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World Benzodiazepine Awareness Day (W-BAD).

11 July (Prof. Ashton’s birthday)

This date was designated in recognition of Prof. Ashton’s significant contributions to the benzodiazepine cause over so many decades, together with all of the help she has given to so many people around the world.

World Benzodiazepine Awareness Day (W-BAD) seeks to raise awareness about iatrogenic (doctor induced) drug dependency. These drugs affect different people in different ways, but there is a large group of people worldwide, who suffer the most debilitating dependencies and withdrawals alone in the dark without any help or recognition, affecting individuals, families and greater society.

This problem has been allowed to spiral out of control for many decades due to inaction from regional health sectors and governing bodies. W-BAD seeks to bring this problem out of the dark to get help for those who so desperately need it, and to prevent this from happening to others, whilst reducing the risks and costs to greater society. W-BAD is held annually on July 11 worldwide in honour of Prof. Ashton for all that she has contributed to the cause.

World Benzodiazepine Awareness Day seeks to raise global awareness about the severe problem of doctor induced benzodiazepine drug dependency that continues to affect millions of unsuspecting, innocent people worldwide; either directly or indirectly.

Our mission focuses on the problem of ordinary, everyday people being harmed by these drugs as a result of taking them ‘as prescribed’ usually for stress, anxiety, sleep etc. Despite recommendations and warnings, doctors often prescribe these drugs repeatedly for prolonged periods without giving proper informed consent regarding the risks or appropriate advice on withdrawal protocols.

Global governments have allowed the problem to quietly spiral out of control for decades creating a problem so large that there is no political will to address it. Consequently, millions of regular people are left to suffer needlessly in the dark, without any understanding or access to appropriate care and support. Worse yet, there is a lot of media that stigmatizes these people by misrepresenting the problem with words like “abuse, misuse, addicts” etc. Unfortunately, this tendency forces the problem further underground leaving others to fall victim at the hands of ill-informed doctors and ignorant politicians.

World Benzodiazepine Awareness Day seeks to shift accountability back to where it belongs, while encouraging the establishment of stricter controls for the prevention of iatrogenic benzodiazepine dependency and the provision of specialized withdrawal facilities for those who so desperately need them. This is an opportunity for victims of failed medical and political establishments to come out and reclaim their lives, and make a unified effort in raising awareness and saying that: “This problem is urgent and it needs addressing now!”

Please see The Ashton Manual for appropriate protocols.

W-BAD does not seek to restrict access to these drugs for those who feel that they may benefit from them, nor does it seek to force anyone to stop or reduce against their own will.

W-BAD is not associated with illicit use or abuse which is a completely separate issue; although, doctors overprescribing these drugs can form a gateway to actual abuse, which consequently, can also be regarded as yet another form of iatrogenic (doctor induced) damages.

Please see this section to find out a bit about why W-BAD has been made necessary.

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Resolutions hane been filed in: Massachusetts, Maryland State Houses giving official recognition to World Benzodiazepine Awareness Day.

Please see the US State Action page to see how you can achieve the same in your state.

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A motion was also put forward in the British Parliament on 29 June 2016 giving acknowledgment to World Benzodiazepine Awareness Day (See motion).

1. To gain governmental and medical recognition that “doctor induced benzodiazepine dependency” is a massive global problem that needs urgent addressing (these are innocent everyday people taking as prescribed – see mind your language).
2. To raise public awareness about this decades old problem that has been continuously swept under the carpet by global governments.
3. To encourage the establishment of a mandatory maximum prescribing period of no more than 4 weeks of regular use (based on the Committee on Safety of Medicines' 2-4 week prescribing guidelines), unless deemed absolutely necessary and accompanied by adequate informed consent about the risks of prolonged, repetitive exposure (NB: Patients already taking these drugs shouldn’t be forced to stop if they don’t want to – see The Ashton Manual).
4. To encourage the establishment of ‘specialized’ withdrawal facilities for those who so desperately need them.
5. To encourage the implementation of the much needed fully funded research to thoroughly investigate the long term health implications of prescribed benzodiazepines and z drugs.
6. To encourage the provision of proper training for doctors and medical staff and to help them learn more about the serious implications of benzodiazepines.
7. To provide victims with a sense of purpose and the opportunity to unify, so that they aren’t left alone in the dark, as has been the case for much too long.
8. To give recognition to those who haven’t survived and to those who have been abandoned, left alone to suffer (to give them a voice).
9. To commemorate Prof. Ashton for all that she has contributed to the cause over so many decades (July 11 is her birthday).

