@MeghenFarley yes, I've been Valium-free for 6 years now and although mostly recovered, am still not back to baseline. Literally the worst thing to ever happen to me.
It is a miracle drug for those who need it in the moment. You provide no science with your statement. People with anxiety and trauma need to know there is no easy fix. It DOES take years to heal and that's if you are actively participating in multiple types of therapy. It should be on the market for those who need it. It shouldn't be abused by those who don't and it shouldn't be used alone without addressing the underlying need. Benzo's didn't kill this gentleman, it was suicide. Our quick fix society doesn't want to give people the time and space they need from work and life to heal underlying nervous system disorders. There's no quick fix. For some, they will need meds for life and that shouldn't be looked down upon.
I took klonopin for around a year on and off. I cold turkeyd off them and went into the most unbearable suffering known to man. I paced for 2 months straight no break with extreme akathasia then spent the next 12 months in the fetal position crying from all the suffering. Then somthing magical happened at 18 months off, a lot of my mental symptoms and extreme nerve pain and panic went away. I am now 21 months off and I am close to the finish line and I’d say I’m 90% better I’m expecting to be 100% by 2 years off. Hang in there guys I was a worst case scenario I literally could do nothing for myself for over a year. I made it out and so will you ❤
So glad you are doing so much better. How did you support yourself, and have a place to live during all of your suffering? 😔 Did you have family to help, and support you?
Totally agree! But 98 percent probably still wouldn't care and would still think he was just mentally ill instead of being brain damaged, which is what it was for this poor man in the video and countless other med damaged people.
They wouldn't dare allow med/ psychiatry students see this. A large reason why they behave the way they do is because they are indoctrinated...similiar to a cult. That's why they are so defensive and derogatory when you question anything. They behave like you re not only questioning their decisions, but their whole being.
I went to high school with Max. He was always kind to me when others were not. This came up in my feed. Im sad to hear he was in so much pain. I have gone through withdrawal from ssri's. I can't imagine having those symptoms for years with no relief. Bless his soul. RIP. My condolences to his family and friends.
@Daathiel What a deluded comment. Being kind to someone is a genuine strength. His problem appears that he wasn’t adequately protected from the same powers that your own comment evidences that you’re in league with-powers that want to atomize us and turn us into a society of everyman for himself. Powers that want to convince us that evolution is about competition and not cooperation.
My sincere condolences 💐 I was prescribed Xanax for 10 years for sleep 2 mg for sleep, after I got off them for about a year my brain felt like 2 magnets 🧲 pushing away from each other. When I told Doctors they thought I was going crazy. I’m 13 + years Xanax FREE ✊ It can be done. Keep on keeping on 😎
Xanax for sleep is WILD! Can't sleep on benzos only sedate (hypnosis). The brain is too sedated to sleep (in the natural sense). Glad you made it through that! What a misprescribed nightmare!
I'm fkd. I don't think I can be completely free. Quit for 18 mos and 10 mos and felt like death. Have no idea how I even quit that long and why I put myself through that. Guess it takes 2 yrs or more. So die or take a piece to survive? Over 20yrs on em is tough. Doctors prescribe suboxone forever for opiate withdrawal, but don't have meds for benzos? How that's work? I guess you take benzos to function coz there's no subenzo.
@@BillClay88 ashwagandha for anti anxiety and calmness, and if thats not enough, combine with reishi and theanine. These heavy benzo drugs can damage the gut to such degree that you cant get enough nutritions from ordinary food, this will start make the brain break down and cause havoc on the chemical and hormonal balance in the body, if thats the case you need to supplement with higher doses of vitamin c, magnesium, vitamin D and also try b1 and b3 nicotinic acid. The worst thing you can do is going Vegan if you start having all these issues, you want to eat high quality meat, fat, nuts, veggies and fruits and go for long walks or do strength training 3-5 times a week.
Thank you, Kelsi, for sharing your family's story. I am lying in bed watching this, and tears are pouring down my face and neck. Unfortunately, I know what Max endured firsthand, and I know he did not want to die. None of us do, but it is just so horrific and for so long for some of us. I'm so very sorry. Keep up the great work you're doing to help people.
@@xy-qy2yg and it is a horror show that's almost impossible to describe, and an even worse horror show to live with day after day after day.... these chemicals are pure poison to the human brain and nervous system and should be even more illegal than Fentanyl and black tar heroin !
This is such a sad story about your husband Kelsi. I am sat here sobbing !,all the symptoms you have described about what your husband was going through ,I too am experiencing much of the same symptoms,at this time I am doing a slow taper from a benzo,and pray every day that I'll get through this nightmare.
@erinreese3849 Check out the Benzodiazepine information Coalition. They provide advocacy in helping people find physicians who have understanding of the complexities and complications of Benzodiazepines and the withdrawal process.
The damage is so severe. Thank you for giving it a voice and a platform. I work in a detox and the amount of damage done is mind-blowing. She was such a fantastic advocate.
I worked in a detox for 6 years while working towards getting my nursing education. Saw some horrific outcomes for people. Withdrawals are difficult to watch. God bless you.
Jordan Peterson apparently almost died trying to get off benzos. He had to go to Russia for some radical therapy as the doctors in the U.S. and Canada either couldn't or wouldn't help him.
Late teen is when schizophrenia seems to present. The high anxiety and later paranoia could be evidence of this condition which he'd have most likely been diagnosed and treated for. Giving an 18 year old Xanax is wreckless . Bio feedback , talk therapy , Exercise, journaling are very helpful. This is so sad .
There are MANY, MANY other people that have committed suicide from the damage these drugs cause .... or from the UNBEARABLE suffering that happens when you try to stop taking them.
Omg yes, the suffering while getting off the drugs is intense, if I didnt have my parents be so supportive I would have killed myself already. I am still going through it. Please doctors stop this, stop it. Also, calling a suicidal line will not do anything, they just come to your house, take you to the psych ward in a 5150 and put more drugs on you. It is not productive at all. I was on meds for 9 years and my body and mind are ruined but the worst is the mental agony.
I had withdrawals from benzos and it was so intense and the anxiety was at 100%. I hate benzos, they literally kill ppl. I have never felt so hopeless and uncontrollable withdrawals and it was only the beginning after quitting benzos. It’s what I think is a hell on earth. Tk God he got me thru that. That was in 2013.
@@sidstovell2177 I stopped taking them because the panic attacks stopped. Lost my mind for 2 weeks, was hallucinating, thought I was dying 1 week of it I didn't sleep , a whole week 7 days. I didn't know what was going on, friends and family thought I was on drugs, and had me drug tested. They were shocked when the drug test came back negative (for everything). Now I know what is was, this is so crazy!
Try opiate withdrawal. I took myself off Xanax after about 2 years on it and it was nothing like opiate withdrawal. Any withdrawal is awful but opiate & gabapentin withdrawal are seriously awful. I've been gabapentin free for about 3 months & still have withdrawal from it. Anything we ingest for a long period of time we will withdrawal from.
What a kind, healing and respectful interview. I can’t imagine how much healing this could provide - to have someone listen, and take you seriously, and empathize, and not judge, and to let you know how important and VALUED your story is... this was an incredible story. She is a warrior, 10 times over. And you are such a kind and wise interviewer. I am absolutely blown away by this whole experience. Wow.
Watching your story so heartbreaking I myself have been on phyc meds my husband has been a wonderful support but I know he doesn't truly understand the side effects of meds you have to have been on them to.truely understand. What a brave man he was putting the effort into staying alive His wonderful wife has nothing to feel guilty about she did everything she could. God bless everyone going through any mental health crisis
You are not alone..Push yourself to find a couple benzo friends to vent , do it slowly even if everything in you doesn't want to ..I know any type of socializing can be painful and we just want to isolate from life
I was taken off klonopin cold turkey in 2019. I didn’t know any better. My doctor quit practicing & the clinic said no refills, they don’t prescribe it. I lived on a ranch out in the middle of nowhere. The fact I’m alive to tell my story is a miracle. The hell I went through for years. I’m SO sorry for your loss. I understand the despair of wanting to do the right thing for ourselves while dealing with the hell of stopping this medication.
@@emusedone I was a victim of oxycontin and pregablin cold turkey compared to you I had a walk in the park.Benzos are costing people their life's god bless you your a warrior
@@JasonBrown-dd7dj I’m so sorry. We trust our prescribers and the meds they prescribe. But are abandoned by them when the dangers of those drugs surface and take hold. Leaving us to flounder alone as we try to survive. I’ll never understand this system, I mourn for those of us who didn’t make it. No matter what the medication is, an opioid, benzo, ssri it’s cruel to abandon us when their oath was to do no harm. I’m glad you made it through your hell as well. I think by putting out stories out there maybe we can stop another person from experiencing what we have.
@@emusedone 50 years of age prescribed in the UK for failed spinal surgery,Never touched a drug in my life and my doc gives me that.Still rebuilding my life I'm a lucky one over 400k Americans weren't so lucky.I watch in disbelief how much harm a doc can cause you.I refused vallium for muscle spasms that's my only concellation and fent patches.Young kids a whole generation of Americans dieing and most good people.
All his symptoms were real. The horror is real. I have NO question he did the best he could. The tragedy, second only to him losing his life, is that he had to figure out what was happeing on his own. A dark and lonely epiphany indeed.
It took me ten years to figure out it wasn't me, it was the Ativan. My doc still believes all I need is the right antidepressants even though I've tried 9 of them. ativan was prescribed for insomnia but gave me a hundred horrid side effects during and 8 years off! And no one beleived me.
Unlike the USA, the UK did not allow benzos to be handed out like candy in the past. I don't know if that has changed. The UK tends to have some good organizations that have the dirt on benzos. Also, famous singer Stevie Nicks has a horror story about benzos that she has freely shared with the public for years. This made me cry for him and for his family.
Getting off any addictive substance comes with severe withdrawal symptoms. I'm not endorsing these drugs at all. I'm just pointing out the obvious though.
Benzo user here. Nine years of klonopin. I attempted to taper so many, many times. No luck! I'm now tapering down with N-acetylcysteine. For me, it's been a huge success. My Nutritional R.N suggested to try this, NOT any physician, even my mental health provider. I am also a firm believer in Christ. I'm so glad you allow God to continue to sustain you!
interesting. i take that when ive been shedded on with people who take cv19 shot , with quercitin. it does help me. (i get little bunches of bruises which ixh and annoy.)
Medicine is a business now and meds make the industry a lot of money. This is an excellent cautionary tale. Thank you for presenting it! Max is smiling down 🙏❤
Nature is full of medicine , i wonder why people are so dumb and trust strangers about health advice. Like , do you have no brain? Can't read, think? Google is full of data about herbal medicines , why people choose to trust strangers with intention to make profit off of someones nescience.
The innocent victims are all happy now that they are free. The evil creators that knew how bad this was but didn't care because of money, they are the ones who won't be happy in the next life.
@@brettwilson7680 and they are still prescribing them to literally millions of people everyday. It’s crazy how many people are on these drugs still and it’s never going to stop. I can say I successfully got off after years of occasional use for anxiety. I haven’t taken a pill in 6 months. I feel fine. Reading all of these horror stories I guess I’m concerned a lucky one
Omg, she describes the suffering so well. I went through all of that and more but I'm still here probably because I had no one to hurt or support. Got to suffer all by myself...for 8 years now with BAIN...Benzodiazepine Induced Neurological Disorder. Wished for death but had to stick around to look after my cats and dog. Two decades of my life suffering because of a presentation for Ativan for insomnia...unbelievable suffering for the past ten years and even my doc doesn't believe me. THANK YOU FOR SHARING THIS. You won't know if you'll be a victim of benzos until it is too late. Like Kelsi said, they had no idea of the level of damage. Even on my good days, I'm only a breath away from terror spawned by a weird pain or sensations...it's like aliens have invaded my body and mind and are conducting experiments on me while I try to pretend I'm normal. One of the worst symptoms: Anhedonia...the inability to feel pleasure. Why go on living when you can't feel love or pleasure or excitement????????
