#14: Nicole Lamberson | Tapering Benzodiazepines: Lessons Learned From Experience, Surviving Benzodiazepine Withdrawal, Physical Dependence vs. Addiction and Much More.

Nicole Lamberson is a physician assistant, taper coach, and patient advocate based in Virginia. After personally navigating a complex and protracted withdrawal from benzodiazepines and psychotropic polypharmacy, Nicole has dedicated her career to supporting others through the often misunderstood world of psychiatric drug withdrawal. She’s the Medical Director of the Benzodiazepine Information Coalition, a founding member of the Benzodiazepine Action Work Group of the Colorado Consortium, and an associate at the International Institute for Psychiatric Drug Withdrawal. Nicole is also a core contributor to The Maudsley Deprescribing Guidelines and serves on the American Society of Addiction Medicine’s patient panel, advising on FDA tapering guidelines. Through her work with The Withdrawal Project, the Medicating Normal PBS documentary, and as a taper coach at Taper Clinic, Nicole continues to educate, advocate, and empower patients and clinicians alike in the responsible deprescribing of psychiatric medications and benzodiazepines.Ways To Follow and Connect with Nicole:Nicole's Blog Articles through BIC | Nicole’s Coaching PlatformWe Discuss:01:35 — Nicole’s Journey into Benzodiazepine Tapering14:24 — Understanding Benzodiazepines and Misconceptions About Their Use17:07 — Understanding The Difference Between Dependence vs. Addiction19:15 — The Tapering Process: Principles and Guidelines22:55 — Microtapering: A Gentle Approach25:22 — Interdose Withdrawal: Causes and Solutions28:58 — Crash and Stabilize: Managing Withdrawal Symptoms37:39 — Navigating Tapering in the Elderly40:25 — Empowering Patients in Their Tapering Journey44:35 — Resources for Tapering Support48:24 — Self-Care Practices During Withdrawal52:10 — The Importance of Awareness in Medication SafetyKey Insight and Quote:“I was so horrified at what these drugs were capable of. And the stuff I was on wasn't helping. I was in severe withdrawal, so I just made the decision, I don't want to be on any of this stuff anymore. I need to know who I am beneath all of this chemical stew, you know? And so I stopped taking everything on my own. I just quit.About four months into my withdrawal, it was so severe that I couldn't cope anymore. I mean, it was just intolerable suffering. And so I was lucky to find a psychiatrist who, she didn't know about Benzo withdrawal, but she was willing to believe me.”— Nicole LambersonResources and Selected Links From The Episode:* Benzodiazepine Information Coalition* The Maudsley Deprescribing Guidelines * Inner Compass Initiative* Benzodiazepine Induced Neurological Dysfunction: Long-term consequences of benzodiazepine-induced neurological dysfunction: A survey.* Online Support Groups for Benzodiazepine Tapering* Benzo Buddies* Benzo Warrior Facebook Group* American Society of Addiction Medicine: ASAM Benzodiazepine Tapering Guidelines* Organizations and Clinics Supporting Psychiatric Medication Tapering* Outro Health* Taper Clinic* What is Interdose Withdrawal? Connect with Shawn:LinkedIn: linkedin.com/drshawngillTwitter/X: x.com/drshawngillWebsite: drshawngill.comInstagram: instagram.com/drshawngillSubstack: shawngill.substack.comHow To Support This Podcast:If you enjoy this podcast and want to support me, there are 2 ways you can for free:* Give this podcast a like and/or a 5-star rating on Spotify or Apple Podcasts* Share this with friends, colleagues, family, or anyone you think would enjoy more content and would gain from learning more about deprescribing.Please do not hesitate to reach out if you have any questions or leave a comment.If you enjoyed this podcast episode, please consider subscribing to the channel and sharing this episode.Thanks for tuning in. Your support means everything! SG.B.U.D.S is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber. Get full access to B.U.D.S at shawngill.substack.com/subscribe