The concept for W-BAD is really quite simple.

It's just a case of people coming together once a year on July 11^th and raising awareness in whatever small way they can.

This day is primarily about: (1) Helping to raise awareness, (2) Commemorating Prof. Ashton, (3) Providing victims a sense of purpose.

Participation can be as simple as:

• Telling any one person that July 11 is World Benzo Awareness Day.
• Sharing something on the internet.
• Putting a pamphlet in someone’s letter box, handing one out, leaving one on a bus seat or something...

I understand that many people are extremely sick, even confined to their beds, and may be unable to do anything at all, but for others, something as simple as any one of the above can also give victims a sense of purpose which in turn can have a healing effect.

This day belongs to everyone – it’s our day, and everyone is welcome to participate in whatever way they may wish... If everyone can do just a little something, I'm sure we can all make a huge difference...

Family

This day can also be about family, as in times like these, family can often be the only thing a person has. These drugs can also tear families apart. Some may have lost family members because of these drugs. Some may be discouraged by an apparent lack of understanding from certain family members. Then there are those who may not have family, or who feel alienated from their families altogether, yet they likely have ‘family’ within the victim support groups.

Whatever the case, the strain that these drugs can place on families is immense, so W-Bad also encourages people to use this day to develop appreciation and understanding among families. Most people will no doubt spend this day differently, but some ideas may include: having a ‘withdrawal-conscious’ meal together, posting a few pamphlets together, or making use of the W-BAD Store merchandise to have a game of cards together, or perhaps use this time just to simply say thank you...

Below is a list of suggested activities to help observe this day. The suggestions appear in order of simplicity. Anything, no matter how small, can all make a difference.

1. Simply liking the  W-BAD Facebook page
2. Simply telling any one person when it’s World Benzodiazepine Awareness Day.
3. Spreading the word by including the W-BAD website link (from 2017: w-bad.org) when posting comments in reply to related online newspaper articles.
4. Posting something somewhere on the internet that isn’t usually associated with benzodiazepines (to reach those who wouldn’t otherwise know).
5. RECOMMENDED: Sharing pamphlets (anywhere and everywhere).
6. Wearing a W-BAD T-shirt / Sharing gifts from the W-BAD store (getting the word out).
7. Telling a medical worker when it’s World Benzodiazepine Awareness Day.
8. Writing a letter (local MP, politician, medical worker etc).
9. Giving a doctor a copy of The Ashton Manual or something similar.
10. Writing to the media (local newspaper, local radio or TV station) explaining World Benzodiazepine Awareness Day and why “being aware” is so important.
11. Putting up posters.
12. Rallying outside Health Ministries or District Health Boards.

Pamphlets in multiple languages are available to download here.
 

Download front Download back

Instructions for downloading:

1. Click on the download buttons to display the 2 images (These will later form two sides of a single sheet of paper).
2. Once displayed, right click on each of the images and select “Save Image As...”
3. Download the 2 images.

Instructions for printing:

4. Once downloaded, print the front on one side of a single sheet of A4 paper, then print the back on the opposite side of the same piece of paper (you will now have a double sided copy).

If printing in bulk, you may like to consider black and white to save on costs. Or, you may like to consider printing somewhere cheap like a local community service centre.

Pamphlets in Other Languages

French front French back

Japanese front Japanese back

Spanish front Spanish back

Danish front Danish back

Italian front Italian back

Serbian front Serbian back

German front German back

Dutch front Dutch back

Chinese front Chinese back

1. The problem is with the miss-management of the drugs (over / prolonged / poly – prescribing with no help for victims); not so much the drugs purely by themselves, which may benefit some people in some cases, when used for less than the recommended maximum of 2-4 weeks (Objectivity is more powerful than slander; although, there is no doubt good reason for it).
2. This is not a question of “drug abuse” or “misuse” but of reckless prescribing and decades of propaganda, incompetence, and neglect.
3. Trust in doctors and politicians has been shattered.
4. Massive costs to all of society and the taxpayers (not only the sufferers) through unemployment, violent crimes, suicides, hospital cuing, domestic disharmony, accidents and of course the endless list goes on....