@@user-wb2yv7ll9d I took 1 mg of Ativan as needed. I never took more than 2-4 mg per month for ten years except except when forced on abilify, prozac and ?, when I took it daily for two weeks to stop the panic attacks caused by those drugs. I was in tolerance withdrawal almost from the start of taking Ativan. I think I was lacking in gaba absorption all my adult life and the Ativan shut down the few receptors that I had or whatever it does. The only other time I took Ativan daily was while tapering. I should never have tapered but just quit. I probably wouldn't be in protracted hell as the tapers were like major kindling.
Nothing helps. I mean everyone has to fine ways to cope in order to survive. But nothing helps you heal faster. @@robinbanks73 only time heals. Eight years, I'm far from healed but getting there.
But how can that help insomnia is so bad lunesta has taken my life god bless this beautiful lady for sharing her story I’m 68 have arthritis pain`also have a30 yr old special needs daughter and 2 cats I cant function all I do is pray
Yes, she seems like such a sweet, gentle soul. He was fortunate to have her and their daughter is blessed to be raised by such a strong and loving woman.
My dad was an addict of xanax. Started on it for anxiety and after about 20 years he was on 10 mg a day. Never abused them though. He had a seizure because he missed a dose falling asleep watching tv. Caused damage, he was never the same (developed dementia) and passed a few years after. We had to constantly care for him 24/7 after that episode. My mom grew a hatred for xanax so bad, she refused to take hers when she was dying of cancer. Said she didnt want to die an addict. I tell my doctors dont give it to me. None of em. I have severe GAD and ive been on xanax and was addicted to them when i took them years ago. Coming off was horrible cause i was stupid and did it myself cold turkey. Xanax has absolutely touched alot of my family and has caused alot of grief. I dont want anything to do with any of them anymore. With the 911 thing. Its not that you hope someone can take the pain away. Although anyone would. But with anxiety attack you feel like youre dying. So at least someone there to hopefully keep ya alive asap.
I know you have suffered greatly. The only people who truly understand the insidious nature of Benzos are those who've experienced acute withdrawal after prolonged use.
Thank you for this. Truly. I was blessed to finally find a provider who believed my journey and its realities. Before that was unspeakable. . . Thank you, again. ❤
I took it as needed here and there. I haven’t took a klonopin is over 6 months and I feel fine. I have a slight memory loss issue but I’m approaching 40 years old. Does this only happen to people that take it everyday?
@@fonzarellyplay370 im not sure. They are def linked to memory loss after long term use. I would assume that means daily but im not a medical expert to understamd all the mumbo jumbo terms. Lol. The ones i know, took it daily and their bodies became dependant on it. So when they missed it, they withdraw or become sick until they take it. Not quite the same as an actual addict looking for a high, but same concept inside the body. Everytime i took them i had shoet teem memory loss and sometimes even took extra meds because i forgot i took one already. Not saying it effects everyone this way, this was just my personal experience. But i watched my dad go from a talkative outgoing person to total isolation in the last 3 years before his episode. Ive wondered if long term use can cause sone type of brain injury or misfire of cells which comes out in a form of demetia. What type of dementia i have no clue. Theres so many its impossible to pinpoint.
I can relate to his pain and the addiction. The PA who has been prescribing me 115 count of 1mg of Alprazolam for 12+ years. When I picked up my script she had changed it to valium/Diazepam 90 count .5 which cut me almost two thirds. I called her office however she had the receptionist to tell me I should be fine. This was 3 days ago, the Diazepam isn't helping. I am 66 years of age with heart disease high blood pressure with TRD also type 2 diabetes. I am going through withdrawals with no family support. These doctors never mentioned the addiction or withdrawals. There needs to be a civil lawsuit against the manufactures for the harm and deaths these drugs has caused.
that is the equivalent torture of being an alcoholic for 20 years on 1 liter of scotch per day and then dropped onto only 500 mils of beer per day // hell
@@coopsawright7225 Your comparison is correct. This is a death sentence to people my age. I am not discrediting any other. But at 66 I will never make it.
she is so strong and does so much good for our community. It means so much that you continue to share this story. I am glad you did this interview! You are so charismatic Kelsi so sorry for your loss Max seemed like such a beautiful spirit
I have been through this as well. As he said, it’s “like being on fire.” Only nobody can see the flames. And some think you are crazy. It is hellish. My heart is so heavy listening to this. Before I went through it, I never understood how someone could kill themselves. Now I know. It’s not about wanting to end your life. It’s about wanting to end the excruciating pain.
Exactly the pain is too intense, for too long. It feels like it will never let up. You don't know if healing will ever come and you certainly don't feel it will.
@@Meow-gp5nk You can safely taper. Stabilized your dose, then begin a slow taper. Blend/crush pill, add to one cup water, draw off a mil of mixture and discard, next night two mil, then three mils, and so on. It’s painless, and your brain receptors won’t miss it. It could take a year, but you will have your life back afterwards. You can hold the taper if you feel any anxiety. It has worked for many. God is with you!
Klonopin survivor here. Went to detox, they took me off cold turkey in Dec 26, ended up being nearly 4 years of pure hell. To long of a list to write down again. Spent 3 months between psych wards/ detox. Please God help those to get through until their darkness leaves.
Hi. I took it for years as needed for anxiety and about 6 months ago I had a change of doctors and they took me off. I feel fine since my last pill about 6 months ago. I was wondering do these side effects only happen to people who take them everyday?
Bless your heart Kelsi, and dear Max, how tragic to hear of his agony and suffering. Much love to you, Marley and all those who loved Max. Thank you so much for sharing xxx
I’m so sorry about what your family have gone through. You are a strong person! Thank you for sharing your story. I have a son that took Benzos for may years at doctor’s order, and he had no idea of the harm it was causing him. He finally got off of it after a four year battle of winning himself at micro dosages. It has been three years since his last dosage but he’s still not healthy. A lot if the symptoms he had while doing the withdrawal is still active today. I fear for him because of his suffering. Often he speaks of the kind of life he has which it’s not a way to live. He’s so scared of any medication to this day and I have learned to be ever so careful when a doctor prescribes any meds to me. I wish that more communities would be available for men that are going through this, because they feel ashamed, fearful and hopeless, also because it’s a situation that most people do not understand so they have a way of being distant ignoring what one is really going through. May we all find peace and have patience, love and compassion with our loved ones.
OMG what kind of channel have I subbed to? I can't stop tearing up at these stories. Thank you for your efforts.these stories must be heard,but this channel needs more subscribers. This info is too important for such a small group of people.
I’m so sorry for Kelsi & her daughters loss. She is so incredibly strong. I’m proud of her, we need more people like her in this world. Thank you for giving her space to tell her story.
Thank you so much for your bravery Kelsi, I am so sorry for all that you have been through. Max sounded like such a loving, kind and brave soul. You are a very special woman. Peace, Love & Light to you and your daughter Kelsi. Keep living life to the Max Thank you Dr. Josef Witt-Doerring for all the work you are doing
I want to commend both of you with all my heart. Kelsi for sharing hers and Max's story, Dr. Josef for seemingly being one of precious few doctors who had the HUMILITY to consider that just mayyybe multitudes of patients the world over weren’t all lying or imagining their protracted, acute benzodiazepine withdrawal syndrome. I want to thank you with my whole heart for the unspeakably needed research you are carrying out on this hellish phenomenon, and for the awareness you are duly raising. I cannot begin to express how sorely needed you both are. I cried and grieved for Max as I listened. My heart completely broke. As someone who also endured unthinkable levels of benzo hell for years and years on end, I cannot help but regard other sufferers as nothing less than family, so united by this shared experience of incredible trauma are we. Heartfelt gratitude. I am indescribably pleased to know that you exist, Doctor, and I can only wish I'd discovered you while still in the thick of it, while I endured the unendurable without a single iota of medical or psychiatric support. I am dismayed to say, I was literally only gaslit or dismissed (quite derisively, too) by every medical doctor I saw. In my experience, it is rare to see such an authentic, compassionate psychiatrist as you clearly are, one so heart-centric and emotionally intelligent. Please keep up the incredible work. May Max finally enjoy the peace that so tragically evaded him during his benzo ordeal. 🙏💜
You bring up opiates that you prescribe for extreme symptoms.. My Dr had enough compassion to prescribe those to me also to get me through the most acute phase, and I do believe "that respite" kept me from taking my life. Thank you. I'm no fan of Drs, psychiatry, or BP anything.. but you're definitely one of the better ones.
Sometimes replacing a bigger addiction with a smaller one is the right move. I don't think they would have made the benzo withdrawals worse. If they could get you through enough time to make it out of benzo withdrawals, it certainly might do the trick.
@caryphillips4885 He prescribed me Norco 10s, which are pretty strong, and I think they did probably make sxs a little worse when I took breaks from them (every couple weeks to month, so that I wouldn't get addicted) but I believe it was worth it.
I’m currently reducing on Diazepam! It started 30 odd yrs ago, in hospital suffering agonising tummy pains(which in the END turned out to be food allergies)then , allergies were pollen, dust,etc which I’ve also got. In hosp after many many tests, I was asked to see a different doc, I was taken back to the ward , in tears realising I’d just seen a psych , the Sister came over “there there love, handed me a little yellow pill, I don’t remember a yr of my life.I was put on so much more of such pills. Docs lately have been told to take patients off these drugs! Suffer is a small word to what I’ve been thro, plus degradation, still reducing feeling worthless, weak,+ much more. I’ve tried overdosing twice.just gotta get by! I’m sorry for all like me 😢 Bless you ❤
We are all just human. We are all weak and flawed. That's why we need Jesus to lean on every moment. I use to think I was so strong, and independent. Then I found out what a weak, needy, flawed person I am. I met Jesus and let Him come into my life. I realize I can't do anything without Him. But I can do all things through Him who gives me the strength.
Hi there. I was on kpins for about 10 years but only used them as needed for serious social situations. About 6 months ago I had to change doctors and they abruptly stopped the kpins. It’s been about 6 months since my last dose and I have a slight memory issue but I’m a weed smoker and am going to be 40 so maybe that has something to do with it but I don’t have these hellish side effects that these people are experiencing
@@fonzarellyplay370 The reason you don't have the side effects is because you're still using weed, which also touches GABA receptors. I too used to smoke weed after quitting my prescription Xanax, and it mostly staved off the worst of the withdrawals. However, when I finally stopped smoking weed, all hell broke loose. Good luck to you.
Still in the same vein I was stuck in OxyContin tabs 80 mg tabs I was up to 400 mg a day ! The 80 mg tabs needed a special prescription and are incredibly hard to get especially the script my god I use to pay some docs a 1,000 euros a prescription they knew I was desperate . I was also in Zoplicone sleepers for 6 years rolled with alcohol , anyway I was insured and went to the Priory in London for two months and luckily kicked all three and I’ve been clean 17 years now so you can beat the demons but in my opinion you need a team helping you backed with councillors who have been there as well so can directly relate to you’re suffering as I didn’t have much respect for those councillors who were not addicts it’s just You could trick the ones that went addicts but as for the councillors who were addicts they say you can’t kid a kidder ! Focus and do whatever you have to to get help and best of all don’t start in the first place just read these comments that should be enough and say away from doctors they gaslight you and if all leads back to money . My very best to those that are suffering and may god help you there is a way out but you are going to have to do some work so to speak as well mentally and physically .
It is horrific, I feel so close to do it too. My body and mental anguish can't take it. I scream so loud in agony, my neighbors and everyone think I am demon possessed. I can't enjoy anything. It's so horrific, I want desperately to be helped but nothing does, not even prayers and when prayers dont work that is the last thing you lose.
