3 comments about Benzo Blues: Overcoming Anxiety Without Tranquilizers.

1. For some reason, every site refers to Shirley Trickett's book as "The Bible" to BZD detox. I got it and read it in one sitting and didn't gain much from it. On the other hand, "Benzo Blues" is thorough and raises the standard by which books should be judged in helping those of us hoping to kick benzodiazepines. He has a few too many anecdotes, but the book is useful for chapters 10 and 11 alone. I highly, highly recommend this book to anyone coming off Xanax, Ativan, Valium, and all the other benzos that doctors just love to prescribe. Definitely 5 stars...



2. YOU HAVE BEEN ON BENZOS FOR LONGER THAN 6 MONTHS! Now this includes Valium, Xanax, Ativan, Librium, Tranxene, Klonopin, and a lot of others. I received a wonderful e-mail from a wonderful lady who will be nameless. She's on Librium. This review is for her. Because I believe I didn't give a satisfactory answer. That I was basically the same as I was a year ago. But I have learned. BUY AND READ THIS BOOK. It's really the best on benzodiazepene addiction. Drummond is a fully qualified pasychiatrist who will help you get off these killers. It tells you HOW to stop. HOW to taper the dosages. Now most doctors and psychiatrists don't know how to do this. So please buy this book. After you are off benzos in 6 weeks ( a program no one recommends now), you will have what they call "rebound anxiety". This means that your anxiety will jump 6 times the normal level. So do the 10-percent solution. You will find this in Peter Breggin's "Your Drug May Be Your Problem". Also buy Breggin's book along with this one. Be a little cautious about Breggin. He is also strongly against Ritalin and Prozac. Drummond's book stands in the middle of this controversy. I went from 24 mgs. of Valium to 18 mgs. I feel so much better. Stable. Less crazy. This is the way it works with BENZO ADDICTS. Get off it and only use them for emergencies. I have a friend in San Antonio named Ed. He is stuck on Xanax. We are doing research on this. We do feel better off these drugs. But they very well might not be the WHOLE answer as Breggin implies. Drummond in "Benzo Blues" does not imply this. He gives many healthy alternatives to the "leveling off" effect of Benzos. Ed and I are having trouble with this problem (I have been a Valium addict for 30 years)because personal problems hit us and WHAMMO! Choke on blood or take a BENZO. Drummond does seem to say that seeing a psychotherapist is mandatory. Maybe YES maybe NO. To date, it hasn't helped Ed nor I. There is one more book that I hope you will order. "Coming Off Tranquilizers" by Shirley Trickett. She has schedules that you can pick among many. And she gives a real healthy view on how to get off. Drummond, Breggin, Trickett. According to my psychiatrist, I should have been off Valium 29 1/2 years ago. It's only caused tremendous damage. And I am fighting for my life. So buy Drummond's book and those two others. Get a good alternative (mine is 2 hours of meditation daily! No, I haven't started yet! Not even 10 minues daily. If the truth be known, I'm scared to get off it. Oddly enough). Now "Benzo Blues" is 300 pages. It IS hard reading. But if you are a BENZO freak, you will need it along with those two other books. I was going to a mental center, and they cut me from Valium without any consultation. They demanded that I come in even though my brother has picked them up before. I alledgedly made a threat because going "cold turkey" off a Benzo can cause seizures. I was put in a booby hatch for 5 1/2 days. Get off this junk. But be wary of the "witch hunters". I don't know whether Trickett and Breggin are such. But with this book, which is quite academic and pragmatic, you can make accurate decisions. And if you've been on benzos for over a year, you are an addict. Don't go through what I did and may never get over. Valium is now part of me, my brain, my perceptions. I wish you very good luck and Godspeed.



3. i've been taking xanax's for over 20 years weather i got them off the street or from a doctor i got them. sometimes i would have to go without for a few days. well on dec. 08 2003 i had a prescription. i was taking them and i had a wreck. well to make a long story short my wife lost her right arm, i broke every bone in my face expect my skull, and my 7 month old boy broke his leg. but by the Lords grace he let us live. well i decided i was going to quit taking the xanaxs(after the wreck i was on pain pills to) i decided i was going to quit taking all medication all together. well guess what? i had 2 seizures one in feb. and one in march. i had to start taking my xanaxs again but i,ve cut way back and i hope i can gradualy quit taking them all together.

