Dear Benzo Buddies,
My apologies that it has taken me a few weeks to connect with you here. As you may know, four weeks ago, I came down with the flu and was incredibly sick. I took some time off from individual coaching but managed to lead my Mornings With Jenn support group. Now that I am feeling better and more able to work, the world is shutting down to flatten-the-curve of the novel coronavirus!

To take care of myself during the pandemic, I am currently living away from my apartment in the San Francisco Bay Area. I have moved temporarily to a secluded ranch house way out in the boonies. I am here with one of my sons (he’s high risk for the virus), his girlfriend, and our three dogs. We have running water but it is not drinkable, and our heat source is a potbelly stove. (I feel like a pioneer woman in some ways!) We are in the middle of 660 glorious acres of God’s country. We installed wifi so that I can blog and stay in touch with you. I’m at peace here and grateful to have other people to interact with.

Here in California, we are under a shelter-in-place order. Most businesses are closed except those that are essential. Perhaps your city or state is under a similar order. Life has changed dramatically, and those changes are sparking anxiety and fear worldwide. Not only is there the worry of catching the new virus, but a financial concern is also present. For those in benzo withdrawal, the added anxiety and uncertainty can cause a spike in withdrawal symptoms and make withdrawal more difficult.

These additional challenges are why I am adding more days to my live support group, Mornings With Jenn. We now meet Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays at 9 A.M. Pacific on the Mornings With Jenn private Facebook page. The group sessions are about 45 minutes long. If you can’t attend the live session, you can watch the video later at your convenience. On Tuesdays and Thursdays, I stream live to read a Soul Reminder from my latest book and share spiritual inspiration relevant to healing. I’m hoping the added days and hours of support will help people better cope with withdrawal and their added stress.

If you need ongoing support but don’t have the budget for it, Mornings With Jenn may be a good fit for you. The cost is $59 a month for over 9 hours of live support. If you are unable to afford that, please get in touch with me and let’s see what we can do. I want everyone to get the help they need and *hopefully* stay afloat financially myself. (I’d hate to have to shutter the doors and not be able to be of assistance in the benzo community.)

I’ve been moved by the need for people to comfort one another, so I have begun writing Soul Reminders again. They are short little inspirational stories. If you’d like to read them, you can find them at SoulReminders.Com (you can sign up to have them delivered to your inbox, Monday through Friday.) I hope my words soothe a weary soul and bring peace and comfort.

Please take good care of yourself. Stay home if you can. Turn off the TV and ditch social media If you are overwhelmed by the news. Find ways to distract. Do your best to stay in touch with people if you live alone. Human beings are pack animals. We are biologically designed to be in connection with one another. Find creative ways to pass the time if you can.

Above all, know that the pandemic will pass. So, too, will benzo withdrawal.

Please feel free to share with us how you are coping and what you are doing to pass the time as we all move more indoors to wait out the virus.

You can find more information about Mornings With Jenn here, or you can reach me via the contact form below.
Your loving friend,
Jenn