I'm in tears. What a heart wrenching story. Thank you so much for sharing this, Kelsi. I feel certain you have helped others. My heart truly goes out to you.
I was on benzos..for PTSD..from 97-19..they were difficult to quit..I craved them for 2 years..and have had to avoid them...they really did seem to "work" immediately, and seemed very effective..but many Doctors were always telling me to stop taking them...I didnt like being dependent..so News Year eve in 2019..I quit..after tapering down myself...I had no help from Doctors..because they just wanted me to take some other combination of drugs..I didnt want to take anything..so I don't..but it was rough for a couple of years..
SPOT ON DEAR PERSON !!! Those doctors will just keep loading on more and more different pills until we die and then casually wash their hands of it saying " we did all we could to help them but they were just too sick !" it's scary
Having been detoxed from benzos in like 5 days in a rehab and going through this for a year after…. It’s crazy having it validated all the things I felt.
This is so sad. Thank you for sharing your story Kelsi. As a wife who watches my husband stumble through the same symptoms I can only imagine how terrible it must be for you. Im so sorry and I’m also so angry that the medical system puts people through this. Sending you lots of love and prayers. Thank you for sharing.
I think you’ve just saved my life I’ve had these symptoms for ten years first my stomach and about three years ago my head felt like it was burning, I couldn’t get answers for my stomach I thought I was dying at one point also feel like I am going crazy, I now know what to get help with. Thank you. God bless
Read what I wrote above about my theory that it's continuous overstimulation of the sympathetic part of the automatic nervous system. The drugs mask it. Remove the drugs and you feel what has been there the entire time. It's thoracolumbar in location but there is one tiny branch that hits the face. It's fear that is causing the overstimulation. Autistic kids have it too.
They'd have the backing of the billion dollar pharmaceutical behind them. Good luck winning that. They're encouraged to prescribe lots of meds. It's what Dr's main training is. Prescribing medicine for everything, ignoring the underlying causes and treating symptoms. No money made in cures.
Have you ever met anyone that didn’t have to bad of withdrawals? I took them as needed for years and haven’t taken a pill in over 6 months and I feel fine. I think my memory is not as sharp as it used to be but I don’t feel anything to terrible. Is it not normal to feel normal after using these pills?
This video should be shared with anyone that has been newly prescribed any drug based on benzodiazepine so that they understand the risks. Why these companies are allowed to keep selling these drugs is criminal.
I used to have grand Mal seizures. The detox is crippling. Lucky I didn't die from the withdrawal. My brain doesn't function at the same ability anymore. Not even close. I try not to think about the damage done or the effects it's had. Been 4 years or so. At this point I don't expect to get better. It's just my life now. They love to sell new drugs to doctors and have them prescribed to patients while disregarding the health safety and futures of the patients.
I took it as needs for anxiety for years but I haven’t taken a pill in over 6 months due to a doctor change. I feel normal. Does this only happen to people that take it everyday?
@@kenw2225hi I took it for years as needed and when I lost my doctor they stopped giving it to me and it’s been about 6 months since my last pill and I feel normal. Does this bad side effects only happen to people that have been taking them everyday?
Thank you. I am so sorry about the loss of your husband. I feel heard. This all makes so much sense and explains exactly what I went through. I was on 3 mg clonazepam for 4 years and was in the hospital for another reason and they tapered me off over 10 weeks. I was a royal mess for MONTHS. I actually started drinking alcohol to cope, and became an alcoholic. I wanted to die every day. I felt like I coudn't go on, every minute of the day for years. Long story, but it's been two years and now I am sober. I still wonder what the hell came over me during those years. It's not normal for someone to become an alcoholic at 36 years old. SO many pieces are falling into place for me right now.
“I don’t think anyone else would have had the strength and compassion to step in like they did” I Felt that. Strongly. It’s true, people like this are rare. People like this are very rare. It’s a lot to take and it does take selflessness, compassion, and strength.
My little ( from Big Brother) took Klonopin to sleep for years due to ADHD symptoms. He wanted to go into military so he quit them. He is sooo much better now, and appears to be headed into the service like he dreamed. I was impressed he could do that.
I honestly cant even imagine how strong of a person you have to be to continuously support someone through that hell. Im not a religious person but im so glad she had something to support her as well, it was hard for her husband but it must have been terrible for her as well. Lots of love ❤
So sorry for this couple and their family to go through this. It sounds like such a hard experience. Her husband sounds like such a brave man trying to fight through this complicated condition. And she was so brave to stay and fight with him. The pain and suffering sounds so difficult to go through. I commend her for telling her story and making us aware of this illness.
I cannot describe what this hell feels like when you’re in it. I went through it for 2 years without the physical pain. You’ll try ANYTHING. Perhaps I should’ve stopped watching. Not all of our symptoms matched but the brain torture is something I beg Jesus to never allow to happen to me again. I’d rather not be here. For some reason, I was miraculously healed. Thank you, dear woman, for being kind and patient with something you had zero knowledge of. I still feel horrible for what I put everyone through during my illness. I don’t know what caused mine. I’m sure it is the antidepressants I’ve been on for 30 yrs. I’d never had anything happen like this. It’s like my brain SNAPPED out of nowhere! After hearing this I’m TERRIFIED to stop my benzo.
I took it as need for anxiety for many years and haven’t taken a pill in over 6 months. Does this only happen to people who take pills everyday? Thank you
@@fonzarellyplay370yeah it didn’t happen to me either, because I tapered off slowly. But I’m supersensitive to medications. So I’m very very careful. I’m interested in this flagyl toxicity.
One healthy person, with a healthy family which got his life ruined and ended by medics, the drug health system and psychiatry. Medical drugs destroy families, relationships and persons. Kelsi you have my deep respect, most would have left for a very small amount of all that you had and have to endure and suffer. And you had the courage to tell your story too. As many will say horrible things about us, that we are drug addicts, that we are wrong, that it is all on our heads, etc. And nobody offers true help. You healthy persons can't imagine the despair we experience. We really live in health / medicine stone age, while medics think it is the space age. This should not even have happened to Max, as prescribing drugs this way is dangerous, damaging, very ignorant and frankly criminal. And ends with these personal tragedies. This is the less visible equivalent to the oxycontin opioid pandemic. I remind you all not only drugs marketed as "antidepressants" cause PSSD: some antihistamines, some antibiotics, some tranquilizers, and opioid pain drug tramadol cause it too. Best wishes.
Psychiatry is horrible, my body burns too. I thrash around on the floor while my parents spray cold water and pray for me too. But God never rescues me either. These drugs are horrific, I beg someone to stop this, these meds are even given to dogs for christ sake. No! Stop the madness, the inhumanity of it all. Ketamine and all that only makes things worst. Nooo! For the love of God, someone stop this and stop it for humans as well as animals.
@@madelynhernandez7453thank you for bringing up use on animals.. and those creatures don't even have a voice! I'm so sorry you're going through this.. me as well. But we'll make it! ❤
@@aliciam6725 yes, tramadol too. It is a selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor, it messes with the serotonin system. It also is a medical drug that should only be used with terminal patients, as it is an opioid! Stay away from it. Best wishes.
It’s so sad when someone “has to” die for others to live and be educated properly. Thank you so much and am sincerely sorry for your loss. Im currently going through protracted withdrawals and I live for my daughter as well. She’ll be 9 soon. Life is suffering sometimes but it’s better to suffer for a purpose than to not be here. That’s how I look at things I guess. Thank you so much for sharing
In my opinion he also had damage from the metronidazole, and all the other drugs they threw at him during this. These doctors are straight up murdering us, and they have no sympathy. They are all brainwashed pharma robots. Its sick. This man didnt stand a chance and its sick to me that even God wasnt present for him…. He didnt deserve this. RIP.
Benzo's destroyed my life, and I was taking a relatively "low" dose, but took them for years and years and now almost 4 years on from getting off them my autonomic nervous system is shattered and i am dying of Autonomic Neuropathy at 57 years of age. Staaaaaaay far away from benzos they will destroy you as well !!!! Additionally, Kels, you are an amazing an heroic woman and human being !! everyone in my life including my children to a large extent have walked away from, the woman I loved deeply walked away after about a year of me battling the crippling anxiety... most people aren't cut out to be care-givers and emotional supporters in the way you selflessly did. You are a stunningly beautiful person on the outside, and an even more beautiful person on the inside !! bless you !!!
@@wendym2544 I was initially on 1.5 mgs a day for about 3/4 years, then reduced to about .5 mgs daily at night for sleep and irregularly if i had a major meeting or speaking engagement in front of large groups id take another .5 or so…. It stayed that way from 1994-2007 so 13 years roughly and then i decided to quit cold turkey because a sleep specialist informed me i was dependent and was in constant withdrawal cycling and needed to stop taking to get my sleep architecture sorted out and reinstated … he neglected to tell me about tapering slowly and so i stopped taking them and by the 5 days it was as though the gates of hell on Earth had been opened and I had been thrown in and those gates closed … it was a horror show an nightmare which saw me dig into the Ashton manual and reinstate on Valium to stay functional for about 7 months slow tapering … for about 9 months after i finished the taper i was desperately sick but finally started to feel bit like myself again in 2008 … then in 2009 was diagnosed with cancer in my appendix they messed with my mind for about 4 years and after a horrid devastating break up with my fiancée in 2014 i ended up foolishly going back on Kpin and Ambien for another 4 years at . 5 mgs and 10-20 mgs of. Ambien a night for about a year. Been free of ambien sinceJan of 2018 and Kpin since 11/19 and have bee slowly dying ever since if i make Xmas i’ll be shocked but my capacity for acceptance of living miserably has been remarkable to this point but my lungs, digestive system, eyes and peripheral and autonomic nervous systems are dying very rapidly since about Nov of 22’ so i know what’s coming at me fast now … If i could strangle every Dr and Psychiatrist that damaged me with these poisons i’d do it in a heartbeat … They along with Big Pharma murdered me !!!
Hi there. I was was on them for years as needed or anxiety. I haven’t taken a pill in over 6 months and I feel fine, slight memory issues but I’m about to be 40 years old. Do you think the bad side effects only happen to people that take them everyday? Thank you
@@fonzarellyplay370 If you were not taking them daily and you've been off of them for 6+ months and feel fine, then you're fine. If you were going to have serious side effects you would have experienced them already. Just stay away from them for the remainder of your life, as re-introducing them could trigger kindling and a more severe dependency.
@@chandler7270 how has it affected you if you don’t mind me asking. I hear kindling means if you get back on them because you can’t take the pain anymore then you get off and the pain is worse? Thank you
I dont know why this popped up on my phone but this story was profound. i could really relate to this. I had an anesthetic 20 years or so ago and as soon as i woke from this i had 18 months of hell on earth. I have no idea how i got through the mental anguish, no sleep, fits, and complete dispair. Thankyou for sharing this i cry to think of all your pain and suffering. I recovered and had a wonderful partner who helped me but this brought it all back like it was yesterday. I spent all my time thinking about suicide . Shocking what medications can do to us . God bless you and your family xx
Everyone is different. I was on klonopin for 14 years. I took one every night. I started to notice my emotions & feelings were going blank. I made the decision to quit. I did a slow taper - a 2 year taper & did fantastic. Ive been benzo free for 2 years & so grateful 🙏
@@patbaker5359 Try the Ashton Method. It’s basically that you take your stabilized dose (say a pill), and you crush it with mortar and pestle, then add a cup of water, or you can get a mini blender to mix it. You can start with using two cups of water for a slower taper, which is even safer. Just be consistent with the amount of water you begin with. Then, you draw off 2 mils of water the first night and discard it, the next night 4 mils, the third night 6 mils and drink the remaining water. You can get the applicator to draw off the mils for free from any pharmacy. It’s a taper process that could take a year, but it’s pain free, your brain won’t miss those small amounts, it takes only a few moments a day of your time, and at the end you have your life back. If you feel it’s too fast, you can hold the taper a day or two, then resume. God is with you everyday. My prayers for your success!
