 

I had already read it - I've just reread it. There is nothing wrong with your post - it does not violate our posting guidelines.

[[Ju...]]

I have a therapist, I have a psych and not one believes anything I tell them.  So what now?

 

Find a new one if you are dissatisfied.

 

Really Colin. This is absolutely absurd. The reason this damn board stands is because most doctors do not believe in benzo withdrawal. At least not to the extent that we experience it. Yes, I understand, you're the big guy on the benzo board. Noted. Now how about behaving like it. This site is supposed to help people. I've seen so much bad advice and fighting through the years where it need not be because you want to make sure that everyone knows who runs this place. That is in no way helping others.

 

I regret that you do not like my answer. But it is the correct one and the only one I can supply you. I will not advocate for amateur or unprofessional counselling/therapy. A good counsellor will not need to understand the specifics of your medical problems to assist you. Though, they should attempt to educate themselves on the subject to provide a better service. But the truth is that even if the counsellor has experienced benzodiazepine use and withdrawal themselves, their experience and situation will not mirror yours. Just look to the widely differing stories relayed here by your fellow members. A lack of personal experience by the counsellor should not be barrier to providing good counsel (from a good counsellor).

 

What we (all of us here) provide is peer support. Professional help is very different is not dependent upon the practitioner having a common experience with their client. It might help, but it should not be essential.

 

No, I do not care for the tone you used when you answered Givemehope68. If someone is on this board and asking for help, you should know better than to be short with them. "Find a new one if youre dissatisfied." Brilliant. I don't believe someone joins a support group to recieve an answer that they can figure out on their own. They join because of lack of support. That answer is nothing short of smart alec.  Can you not be more professional yourself?

 

As for your remark to me, are you implying Baylissa Fredrick? It certainly looks as though you are. I'm curious, Colin, how should she better educate herself? Sure, she doesn't have a fine website such as this one. One that allows members with absolutely no medical, psychological training at all to guide one another. What is it that she should be improving on?

[Guest [...]]

I have a therapist, I have a psych and not one believes anything I tell them.  So what now?

 

Find a new one if you are dissatisfied.

 

Really Colin. This is absolutely absurd. The reason this damn board stands is because most doctors do not believe in benzo withdrawal. At least not to the extent that we experience it. Yes, I understand, you're the big guy on the benzo board. Noted. Now how about behaving like it. This site is supposed to help people. I've seen so much bad advice and fighting through the years where it need not be because you want to make sure that everyone knows who runs this place. That is in no way helping others.

 

I regret that you do not like my answer. But it is the correct one and the only one I can supply you. I will not advocate for amateur or unprofessional counselling/therapy. A good counsellor will not need to understand the specifics of your medical problems to assist you. Though, they should attempt to educate themselves on the subject to provide a better service. But the truth is that even if the counsellor has experienced benzodiazepine use and withdrawal themselves, their experience and situation will not mirror yours. Just look to the widely differing stories relayed here by your fellow members. A lack of personal experience by the counsellor should not be barrier to providing good counsel (from a good counsellor).

 

What we (all of us here) provide is peer support. Professional help is very different is not dependent upon the practitioner having a common experience with their client. It might help, but it should not be essential.

 

This is a very accurate statement and the sign of someone who does have counselling training (which we now know that Colin does).

I was very disappointed with a psychologist who turned me down as a patient, she said she didn't have the training.

I was crushed, but she explained that I should be looking for a Clinical Health Psychologist, and she didn't have training in that.

She could help with anxiety and depression, but she knew very well that I wasn't at a place yet to actively work on those - I'm still too wound up, so CBT is useless right now.

So, she couldn't help me, but she helped me look in the right direction.

I found someone that has experience in autonomic nervous system disorders and also works in the anesthetic dep't at one of the hospitals part time (I think this might be to my advantage, as my setback was from anesthetic).

Hopefully, they will agree to see me.

You don't need to find a perfect match, but someone who is willing to learn is helpful.

I'm not sure how much it will help me and if I'll keep it up, because in the thick of wd it's hard.

 

I'm sorry you're hurting and can't find help, or know what to do.

