Baylissa

[[di...]]

Before you blanket the entire mental heath profession with a broad statement regarding psychiatric drugs....

 

 

Most reputable psychologists in private practice are NOT proponents of medication nor are they authorized to prescribe.  Only an MD can write prescriptions such as a psychiatrist or primary care physician.  Most psychologists and counselors believe that all methods of behavior modification, exposure therapy, talk therapys, CBT, etc. should be exhausted before any medication should be dispersed and even then they would need to refer you and that decision would be made by the MD.  Again, I do not know many psycholgist or counselors that "recommend" medication to their patients as a first line of treatment.

Nothing I said goes against what you said. I wasn't suggesting that psychologists and counsellors whip out the prescription pad or even push patients towards asking for meds. I know that they are not authorized to prescribe. What I am suggesting is that once a patient receives a formal diagnosis, that opens the door to medication in the future. I don't have any problem with counselling and psychotherapy. I think they are extremely valuable professions in this age.

 

I probably have a PTSD thing going on because whenever I read about guidelines/laws/regulations in the mental health sector, my mind immediately goes to working out how it's a con to sell more drugs. The problem I have is that it's usually trivial to think of a possibility, so it's hard to shake. That's all I was asking, if anybody else's mind works like this? I'm recognising a weakness in myself. Anyway, never mind, I am not trying to start any arguments. 

[[Be...]]

 

 

I probably have a PTSD thing going on because whenever I read about guidelines/laws/regulations in the mental health sector, my mind immediately goes to working out how it's a con to sell more drugs. The problem I have is that it's usually trivial to think of a possibility, so it's hard to shake. That's all I was asking, if anybody else's mind works like this? I'm recognising a weakness in myself. Anyway, never mind, I am not trying to start any arguments. 

 

Mine does, but in my case I have the Autism going on. You are not alone in your thinking.

[[di...]]

For me it's sort of like, I don't know whether to just admit it's paranoia. I can switch off from it, it doesn't eat me up or make me ill. It ticks me off but so what? Who doesn't get ticked off these days?

 

I don't think I'm paranoid. I got dragged into a net. I made a bad decision that was assisted by the preponderance of bad information in mainstream culture. I have gone kind of autistic myself in withdrawal. Something happened and I am storing memories in a different way. It's kind of weird but my mind has started to work in the same way as my brother's does for some things. He has autism. I'm also more in touch with my feminine side, as weird as it feels to post that (TMI?). I memorised pi (3.141592653589793...) to 80 digits and it was easy to do. I did it because I felt like my ability to recall precise details was better than it had ever been. So I wanted to check and this was a good way to find out because I knew that I didn't have this ability before. My brother has a really good memory too. And he has this skill of telling you what day of the week a calendar date was from as far back as like 20 years ago. Rather than being paranoid, it's just that my mind seems to pick up on everything. I can let it go straight away, so it pops in to my head and I just leave it and move on. But sometimes I talk about it because I think it's right to spread awareness of something that can wreck lives. There are certain choices that you shouldn't just defer to an authority figure. What medication to take is one of them. You need to dig about and find people who have extensive experience. The cultural acceptance and to an extent glorification of these drugs has been crafted by some aggressive lobbying that has paid for a permissive regulatory climate allowing aggressive marketing strategies.

 

A

[[Ju...]]

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.

 

You kept fueling the fire.

[[Be...]]

For me it's sort of like, I don't know whether to just admit it's paranoia. I can switch off from it, it doesn't eat me up or make me ill. It ticks me off but so what? Who doesn't get ticked off these days?

 

I don't think I'm paranoid. I got dragged into a net. I made a bad decision that was assisted by the preponderance of bad information in mainstream culture. I have gone kind of autistic myself in withdrawal. Something happened and I am storing memories in a different way. It's kind of weird but my mind has started to work in the same way as my brother's does for some things. He has autism. I'm also more in touch with my feminine side, as weird as it feels to post that (TMI?). I memorised pi (3.141592653589793...) to 80 digits and it was easy to do. I did it because I felt like my ability to recall precise details was better than it had ever been. So I wanted to check and this was a good way to find out because I knew that I didn't have this ability before. My brother has a really good memory too. And he has this skill of telling you what day of the week a calendar date was from as far back as like 20 years ago. Rather than being paranoid, it's just that my mind seems to pick up on everything. I can let it go straight away, so it pops in to my head and I just leave it and move on. But sometimes I talk about it because I think it's right to spread awareness of something that can wreck lives. There are certain choices that you shouldn't just defer to an authority figure. What medication to take is one of them. You need to dig about and find people who have extensive experience. The cultural acceptance and to an extent glorification of these drugs has been crafted by some aggressive lobbying that has paid for a permissive regulatory climate allowing aggressive marketing strategies.

