Benzodiazepines & sleeping pills
Recovery | Changing Policy | Bonnie's Story | Our Disclaimer
This page has resources you'll find useful in researching benzodiazepines (benzos) and sleeping pills including finding help if you need it.
Sleep Recovery without Drugs
Many of us turn to drugs to deal with sleeplessness. This article offers a drug-free alternative.
For decades, Kate Edgley struggled with insomnia. She tried everything, but nothing seemed to work… Here, she reveals the terrible toll it took on her life — and how she eventually realised her dreams. — How I finally learned to sleep
Help with Recovery
Benzodiazepine withdrawal is characterized by sleep disturbance, irritability, increased tension and anxiety, panic attacks, hand tremor, shaking, sweating, difficulty with concentration, confusion and cognitive difficulty, memory problems, dry retching and nausea, weight loss, palpitations, headache, muscular pain and stiffness, a host of perceptual changes, hallucinations, seizures, psychosis, and increased risk of suicide. — Wikipedia
If you need help recovering from benzo addiction, these resources can help:
- Self-Help and Support Groups
- Help Blog: Benzodiazepine and Sleeping Pill Addiction, Tapering & Recovery
- Benzodiazepine Recovery Tips
Ashton Resources for Health Professionals
Dr. C. Heather Ashton is an expert in benzodiapines, including her taper method discussed in The Ashton Manual — detailed information on discontinuing and safe tapering off benzodiazepines.
Dr. Heather Ashton's Maine Benzodiazepine Conference Presentations (Oct./05)
- Introduction
- 1st presentation Overprescribing of Benzodiazepines: Problems and Resolutions
- 2nd presentation History of Benzodizaepines: What the Textbooks May Not Tell You
Dr. Heather Ashton's lectures on Benzodiazepine Dependence and Withdrawal Methods to heath care providers in Victoria and Vancouver, B.C. are available on DVD:
Changing Drug Policy
These pages deal with policy — things we can change to avoid problems in the future:
Bonnie's Story
Bonnie was a brilliant, creative, curious, kind person who took her life due to Benzodiazepine withdrawal. She had worked very hard to taper off of benzodiazepines for over 21 months then took her life 4 weeks after completing her taper.
Bonnie's Story (PDF–84 KB) is a tribute to Bonnie's struggle to recover from benzodiazepines.