I know, I'm right there with you (and yes I too had psychiatrists tell me it is all in my head).

 

Winnie

 

[[Be...]]

Thank you Colin for weighing in on this. That's all I did, was report factual use of my meds, and nowhere did I urge anyone into using or stopping a med. The post I made is the last one on page 5 of this thread, if you would like to review it yourself and tell me if I did/say anything not allowed. I certainly don't mind any correction if warranted.

 

I had already read it - I've just reread it. There is nothing wrong with your post - it does not violate our posting guidelines.

 

Confirmation is appreciated. Once again, thank you.

[[Si...]]

A good counsellor will not need to understand the specifics of your medical problems to assist you.

To provide appropriate assistance to a patient experiencing benzo withdrawal, it's really quite important for a counsellor to have a solid understanding of benzo withdrawal and what it can do to people.  If not, the counsellor will almost invariably misdiagnose the patient's mental/emotional symptoms as a mental disorder.  I realize you said that the counsellor can educate him/herself, but they typically do not.  They fake it and/or buy into it partially, but the burden is almost always on the patient to do the educating and convincing.  It may not be critical for the counsellor to have experienced withdrawal him/herself, but it's a huge plus if they have.

 

-Jeff

[[Si...]]

I didn’t have intrusive thoughts until I got low on my taper and have since been diagnosed professionally at least four times as having OCD including at an OCD specific program at the leading psych hospital in the country by a psychologist who has specialized in OCD since the early 90’s. Should I dispute that my symptoms that arose in benzo wd aren’t “really ocd”? I don’t get it. Things change, circumstances change. I didn’t have intrusive thoughts when I first started benzos sure but that was eight years ago and I hadn’t spent the better part of a decade agoraphobic and unable to function at all. Not to mention going through acute Klonopin withdrawal at home on no other meds during the stressful times of a global pandemic. We have to treat ourselves where we are at.

Jay, you're trusting your instincts, you're trusting your new medical team, and you're getting significant relief from your symptoms.  It's hard to argue with those results.  Perhaps you're a case where your symptoms are not at all connected to benzo withdrawal.  That seems to be what your instincts are telling you.  You'll know in time whether you need to change direction.

 

I suppose this is somewhat of a mute point, because you've had a bad experience with a benzo withdrawal coach and a good experience with mainstream mental health professionals, and with me it's vice versa.  If nothing else, the conversation is what a forum like this is all about.

 

Peace,

Jeff

[[Co...]]

No, I do not care for the tone you used when you answered Givemehope68. If someone is on this board and asking for help, you should know better than to be short with them. "Find a new one if youre dissatisfied." Brilliant. I don't believe someone joins a support group to recieve an answer that they can figure out on their own. They join because of lack of support. That answer is nothing short of smart alec.  Can you not be more professional yourself?

 

Although an obvious answer/solution, it was apparently not considered by the poster so I simply stated what is probably the better course of action (rather than inaction) in the stated circumstances. It can be difficult to make that leap, especially when we feel so ill. But in the longer term (and probably even the shorter term), find a new, better counsellor/therapist is almost certainly the action we should take. It is exactly the same answer I (and most of us here) would likely supply to a member if they were dissatisfied with their GP or other medical practitioner. Your posture here is a choice - it is not justified by the substance of my reply Givemehope68.

 

As for you comment, "Can you not be more professional yourself?" - I am not a professional! BB is deliberately organised as a 'peer support' community. So, 'no' is my response to that. I deliberately do not project myself as a 'professional'. I am here - like all other members - as a peer. The only areas where this is not true is in the organising of the community, which although informed by the particular needs of our members, this job is managerial in nature, not professional, not counselling, and not advice. Peer support is what we do here.

 

For the froth time in about 36 hours, the BB Mission Statement:

 

BenzoBuddies: an inclusive, nonjudgmental mutual-support environment for those who wish to withdraw from benzodiazepines.

 

Members of the BenzoBuddies community are encouraged to exchange ideas, information and support during the process of withdrawal and recovery.

 

Although outside of the immediate scope of BenzoBuddies, members are free to discuss their wider medical problems and needs as they relate to benzodiazepine use and withdrawal.