 

A

 

 

Have you considered that you might be on the Autism spectrum yourself? You can be on the spectrum and not have Autism itself. I have an older brother who exhibits some traits of Autism, but is not Autistic himself. Check out this test at this link. https://aspietests.org/aq/ Simon Baron-Cohen is the first cousin of actor Sacha Baron Cohen. What you think might be being paranoid might be an Autism trait known as perseveration. People who perseverate absorb information and retain it down to the smallest of details. It can be good or bad, when it's bad it's almost like OCD. When it's good it becomes a skill that others envy, your ability to retain information on certain subjects and details. You can discard that which you don't want to retain. And remember that which draws your interest.

[[di...]]

For me it's sort of like, I don't know whether to just admit it's paranoia. I can switch off from it, it doesn't eat me up or make me ill. It ticks me off but so what? Who doesn't get ticked off these days?

 

I don't think I'm paranoid. I got dragged into a net. I made a bad decision that was assisted by the preponderance of bad information in mainstream culture. I have gone kind of autistic myself in withdrawal. Something happened and I am storing memories in a different way. It's kind of weird but my mind has started to work in the same way as my brother's does for some things. He has autism. I'm also more in touch with my feminine side, as weird as it feels to post that (TMI?). I memorised pi (3.141592653589793...) to 80 digits and it was easy to do. I did it because I felt like my ability to recall precise details was better than it had ever been. So I wanted to check and this was a good way to find out because I knew that I didn't have this ability before. My brother has a really good memory too. And he has this skill of telling you what day of the week a calendar date was from as far back as like 20 years ago. Rather than being paranoid, it's just that my mind seems to pick up on everything. I can let it go straight away, so it pops in to my head and I just leave it and move on. But sometimes I talk about it because I think it's right to spread awareness of something that can wreck lives. There are certain choices that you shouldn't just defer to an authority figure. What medication to take is one of them. You need to dig about and find people who have extensive experience. The cultural acceptance and to an extent glorification of these drugs has been crafted by some aggressive lobbying that has paid for a permissive regulatory climate allowing aggressive marketing strategies.

 

A

 

 

Have you considered that you might be on the Autism spectrum yourself? You can be on the spectrum and not have Autism itself. I have an older brother who exhibits some traits of Autism, but is not Autistic himself. Check out this test at this link. https://aspietests.org/aq/ Simon Baron-Cohen is the first cousin of actor Sacha Baron Cohen. What you think might be being paranoid might be an Autism trait known as perseveration. People who perseverate absorb information and retain it down to the smallest of details. It can be good or bad, when it's bad it's almost like OCD. When it's good it becomes a skill that others envy, your ability to retain information on certain subjects and details. You can discard that which you don't want to retain. And remember that which draws your interest.

I don't think so. I took the test that you linked and I score fewer points than the average for non-autistic people who took the test. I've always had some autistic tendencies and that has prompted me to explore this possibility in the past. Apart from not screening for autism, I screen for unusually high empathy, which is really not an autistic trait. I am absolutely fascinated by this sort of enquiry and my best theory that accounts for my unusual blend of traits is that because I have high empathy, I have acquired some traits from my autistic older brother. Then there's the trauma of withdrawal exaggerating things. Also, I might be exhibiting more signs of autism than I usually do because under lockdown I am seeing a lot of my brother and not a lot of my friends. It's one of the traits that scores me high for empathy, there is a shift in my persona depending who I am talking to. Even my accent and the way I speak changes depending who I am with. It just happens naturally. I have a Math degree too, so that makes me a bit more systematic in my thinking, which is kinda autistic. There was definitely a time when I had Perseveration as a symptom but it's not as extreme as described in Wiki anymore. Thanks for sharing though, it's interesting.

