This is the final article of the five-part series Benzodiazepines: What You Don’t Know Can Hurt You. Read part four, Relapse Prevention During Klonopin Withdrawal.
Benzo Buddies is a popular online support group for people going through benzo withdrawal. But while many people find Benzo Buddies helpful, others have found it and similar websites to be more harmful than beneficial.
Because Benzo Buddies is privately run, many users complain that their posts are censored or deleted. Additionally, while Benzo Buddies puts an emphasis on staying positive, many users share harrowing stories that can trigger some users.
A number of Benzo Buddies participants report that the overall tone of the group is judgmental and can border on abusive. An overarching theme on Benzo Buddies is that seeking medical or other professional help for ending a dependence on benzos is unnecessary, and it’s even frowned upon. Some members of this forum dispense medical advice while discouraging seeking the help of a professional.
Most people who have an addiction need professional help to overcome it, according to the National Institute on Drug Abuse. NIDA also stresses that good intentions and willpower are rarely enough to send an addiction into remission for the long-term.
Quitting taking benzodizapines is only part of the battle. The rest of the battle is identifying and changing self-destructive thought and behavior patterns, getting mental illnesses like anxiety and depression under control and developing the skills you need for successful ongoing abstinence.
Although Benzo Buddies and other privately run forums don’t offer the type or level of support many people need, support groups in general can be enormously helpful for ending dependence and addiction for the long-term. In fact, support from family, friends and others in recovery is one of the pillars of recovery, according to the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration.5 But choosing a high-quality, well-moderated support group is essential for getting the best level of moral support and the most sound advice.
Well-known and reputable support groups for addiction include Narcotics Anonymous, SMART Recovery and, for those with a co-occurring mental illness, Dual Recovery Anonymous. These groups are recommended by the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration and offer both in-person and online meetings and provide quality moderation and facilitation. As we wrote about in a recent article, the type of support group one joins is less important than the community support they offer. Outcomes for longterm sobriety are far better for people who actively participate in a recovery support group.
Recovery is Possible
Benzo withdrawal doesn’t have to be miserable or dangerous, and you don’t have to be a slave to your addiction any longer. Detox and addiction treatment lead to successful recovery and a higher quality of life and well-being. Seek professional help today if you or someone you love is struggling with benzodiazepine addiction.
Download this entire series as a fully illustrated eBook, Benzodiazepines: What You Don’t Know Can Hurt You