I can get on & off as medically needed. I haven't ever had a issue. I have taken it for years straight & stopped for a year. Then back on as needed. Never abused it always taken as prescribed.
@@dsstaangyes me as well. I think the people going through this crazy withdrawal symptoms were due to people who have been taking it everyday for long periods of time. I was on klonopin for years but only in serious social situations because I had social anxiety. It’s been about 6 months since my last pill and I feel fine. I have slight memory issues but I’m approaching 40 years old and I smoke weed, that might be why my memory is not so clear.
I can relate to his story. It is one of the worst things to go through - and, the medical professionals, are totally oblivious on withdrawal. This one Doctor I saw, post CT 4 mg K, told me "Oh, you were over that after 2 weeks" as he waved his hand in front of him, in a "oh it is not a problem", way. We are totally ignored by them. I was in severe Akathisia, and he asked me if I was bi polar, and also insisted "You have severe anxiety". This was after I told him that the meds ruined my life. Needless-to-say, I never returned to his clinic. EVER.
They call it a injury for a reason. It damages the nervous system it’s not like detox. Modern medicine doesn’t have a complete understanding of how the nervous system works. They don’t often understand the mechanisms of how these drugs provide their effects.
Great video. I’m 12 years off a c/t and I’ve never been the same since. I have extreme hearing sensitivities; massive anxiety disorder; migraines; stomach issues. And so many more symptoms that never went away. I was on Ativan for years beforehand. I would never take that drug again tho. I remember how many ppl committed suicide in my support groups. SO SAD!! I wish doctors knew how destructive benzos are to the brain. They seem to pass them out to mostly women like candy
You should never stop these kind of meds or pain meds cold turkey. They stopped my daughter's pain meds cold turkey. Thank God she did OK. She needed them because of serious back and neck pain. She finally had a tins unit put in her back and neck for her pain. I'm glad she's not on the meds now. She's been through alot since a man rearended the back of her car. Only 43 and went through pain for years.
@@sharoncrawford7192 oh I’m so sorry to hear that about your daughter 🙏 yes I know. I’ve learned the hard way. It’s AWFUL what they are doing to people with their pain meds!! Cutting them off. Horror stories out there and for seniors too. Doctors only care about their licenses anymore; patient care is a thing of the past. I don’t trust any of the medical field anymore. At all.
I don't believe that I have *ever* heard anything as heart breaking as this. I paused at the 39:17 mark just to look at a comment or two, just to try an clear my mind. Not only do some folks need to lose their *careers,* but those *SAME FOLKS,* should do some *serious* time in a state prison. Until folks in the medical community are held responsible, tragic stories JUST LIKE THIS are going to continue to happen. God bless you, Kelsi.
I also understand being terrified about the "what if" the restless legs syndrome comes back. Its terrifying. It is such a horrible insane making feeling.
22:11 oh my God! I had really bad spasms and convulsions. I will never forget the months of April and May 2023. complete hell. I'm so blessed I made through. thank you for giving this interview. this information probably has and will continue to help. thank you so much!!
RIP PRECIOUS MAX ❤ the most traumatized souls imo not only go to heaven or the afterlife much quicker than anyone else does, but I think they get a special seat of healing in love and compassion
Such a powerful conversation, thank you Kelsi for sharing and Dr Josef for allowing her the space to walk us through the whole journey and feel her grief. I pray for every family touched by these horrible drugs, and that we will see massive changes in the medical/pharmaceutical industry sooner than later. 🙏🏽
This chick is a body builder with implants. She’s using this to promote herself for attention. I heard she was always cheating on him and that she caused all of his issues.
Doctors had me on benzos since my early 20's ... I am 57 now ... new Doctor just pulled my meds away COLD TURKEY .... I'm in acute withdrawals and no help to be found. We're supposed to be able to trust our Doctors.
What a beautiful interview! I’m so sorry for your tragic loss Kelsi. I know Max is experiencing the peace and glory of Heaven today. God bless you for being light and love for not only Max but all of us with this testimony. So grateful ❤
Thank you for hosting this Dr Josef and thank you so much Kelsi for your heartbreaking story. He's watching over you all. I'm 57 female was coldturkeyed off diazepam by my doctor (UK) after 10/11 years on the devil drug. I'm healing slowly but now have CFS. Thank you again for the awareness
God bless you, Kelsi. I'm so sorry you and your husband had to go through this. How on earth can these Doctors be so oblivious to this? Its truly criminal!
💯... it's hard to understand... but they will be some reckoning the more TH-cam channels, podcasts, books, forums on the topic come about... the problem is the 'surviving bias'... people who took their own life are not there to tell their story anymore
What a powerful story! Kelsi, you did such a great job of telling it and making it a visceral experience for listeners. We were there with you going through it. I know this story of addiction and life being too unbearable to go on living even though the person doesn't want to die because after years of struggling and 8 different rehabs, I lost my son to an accidental overdose in 2016. Unfortunately, we did not have the family support that you did, and I hope that you are held up by that and your faith now as you and your daughter rebuild a new life.
Your an angel 👼. Every time i got really down my ex-wife , girlfriend completely abandoned me. On Benzodiazepines for 15 years , 2 mg/day. Im scared to death 24/7. 😢
Check out the Benzodiazepine information Coalition. They provide advocacy in helping people find physicians who have understanding of the complexities and complications of Benzodiazepines and the withdrawal process.
I’m so so sorry. Praying for you and your family…You are an admirable beautiful person. God bless you❤❤❤🙏🏼🙏🏼🙏🏼. To be so loved by Max. That is a blessing. Not many get that kind of love. Thank you so much for sharing.
Thank you Kelsi for telling your and Max's story - so incredibly heartbreaking. As you know well, Max is at peace with our Lord - you will see him again and have eternity to love and enjoy his companionship. And thank you Dr. Josef for your efforts with this channel - you provide great insight and needed service to so many who are suffering. I have no doubt that Max felt he was doing what was best for those he loved so much...he just couldn't endure anymore.
So sorry for youre loss. I feel alot of the doctors compare opiate withdraw with Benzo withdraw. I hear so many stories how they say oh a few weeks to a few months to taper off and they will be fine. They arent the same. That can work with opiates. It wont with benzos. I am glad more doctors are seeing how long can take to repair the brain after taking benzos. So sad.
Well I can tell you I’m off suboxine 7 months and there isn’t a day that I can count that I see hope I can count minutes and it all goes back to darkness I pray every day for this misery to pass and I work out eat right and it just feels I’m losing the fight so I have never take benzos but I took codeine pills for over 10 years and last 2 years I did suboxine very low doses and life have no meanings it feels like I’ll never get out
A drug that takes 2 years to wean off of should not be on the market. That's a disgrace.
Its way more for some..
I agree !!!
@MeghenFarley yes, I've been Valium-free for 6 years now and although mostly recovered, am still not back to baseline. Literally the worst thing to ever happen to me.
@@lauraelizabeth4444 I know it's disgusting and the worst part is that it's not even acknowledged !!
It is a miracle drug for those who need it in the moment. You provide no science with your statement. People with anxiety and trauma need to know there is no easy fix. It DOES take years to heal and that's if you are actively participating in multiple types of therapy. It should be on the market for those who need it. It shouldn't be abused by those who don't and it shouldn't be used alone without addressing the underlying need. Benzo's didn't kill this gentleman, it was suicide. Our quick fix society doesn't want to give people the time and space they need from work and life to heal underlying nervous system disorders. There's no quick fix. For some, they will need meds for life and that shouldn't be looked down upon.
I took klonopin for around a year on and off. I cold turkeyd off them and went into the most unbearable suffering known to man. I paced for 2 months straight no break with extreme akathasia then spent the next 12 months in the fetal position crying from all the suffering. Then somthing magical happened at 18 months off, a lot of my mental symptoms and extreme nerve pain and panic went away. I am now 21 months off and I am close to the finish line and I’d say I’m 90% better I’m expecting to be 100% by 2 years off. Hang in there guys I was a worst case scenario I literally could do nothing for myself for over a year. I made it out and so will you ❤
thank you for sharing.
Thank you
Inspiring story but not everyone heals or recovers and this video is proof of that.
So glad you are doing so much better. How did you support yourself, and have a place to live during all of your suffering? 😔 Did you have family to help, and support you?
@@kristenmarie9248 ya moved into my dads I’m super lucky. I’m in my early 20s so I got very lucky
This is so sad😭 This vid should be compulsory for all med students and medics. Good work she is doing.
Totally agree! But 98 percent probably still wouldn't care and would still think he was just mentally ill instead of being brain damaged, which is what it was for this poor man in the video and countless other med damaged people.
They wouldn't dare allow med/ psychiatry students see this. A large reason why they behave the way they do is because they are indoctrinated...similiar to a cult. That's why they are so defensive and derogatory when you question anything. They behave like you re not only questioning their decisions, but their whole being.
Itll never be. Med industry turns out doctors to make money 8n the west. Customers....
Med students are being taught by Curriculum sponsored by the highest bidder
@@user-vn1di4oq4w med schools are funded by bigpharma. Therein lies the problem.
I went to high school with Max. He was always kind to me when others were not. This came up in my feed. Im sad to hear he was in so much pain. I have gone through withdrawal from ssri's. I can't imagine having those symptoms for years with no relief. Bless his soul. RIP. My condolences to his family and friends.
I think the wife posined him, she got with a guy in Mexico right after he died
@Daathiel What a deluded comment. Being kind to someone is a genuine strength. His problem appears that he wasn’t adequately protected from the same powers that your own comment evidences that you’re in league with-powers that want to atomize us and turn us into a society of everyman for himself. Powers that want to convince us that evolution is about competition and not cooperation.
We only lose the good ones, too soon. 😢
I would of got back on them.
My sincere condolences 💐 I was prescribed Xanax for 10 years for sleep 2 mg for sleep, after I got off them for about a year my brain felt like 2 magnets 🧲 pushing away from each other. When I told Doctors they thought I was going crazy. I’m 13 + years Xanax FREE ✊ It can be done. Keep on keeping on 😎
Xanax for sleep is WILD! Can't sleep on benzos only sedate (hypnosis). The brain is too sedated to sleep (in the natural sense). Glad you made it through that! What a misprescribed nightmare!
@@haidenmorgan Thank you and I agree with you ✊
Sometimes it can't be done, such as in Max's case.
I'm fkd. I don't think I can be completely free. Quit for 18 mos and 10 mos and felt like death. Have no idea how I even quit that long and why I put myself through that. Guess it takes 2 yrs or more.
So die or take a piece to survive? Over 20yrs on em is tough.
Doctors prescribe suboxone forever for opiate withdrawal, but don't have meds for benzos?
How that's work?
I guess you take benzos to function coz there's no subenzo.
@@BillClay88 ashwagandha for anti anxiety and calmness, and if thats not enough, combine with reishi and theanine.
These heavy benzo drugs can damage the gut to such degree that you cant get enough nutritions from ordinary food, this will start make the brain break down and cause havoc on the chemical and hormonal balance in the body, if thats the case you need to supplement with higher doses of vitamin c, magnesium, vitamin D and also try b1 and b3 nicotinic acid.
The worst thing you can do is going Vegan if you start having all these issues, you want to eat high quality meat, fat, nuts, veggies and fruits and go for long walks or do strength training 3-5 times a week.
Thank you, Kelsi, for sharing your family's story. I am lying in bed watching this, and tears are pouring down my face and neck. Unfortunately, I know what Max endured firsthand, and I know he did not want to die. None of us do, but it is just so horrific and for so long for some of us. I'm so very sorry. Keep up the great work you're doing to help people.