 

Taking or quitting any medicine—including benzodiazepines—should be a personal decision made in consultation with a suitably qualified medical practitioner.

 

Through a peer-support model, we strive to help members achieve their goals.

 

As for your remark to me, are you implying Baylissa Fredrick? It certainly looks as though you are. I'm curious, Colin, how should she better educate herself? Sure, she doesn't have a fine website such as this one. One that allows members with absolutely no medical, psychological training at all to guide one another. What is it that she should be improving on?

 

Why do you think I was referring to Baylissa Frderick? Irrespective of my recent comments about her behaviour at this forum in my recent announcement, she clearly understands what it is like to go through benzodiazepine withdrawal and recovery. Try stepping back for one moment - you seem determined to take offense. Your suggestion there makes no sense. Any sensible reading of my comments would understand that I was referring to counsellors with no personal experience or particular knowledge of benzodiazepine withdrawal. I copy my short post here for clarity (emphasis does not appear in the original):

 

I regret that you do not like my answer. But it is the correct one and the only one I can supply you. I will not advocate for amateur or unprofessional counselling/therapy. A good counsellor will not need to understand the specifics of your medical problems to assist you. Though, they should attempt to educate themselves on the subject to provide a better service. But the truth is that even if the counsellor has experienced benzodiazepine use and withdrawal themselves, their experience and situation will not mirror yours. Just look to the widely differing stories relayed here by your fellow members. A lack of personal experience by the counsellor should not be barrier to providing good counsel (from a good counsellor).

 

What we (all of us here) provide is peer support. Professional help is very different is not dependent upon the practitioner having a common experience with their client. It might help, but it should not be essential.

[[Co...]]

This is a very accurate statement and the sign of someone who does have counselling training (which we now know that Colin does).

 

As I have stated elsewhere, only very limited training. Nowhere near enough to practice counselling myself. But I think enough to understand the very basics and what should be in place for a professional counsellor. Certainly enough to know that it is a very bad idea to (knowingly) argue with or berate a former client on social media or support forum for expressing their opinion about the service they received. It still find this behaviour quite staggering. This is truly very basic stuff.

[[Co...]]

A good counsellor will not need to understand the specifics of your medical problems to assist you.

To provide appropriate assistance to a patient experiencing benzo withdrawal, it's really quite important for a counsellor to have a solid understanding of benzo withdrawal and what it can do to people.  If not, the counsellor will almost invariably misdiagnose the patient's mental/emotional symptoms as a mental disorder.  I realize you said that the counsellor can educate him/herself, but they typically do not.  They fake it and/or buy into it partially, but the burden is almost always on the patient to do the educating and convincing.  It may not be critical for the counsellor to have experienced withdrawal him/herself, but it's a huge plus if they have.

 

-Jeff

 

It is not for a counsellor to 'diagnose' their clients with any condition. I think you misunderstand the whole premise of counselling. Though, to be fair to you, what constitutes 'counselling' does vary somewhat from country to country. However (if you are in the US), I do not believe counsellors there diagnose their clients either. You might know better than me.

 

I refer you to a reply I made a little earlier to another of your posts:

 

http://www.benzobuddies.org/forum/index.php?topic=253625.msg3220728#msg3220728

 

(But I see now that you have already read it).

[[Si...]]

It is not for a counsellor to 'diagnose' their clients with any condition. I think you misunderstand the whole premise of counselling. Though, to be fair to you, what constitutes 'counselling' does vary somewhat from country to country. However (if you are in the US), I do not believe counsellors there diagnose their clients either. You might know better than me.

The two counsellors I saw in Chicago, after about five sessions, presented their diagnosis of me to their resident psychiatrist.  I was then to meet with the psychiatrist to confirm the diagnosis and receive medication.  I ended the relationship before proceeding.

 

Thanks,

Jeff

[[Co...]]

It is not for a counsellor to 'diagnose' their clients with any condition. I think you misunderstand the whole premise of counselling. Though, to be fair to you, what constitutes 'counselling' does vary somewhat from country to country. However (if you are in the US), I do not believe counsellors there diagnose their clients either. You might know better than me.