To be clear on what we are raising awareness about, please try to use the following language:

• (Doctor / Treatment) induced (dependence / harm / injury) etc.
• Iatrogenic / iatrogenesis
• Prescribed drug dependence
• As prescribed
• Prescriptions
• Benzodiazepines
• Public / Society

And try to avoid words like:

• Addiction / addicted / hooked
• Addicts, users, abusers, etc
• Misuse, abuse, use, etc
• Clean / sober
• Benzos (even this abbreviation has been bastardized in some media so need to be careful – BZ / BZD / BDZ are acceptable medical abbreviations)
• (Our) Community (see below)

Understandably communities have been formed in the online support groups; however, viewed from an outside perspective this word can sound cultist and tends to create and ‘us’ and ‘them’ viewpoint resulting in further separation from society, which is exactly what we want to avoid, as misguided social stigma has caused enough of this already. When making information public, words like public message / public announcement etc. are preferable because this is a public issue aimed at all society and it effects every member of society collectively, whether it be directly or indirectly (See Effects on Us All).

Basic Unisex T-shirt – Heather Sapphire

We would like to thank everyone who participated in the T-shirt campaign, which ended on May 30. We managed to raise $547.14, all of which was donated (as a personal donation) to “As Prescribed” - a documentary film in-the-making about benzodiazepine harms. Thank you again to everyone who made this a success!

The W-BAD store is here!

If you missed out on the chance to get a W-BAD T-shirt during our (now closed) fundraiser, have no fear!

Open all year round, the W-BAD store has something for everyone. With such a wide variety of items to choose from (including everything from postal stamps to stylish outfits), most people’s budgets are accommodated for. We can now raise awareness at home, in the street, at the beach, at work – basically, anywhere and everywhere! (And in the case of the W-BAD boxers, who knows... the bedroom?)

See store details for more information / useful shopping tips, or go straight to a local store below, and start browsing the many items on display.

See Store Details

Come on in and take a look around!

Find your store location to shop now

North America:  USA (English)  /  Canada (English)

Europe:  UK  /  Deutschland  /  España  /  France  /  Portugal  /  Sverige  /  Nederland  /  Österreich  /  Schweiz (Deutsch)  /  Belgique (Français)

Asia / Pacific:  Australia  /  New Zealand  /  日本

Latin America:  Brasil

• FRENCH: Information on World Benzodiazepine Awareness Day in French can be viewed at these links: http://benzo.forumactif.org and http://bbhepar.canalblog.com
• DANISH:  Information on World Benzodiazepine Awareness Day in Danish: http://benzostop.dk/ and http://benzoinfo.dk/index.php

Professor C. Heather Ashton, DM, FRCP is Emeritus Professor of Clinical Psycho-pharmacology at the University of Newcastle upon Tyne, England.

She has worked at the university as researcher (Lecturer, Senior Lecturer, Reader and Professor) and clinician since 1965, first in the Department of Pharmacology and latterly in the Department of Psychiatry. Her research has centred on the effects of psychotropic drugs (nicotine, cannabis, benzodiazepines, antidepressants and others) on the brain and behaviour in man.

Her main clinical work was in running a benzodiazepine withdrawal clinic for 12 years from 1982 to 1994. Her humility to listen and learn from her patients in the clinic that she ran sets her apart from others who have worked in this particular field of knowledge. This approach saw her become one of the world’s leading authorities on this most serious of public health issues, and one of the most loved and respected.

She has published over 250 papers in professional journals, books and chapters in books on psychotropic drugs of which over 50 concern benzodiazepines. She has given evidence to various Government committees on benzodiazepines and has given invited lectures on the subject in the UK (Including Oldham − Thank you Heather...), Australia, Sweden, Switzerland, Canada and other countries.

Heather has done a great worldwide public service by writing “Benzodiazepines − How They Work & How to Withdraw” (also known as The Ashton Manual) − a protocol for the treatment of benzodiazepine withdrawal − based on medical research information from a benzodiazepine withdrawal clinic.

The manual was first produced in 1999, revised in 2002 and supplemented in 2011. These Protocols have been translated into 11 languages and are ‘the bible,’ on this all-important world health pandemic of prescribed benzodiazepine drug dependence (IATROGENIC).

July 11th, 2016 is the launch date of World Benzodiazepine Awareness Day. This date was designated on the birthday of Professor Chrystal Heather Ashton in recognition of her selfless contributions over many decades.

A unique, lovely lady whose kindness in giving her time to others, and generosity of spirit, has benefited countless individuals and their families worldwide, replacing darkness and despair with a sense of hope.

