by Jennifer Leigh | Dec 27, 2021 | Food, Healing |
I’m so passionate about helping people heal from the damage done by benzodiazepines and antidepressants that I’ve created a Veganuary challenge. Maybe you’ve heard of Veganuary— people challenge themselves to go plant-based for the month of January....
by Jennifer Leigh | Dec 6, 2021 | Hope |
I’m a recovering overachiever. Most days, I manage to reel in my cravings to do more, learn more, be more. But old habits are hard to break. I find myself now with more irons in the fire than I can manage. So, I’m doing my best to put a pin in some of the...
by Jennifer Leigh | Nov 14, 2021 | Coping Skills |
I can’t recall how far I was into my recovery when I stumbled upon the question. Was I a year off? Two? Three? It doesn’t matter. What matters is that I did find the question and used it. I use it still, every day, all day. It’s a very simple...
by Jennifer Leigh | Nov 9, 2021 | Coping Skills |
So many of my benzo withdrawal symptoms were torturous, but man, fear was one of the worst. I dreaded waking up to it every morning. I’d come into consciousness and feel somewhat normal for about thirty seconds or so, and then BAM! fear washed over me. (It was...
by Jennifer Leigh | Oct 20, 2021 | Hope |
Three years into my recovery from benzo withdrawal (June 2014), I experienced a setback brought on by plowing back into life too quickly. I had taken on the responsibility of teaching a class at Stanford University on the neuroscience of creativity; it was too much...
by Jennifer Leigh | Sep 27, 2021 | Recovery |
This morning I woke up as the stars twinkled their last in the pre-dawn sky and walked to Starbucks. It must be fall, because pumpkin pie spice is back on the menu! (Their PPS syrup has dried milk in it, so I chose a dash of nutmeg and cinnamon on top of my decaf...
by Jennifer Leigh | Sep 25, 2021 | Recovery |
I’ve received a lot of requests recently to share my story. I’ll share it, in parts. Reading about other people’s benzo withdrawal experiences can be triggering. Please, take good care of yourself and stop reading if your symptoms increase. I hope...
by Jennifer Leigh | Sep 19, 2021 | Healing |
Should you take an antibiotic while you are on a benzodiazepine or in benzo withdrawal? Of course, if you need one! Ask your doctor to make sure that antibiotic treatment is necessary and that the correct antibiotic is prescribed. Here are some thoughts about...
by Jennifer Leigh | Sep 17, 2021 | Healing |
The number one question people in benzo withdrawal ask me is, “Will I heal?” The answer is always YES! The second question is, When? (Unfortunately, there is no way to predict that. Everyone has their own unique healing timeline.) Another frequent question...
by Jennifer Leigh | Aug 28, 2021 | Recovery |
The list of possible benzo withdrawal symptoms is lengthy. Thankfully, we don’t usually experience all of them. The most common benzo withdrawal symptoms fall into three main categories: anxiety, pain, and what we call in the benzo community “head...