The two counsellors I saw in Chicago, after about five sessions, presented their diagnosis of me to their resident psychiatrist.  I was then to meet with the psychiatrist to confirm the diagnosis and receive medication.  I ended the relationship before proceeding.

 

Thanks,

Jeff

 

So, it can be different in the US. Or was it a psychotherapist or psychiatrist you saw?

[[Si...]]

So, it can be different in the US. Or was it a psychotherapist or psychiatrist you saw?

They were called Licensed Clinical Professional Counsellor (LCPC). 

 

Lets forget my use of the word diagnose/diagnosis.  The problem with meeting with any sort of mental health professional who is not aware of or does not believe in benzo withdrawal is that the provider will tell the client that his/her symptoms must be from a mental disorder.  The patient is also told that he/she should be able to learn to manage and control his/her symptoms by means of standard coping mechanisms, and is also often given medications.  This typically serves to cause the patient even greater distress than before having met with the provider in the first place.  Because, as you know, many of us in this condition suffer from symptoms that are far more intense than they are in a mental disorder, due to their strong chemical nature, and they cannot be controlled by standard measures.

 

-Jeff 

[[Si...]]

I had an appointment with Baylissa. I thought she was amazing. She gave me the support I desperately needed.  I hope that positive posts like this on BB board can stay up. Admin please don’t remove.  I think it’s super important to have positive feedback - especially for those people who are feeling ghastly & needing support who could hugely benefit from Baylissa’s expertise, experience & support.

I'm so happy to hear this!  -Jeff

[[Co...]]

I had an appointment with Baylissa. I thought she was amazing. She gave me the support I desperately needed.  I hope that positive posts like this on BB board can stay up. Admin please don’t remove.  I think it’s super important to have positive feedback - especially for those people who are feeling ghastly & needing support who could hugely benefit from Baylissa’s expertise, experience & support.

 

I have no problem with you reporting your positive experience. But we, the team, will be putting some thought into exactly where we will draw the line on outright endorsements. Obviously, endorsements for those holding no qualifications will be totally forbidden. It is the situation where a 'qualified' practitioner operates independently but there is no oversight of how they operate which is more tricky. The issue I have I have is that I feel, and feel strongly, that meaningful oversight is part of being 'qualified' in a broader sense of the word.

[[Co...]]

I had an appointment with Baylissa. I thought she was amazing. She gave me the support I desperately needed.  I hope that positive posts like this on BB board can stay up. Admin please don’t remove.  I think it’s super important to have positive feedback - especially for those people who are feeling ghastly & needing support who could hugely benefit from Baylissa’s expertise, experience & support.

 

I have no problem with you reporting your positive experience. But we, the team, will be putting some thought into exactly where we will draw the line on outright endorsements. Obviously, endorsements for those holding no qualifications will be totally forbidden. It is the situation where a 'qualified' practitioner operates independently but there is no oversight of how they operate which is more tricky. The issue I have I have is that I feel, and feel strongly, that meaningful oversight is part of being 'qualified' in a broader sense of the word.

 

Thanks Colin!  Just factually stating my experience.  I don’t belong to the professional body in my fiend.  It’s not because I’m not qualified, or because I don’t want to be governed.  The professional body in my industry is incredibly catty & not professional.  I don’t want to tie myself to that negativity.. 

 

Now if we think of possible reasons why someone isn’t part of a processional body in their own industry there could be many, many reasons:  I always think it’s not hood to assume. So why not ask the person? In a therapists scenario working on the benzo field I imagine there could be many  Just because someone isn’t part of their ondustruws governing body doesn’t make them not viable or trustworthy.

 

I find it interesting that BB have recently taken a stand on this board going south in negativity & wanting more positive posts.  Here’s good old mr bring Puritan about an experience & this should be encouraged.  We all need more positivity in WD.  If someone can come on BB & post an experience about Baylissa that they didn’t find positive - then positive ouses should be equally allowed. 

 

Thank you for being Fair Colin - I understand you have a very hard role however there needs to be an even playing field here. Positive posts need to be encouraged - regardless of the subject.  Please don’t dim the light to those of us still thrashing around in the darkness that withdrawal can sometimes bring.