So, on behalf of the millions of iatrogenic sufferers and victims worldwide, I would like to take this opportunity to say a big ‘thank you’ on this special day. God Bless you Heather.

Barry Haslam. Ex. Chair, Oldham Tranx and dear friend.

Dr. Jennifer Leigh

Dear Doctor,

It is understood that many doctors are not properly educated about Benzodiazepines. Please allow me to arm you with some basic facts so you can better help your patients, and avoid litigation that may be happening soon in the USA due to benzo prescribing.

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1. Benzodiazepines (BZs) are the most widely prescribed drugs for anxiety, stress and sleep. Also prescribed for depression (see point 13 below), pain, muscle relaxation and much-much more...

2. The Committee on Safety of Medicines and the Royal College of Psychiatrists in the UK concluded in various statements (1988 and 1992) that benzodiazepines are unsuitable for long-term use and that they should in general be prescribed for periods of 2-4 weeks only (See The Ashton Manual).

3. The evidence suggests that benzodiazepines are no longer effective after a few weeks or months of regular use, so when prescribed for regular use beyond this, the risks can outweigh any potential benefits.

4. Experts say BZs can be more addictive than heroin. Prescribing beyond the recommended period can result in doctor induced dependency and associated injuries / damages.

5. Withdrawal can be like hell lasting for months, or even many years (protracted withdrawal syndrome).

6. When tolerance develops, “withdrawal” symptoms can appear even though the user continues to take the drug. Thus the symptoms suffered by many long-term users are a mixture of adverse effects of the drugs and “withdrawal” effects due to tolerance (See The Ashton Manual).

7. Tolerance doesn’t always develop across all symptoms. Someone might develop tolerance to the hypnotic (promotion of sleep) effects but not to the anxiolytic (anxiety relief) effects, or they might develop tolerance to some symptoms of anxiety and not others. Tolerance to the various actions of benzodiazepines develops at variable rates and to different degrees (See The Ashton Manual).

8. There is no minimum dose, for example tolerance and dependence have been observed after the regular use of 2.5-5mg of diazepam.

9. Withdrawal is different for each individual and depends on many individual factors.

10. BZs can cause the very symptoms they are intended to treat and withdrawal symptoms generally tend to consist of a mirror image of the drugs’ initial effects. Symptoms are often intensified and accompanied by the appearance of totally new symptoms that were not present before the treatment began (See The Ashton Manual. Also see how to identify tolerance and how to differentiate withdrawal symptoms from original symptoms based on a medical report from my litigation case).

11. Withdrawal is not a smooth consistent process. Symptoms characteristically wax and wane, varying in severity and type with wave-like recurrences (See The Ashton Manual).

12. BZs have different potencies which is important to consider when switching from one kind to another, reducing etc.

13. BZs don’t mix well with other drugs, substances, alcohol etc. They have additive effects which can be lethal (See 2016 news). They can also potentiate the effects of some drugs. As Boston Medical Center epidemiologist, Traci Green, stated: “One opioid plus one benzo doesn't equal the effect of two in the individual... It's like one plus one equals four, or six.” (See article)

14. Antibiotics can sometimes aggravate withdrawal symptoms and the quinolones actually displace BZs from their binding sites on GABA-receptors. These can precipitate acute withdrawal in people taking or tapering (See The Ashton Manual).

15. In 1988 the Committee on Safety of Medicines in the UK recommended that “benzodiazepines should not be used alone to treat depression or anxiety associated with depression. Suicide may be precipitated in such patients”.

16. Depressive symptoms are common both during long-term benzodiazepine use and in withdrawal (anti depressants also have problems – see SSRI Stories and Rxisk).

17. If taking an antidepressant drug as well as a benzodiazepine it is best to complete the benzodiazepine withdrawal before starting to taper the antidepressant.

18. In some cases, over prescribing of these types of drugs can form a gateway to actual abuse. When this happens, unsuspecting individuals are often punished twice. Firstly by the failings of the medical systems, and then by the judicial system, without the root cause ever being addressed.

19. Recent studies associate prolonged BZ use with irreversible damages. (Also see The Ashton Manual Supplement).

20. Repeated (incorrect) withdrawals can result in kindling, making each successive attempt more difficult, so a slow appropriate withdrawal from the outset is very important.

21. It is not unusual to experience flashbacks and recurrences of apparent benzodiazepine withdrawal symptoms years after a successful withdrawal and a return to normal health.