Indeed, none of us wants to die. We all want to live and not exist in absolute horror 24/7.
@@xy-qy2yg and it is a horror show that's almost impossible to describe, and an even worse horror show to live with day after day after day.... these chemicals are pure poison to the human brain and nervous system and should be even more illegal than Fentanyl and black tar heroin !
Please help me find a Dr in Texas!! My Dr retired and only two more refills.
This is such a sad story about your husband Kelsi. I am sat here sobbing !,all the symptoms you have described about what your husband was going through ,I too am experiencing much of the same symptoms,at this time I am doing a slow taper from a benzo,and pray every day that I'll get through this nightmare.
@erinreese3849 Check out the Benzodiazepine information Coalition. They provide advocacy in helping people find physicians who have understanding of the complexities and complications of Benzodiazepines and the withdrawal process.
The damage is so severe. Thank you for giving it a voice and a platform. I work in a detox and the amount of damage done is mind-blowing. She was such a fantastic advocate.
I worked in a detox for 6 years while working towards getting my nursing education. Saw some horrific outcomes for people. Withdrawals are difficult to watch. God bless you.
Jordan Peterson apparently almost died trying to get off benzos. He had to go to Russia for some radical therapy as the doctors in the U.S. and Canada either couldn't or wouldn't help him.
Late teen is when schizophrenia seems to present. The high anxiety and later paranoia could be evidence of this condition which he'd have most likely been diagnosed and treated for. Giving an 18 year old Xanax is wreckless . Bio feedback , talk therapy , Exercise, journaling are very helpful. This is so sad .
@@stopthephilosophicalzombie9017 I almost died. Many do. Even in between doses you can. This is the devil!
@deniseganey6890 those A holes started me at 16. God help me
There are MANY, MANY other people that have committed suicide from the damage these drugs cause .... or from the UNBEARABLE suffering that happens when you try to stop taking them.
Omg yes, the suffering while getting off the drugs is intense, if I didnt have my parents be so supportive I would have killed myself already. I am still going through it. Please doctors stop this, stop it. Also, calling a suicidal line will not do anything, they just come to your house, take you to the psych ward in a 5150 and put more drugs on you. It is not productive at all. I was on meds for 9 years and my body and mind are ruined but the worst is the mental agony.
@@madelynhernandez7453❤
😢Someone please help us 😢
@@madelynhernandez7453 I can't get a doctor to come to my house.
@madelynhernandez7453 I tried to kill myself and nearly did! Now I'm even worse off with all the damage that brought on. Thanks Dr's!
I had withdrawals from benzos and it was so intense and the anxiety was at 100%. I hate benzos, they literally kill ppl. I have never felt so hopeless and uncontrollable withdrawals and it was only the beginning after quitting benzos. It’s what I think is a hell on earth. Tk God he got me thru that. That was in 2013.
No one who hasn't gone through withdrawals can understand how terrible you feel, bc it's like nothing else.
Best wishes.
Wonderful - proud of you! My husband never could come off any of it & passed away 2016 & not a good death at 49.
@@sidstovell2177 I stopped taking them because the panic attacks stopped. Lost my mind for 2 weeks, was hallucinating, thought I was dying 1 week of it I didn't sleep , a whole week 7 days.
I didn't know what was going on, friends and family thought I was on drugs, and had me drug tested. They were shocked when the drug test came back negative (for everything).
Now I know what is was, this is so crazy!
Try opiate withdrawal. I took myself off Xanax after about 2 years on it and it was nothing like opiate withdrawal. Any withdrawal is awful but opiate & gabapentin withdrawal are seriously awful. I've been gabapentin free for about 3 months & still have withdrawal from it. Anything we ingest for a long period of time we will withdrawal from.
Did you take it everyday? I took for years here and there haven’t took a pill in over 6 months and I feel fine
What a kind, healing and respectful interview. I can’t imagine how much healing this could provide - to have someone listen, and take you seriously, and empathize, and not judge, and to let you know how important and VALUED your story is... this was an incredible story. She is a warrior, 10 times over. And you are such a kind and wise interviewer. I am absolutely blown away by this whole experience. Wow.
I was wiping the tears from my eyes while listening to her story.
Well..I guess it's time to wean myself off the klonopin.
@@spazmonkey3815bless you on your journey ❤
Watching your story so heartbreaking I myself have been on phyc meds my husband has been a wonderful support but I know he doesn't truly understand the side effects of meds you have to have been on them to.truely understand. What a brave man he was putting the effort into staying alive His wonderful wife has nothing to feel guilty about she did everything she could. God bless everyone going through any mental health crisis
Jesus help me. This is my life now but I’m alone. I don’t even have the support that this poor guy had.
You are not alone. Unbelievable torture.
You are not alone..Push yourself to find a couple benzo friends to vent , do it slowly even if everything in you doesn't want to ..I know any type of socializing can be painful and we just want to isolate from life
How are you doing
Hope you're having in there. 💜
Pray to the father directly, the creator of the universe
I was taken off klonopin cold turkey in 2019. I didn’t know any better. My doctor quit practicing & the clinic said no refills, they don’t prescribe it. I lived on a ranch out in the middle of nowhere. The fact I’m alive to tell my story is a miracle. The hell I went through for years. I’m SO sorry for your loss. I understand the despair of wanting to do the right thing for ourselves while dealing with the hell of stopping this medication.
God bless you this sounds torture
@@JasonBrown-dd7dj Thank you 💜
@@emusedone I was a victim of oxycontin and pregablin cold turkey compared to you I had a walk in the park.Benzos are costing people their life's god bless you your a warrior
@@JasonBrown-dd7dj I’m so sorry. We trust our prescribers and the meds they prescribe. But are abandoned by them when the dangers of those drugs surface and take hold. Leaving us to flounder alone as we try to survive. I’ll never understand this system, I mourn for those of us who didn’t make it. No matter what the medication is, an opioid, benzo, ssri it’s cruel to abandon us when their oath was to do no harm. I’m glad you made it through your hell as well. I think by putting out stories out there maybe we can stop another person from experiencing what we have.
@@emusedone 50 years of age prescribed in the UK for failed spinal surgery,Never touched a drug in my life and my doc gives me that.Still rebuilding my life I'm a lucky one over 400k Americans weren't so lucky.I watch in disbelief how much harm a doc can cause you.I refused vallium for muscle spasms that's my only concellation and fent patches.Young kids a whole generation of Americans dieing and most good people.
All his symptoms were real. The horror is real. I have NO question he did the best he could. The tragedy, second only to him losing his life, is that he had to figure out what was happeing on his own. A dark and lonely epiphany indeed.
It took me ten years to figure out it wasn't me, it was the Ativan. My doc still believes all I need is the right antidepressants even though I've tried 9 of them. ativan was prescribed for insomnia but gave me a hundred horrid side effects during and 8 years off! And no one beleived me.
Unlike the USA, the UK did not allow benzos to be handed out like candy in the past. I don't know if that has changed. The UK tends to have some good organizations that have the dirt on benzos. Also, famous singer Stevie Nicks has a horror story about benzos that she has freely shared with the public for years. This made me cry for him and for his family.
@@velvetbeesbelgium does... even to people like me just asking for some time of and nothing habit forming.
@@velvetbees Big Pharma lost the Opioid profits--- Benzodiazepines to the rescue
Getting off any addictive substance comes with severe withdrawal symptoms. I'm not endorsing these drugs at all. I'm just pointing out the obvious though.
Benzo user here. Nine years of klonopin. I attempted to taper so many, many times. No luck! I'm now tapering down with N-acetylcysteine. For me, it's been a huge success. My Nutritional R.N suggested to try this, NOT any physician, even my mental health provider. I am also a firm believer in Christ. I'm so glad you allow God to continue to sustain you!
Wish I could chat with you to find out how your doing this with NAC
@@samiam8764 Had a hiccup taking NAC on Klonopin. Titration from Klonopin has begun. This is tough.
interesting. i take that when ive been shedded on with people who take cv19 shot , with quercitin. it does help me. (i get little bunches of bruises which ixh and annoy.)
doctors are cluecless.. and even if some might know it's not in their clinic "standard of care" so they might not be allowed to tell you anything...
Amen! Jesus is how I got through it aswell 💕🙏✝️
My husband went through HELL too - gorgeous man - passed in 2016 still miss him - so does our daughter
I'm very sorry for your loss 🙏
Oh my, the years lost under drugs ...my family imploded and exploded.
Dear Dr, your compassion in every pause and patience question....thankyou
Medicine is a business now and meds make the industry a lot of money. This is an excellent cautionary tale. Thank you for presenting it! Max is smiling down 🙏❤
Nature is full of medicine , i wonder why people are so dumb and trust strangers about health advice. Like , do you have no brain? Can't read, think? Google is full of data about herbal medicines , why people choose to trust strangers with intention to make profit off of someones nescience.
The innocent victims are all happy now that they are free. The evil creators that knew how bad this was but didn't care because of money, they are the ones who won't be happy in the next life.
@@brettwilson7680I have taken it for a few years here and there for anxiety and haven’t taken a pill in over 6 months and I feel fine now
@@brettwilson7680 and they are still prescribing them to literally millions of people everyday. It’s crazy how many people are on these drugs still and it’s never going to stop. I can say I successfully got off after years of occasional use for anxiety. I haven’t taken a pill in 6 months. I feel fine. Reading all of these horror stories I guess I’m concerned a lucky one
Western drs are drug dealers
Omg, she describes the suffering so well. I went through all of that and more but I'm still here probably because I had no one to hurt or support. Got to suffer all by myself...for 8 years now with BAIN...Benzodiazepine Induced Neurological Disorder. Wished for death but had to stick around to look after my cats and dog. Two decades of my life suffering because of a presentation for Ativan for insomnia...unbelievable suffering for the past ten years and even my doc doesn't believe me. THANK YOU FOR SHARING THIS. You won't know if you'll be a victim of benzos until it is too late. Like Kelsi said, they had no idea of the level of damage. Even on my good days, I'm only a breath away from terror spawned by a weird pain or sensations...it's like aliens have invaded my body and mind and are conducting experiments on me while I try to pretend I'm normal. One of the worst symptoms: Anhedonia...the inability to feel pleasure. Why go on living when you can't feel love or pleasure or excitement????????
Thank you for sharing. Do you remember the dosage of Ativan you were taking for insomnia? I am currently on 1.5 mg for insomnia. Thanks
@@user-wb2yv7ll9d I took 1 mg of Ativan as needed. I never took more than 2-4 mg per month for ten years except except when forced on abilify, prozac and ?, when I took it daily for two weeks to stop the panic attacks caused by those drugs. I was in tolerance withdrawal almost from the start of taking Ativan. I think I was lacking in gaba absorption all my adult life and the Ativan shut down the few receptors that I had or whatever it does. The only other time I took Ativan daily was while tapering. I should never have tapered but just quit. I probably wouldn't be in protracted hell as the tapers were like major kindling.
What helped you get over it? Or did it just take 8 years to heal?
Nothing helps. I mean everyone has to fine ways to cope in order to survive. But nothing helps you heal faster. @@robinbanks73 only time heals. Eight years, I'm far from healed but getting there.
But how can that help insomnia is so bad lunesta has taken my life god bless this beautiful lady for sharing her story I’m 68 have arthritis pain`also have a30 yr old special needs daughter and 2 cats I cant function all I do is pray
The suffering that he experienced is only surpassed by the love and understanding that she had for him. Everyone should be so lucky
shes a real ride or die
Yes, she seems like such a sweet, gentle soul. He was fortunate to have her and their daughter is blessed to be raised by such a strong and loving woman.
