084: Nicole Lamberson, Co-founder Of The Withdrawal Project & Rep Of Benzodiazepine Information Coalition (BIC): What You Need To Know About Benzos For Sleep + Info On This MUST-KNOW Benzodiazepine No

Benzodiazepines are a type of medicine typically used to treat anxiety and insomnia. However, when used over the long term, they can be highly addictive and dangerous for many reasons. In this episode, we hear from Nicole Lamberson, a physician assistant, and member of the Benzodiazepine Coalition. Benzodiazepines and other “z-drugs” devastated Nicole's health. She has experience taking benzodiazepines (Klonopin, Xanax, Valium) and a Z-drug (Ambien) and with withdrawal syndrome, which caused significant disruption to her sleep (insomnia). Nicole and the Benzodiazepine Information Coalition caution the long term use of benzos for sleep. We discuss sleep and anxiety during the withdrawal process & beyond, the strategies to address these concerns, and ways to connect with qualified benzo-literate doctors to support a tapering process when applicable. The Benzodiazepine Coalition is an organization dedicated to raising awareness about the risks of these drugs, and Nicole is proud to be a part of their work. By sharing her story, she hopes to help others avoid the same problem and be aware of what can happen if they are prescribed these drugs.

Om Podcasten

The Sleep Is A Skill Podcast, exists to transform the conversation around sleep on the planet! Each episode is a conversation with industry leaders designed to deliver practical takeaways to improve your sleep. The intention is to shift the paradigm of wellness to make SLEEP the #1 focus in our journey towards great health. . For years, my sleep was a problem in my life. When I went through my own challenging period of insomnia while traveling internationally, I felt like there was nowhere to turn. After obsessively learning all that I could about chronobiology and circadian rhythms — what I learned changed my life and I’m committed to sharing what I've learned (and continue to learn!). . Creator Bio: Mollie Eastman (McGlocklin) is the creator of Sleep Is A Skill, and the host of The Sleep Is A Skill Podcast. Sleep Is A Skill is a company that optimizes people’s sleep through a unique blend of technology, accountability, and behavioral change. After navigating insomnia while traveling internationally, she created what she couldn’t find - a place to go to learn the skill set of sleep. With a background in behavioral change from The Nonverbal Group, she became fascinated with chronobiology and its practical application to sleep and our overall experience of life. Knowing the difference between a life with sleep and without, she’s now dedicated her life to sharing the forgotten skill set of sleep. In the spirit of that goal, she has created the #2 sleep podcast, written a popular weekly sleep newsletter for over four years, partnered with luxury hotels & lifestyle brands, and has appeared on over 150 podcasts.