Many of you know that I drove across America for three months at the start of the year. I visited benzo withdrawal people to give them hope that we do heal and get on with life. In fact, we often have even better lives than our pre-benzo days. That’s certainly my experience!
I may drive to Georgia in September. If I do, I’m more than happy to stop along the way to give hope to others or to speak at your church regarding my work with Soul Reminders. (soulreminders.com)
If you think you may be interested in meeting please drop me a line at jennifer@benzowithdrawalhelp.com
If you are still on the fence about joining the private benzo withdrawal community, I created, please drop me a line. I’d be delighted to answer any questions. We have about 30 members and it is a very positive, supportive community.
Keep healing! Life after withdrawal is nothing short of spectacular.
Jennifer
Why does membership cost so much? Why does it have to cost anything at all? As you know, many of us in withdrawal are unable to work, and finances are very tight.
Megan, Thanks for asking the question. I DO understand that money is tight in withdrawal. I lost EVERY penny. My parents and children supported me. I did a few odd jobs now and then when I was able, but brought in less than 1,000 for the year, so yeah, I get it.
I spend HOURS a day helping people in benzo withdrawal. I reply to many, many emails from around the world. I respond to text messages, phone calls, etc. I research benzo withdrawal and things that could possibly help. I also spend time in the community with my group. I post a video every day, sometimes more than once. I find experts to come talk to us and every Wednesday I offer a free webinar. Are you starting to see that I spend HOURS and HOURS devoted to benzo withdrawal and helping? This website, for example, is my own doing. I don’t hire others to help me. Again, it takes TIME. If I give ALL this time away that I spend helping people in benzo withdrawal, I’d never get back on my feet financially. The time I spend on benzo people is time I can’t be spending on earning a living.
Sometimes my feelings get hurt that people expect me to give away my time because I’m “one of the benzo family”, yet they think nothing of paying the acupuncturist they see for help in withdrawal, or the masseuse, or the functional medicine doctor, or homeopath, or nutritionist. I actually had one woman call me and keep me on the phone for over an hour. She told me how she is spending thousands with her naturopath doctor. I gave her some advice that helped her immensely. (Her doctor was giving her the wrong advice because he isn’t benzo-wise.) She said she wished she could pay me, but she couldn’t afford to. So, I ask you, why is my hour of time any less valuable than the doctor she was paying thousands? I am providing a service, just like a doctor, or support person that someone in benzo withdrawal visits for help. (Do you ask them why they charge for their time and their services?)
I WISH I could provide help for free, I really do. But I can’t. My family is still helping me as I grow my Soul Reminders business/coaching. I can’t offer the amount of time and help that I give to the benzo community for free. It wouldn’t be fair to my family or myself for that matter. I can’t expect my family to help me get back on my feet but say, “Oh, I’m going to spend a lot of time doing work but not getting paid!”
Trust me, I’m not getting rich helping the benzo community. Even at 39.00 a person per month, with the cost of running an online business, the countless hours I spend in support, etc. I make very little. The truth is, I may not be able to afford to help much longer, which will make me very sad. I’ve lived through benzo withdrawal and it was a nightmare. I had a very traumatic experience and it took years to recover. I hate to turn my back on others suffering, especially when I know so much that can help! But at some point, I’ll need to assess how much helping people is COSTING me in terms of opportunity costs as well as emotional costs. It’s hard to hear people sobbing on the phone, so desperate! It takes a toll after awhile, you know. I feel for them because I know what they are going through.
So, that’s the long reply. The short reply is I provide a service, just like anyone else in business. My group is not a forum. I am very much involved and people have access to me. I spend a lot of time answering questions, hand holding, and comforting. Hope that answers your question and you can see that it’s not fair to expect me to donate so many, many hours to benzo withdrawal and not get paid. I have to earn a living, just like everyone else.
I’m sorry, I wasn’t trying to be insulting… I know how tricky these things can be. I was just wondering what the $39 a month covered / why there was a cost. I didn’t realize you were providing that much one-on-one support (etc) and making this your full-time job. I would also like to help others once I have healed, although I have no idea what form that would take. I think you’re doing an incredible thing here. The membership sounds wonderful and really supportive, and I hope you are able to keep doing it!