22. Social costs include: unemployment, violent crime, suicides, hospital cuing, domestic disharmony, accidents and much-much more (See Effects on Us All).

23. Experts have been lobbying governments for decades for stricter controls, but to no avail.

24. There are an estimated 1.5 million people suffering from doctor induced BZ drug dependency in England alone (with antidepressants now a major problem) − the number worldwide must be staggering.

25. It is dangerous to abruptly stop or quickly reduce these drugs.

26. Anyone thinking about stopping should consult The Ashton Manual and their doctor. Beware that doctors may know very little at best, but their cooperation may be necessary. Please show them The Ashton Manual after reading it yourself.

Also consider this extract from The Ashton Manual:

“Facilities for benzodiazepine dependent people need to be developed. Detoxification units, dealing with dependence on alcohol and illicit drugs, are not appropriate for prescribed benzodiazepine users who have unwittingly become dependent through no fault of their own.

Such places usually withdraw the drugs too rapidly and apply rigid “contract” rules which are quite unsuitable for benzodiazepine patients struggling with withdrawal symptoms.

Much needed are clinics specialising in benzodiazepine withdrawal where clients can receive individualised, flexible, understanding and supportive counselling.”

Look no further than Luke Montagu’s story (CEP co-founder): “The first night Luke checked in, staff at the clinic took his clonazepam away...”

Despite the above facts, countless ill-informed doctors worldwide are:

1. Prescribing without giving proper informed consent.
2. Prescribing without conducting a thorough risk versus benefit analysis.
3. Prescribing without firstly exploring non-drug options.
4. Prescribing off-label without understanding the risks.
5. Prescribing well beyond the recommended 2-4 week prescribing period, which in many cases, is resulting in dependency.
6. Multi-prescribing not understanding that benzodiazepines have additive effects with other drugs, substances and alcohol, which can cause severe side-effects and even death (See 2016 news).
7. Unaware of just how highly dependency forming these drugs actually are; more-so than heroin.
8. Unaware that withdrawal symptoms can occur during the treatment, whilst still taking the same dose, due to tolerance (This is often misdiagnosed as a worsening of the patient’s original condition or the development of another illness; resulting in the prescribing of yet more drugs and an overall compounding the problem).
9. Unaware that withdrawal symptoms can last for months and often many years (protracted withdrawal syndrome). This too leads to misdiagnosing and the prescribing of yet more drugs, adding to the suffering of individuals.
10. Unaware that BZs can cause the very symptoms they are intended to treat and withdrawal symptoms generally tend to consist of a mirror image of the drugs’ initial effects.
11. Unaware that these drugs have horrendous withdrawal symptoms and need to be tapered slowly taking into consideration individual factors and the potencies of different benzodiazepines.
12. Unaware that, because of the habit forming nature of these types of drugs, they can form a gateway to actual drug abuse; leading to an increase in recreational drug use and associated antisocial acts (Doctors are actually creating a massive drug problem for society and governments are standing idly by as it continues to worsen).
13. Unaware of the intense suffering and harms caused to unsuspecting individuals, the effects on their families, jobs and indeed all society (See Effects on Us All).
14. Unaware of the stigma attached to suffering from an involuntary drug dependency (doctor induced drug damages) which is made worse by misrepresentations in a lot of media reports.

Also consider: Many people who have been rendered dependent by their doctors (suffering from iatrogenic drug damages) are very afraid and are suffering alone in the dark. They have lost faith in medical systems which are centred on prescribing dangerous chemical drugs as the first line of treatment. Many people are desperate and have nowhere to turn. Many are committing suicide.

So, why is all this happening? (See Who’s Responsible?)

• Statistics in the media tend to come from selective surveys. Many cases of doctor induced dependency are not reported (many doctors don’t know how to identify dependency and many patients don’t realize what is happening to them or why).
• Existing reports on duration of withdrawal underestimate the problem because surveys are limited to short periods, progress of those who dropped out is not included, and cases of recurrence are not considered.
• Unlike illegal drugs, Media tend not to make associations between prescription drugs and accidents.
• Contrary to drink driving laws, people are prescribed these mind-altering drugs and are allowed to drive and operate machinery - even possess firearms.

People are free to give recognition to this day in their own way.

An initiative like this may take some time to catch on, but I’m sure it has the potential to gain momentum over successive years. There is ample talent among benzodiazepine victims, so let’s pool our resources and ideas, and raise some awareness.

All the best to everyone, and I hope that this day grows in its own way in its own time, and turns out to be something special.