 

I've read some of Simon Baron-Cohen's research on the "extreme male brain" theory of autism which I do think there's something in. I remember reading some of his thoughts on savantism too because what I have going on seems like it could be called savant-like. My brother's "human calendar" ability that I described is the most common savant ability. He says that he sort of knows how it works but not to the extent where he could explain it. That's how it is with me. It seems to be that I have gone right brain for certain tasks that are normally left brain, something that comes up in savantism and also in trauma. On the "extreme male brain" theory, there is a lot made of systemising and empathising. I am pretty high in systemising but I'm also high in empathising, it just seems to be strongly dependent on the task. Both my father and my brother have exaggerated strong male traits and so do I in some respects, but I also have unusually high female traits in other respects.

 

This is how it goes when I dive into this. I've got some unusual stuff going on and the common thread seems to be trauma. I'm on hold for PTSD treatment due to the pandemic. I think that I've changed permanently and once I have dealt with the PTSD bit, I'll have a stronger idea about the way it's going to be going forward. Already I feel like myself, just with this ability to recall lots of intricate details from memory, and a more strongly emphasised spiritual side than before. My whole life has been pretty unusual, to be honest with you. My parents had me and my brother when they were young. They have their issues and before my life fell apart, they used to confide in me. My younger sister is on the spectrum and has a mild case of Tourette and anxiety is a constant battle. So I've always felt this responsibility to understand everything so that I know how to be there for my family. It sometimes drives me to go a little too far but I think I'm starting to mature past that. This whole ordeal with pharmaceuticals came about because I was pushing myself too hard and my mental health suffered. I have better boundaries now and that makes me a stronger person which benefits everybody.

 

I don't know how to talk about this in my real life. It's too much for my family, either too complicated or too emotionally loaded depending on which family member. With my friends, I feel like I have been a liability for a while and I just want to be normal and not talk about how my mind functions differently now. So I find myself opening up to people on the Internet. I hope some people can relate but I realise it is a bit self-indulgent. 

[[Be...]]

Thanks to all of you who continue to critique people who are just looking to help others they are disappearing one at a time, meanwhile no other people are popping up and helping those of us in hell try and survive. Baylissa has closed her doors now because of jackasses like Colin on some sort of power trip trying to belittle those who have dedicated their life to helping encourage those of us struggling to survive. Who cares how they do it? If it helps talk people down from the brink of suicide like Baylissa has done for thousands of people, I just can’t with this site anymore. You’re encouraging people who are helping to stop helping meanwhile doctors and professionals continue to ignore our plight and more people commit suicide. A bunch of nut jobs run this site apparently

 

_{edit: profanity removed}

[[or...]]

I'm not  on one side or the other of the Baylissa discussion but I do have to draw your attention to this, Beans:

 

A bunch of nut jobs run this site apparently

 

Really? You know full well that name-calling like this is something we all agreed we would NOT DO when we signed on to use BB. You can disagree and still be polite.

 

 

Katz

 

 

[[Be...]]

 

I don't think so. I took the test that you linked and I score fewer points than the average for non-autistic people who took the test. I've always had some autistic tendencies and that has prompted me to explore this possibility in the past. Apart from not screening for autism, I screen for unusually high empathy, which is really not an autistic trait. I am absolutely fascinated by this sort of enquiry and my best theory that accounts for my unusual blend of traits is that because I have high empathy, I have acquired some traits from my autistic older brother. Then there's the trauma of withdrawal exaggerating things. Also, I might be exhibiting more signs of autism than I usually do because under lockdown I am seeing a lot of my brother and not a lot of my friends. It's one of the traits that scores me high for empathy, there is a shift in my persona depending who I am talking to. Even my accent and the way I speak changes depending who I am with. It just happens naturally. I have a Math degree too, so that makes me a bit more systematic in my thinking, which is kinda autistic. There was definitely a time when I had Perseveration as a symptom but it's not as extreme as described in Wiki anymore. Thanks for sharing though, it's interesting.

 

I've read some of Simon Baron-Cohen's research on the "extreme male brain" theory of autism which I do think there's something in. I remember reading some of his thoughts on savantism too because what I have going on seems like it could be called savant-like. My brother's "human calendar" ability that I described is the most common savant ability. He says that he sort of knows how it works but not to the extent where he could explain it. That's how it is with me. It seems to be that I have gone right brain for certain tasks that are normally left brain, something that comes up in savantism and also in trauma. On the "extreme male brain" theory, there is a lot made of systemising and empathising. I am pretty high in systemising but I'm also high in empathising, it just seems to be strongly dependent on the task. Both my father and my brother have exaggerated strong male traits and so do I in some respects, but I also have unusually high female traits in other respects.

