Dr. Rhonda Barofsky

So in short, thank you so much for making your experience and your wisdom available for free. And thank you for doing it in such an engaging manner. Sincerely, Josh.

So in short, thank you so much for making your experience and your wisdom available for free. And thank you for doing it in such an engaging manner. Sincerely, Josh.

Sweet. Okay, let's read the first one. Dear sir, this is from Mamunur. Sorry, I apologize if I'm spelling your name wrong. Dear sir, I'm writing you from Bangladesh. Your book, Feeling Good, is a phenomenal work, and it has greatly helped in promoting the development of a healthy mind through logic and reason.

Sweet. Okay, let's read the first one. Dear sir, this is from Mamunur. Sorry, I apologize if I'm spelling your name wrong. Dear sir, I'm writing you from Bangladesh. Your book, Feeling Good, is a phenomenal work, and it has greatly helped in promoting the development of a healthy mind through logic and reason.

Sir, I have a question regarding benzodiazepine withdrawal, which is often prescribed for mental health disorders. Is there a specific cognitive behavioral therapy or a team CBT approach that can help in withdrawing from benzodiazepines?

Sir, I have a question regarding benzodiazepine withdrawal, which is often prescribed for mental health disorders. Is there a specific cognitive behavioral therapy or a team CBT approach that can help in withdrawing from benzodiazepines?

Your guidance on this would be invaluable, as many people have been taking it for years, either knowingly or unknowingly, without being fully aware of its severe withdrawal effects. Sir, thank you for your kind contributions to humanity. Sincerely, Amuner.

Your guidance on this would be invaluable, as many people have been taking it for years, either knowingly or unknowingly, without being fully aware of its severe withdrawal effects. Sir, thank you for your kind contributions to humanity. Sincerely, Amuner.

And that was after using it for a short period of time. So it sounds like pretty quickly you felt addicted.

And that was after using it for a short period of time. So it sounds like pretty quickly you felt addicted.

Well, I had a similar experience when I was going through a bit of a crisis about four or five years ago, right before COVID. And I went to my primary care physician who was not a psychiatrist. And it actually wasn't my primary care physician. Somebody was standing in for her. And within three minutes, he offered me a benzodiazepine. And I was shocked. Like, really? Hmm. No.

Well, I had a similar experience when I was going through a bit of a crisis about four or five years ago, right before COVID. And I went to my primary care physician who was not a psychiatrist. And it actually wasn't my primary care physician. Somebody was standing in for her. And within three minutes, he offered me a benzodiazepine. And I was shocked. Like, really? Hmm. No.

And I thought that wasn't so true anymore, but they seem to be being prescribed pretty frequently and regularly. But I don't have that much experience with benzodiazepine withdrawal. It seems like that's a medical, like you just described, David. It needs to be medically supervised in my understanding.

And I thought that wasn't so true anymore, but they seem to be being prescribed pretty frequently and regularly. But I don't have that much experience with benzodiazepine withdrawal. It seems like that's a medical, like you just described, David. It needs to be medically supervised in my understanding.

But I've worked with a lot of people who are getting off SSRIs or they've been taking them for 20 years or a long period of time and they want to get off of them. And their psychiatrist referred them to me so that they could learn how to challenge and defeat their negative thoughts.

But I've worked with a lot of people who are getting off SSRIs or they've been taking them for 20 years or a long period of time and they want to get off of them. And their psychiatrist referred them to me so that they could learn how to challenge and defeat their negative thoughts.

So they had the tools so that when they were tapered down off of their medications, they still had a means to overcome their depression. So it does seem like there's a place for it. team CPT when you're getting off medication, whatever it is.

So they had the tools so that when they were tapered down off of their medications, they still had a means to overcome their depression. So it does seem like there's a place for it. team CPT when you're getting off medication, whatever it is.

Yeah, thanks, Matt. Okay, this is what Gray asked. Hi, David. This is a really tough question. That must have been a response to another dialogue between the two of you.

Yeah, thanks, Matt. Okay, this is what Gray asked. Hi, David. This is a really tough question. That must have been a response to another dialogue between the two of you.