Wayne Douglas

World Benzodiazepine Awareness Day was conceived by the acting Chair Barry Halsam, former Chair of Oldham TRANX, and organized by Wayne Douglas, founder of benzo.case.com / benzo-case-japan.com

• The Ashton Manual
• Documentaries
• Effects on Us All
• What are Dependency and Withdrawal Like?
• Withdrawal Symptoms
• What to Do?
• What Are Benzodiazepines?
• 2014 ISAM Presentation
• Who’s Responsible?
• Recommendations
• News

• benzo.org.uk: Houses extensive information and literature from experts (incl. Prof Ashton) and people in the know
• Dr. David Healy: Psychiatrist, psycho-pharmacologist, scientist and author. His website objectively highlights many problems relating to psychotropic drugs from an expert's point of view.
• Rxisk: This website states: Drug side effects are now a leading cause of death, disability, and illness. Experts estimate that only 1–10% of “serious” adverse events (those causing hospitalization, disability, or death) are ever reported. You've been given a megaphone to tell your story and help change drug safety. Make your voice heard by reporting prescription drug side effects.
• SSRI Stories: A collection of over 6,000 stories that have appeared in the media (newspapers, TV, scientific journals) in which prescription drugs were mentioned and in which the drugs may be linked to a variety of adverse outcomes including violence.
• All Party Parliamentary Group for Prescribed Drug Dependence: This APPG’s mission is to address the growing problem of prescribed drug dependence (PDD).
• Council for Evidence-Based Psychiatry: CEP exists to communicate evidence of the potentially harmful effects of psychiatric drugs to the people and institutions in the UK that can make a difference.
• Med Check – The Informed Prescriber (In English): Rigorously Independent and reliable information for informed decision-making on treatment and healthcare.

• Books
• News

If you wish to get in contact regarding World Benzodiazepine Awareness Day, please send an email to one of the following:

• United Kingdom: Barry Haslam (Founder / Chair) barry.benzocampaign@talktalk.net
• New Zealand: Wayne Douglas (Co-founder / Organizer) info@benzo-case-japan.com
• Japan: Wayne Douglas (Co-founder / Organizer) info@benzo-case-japan.com
• United States: Geraldine Burns (Representative) gcburns55@aol.com
• Canada: Joan Gadsby (Representative) joangadsby@pacificcoast.net (Joan's website: www.addictionbyprescription.com)
• France: B.B.Hepar (Representative) bbhepar@free.fr

Volunteers

• USA: Nic (Outreach Coordinator) bpmwithdrawalgroup@gmail.com
• USA: Meredith (Outreach Coordinator)
• USA: Theresa Pisani (Outreach Coordinator)
• USA: Ally Nugent (Outreach Coordinator)
• Suisse: Carole (Outreach Coordinator) http://psychotropes.info/

WorldBenzoAwarenessDay@gmail.com

Please use this opportunity to pay tribute to the memory of British MP, the late Hon. James Dobbin, who sadly passed on 6th September 2014.

Jim’s story, including his tireless efforts in his work regarding safer controls, patients’ rights and care, can be read in this article published by The Conservative Woman magazine.

This is also a time to remember all those who have lost their lives as a result of doctor induced benzodiazepine dependency.

Although World Benzodiazepine Awareness Day focuses on benzodiazepines, let’s also be mindful of the high risks associated with other psychotropic drugs, such as opioid painkillers (See mortality stats) and antidepressants (See SSRI stories), as these too can have devastating consequences.

Hi Wayne,

I really appreciate your email. I'm currently involved in a lawsuit against GlaxoSmithKline and there are few people in the world that understand what a David vs Goliath legal battle is like. You certainly do if you took on the medical establishment in Japan, particularly without having a firm grip on the language. 

Your personal tragic story is INCREDIBLE and your website is AMAZING. I'll share it with others. Your story with expert insight/support from e.g., Professor Ashton is very powerful. Congratulations!!! 

My family tragedy goes back to 2004 but I set up my website (www.davidcarmichael.com) in 2006 after I decided to break my silence while in the forensic psychiatric system in Canada. It was a risk into uncharted public education waters that I now consider well worth taking. I received an absolute discharge in 2009 and now work for Dr. David Healy.

In case you haven't seen it, here's the link to a 10 min version of a 2007 national television show that was prompted by an email that I sent to the media in 2006. It provides a good overview of my story.

Keep raising awareness. You're saving lives!!!

David

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