My dad was an addict of xanax. Started on it for anxiety and after about 20 years he was on 10 mg a day. Never abused them though. He had a seizure because he missed a dose falling asleep watching tv. Caused damage, he was never the same (developed dementia) and passed a few years after. We had to constantly care for him 24/7 after that episode. My mom grew a hatred for xanax so bad, she refused to take hers when she was dying of cancer. Said she didnt want to die an addict. I tell my doctors dont give it to me. None of em. I have severe GAD and ive been on xanax and was addicted to them when i took them years ago. Coming off was horrible cause i was stupid and did it myself cold turkey. Xanax has absolutely touched alot of my family and has caused alot of grief. I dont want anything to do with any of them anymore.
With the 911 thing. Its not that you hope someone can take the pain away. Although anyone would. But with anxiety attack you feel like youre dying. So at least someone there to hopefully keep ya alive asap.
I know you have suffered greatly. The only people who truly understand the insidious nature of Benzos are those who've experienced acute withdrawal after prolonged use.
Thank you for this. Truly. I was blessed to finally find a provider who believed my journey and its realities. Before that was unspeakable. . . Thank you, again. ❤
I took it as needed here and there. I haven’t took a klonopin is over 6 months and I feel fine. I have a slight memory loss issue but I’m approaching 40 years old. Does this only happen to people that take it everyday?
@@fonzarellyplay370 im not sure. They are def linked to memory loss after long term use. I would assume that means daily but im not a medical expert to understamd all the mumbo jumbo terms. Lol. The ones i know, took it daily and their bodies became dependant on it. So when they missed it, they withdraw or become sick until they take it. Not quite the same as an actual addict looking for a high, but same concept inside the body. Everytime i took them i had shoet teem memory loss and sometimes even took extra meds because i forgot i took one already. Not saying it effects everyone this way, this was just my personal experience. But i watched my dad go from a talkative outgoing person to total isolation in the last 3 years before his episode. Ive wondered if long term use can cause sone type of brain injury or misfire of cells which comes out in a form of demetia. What type of dementia i have no clue. Theres so many its impossible to pinpoint.
T
I can relate to his pain and the addiction. The PA who has been prescribing me 115 count of 1mg of Alprazolam for 12+ years. When I picked up my script she had changed it to valium/Diazepam 90 count .5 which cut me almost two thirds. I called her office however she had the receptionist to tell me I should be fine. This was 3 days ago, the Diazepam isn't helping. I am 66 years of age with heart disease high blood pressure with TRD also type 2 diabetes. I am going through withdrawals with no family support. These doctors never mentioned the addiction or withdrawals. There needs to be a civil lawsuit against the manufactures for the harm and deaths these drugs has caused.
So sorry. Hang in there, be hopeful. Sending best wishes to you. Healing IS possible!
that is the equivalent torture of being an alcoholic for 20 years on 1 liter of scotch per day and then dropped onto only 500 mils of beer per day // hell
@@coopsawright7225 Your comparison is correct. This is a death sentence to people my age. I am not discrediting any other. But at 66 I will never make it.
You will need a miracle of God in that case and i hope and pray to the dear Lord that you get exactly that.@@americanpatriot2568
10mg xanax ??? Think u mean 1mg xanax right?
Dr. Witt-Doerring...you are doing great work...thank you.
💯
she is so strong and does so much good for our community. It means so much that you continue to share this story. I am glad you did this interview! You are so charismatic Kelsi so sorry for your loss Max seemed like such a beautiful spirit
she is dressed inappropriately and talks childlike. No we dont need her.
I have been through this as well. As he said, it’s “like being on fire.” Only nobody can see the flames. And some think you are crazy. It is hellish. My heart is so heavy listening to this. Before I went through it, I never understood how someone could kill themselves. Now I know. It’s not about wanting to end your life. It’s about wanting to end the excruciating pain.
Exactly the pain is too intense, for too long. It feels like it will never let up. You don't know if healing will ever come and you certainly don't feel it will.
I feel like my time is drawing near. I wish to be free from the agony && hell
@@Meow-gp5nk You can safely taper. Stabilized your dose, then begin a slow taper. Blend/crush pill, add to one cup water, draw off a mil of mixture and discard, next night two mil, then three mils, and so on. It’s painless, and your brain receptors won’t miss it. It could take a year, but you will have your life back afterwards. You can hold the taper if you feel any anxiety. It has worked for many. God is with you!
Klonopin survivor here. Went to detox, they took me off cold turkey in Dec 26, ended up being nearly 4 years of pure hell. To long of a list to write down again. Spent 3 months between psych wards/ detox.
Please God help those to get through until their darkness leaves.
Hi. I took it for years as needed for anxiety and about 6 months ago I had a change of doctors and they took me off. I feel fine since my last pill about 6 months ago. I was wondering do these side effects only happen to people who take them everyday?
@@fonzarellyplay370 If you only take them occasionally, you might be spared the worst of it. However, you're playing with fire. Never go back.
@@wpwentzell really dang. Did you have a bad experience?
@@wpwentzell I ended up taking a more. I got a script for 30 every 3 months because certain situations I can’t deal with the anxiety on my own
Bless your heart Kelsi, and dear Max, how tragic to hear of his agony and suffering. Much love to you, Marley and all those who loved Max. Thank you so much for sharing xxx
So sorry for your profound grief.
I wonder how many deaths are actually medication induced suicide.
Kurt Cobain and Michael Jackson we’re likely related to benzo withdrawal
I wonder that myself. I pray to Jesus that people will get the help they need. Switching to Librium and a long taper helped me.
@@Cheesygarlicccc no. They were su incidents, by other hands.
Or paradoxical reactions and adverse reactions from medications.
@@Cheesygarlicccc Bingo. And Heath Ledger, and many more.
I’m so sorry about what your family have gone through. You are a strong person! Thank you for sharing your story. I have a son that took Benzos for may years at doctor’s order, and he had no idea of the harm it was causing him. He finally got off of it after a four year battle of winning himself at micro dosages.
It has been three years since his last dosage but he’s still not healthy. A lot if the symptoms he had while doing the withdrawal is still active today. I fear for him because of his suffering.
Often he speaks of the kind of life he has which it’s not a way to live.
He’s so scared of any medication to this day and I have learned to be ever so careful when a doctor prescribes any meds to me.
I wish that more communities would be available for men that are going through this, because they feel ashamed, fearful and hopeless, also because it’s a situation that most people do not understand so they have a way of being distant ignoring what one is really going through.
May we all find peace and have patience, love and compassion with our loved ones.
OMG what kind of channel have I subbed to?
I can't stop tearing up at these stories.
Thank you for your efforts.these stories must be heard,but this channel needs more subscribers.
This info is too important for such a small group of people.
💯
This was a truly one of the most amazing sharings I have ever seen. Such strength and compassion! Thank you both for your efforts.
I’m so sorry for Kelsi & her daughters loss. She is so incredibly strong. I’m proud of her, we need more people like her in this world. Thank you for giving her space to tell her story.
Thank you so much for your bravery Kelsi, I am so sorry for all that you have been through. Max sounded like such a loving, kind and brave soul. You are a very special woman.
Peace, Love & Light to you and your daughter Kelsi. Keep living life to the Max
Thank you Dr. Josef Witt-Doerring for all the work you are doing
Sorry for your loss. This happens to trigger even more. There is hope. People can get better. Never give up.
I want to commend both of you with all my heart. Kelsi for sharing hers and Max's story, Dr. Josef for seemingly being one of precious few doctors who had the HUMILITY to consider that just mayyybe multitudes of patients the world over weren’t all lying or imagining their protracted, acute benzodiazepine withdrawal syndrome. I want to thank you with my whole heart for the unspeakably needed research you are carrying out on this hellish phenomenon, and for the awareness you are duly raising.
I cannot begin to express how sorely needed you both are.
I cried and grieved for Max as I listened. My heart completely broke. As someone who also endured unthinkable levels of benzo hell for years and years on end, I cannot help but regard other sufferers as nothing less than family, so united by this shared experience of incredible trauma are we.
Heartfelt gratitude. I am indescribably pleased to know that you exist, Doctor, and I can only wish I'd discovered you while still in the thick of it, while I endured the unendurable without a single iota of medical or psychiatric support. I am dismayed to say, I was literally only gaslit or dismissed (quite derisively, too) by every medical doctor I saw.
In my experience, it is rare to see such an authentic, compassionate psychiatrist as you clearly are, one so heart-centric and emotionally intelligent.
Please keep up the incredible work.
May Max finally enjoy the peace that so tragically evaded him during his benzo ordeal. 🙏💜
You bring up opiates that you prescribe for extreme symptoms.. My Dr had enough compassion to prescribe those to me also to get me through the most acute phase, and I do believe "that respite" kept me from taking my life.
Thank you. I'm no fan of Drs, psychiatry, or BP anything.. but you're definitely one of the better ones.
Sometimes replacing a bigger addiction with a smaller one is the right move. I don't think they would have made the benzo withdrawals worse. If they could get you through enough time to make it out of benzo withdrawals, it certainly might do the trick.
@caryphillips4885 He prescribed me Norco 10s, which are pretty strong, and I think they did probably make sxs a little worse when I took breaks from them (every couple weeks to month, so that I wouldn't get addicted) but I believe it was worth it.
I’m currently reducing on Diazepam! It started 30 odd yrs ago, in hospital suffering agonising tummy pains(which in the END turned out to be food allergies)then , allergies were pollen, dust,etc which I’ve also got. In hosp after many many tests, I was asked to see a different doc, I was taken back to the ward , in tears realising I’d just seen a psych , the Sister came over “there there love, handed me a little yellow pill, I don’t remember a yr of my life.I was put on so much more of such pills. Docs lately have been told to take patients off these drugs! Suffer is a small word to what I’ve been thro, plus degradation, still reducing feeling worthless, weak,+ much more. I’ve tried overdosing twice.just gotta get by! I’m sorry for all like me 😢 Bless you ❤
We are all just human. We are all weak and flawed. That's why we need Jesus to lean on every moment. I use to think I was so strong, and independent. Then I found out what a weak, needy, flawed person I am. I met Jesus and let Him come into my life. I realize I can't do anything without Him. But I can do all things through Him who gives me the strength.
Praying for your healing 🙏❤️
So sorry for your loss. Thanks for sharing. I'm going through it now and it helps to hear other's experience.
The lack of sleep and extreme fatigue with antsy restless legs is maddening. It is torture.
Hi there. I was on kpins for about 10 years but only used them as needed for serious social situations. About 6 months ago I had to change doctors and they abruptly stopped the kpins. It’s been about 6 months since my last dose and I have a slight memory issue but I’m a weed smoker and am going to be 40 so maybe that has something to do with it but I don’t have these hellish side effects that these people are experiencing
@@fonzarellyplay370 The reason you don't have the side effects is because you're still using weed, which also touches GABA receptors. I too used to smoke weed after quitting my prescription Xanax, and it mostly staved off the worst of the withdrawals. However, when I finally stopped smoking weed, all hell broke loose. Good luck to you.
Still in the same vein I was stuck in OxyContin tabs 80 mg tabs I was up to 400 mg a day ! The 80 mg tabs needed a special prescription and are incredibly hard to get especially the script my god I use to pay some docs a 1,000 euros a prescription they knew I was desperate . I was also in Zoplicone sleepers for 6 years rolled with alcohol , anyway I was insured and went to the Priory in London for two months and luckily kicked all three and I’ve been clean 17 years now so you can beat the demons but in my opinion you need a team helping you backed with councillors who have been there as well so can directly relate to you’re suffering as I didn’t have much respect for those councillors who were not addicts it’s just You could trick the ones that went addicts but as for the councillors who were addicts they say you can’t kid a kidder !
Focus and do whatever you have to to get help and best of all don’t start in the first place just read these comments that should be enough and say away from doctors they gaslight you and if all leads back to money .
My very best to those that are suffering and may god help you there is a way out but you are going to have to do some work so to speak as well mentally and physically .
Thank you both it’s helping me to understand what I went through,and that I wasn’t crazy. So sorry for your loss.
