This essay, very much resonates with me. I was continuously prescribed benzodiazepines for well over a decade. First, with Xanax, and then, when that stopped working, I was then switched to Klonopin. I am currently attempting to taper the dosage of my Clonopin with my psychiatrist. my psychiatrist is a lovely person, but as she once explained to me, back in the day, a huge number of benzodiazepines were prescribed to millions of people like myself, because they were believed to be safe for long term use. I even dated a clinical psychologist, who assured me that I could take Klonopin for the rest of my life and suffer no ill effects . The the hellish nightmare of trying to taper off of any benzodiazepine can vary from person to person. However, many people who have attempted to do so, quite often find it more difficult than even coming off of opioids. There’s a wonderful interview with Stevie Nicks where she talks about her own experience of coming off Clonopin, which is well worth the read. I feel betrayed and lied to by the medical establishment. I know that it wasn’t intentional or malicious that my doctors kept prescribing this medication for me and telling me it was safe to continue taking indefinitely, but I’m not sure that I will ever trust another doctor ever again. First do no harm indeed.