Benzodiazepine Awareness with Geraldine Burns

In this episode I have a very frank interview with Dr. Josef Witt-Doerring. Dr. Witt-Doerring is a psychiatrist and former FDA medical officer/pharmaceutical physician who now treats patients with drug injuries. If you're interested in what he has to say you can find out more about him over on his website WittDoerringpsychiatry.com or YouTube channel at Witt-Doerring Psychiartry. He is the type of psychiatrist I wish we all had run into.  I hope someday, every psychiatrist runs their practice the way he and his wife do with full knowledge, kindness and true caring for helping a person to heal.

This was one episode I wanted to do for a while, but due to computer problems back in September of 2021 and then both of our lives getting hectic, I’m just now getting back to doing this unbelievable story which I feel will give so many hope of a full recovery. When I interviewed Teryn in Episode 22 she talked about the other woman she met in the benzo groups who was as sick as her.  Today I have the pleasure of interviewing Austin who is that person.  Like Teryn she had become so physically ill her first husband had to stay home to take care of her.  Benzo illness can lead to so many tragedies and triumphs. Her marriage ended in divorce.  Austin is now happily remarried with five children, four of which she had after she recovered and has become a Registered Nurse. At the end of the podcast I make announcement about my new job.  You can find me at cohealme.com.

It's been six months since we did our last podcast, so in this episode I'll talk about how the past year has gone for me, we check in with Lisa on her very slow symptom guided taper.  We talk to Mellie who is fully recovered now, and we talk with Jim Thompson who we have been following with his Benzo taper now completed and his journey off of his antidepressant. Finally, I'll give some great updates with others that have we have interviewed in the past that you will want to hear. I hope you all enjoy the episode.

This is an episode I’m doing by myself addressing medical professionals to be more informed and cautious when prescribing. I list reasons people were put on benzos from a survey years back. I list books and websites for them to educate themselves and I ask them to take responsibility for their lack of knowledge and harm they have caused.

Melissa Bond is a narrative journalist and poet. In the years of her dependence on benzodiazepines, Melissa blogged and became a regular contributor for Mad in America.   ABC World News Tonight interviewed her for a piece in January 2014. Melissa is a respected writer on the perils of over-prescribing benzodiazepines and has been featured on PBS Story in the Public Square, Radio West, the podcasts Risk!, IGNTD, and Psychology Unplugged. The Salt Lake Tribune and the New York Post have both done features on Bond's book Blood Orange Night, her memoir about becoming dependent upon and the withdrawal process coming off of benzodiazepines. Blood Orange Night was published by Simon & Schuster in June 2022. Learn more at MelissaABond.com