 

This is how it goes when I dive into this. I've got some unusual stuff going on and the common thread seems to be trauma. I'm on hold for PTSD treatment due to the pandemic. I think that I've changed permanently and once I have dealt with the PTSD bit, I'll have a stronger idea about the way it's going to be going forward. Already I feel like myself, just with this ability to recall lots of intricate details from memory, and a more strongly emphasised spiritual side than before. My whole life has been pretty unusual, to be honest with you. My parents had me and my brother when they were young. They have their issues and before my life fell apart, they used to confide in me. My younger sister is on the spectrum and has a mild case of Tourette and anxiety is a constant battle. So I've always felt this responsibility to understand everything so that I know how to be there for my family. It sometimes drives me to go a little too far but I think I'm starting to mature past that. This whole ordeal with pharmaceuticals came about because I was pushing myself too hard and my mental health suffered. I have better boundaries now and that makes me a stronger person which benefits everybody.

 

I don't know how to talk about this in my real life. It's too much for my family, either too complicated or too emotionally loaded depending on which family member. With my friends, I feel like I have been a liability for a while and I just want to be normal and not talk about how my mind functions differently now. So I find myself opening up to people on the Internet. I hope some people can relate but I realise it is a bit self-indulgent. 

 

 

Well, at least the test gave you an idea of where you fall. Also, it is a misconception that Autistic people can't feel empathy. On the contrary, many can, but they internalizze it and don't know how to express it. I have strong empathy feelings, yet am Autistic. I've met a few like myself. Have you ever done Myers-Briggs typecasting? I did the book "Please Understand Me" years ago, and did the abridged test in the book. My type ended up being the one where empathy is strong. There's lots of resources online, including the actual test that helps you find out what your personality is, and where you fit in. You might get some answers there, I know I found it immensely helpful. I get being misunderstood, and not being able to talk to anybody about these things. I think you will fall into one of the rarer Myers-Briggs groups, so the percentage of like-minded people is small. Which makes it hard-pressed to find others who understand your unique traits.

[[Ju...]]

Thanks to all of you assholes who continue to critique people who are just looking to help others they are disappearing one at a time, meanwhile no other people are popping up and helping those of us in hell try and survive. Baylissa has closed her doors now because of jackasses like Colin on some sort of power trip trying to belittle those who have dedicated their life to helping encourage those of us struggling to survive. Who cares how they do it? If it helps talk people down from the brink of suicide like Baylissa has done for thousands of people, I just can’t with this site anymore. You’re encouraging people who are helping to stop helping meanwhile doctors and professionals continue to ignore our plight and more people commit suicide. A bunch of nut jobs run this site apparently

 

And she has saved lives. Many lives. It is appalling to see her attacked.

[[pi...]]

Thanks to all of you who continue to critique people who are just looking to help others they are disappearing one at a time, meanwhile no other people are popping up and helping those of us in hell try and survive. Baylissa has closed her doors now because of jackasses like Colin on some sort of power trip trying to belittle those who have dedicated their life to helping encourage those of us struggling to survive. Who cares how they do it? If it helps talk people down from the brink of suicide like Baylissa has done for thousands of people, I just can’t with this site anymore. You’re encouraging people who are helping to stop helping meanwhile doctors and professionals continue to ignore our plight and more people commit suicide. A bunch of nut jobs run this site apparently

 

_{edit: profanity removed}

 

No, this site is run by people who have cared about those going through benzo withdrawal for many many years. People who give freely of their time, who don't solicit funds or ask for anything in return, that is, except a little respect.

 

pianogirl

[[Ju...]]

Thanks to all of you who continue to critique people who are just looking to help others they are disappearing one at a time, meanwhile no other people are popping up and helping those of us in hell try and survive. Baylissa has closed her doors now because of jackasses like Colin on some sort of power trip trying to belittle those who have dedicated their life to helping encourage those of us struggling to survive. Who cares how they do it? If it helps talk people down from the brink of suicide like Baylissa has done for thousands of people, I just can’t with this site anymore. You’re encouraging people who are helping to stop helping meanwhile doctors and professionals continue to ignore our plight and more people commit suicide. A bunch of nut jobs run this site apparently

 

_{edit: profanity removed}

 

No, this site is run by people who have cared about those going through benzo withdrawal for many many years. People who give freely of their time, who don't solicit funds or ask for anything in return, that is, except a little respect.

