So What Now?

We have quite rightly been consumed with the excitement, promotion, and airing of this program. That's happened.

But shouldn't this be a new beginning of activism and agitation and not the high-water mark?

What can we be doing now to make sure that this Benzo News section remains as active as it has been lately? The opioid crisis did not get the attention and funding it has received because of one episode from one television show.

Does anyone have thoughts on how to push for more coverage? Create our own content? Connect with people of influence who have been affected by this? Make this part of the political debate? Anything else that people could think of?

This should be daily news and not simply something we can send to our in-laws so they understand our situation (as important as that is).

Lord, if nothing else it would be such a wonderful distraction!

We have quite rightly been consumed with the excitement, promotion, and airing of this program. That's happened.

 

But shouldn't this be the beginning of a wave (though it may be a slow one) and not the high-water mark?

 

What can we be doing now to make sure that this Benzo News section remains as active as it has been lately? The opioid crisis did not get the attention and funding it has received because of one episode from one television show.

 

Does anyone have thoughts on how to push for more coverage? Create our own content? Connect with people of influence who have been affected by this? Make this part of the political debate? Anything else that people could think of?

 

This should be daily news and not simply something we can send to our in-laws so they understand our situation (as important as that is).

 

Lord, if nothing else it would be such a wonderful distraction!

well, i agree.

what i'm doing now is documenting EVERYTHING...current past and future, regarding my sxs and drug hx and getting my tapering method down and sharing all of this on my blog, (i think it helps if everyone makes a buddie Blog but not everyone is able to for various reasons) or a progress log is helpful but i keep all mine in my BBlog, so others looking for things that i've already been thru can find answers easily, and also learn from my mistakes what NOT to do.

been gathering my medical records to create a more accurate timeline, starting as far back as i can access and including other drugs like fluoroquinolone antibiotics etc that can affect and interact with benzos and other psych meds... in the meantime the blog notes can help as a guide or just a place to see another buddie's progress.

what my story doesn't do to help someone, another's story will. the more of us who can share the more helpful.

sharing on social media select bits which helps.  every heart or retweet helps get this info seen by multitudes who'd normally not see it. same with instagram fb or whatever.

also there's the media, if we send our notes to them and their producers and editors etc decide to do more shows..newspapers online are good but shows are better cause most people will watch something like that longer than reading an online news source.  youtube is as also vimeo and other visual/audio reaches more people these days than having to read.

maybe somebody here would compile a list of contact info for the major media outlets for us to bomb with our stories?

making youtube videos is awesome too. people relate to seeing the actual faces of real people telling their stories than anything i think

what i really think we need is an up to date list of benzowise prescribers we can access organized by country and state/province. this would be profitable for prescribers and helpful to us as patients. then the  prescribers who start losing business will suddenly want to become benzowise also!

maybe there's a good starting place, making a list, everyone adding names as they can, and we start grass roots by putting our copays where our mouths are!

We have quite rightly been consumed with the excitement, promotion, and airing of this program. That's happened.

 

But shouldn't this be a new beginning of activism and agitation and not the high-water mark?

 

What can we be doing now to make sure that this Benzo News section remains as active as it has been lately? The opioid crisis did not get the attention and funding it has received because of one episode from one television show.

 

Does anyone have thoughts on how to push for more coverage? Create our own content? Connect with people of influence who have been affected by this? Make this part of the political debate? Anything else that people could think of?

 

This should be daily news and not simply something we can send to our in-laws so they understand our situation (as important as that is).

 

Lord, if nothing else it would be such a wonderful distraction!

Science showing causation + lawsuits.

We have quite rightly been consumed with the excitement, promotion, and airing of this program. That's happened.

 

But shouldn't this be a new beginning of activism and agitation and not the high-water mark?

 

What can we be doing now to make sure that this Benzo News section remains as active as it has been lately? The opioid crisis did not get the attention and funding it has received because of one episode from one television show.

 

Does anyone have thoughts on how to push for more coverage? Create our own content? Connect with people of influence who have been affected by this? Make this part of the political debate? Anything else that people could think of?

 

This should be daily news and not simply something we can send to our in-laws so they understand our situation (as important as that is).

 

Lord, if nothing else it would be such a wonderful distraction!

 

Science showing causation + lawsuits.

That's a tough one. Science takes a long time. I like how Dr. Wright says we are all part of a big clinical trial, but no one has been watching the results.

We have quite rightly been consumed with the excitement, promotion, and airing of this program. That's happened.

 

But shouldn't this be a new beginning of activism and agitation and not the high-water mark?

 

What can we be doing now to make sure that this Benzo News section remains as active as it has been lately? The opioid crisis did not get the attention and funding it has received because of one episode from one television show.

 

Does anyone have thoughts on how to push for more coverage? Create our own content? Connect with people of influence who have been affected by this? Make this part of the political debate? Anything else that people could think of?

 

This should be daily news and not simply something we can send to our in-laws so they understand our situation (as important as that is).

 

Lord, if nothing else it would be such a wonderful distraction!

 

Science showing causation + lawsuits.

 

That's a tough one. Science takes a long time. I like how Dr. Wright says we are all part of a big clinical trial, but no one has been watching the results.

I don’t think a smoking gun is necessary. I don’t know what science is out there, but I’m sure there’s enough to show brain changes (gaba receptors) and the effects thereof (Ashton). That plus a doc prescribing the med contrary to manufacturers’ 2-4 week recommendation is enough. Remember, the legal standard for civil tort is “more likely than not.” I think a case could be made with the current science.

We have quite rightly been consumed with the excitement, promotion, and airing of this program. That's happened.

 

But shouldn't this be a new beginning of activism and agitation and not the high-water mark?

 

What can we be doing now to make sure that this Benzo News section remains as active as it has been lately? The opioid crisis did not get the attention and funding it has received because of one episode from one television show.

 

Does anyone have thoughts on how to push for more coverage? Create our own content? Connect with people of influence who have been affected by this? Make this part of the political debate? Anything else that people could think of?

 

This should be daily news and not simply something we can send to our in-laws so they understand our situation (as important as that is).

 

Lord, if nothing else it would be such a wonderful distraction!

 

Science showing causation + lawsuits.

 

That's a tough one. Science takes a long time. I like how Dr. Wright says we are all part of a big clinical trial, but no one has been watching the results.

 

I don’t think a smoking gun is necessary. I don’t know what science is out there, but I’m sure there’s enough to show brain changes (gaba receptors) and the effects thereof (Ashton). That plus a doc prescribing the med contrary to manufacturers’ 2-4 week recommendation is enough. Remember, the legal standard for civil tort is “more likely than not.” I think a case could be made with the current science.

I asked my MD and I talked to Dr. Wright (from the Benzo Withdrawal Symposium). Both said the same thing: there is almost no research on the long term effects of benzos.

I think you are right, there is plenty of anecdotal evidence of the damages. Still going to be a tough one. But no reason why not to get started.

So far I have seen no follow up coverage in the American Press. Has anyone else?

No. Maybe the interest will die off. It certainly seems Lisa Ling was actually late to the part. The BBC covered this 32 years ago: