Our Mission
Educating about the potential adverse effects of benzodiazepines taken as prescribed.
About Us
Who we Are
We are a group of patients and medical professionals who believe the over-prescription of benzodiazepines without proper warning has resulted in a growing national epidemic of benzodiazepine injury. While we understand and respect the value of these drugs when used appropriately, deep and widespread ignorance of their risks on the part of patients and prescribers has caused enormous and preventable suffering.
Addiction or Harm?
Why Are We Solely Focused on Prescribed Use?
An analysis found that 12.5% of U.S. adults used benzodiazepines from 2015-2016, and only 0.2% met the criteria for a substance use disorder (SUD). Despite this, the mislabeling of prescribed patients as “addicted” continues in both medicine and the media, leading to confusion and dangerous, medically inappropriate treatments that can result in patient harm and protracted syndromes. This needs to change.
40-80%
of prescribed patients experience benzodiazepine withdrawal
10-15%
develop severe, lengthly protracted syndromes
Only 0.2%
of prescribed patients meet criteria for a substance abuse disorder or addiction
OUR IMPACT
Programs & Projects
We seek to break the stigma and raise awareness around prescribed benzodiazepine injury, provide a voice to the patients who are suffering, and facilitate research and access to competent, evidence-based medical care for those impacted by benzodiazepine induced disability.
Dr. Christy Huff’s Story Is in the Wall Street Journal
Dr. Huff’s story is being told for the first time, as she requested, in the comprehensive Wall Street Journal article, “Generation Xanax: The Dark Side of America’s Wonder Drug,” by Shalini Ramachandran and Betsy McKay. This is…
In Memory of Dr. Christy Huff: One Year Later
A year ago today, we received the devastating news that our beloved medical director, Dr. Christy Huff, had passed away. While heartbreaking, it wasn’t unexpected—Christy had been trapped in an intense setback for months. Tragically,…
New ASAM Joint Clinical Practice Guideline on Benzodiazepine Tapering Now Available
The ASAM Joint Clinical Practice Guideline on Benzodiazepine Tapering is now available. Some of us at BIC, including the late Dr. Christy Huff, served voluntarily on the Patients with Lived Experience (PWLE) panel (see our names on page…
While it might initially seem that these communities and video blogs are simply artifacts of the internet culture, a closer look at the stories told on these forums suggests a different message. The message is that physicians have been unprepared for these withdrawal disorders and are unable to treat or even guide patients through complicated withdrawal from these substances.
JOSEF WITT-DOERRING, M.D.
DARYL SHORTER, M.D. THOMAS KOSTEN, M.D.
SAFE + EASY DONATIONS
Support Benzodiazepine Awareness and Help Us:
- Gain recognition of the existence and severity of prescribed benzodiazepine injury
- Hold and participate in events to educate prescribers and the public
- Push for policies that protect patients on benzodiazepines, whether they choose to remain on or taper off
- Protect those presented with benzodiazepines as a treatment option by giving them true informed consent
- Create more media awareness about this silent epidemic
- Advocate for more prescriber training in safe prescribing and cessation
- Fund research and show the need for future research that helps the harmed