Same.
Lord help us
But he doesn't. I doubt he is real.
@@madelynhernandez7453💜🙏🏻✝️
Jesus is real and He will help and save you.
@@goombabear Did you not watch the video?
@@goombabear. Nope. Better to deal with reality.
Max is in heaven he left a beautiful message 🙏💕🤗
You dont know that. Only God does.
I know a woman who took her life during withdrawals. I tried to help her. She left behind a husband and daughter.
It is horrific, I feel so close to do it too. My body and mental anguish can't take it. I scream so loud in agony, my neighbors and everyone think I am demon possessed. I can't enjoy anything. It's so horrific, I want desperately to be helped but nothing does, not even prayers and when prayers dont work that is the last thing you lose.
@@madelynhernandez7453It is quite awful.
It is horrible but need to do it real slow like years of tapering not months.
Did these poor souls taper off too quickly, or not at all, please?
Can we talk somehow?email or something?i'm in so terrible situation!!
I'm in tears. What a heart wrenching story. Thank you so much for sharing this, Kelsi. I feel certain you have helped others. My heart truly goes out to you.
Stay away from all mental drugs.
Absolutely!
I was on benzos..for PTSD..from 97-19..they were difficult to quit..I craved them for 2 years..and have had to avoid them...they really did seem to "work" immediately, and seemed very effective..but many Doctors were always telling me to stop taking them...I didnt like being dependent..so News Year eve in 2019..I quit..after tapering down myself...I had no help from Doctors..because they just wanted me to take some other combination of drugs..I didnt want to take anything..so I don't..but it was rough for a couple of years..
SPOT ON DEAR PERSON !!! Those doctors will just keep loading on more and more different pills until we die and then casually wash their hands of it saying " we did all we could to help them but they were just too sick !" it's scary
It's a super human effort.
Having been detoxed from benzos in like 5 days in a rehab and going through this for a year after…. It’s crazy having it validated all the things I felt.
This is so sad. Thank you for sharing your story Kelsi. As a wife who watches my husband stumble through the same symptoms I can only imagine how terrible it must be for you. Im so sorry and I’m also so angry that the medical system puts people through this. Sending you lots of love and prayers. Thank you for sharing.
What a wonderful woman. I was sitting here crying at her story. I am so glad she has been able to turn her life towards helping people.
I think you’ve just saved my life I’ve had these symptoms for ten years first my stomach and about three years ago my head felt like it was burning, I couldn’t get answers for my stomach I thought I was dying at one point also feel like I am going crazy, I now know what to get help with. Thank you. God bless
Read what I wrote above about my theory that it's continuous overstimulation of the sympathetic part of the automatic nervous system. The drugs mask it. Remove the drugs and you feel what has been there the entire time. It's thoracolumbar in location but there is one tiny branch that hits the face.
It's fear that is causing the overstimulation.
Autistic kids have it too.
We need to ALL BE ABLE TO SUE THESE DRS FOR SAYING WE DONT KNOW WHATS WRONG
They don't care! It's negligent and malpractice and they are protected by hospital attorneys
THEY ALL KNOW. AND YOU CAN'T GET A LAWYER TO SUE THEM CAUSE YOU'RE NOT RICH AND CAN'T PROVE IT BECAUSE THEY HAVE HUGE INFLUENCE($$$$$)..
They'd have the backing of the billion dollar pharmaceutical behind them. Good luck winning that. They're encouraged to prescribe lots of meds. It's what Dr's main training is. Prescribing medicine for everything, ignoring the underlying causes and treating symptoms. No money made in cures.
Have you ever met anyone that didn’t have to bad of withdrawals? I took them as needed for years and haven’t taken a pill in over 6 months and I feel fine. I think my memory is not as sharp as it used to be but I don’t feel anything to terrible. Is it not normal to feel normal after using these pills?
Doctors get bonuses for prescription given by bran names. Opiates and benzo are money makers
Thank you both for bringing light to such darkness…
She is a angel doing His work
This video should be shared with anyone that has been newly prescribed any drug based on benzodiazepine so that they understand the risks. Why these companies are allowed to keep selling these drugs is criminal.
I used to have grand Mal seizures. The detox is crippling. Lucky I didn't die from the withdrawal. My brain doesn't function at the same ability anymore. Not even close. I try not to think about the damage done or the effects it's had. Been 4 years or so. At this point I don't expect to get better. It's just my life now. They love to sell new drugs to doctors and have them prescribed to patients while disregarding the health safety and futures of the patients.
I took it as needs for anxiety for years but I haven’t taken a pill in over 6 months due to a doctor change. I feel normal. Does this only happen to people that take it everyday?
@@kenw2225hi I took it for years as needed and when I lost my doctor they stopped giving it to me and it’s been about 6 months since my last pill and I feel normal. Does this bad side effects only happen to people that have been taking them everyday?
@@fonzarellyplay370yes and it is sort of on the rare side if a proper taper is done.
Thank you. I am so sorry about the loss of your husband. I feel heard. This all makes so much sense and explains exactly what I went through. I was on 3 mg clonazepam for 4 years and was in the hospital for another reason and they tapered me off over 10 weeks. I was a royal mess for MONTHS. I actually started drinking alcohol to cope, and became an alcoholic. I wanted to die every day. I felt like I coudn't go on, every minute of the day for years. Long story, but it's been two years and now I am sober. I still wonder what the hell came over me during those years. It's not normal for someone to become an alcoholic at 36 years old. SO many pieces are falling into place for me right now.
“I don’t think anyone else would have had the strength and compassion to step in like they did” I
Felt that. Strongly. It’s true, people like this are rare.
People like this are very rare. It’s a lot to take and it does take selflessness, compassion, and strength.
My little ( from Big Brother) took Klonopin to sleep for years due to ADHD symptoms. He wanted to go into military so he quit them. He is sooo much better now, and appears to be headed into the service like he dreamed. I was impressed he could do that.
How long was he on them for? Was he on them everyday
I seriously contemplated it a few times. Stay strong people. Ice baths, meditation, eat, healthy, beast yourself with exercise. 💥
Yes ,been there ..over a decade ago.Prayer in the he name of Jesus,when no one else is around,or seems to care..
And keto/carnivore can really help with depression and anxiety.
I honestly cant even imagine how strong of a person you have to be to continuously support someone through that hell. Im not a religious person but im so glad she had something to support her as well, it was hard for her husband but it must have been terrible for her as well. Lots of love ❤
So sorry for this couple and their family to go through this. It sounds like such a hard experience. Her husband sounds like such a brave man trying to fight through this complicated condition. And she was so brave to stay and fight with him. The pain and suffering sounds so difficult to go through. I commend her for telling her story and making us aware of this illness.
I cannot describe what this hell feels like when you’re in it. I went through it for 2 years without the physical pain. You’ll try ANYTHING. Perhaps I should’ve stopped watching. Not all of our symptoms matched but the brain torture is something I beg Jesus to never allow to happen to me again. I’d rather not be here. For some reason, I was miraculously healed. Thank you, dear woman, for being kind and patient with something you had zero knowledge of. I still feel horrible for what I put everyone through during my illness. I don’t know what caused mine. I’m sure it is the antidepressants I’ve been on for 30 yrs. I’d never had anything happen like this. It’s like my brain SNAPPED out of nowhere! After hearing this I’m TERRIFIED to stop my benzo.
Ive been terrified 4 20 yrs. Stay strong
I took it as need for anxiety for many years and haven’t taken a pill in over 6 months. Does this only happen to people who take pills everyday? Thank you
@@fonzarellyplay370yeah it didn’t happen to me either, because I tapered off slowly. But I’m supersensitive to medications. So I’m very very careful. I’m interested in this flagyl toxicity.
One healthy person, with a healthy family which got his life ruined and ended by medics, the drug health system and psychiatry.
Medical drugs destroy families, relationships and persons.
Kelsi you have my deep respect, most would have left for a very small amount of all that you had and have to endure and suffer.
And you had the courage to tell your story too.
As many will say horrible things about us, that we are drug addicts, that we are wrong, that it is all on our heads, etc.
And nobody offers true help. You healthy persons can't imagine the despair we experience.
We really live in health / medicine stone age, while medics think it is the space age.
This should not even have happened to Max, as prescribing drugs this way is dangerous, damaging, very ignorant and frankly criminal. And ends with these personal tragedies.
This is the less visible equivalent to the oxycontin opioid pandemic.
I remind you all not only drugs marketed as "antidepressants" cause PSSD: some antihistamines, some antibiotics, some tranquilizers, and opioid pain drug tramadol cause it too.
Best wishes.
Psychiatry is horrible, my body burns too. I thrash around on the floor while my parents spray cold water and pray for me too. But God never rescues me either. These drugs are horrific, I beg someone to stop this, these meds are even given to dogs for christ sake. No! Stop the madness, the inhumanity of it all. Ketamine and all that only makes things worst. Nooo! For the love of God, someone stop this and stop it for humans as well as animals.
@@madelynhernandez7453thank you for bringing up use on animals.. and those creatures don't even have a voice!
I'm so sorry you're going through this.. me as well. But we'll make it! ❤
Excellent comment and so true!
Wow. Tramadol too? I’m in hospital and they gave me a dose and it blew my akathisia out of control. I had no idea.
@@aliciam6725 yes, tramadol too. It is a selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor, it messes with the serotonin system.
It also is a medical drug that should only be used with terminal patients, as it is an opioid!
Stay away from it.
Best wishes.
It’s so sad when someone “has to” die for others to live and be educated properly. Thank you so much and am sincerely sorry for your loss. Im currently going through protracted withdrawals and I live for my daughter as well. She’ll be 9 soon. Life is suffering sometimes but it’s better to suffer for a purpose than to not be here. That’s how I look at things I guess. Thank you so much for sharing
In my opinion he also had damage from the metronidazole, and all the other drugs they threw at him during this. These doctors are straight up murdering us, and they have no sympathy. They are all brainwashed pharma robots. Its sick. This man didnt stand a chance and its sick to me that even God wasnt present for him…. He didnt deserve this. RIP.
Certain antibiotics are dangerous taken with benzodiazepines or during protracted withdrawals.
This is so terribly sad. Thank you Kelsi and doctor Josef.
Benzo's destroyed my life, and I was taking a relatively "low" dose, but took them for years and years and now almost 4 years on from getting off them my autonomic nervous system is shattered and i am dying of Autonomic Neuropathy at 57 years of age. Staaaaaaay far away from benzos they will destroy you as well !!!!
Additionally, Kels, you are an amazing an heroic woman and human being !! everyone in my life including my children to a large extent have walked away from, the woman I loved deeply walked away after about a year of me battling the crippling anxiety... most people aren't cut out to be care-givers and emotional supporters in the way you selflessly did. You are a stunningly beautiful person on the outside, and an even more beautiful person on the inside !! bless you !!!
I was wondering if it would be alright to ask you the dose you were taking and for how many years you took them? Thank you.
@@wendym2544 I was initially on 1.5 mgs a day for about 3/4 years, then reduced to about .5 mgs daily at night for sleep and irregularly if i had a major meeting or speaking engagement in front of large groups id take another .5 or so…. It stayed that way from 1994-2007 so 13 years roughly and then i decided to quit cold turkey because a sleep specialist informed me i was dependent and was in constant withdrawal cycling and needed to stop taking to get my sleep architecture sorted out and reinstated … he neglected to tell me about tapering slowly and so i stopped taking them and by the 5 days it was as though the gates of hell on Earth had been opened and I had been thrown in and those gates closed … it was a horror show an nightmare which saw me dig into the Ashton manual and reinstate on Valium to stay functional for about 7 months slow tapering … for about 9 months after i finished the taper i was desperately sick but finally started to feel bit like myself again in 2008 … then in 2009 was diagnosed with cancer in my appendix they messed with my mind for about 4 years and after a horrid devastating break up with my fiancée in 2014 i ended up foolishly going back on Kpin and Ambien for another 4 years at . 5 mgs and 10-20 mgs of. Ambien a night for about a year. Been free of ambien sinceJan of 2018 and Kpin since 11/19 and have bee slowly dying ever since if i make Xmas i’ll be shocked but my capacity for acceptance of living miserably has been remarkable to this point but my lungs, digestive system, eyes and peripheral and autonomic nervous systems are dying very rapidly since about Nov of 22’ so i know what’s coming at me fast now … If i could strangle every Dr and Psychiatrist that damaged me with these poisons i’d do it in a heartbeat … They along with Big Pharma murdered me !!!