 

pianogirl

 

I remember you pianogirl and you have always been sweet. That could have been worded differently I agree but the fact that this happened does seem power driven and no, not on your part at all.

 

ETA: This situation has affected many people. People that are very sick at that. If the site truly cares for them, this would stop.

[[or...]]

No, this site is run by people who have cared about those going through benzo withdrawal for many many years. People who give freely of their time, who don't solicit funds or ask for anything in return, that is, except a little respect.

 

pianogirl

 

I couldn't agree more, PG. I have encountered only kindness, been given good information, and treated with respect on here. This site and these mods saved my life. I do not know Baylissa and have no history with her, but I've been on BB for a lot of years and can certainly comment on the mods on here.

 

 

Katz

[[pi...]]

No, this site is run by people who have cared about those going through benzo withdrawal for many many years. People who give freely of their time, who don't solicit funds or ask for anything in return, that is, except a little respect.

 

pianogirl

 

I couldn't agree more, PG. I have encountered only kindness, been given good information, and treated with respect on here. This site and these mods saved my life. I do not know Baylissa and have no history with her, but I've been on BB for a lot of years and can certainly comment on the mods on here.

 

 

Katz

 

Thanks Katz, and the owner as well!

[[Sh...]]

Just for the record I am one of the people baylissa helped for free. My husband had a stroke 2 years ago and is disabled. I am obviously struggling very badly thru this wd. She called me and spoke to me for free because of our financial situation. A total stranger out there in the world who cared enough about me to do that. I have been supportive and open to other people’s opinions. But now she has taken away her site and it is a source of massive support for me. I am devastated beyond words. Watching her video where she is crying has totally broken my heart.

 

People are being hurt by this. Baylissa, me, you, jaytay.

 

We should all be supporting one another not fighting amongst ourselves. We are all we have don’t you get that?!? If we aren’t here to validate one another we have no one else! If it wasn’t for this site and baylissa I might have ended up in a pysch ward if I had have listened to drs.

 

If there was ever a time I wanted to walk away it would be right now. This isn’t a community at this moment.

[[Co...]]

Just for the record I am one of the people baylissa helped for free. My husband had a stroke 2 years ago and is disabled. I am obviously struggling very badly thru this wd. She called me and spoke to me for free because of our financial situation. A total stranger out there in the world who cared enough about me to do that. I have been supportive and open to other people’s opinions. But now she has taken away her site and it is a source of massive support for me. I am devastated beyond words. Watching her video where she is crying has totally broken my heart.

 

People are being hurt by this. Baylissa, me, you, jaytay.

 

We should all be supporting one another not fighting amongst ourselves. We are all we have don’t you get that?!? If we aren’t here to validate one another we have no one else! If it wasn’t for this site and baylissa I might have ended up in a pysch ward if I had have listened to drs.

 

If there was ever a time I wanted to walk away it would be right now. This isn’t a community right now.

 

Then, perhaps, Frederick should not have threatened legal action against JayTay. Perhaps, she should have instead tried to reach out to him privately rather than confront him publicly on the peer-support forum he frequents.

[[Ju...]]

Just for the record I am one of the people baylissa helped for free. My husband had a stroke 2 years ago and is disabled. I am obviously struggling very badly thru this wd. She called me and spoke to me for free because of our financial situation. A total stranger out there in the world who cared enough about me to do that. I have been supportive and open to other people’s opinions. But now she has taken away her site and it is a source of massive support for me. I am devastated beyond words. Watching her video where she is crying has totally broken my heart.

 

People are being hurt by this. Baylissa, me, you, jaytay.

 

We should all be supporting one another not fighting amongst ourselves. We are all we have don’t you get that?!? If we aren’t here to validate one another we have no one else! If it wasn’t for this site and baylissa I might have ended up in a pysch ward if I had have listened to drs.

 

If there was ever a time I wanted to walk away it would be right now. This isn’t a community right now.

 

Then, perhaps, Frederick should not have threatened legal action against JayTay. Perhaps, she should have instead tried to reach out to him privately rather than confront him publicly on the peer-support forum he frequents.

 

Perhaps you should take control of your board. You see that people are hurt. Stop this.

[[Pa...]]

There is nothing to be gained by allowing comments on these threads to continue. For the sake of those who are here for help, we are locking the threads with hope that time and energy will be spent offering support, encouragement and information to those who need it, which is our mission.