 

The reality is that most member comments about their experiences with Baylissa Fredrick had been positive - Frederick had no problem with those comments of course. But when one member reported a negative experience, she created an account here with disingenuous reasons and under an alias. And then - knowingly - berated her former client on a public platform. Although I do not know her reasons - I can only speculate upon a possible an answer your question (reasons for her not being a member of professional body) - but that's the kind of behaviour which is unlikely to be tolerated by, say, the BACP. Perhaps Frederick wishes to be free of such constraints. Hopefully she will care to post her reasons at her website. I know this, if she had been a member of a professional body, I would have logged a complaint. She exhibited absolutely disgraceful behaviour.

[[Pa...]]

I had an appointment with Baylissa. I thought she was amazing. She gave me the support I desperately needed.  I hope that positive posts like this on BB board can stay up. Admin please don’t remove.  I think it’s super important to have positive feedback - especially for those people who are feeling ghastly & needing support who could hugely benefit from Baylissa’s expertise, experience & support.

 

I have no problem with you reporting your positive experience. But we, the team, will be putting some thought into exactly where we will draw the line on outright endorsements. Obviously, endorsements for those holding no qualifications will be totally forbidden. It is the situation where a 'qualified' practitioner operates independently but there is no oversight of how they operate which is more tricky. The issue I have I have is that I feel, and feel strongly, that meaningful oversight is part of being 'qualified' in a broader sense of the word.

 

Thanks Colin!  Just factually stating my experience.  I don’t belong to the professional body in my fiend.  It’s not because I’m not qualified, or because I don’t want to be governed.  The professional body in my industry is incredibly catty & not professional.  I don’t want to tie myself to that negativity.. 

 

Now if we think of possible reasons why someone isn’t part of a processional body in their own industry there could be many, many reasons:  I always think it’s not hood to assume. So why not ask the person? In a therapists scenario working on the benzo field I imagine there could be many  Just because someone isn’t part of their ondustruws governing body doesn’t make them not viable or trustworthy.

 

I find it interesting that BB have recently taken a stand on this board going south in negativity & wanting more positive posts.  Here’s good old mr bring Puritan about an experience & this should be encouraged.  We all need more positivity in WD.  If someone can come on BB & post an experience about Baylissa that they didn’t find positive - then positive ouses should be equally allowed. 

 

Thank you for being Fair Colin - I understand you have a very hard role however there needs to be an even playing field here. Positive posts need to be encouraged - regardless of the subject.  Please don’t dim the light to those of us still thrashing around in the darkness that withdrawal can sometimes bring.

 

The reality is that most member comments about their experiences with Baylissa Fredrick had been positive - Frederick had no problem with those comments of course. But when one member reported a negative experience, she created an account here with disingenuous reasons and under an alias. And then - knowingly - berated her former client on a public platform. Although I do not know her reasons - I can only speculate upon a possible an answer your question (reasons for her not being a member of professional body) - but that's the kind of behaviour which is unlikely to be tolerated by, say, the BACP. Perhaps Frederick wishes to be free of such constraints. Hopefully she will care to post her reasons at her website. I know this, if she had been a member of a professional body, I would have logged a complaint. She exhibited absolutely disgraceful behaviour.

 

Agreed!  Her behavior was absurd. I was shocked!  Never have I ever heard of such a thing happening. Here in the US, what she is doing as far as practicing without being properly licensed or registered is illegal. She wouldn’t be able to do it. And if she still did it, she would go to jail. But that’s the US and laws vary from country to country. I think the admins and mods here do a particularly good job of doing exactly what she does anyway. They comment individually on everyone’s posts, which is personalized and directed specifically towards the poster for reassurance that healing is possible and for free. Plus they all have the withdrawal experience as well.  I say you guys set up a donation fund. Not a fee for service or anything. But a donation page, to where if people feel they want to donate they can. Just my opinion. Since all of you donate so much time, energy, and support here!  Which I hope I speak for everyone when I say everything you ladies and gents do to help us collaborate here is appreciated.