Hi there. I was was on them for years as needed or anxiety. I haven’t taken a pill in over 6 months and I feel fine, slight memory issues but I’m about to be 40 years old. Do you think the bad side effects only happen to people that take them everyday? Thank you
@@fonzarellyplay370 If you were not taking them daily and you've been off of them for 6+ months and feel fine, then you're fine. If you were going to have serious side effects you would have experienced them already. Just stay away from them for the remainder of your life, as re-introducing them could trigger kindling and a more severe dependency.
@@chandler7270 how has it affected you if you don’t mind me asking. I hear kindling means if you get back on them because you can’t take the pain anymore then you get off and the pain is worse? Thank you
I dont know why this popped up on my phone but this story was profound. i could really relate to this. I had an anesthetic 20 years or so ago and as soon as i woke from this i had 18 months of hell on earth. I have no idea how i got through the mental anguish, no sleep, fits, and complete dispair. Thankyou for sharing this i cry to think of all your pain and suffering. I recovered and had a wonderful partner who helped me but this brought it all back like it was yesterday. I spent all my time thinking about suicide . Shocking what medications can do to us . God bless you and your family xx
Everyone is different. I was on klonopin for 14 years. I took one every night. I started to notice my emotions & feelings were going blank. I made the decision to quit. I did a slow taper - a 2 year taper & did fantastic. Ive been benzo free for 2 years & so grateful 🙏
Can you tell explain your pattern?..how u tapered?
@@patbaker5359 Try the Ashton Method. It’s basically that you take your stabilized dose (say a pill), and you crush it with mortar and pestle, then add a cup of water, or you can get a mini blender to mix it. You can start with using two cups of water for a slower taper, which is even safer. Just be consistent with the amount of water you begin with. Then, you draw off 2 mils of water the first night and discard it, the next night 4 mils, the third night 6 mils and drink the remaining water. You can get the applicator to draw off the mils for free from any pharmacy. It’s a taper process that could take a year, but it’s pain free, your brain won’t miss those small amounts, it takes only a few moments a day of your time, and at the end you have your life back. If you feel it’s too fast, you can hold the taper a day or two, then resume. God is with you everyday. My prayers for your success!
I can get on & off as medically needed.
I haven't ever had a issue.
I have taken it for years straight & stopped for a year.
Then back on as needed.
Never abused it always taken as prescribed.
@@dsstaangyes me as well. I think the people going through this crazy withdrawal symptoms were due to people who have been taking it everyday for long periods of time. I was on klonopin for years but only in serious social situations because I had social anxiety. It’s been about 6 months since my last pill and I feel fine. I have slight memory issues but I’m approaching 40 years old and I smoke weed, that might be why my memory is not so clear.
I can relate to his story. It is one of the worst things to go through - and, the medical professionals, are totally oblivious on withdrawal. This one Doctor I saw, post CT 4 mg K, told me "Oh, you were over that after 2 weeks" as he waved his hand in front of him, in a "oh it is not a problem", way. We are totally ignored by them. I was in severe Akathisia, and he asked me if I was bi polar, and also insisted "You have severe anxiety". This was after I told him that the meds ruined my life. Needless-to-say, I never returned to his clinic. EVER.
So sorry for Max. I had a very similar experience and survived my suicide attempt thank God. This is the most horrific thing anyone can go through
Blessed Jesus. Give us mercy and wisdom.
Dr. Josef or Dr . Marissa my question is why were things getting worse even years after he stopped the meds? I’m a little confused about that. Thanks
We will make a video about this. Great question.
@@taperclinic yes please. Thank you
They call it a injury for a reason. It damages the nervous system it’s not like detox. Modern medicine doesn’t have a complete understanding of how the nervous system works. They don’t often understand the mechanisms of how these drugs provide their effects.
The journal words, I'm crying. Goodness, sweet heart, I am crying so much! :(
I started crying while she was reading his journal. And she is a magnificent wolman.
same
Great video. I’m 12 years off a c/t and I’ve never been the same since. I have extreme hearing sensitivities; massive anxiety disorder; migraines; stomach issues. And so many more symptoms that never went away. I was on Ativan for years beforehand. I would never take that drug again tho. I remember how many ppl committed suicide in my support groups. SO SAD!! I wish doctors knew how destructive benzos are to the brain. They seem to pass them out to mostly women like candy
For sure--- a playground for Sadism.
What is c/t please?
@@cindiloowhoo1166 cold turkey. Stopping everything at once
You should never stop these kind of meds or pain meds cold turkey. They stopped my daughter's pain meds cold turkey. Thank God she did OK. She needed them because of serious back and neck pain. She finally had a tins unit put in her back and neck for her pain. I'm glad she's not on the meds now. She's been through alot since a man rearended the back of her car. Only 43 and went through pain for years.
@@sharoncrawford7192 oh I’m so sorry to hear that about your daughter 🙏 yes I know. I’ve learned the hard way. It’s AWFUL what they are doing to people with their pain meds!! Cutting them off. Horror stories out there and for seniors too. Doctors only care about their licenses anymore; patient care is a thing of the past. I don’t trust any of the medical field anymore. At all.
My wife has a similar character to Kelsi. Such respect for spouses in this position.
Beyond words... and I'm in the middle of it 😢
Stay strong 🙏
still with us?
I don't believe that I have *ever* heard anything as heart breaking as this. I paused at the 39:17 mark just to look at a comment or two, just to try an clear my mind. Not only do some folks need to lose their *careers,* but those *SAME FOLKS,* should do some *serious* time in a state prison.
Until folks in the medical community are held responsible, tragic stories JUST LIKE THIS are going to continue to happen. God bless you, Kelsi.
Yes. This was truly murder.
I also understand being terrified about the "what if" the restless legs syndrome comes back. Its terrifying. It is such a horrible insane making feeling.
Profoundly powerful
22:11 oh my God! I had really bad spasms and convulsions. I will never forget the months of April and May 2023.
complete hell. I'm so blessed I made through.
thank you for giving this interview. this information probably has and will continue to help. thank you so much!!
Did you have parasites in your body?
Husband did
RIP PRECIOUS MAX ❤ the most traumatized souls imo not only go to heaven or the afterlife much quicker than anyone else does, but I think they get a special seat of healing in love and compassion
Dr Josef came on my feed and tuned into Kelsey and her story. Amazing content and your newest subscriber. Thanks for all you do.
Such a powerful conversation, thank you Kelsi for sharing and Dr Josef for allowing her the space to walk us through the whole journey and feel her grief. I pray for every family touched by these horrible drugs, and that we will see massive changes in the medical/pharmaceutical industry sooner than later. 🙏🏽
This chick is a body builder with implants. She’s using this to promote herself for attention. I heard she was always cheating on him and that she caused all of his issues.
Doctors had me on benzos since my early 20's ... I am 57 now ... new Doctor just pulled my meds away COLD TURKEY .... I'm in acute withdrawals and no help to be found.
We're supposed to be able to trust our Doctors.
Medical boards maybe should know? And yes in the 90’s and early 2000s they gave them like baby aspirin
You are a medical miracle
Continue on your path DR.
What a beautiful interview! I’m so sorry for your tragic loss Kelsi. I know Max is experiencing the peace and glory of Heaven today. God bless you for being light and love for not only Max but all of us with this testimony. So grateful ❤
Thank you for hosting this Dr Josef and thank you so much Kelsi for your heartbreaking story. He's watching over you all. I'm 57 female was coldturkeyed off diazepam by my doctor (UK) after 10/11 years on the devil drug. I'm healing slowly but now have CFS. Thank you again for the awareness
God bless you, Kelsi. I'm so sorry you and your husband had to go through this.
How on earth can these Doctors be so oblivious to this? Its truly criminal!
How?
Because these drugs are very profitable, and doctors receive bonuses for prescribing them.
💯... it's hard to understand... but they will be some reckoning the more TH-cam channels, podcasts, books, forums on the topic come about... the problem is the 'surviving bias'... people who took their own life are not there to tell their story anymore
I took Xanax for several years and quit cold turkey with no problems. Thank God!
Any specific method that you used?
Yes thank God!
I'm not buying it.
@@Jordan-ln2efBelieve me we are all different and some are so incredibly lucky they can avoid some of horror stories in the comments here .
What a beautiful soul Max was. And still is.✝️
Thank you Dr. Josef and Kelsi. Those of us who love someone going through benzo purgatory need help in understanding how horrific this can be.
What a powerful story! Kelsi, you did such a great job of telling it and making it a visceral experience for listeners. We were there with you going through it. I know this story of addiction and life being too unbearable to go on living even though the person doesn't want to die because after years of struggling and 8 different rehabs, I lost my son to an accidental overdose in 2016. Unfortunately, we did not have the family support that you did, and I hope that you are held up by that and your faith now as you and your daughter rebuild a new life.
EXTREMELY TRIGGERED . But god bless max ✝️🙏🏻
Your an angel 👼. Every time i got really down my ex-wife , girlfriend completely abandoned me. On Benzodiazepines for 15 years , 2 mg/day. Im scared to death 24/7. 😢
I will pray for you.
Check out the Benzodiazepine information Coalition. They provide advocacy in helping people find physicians who have understanding of the complexities and complications of Benzodiazepines and the withdrawal process.
Is your doctor paying attention to you?
What a strong and faithful wife Kelsi was! What a heartbreaking story!
I’m so so sorry. Praying for you and your family…You are an admirable beautiful person. God bless you❤❤❤🙏🏼🙏🏼🙏🏼. To be so loved by Max. That is a blessing. Not many get that kind of love. Thank you so much for sharing.
Thank you Kelsi for telling your and Max's story - so incredibly heartbreaking. As you know well, Max is at peace with our Lord - you will see him again and have eternity to love and enjoy his companionship. And thank you Dr. Josef for your efforts with this channel - you provide great insight and needed service to so many who are suffering. I have no doubt that Max felt he was doing what was best for those he loved so much...he just couldn't endure anymore.
You did a great job with him. So sorry for your loss.
Can someone plz recommend a doctor like Dr WD that understands benzos and is licensed in Florida. I need help big time.
Wow I just realized his initials are WD like withdrawal
It’s fate!!!!!
His wife a psychiatrist and Dr WD is getting certified in more states. He takes NO insurance. $95 for intake and $800 per tele-visit! $50 for refills.
@@Cheesygarlicccc not cool
So sorry for youre loss. I feel alot of the doctors compare opiate withdraw with Benzo withdraw. I hear so many stories how they say oh a few weeks to a few months to taper off and they will be fine. They arent the same. That can work with opiates. It wont with benzos. I am glad more doctors are seeing how long can take to repair the brain after taking benzos. So sad.
Well I can tell you I’m off suboxine 7 months and there isn’t a day that I can count that I see hope I can count minutes and it all goes back to darkness I pray every day for this misery to pass and I work out eat right and it just feels I’m losing the fight so I have never take benzos but I took codeine pills for over 10 years and last 2 years I did suboxine very low doses and life have no meanings it feels like I’ll never get out
@@leonidtodorovski635I’m on 1mg of Suboxone half astrip. It works really good for me. Better than being on dope