No comments about The Accelerated Learning Zone: Alpha State Music for Relaxed Learning Efficiency.

2 comments about Energy Break: Recharge Your Life with Autokinetics.

1. Mr Keeney, guide us toward a wonderful experience, in this book, he told us how we can make exercises without any force. A new way of the meditation, that will help people, like that can't stop for a second. I tried his method and I like it very much, with this method you could heal yourself, just try.



2. In this breezy volume, Keeney introduces the reader to Autokinetics, the practice of spontaneous, improvised movement for the purpose of developing access to an energized flow state.
   
   Autokinetics is based on an esoteric technique Keeney learned from a Japanese healer. The basic method is to sit on a chair and move spontaneously for 10 minutes, attempting to fall into a trance where your experience is that of being moved by the movements, rather than consciously moving your body.
   
   As simple as it sounds, the practice is profoundly deep, and absolutely brings "life force energy" into your life, making you more creative, spontaneous, and passionate.
   
   Beware though--unleashing this kind of energy within can lead to highs and lows of emotion and energy as your system gets purified. Keeney, like most spiritual teachers, unfortunately does not cover this important topic.
   
   But other than that, this book as well as Shaking Medicine are important works in the promotion of arousal as counterpoint to relaxation in the spiritual path. It's a shame that this book is apparently out of print--it should be as well-read as popular meditation books by Thich Nhat Hanh, John Kabat-Zinn, and the like.

1 comments about Yoga Meditations Collection (Yoga Masters Meditation Series).

1. I really loved all the CD's and choices to pick from each CD...

5 comments about Peaceful Driver: Steering Clear of Road Rage.

1. While the prayers that are given in this tape are okay for church, they seem a little too "polly-anna"ish for using on the highway. This tape is another example of someone who is jumping on the latest "bandwagon" and trying to profit from it. Road rage does exist and is a problem, but perhaps stricter laws might be a better answer than repeating the Golden Rule to ourselves as we are driving.



2. This tape can definitely help an aggressive driver that wants to change his or behavior. I liked the humorous "commercials" that seemed to balance the practical and spiritual guidance. All in all, a good (but different) mix of secular and spiritual ideas. Like chicken soup, it can't hurt.



3. I'll be very honest. I've done my share of aggressive driving. But, for the most part, I didn't know what was causing such aggressiveness. After listening to this program, I now realize that I can be in control of my emotions and "shift gears" therefore becoming a "Peaceful Driver". This very well done piece of audio literature has made me aware of very simple techniques that I can follow in order to get to my destination safely. I have also learned that sometimes the best reaction is not to react to the behavior of other drivers.

   Without being religious or "churchy" this program teaches very basic affirmations that will help anyone stay focused on his or her number one goal: to get from point "A" to point "B" safely.

   I believe that The Peaceful Driver will end up saving lives. And one of those lives could be yours, mine, or the life of a loved one. This audio program is very well scripted, and it really hits home. We are all at risk of becoming victims of road rage. This program has taught me how to minimize the potential of becoming another statistic. I highly recommend it.




4. The Peaceful Driver grows on you. The more I listened to it, the more it made me think about the way I was relating to other drivers. It also helped to keep me more calm out of the car too. I would recommend it.



5. Driving down the road, The Peaceful Driver seems to have a calming effect. It also seems to calm down the soul. It helps keep you serene off the road as well.

3 comments about The Knot at the End of Your Rope.

1. This easy-to-read book provides great insight and advice to all of us whose stressful moments sometimes make us forget about the good times. Her "destressors" are simple to follow and practical. The personal accounts make us feel we're not alone in our "down" times and that if these people can overcome, so can the rest of us. Teresa writes with such humor that even though the issues are serious, the heaviness doesn't burden us. This is a must read for all women and some men could use it too!



2. What a wonderful, refreshing book! I learned simple, insightful ways to de-stress my days that really help, plus the book is sprinkled with humor and anecdotes. The author speaks to you, not at you, and you know that she understands how easy we can let stress overcome our joy. An added bonus is the book contains short stories and vignettes from others who have "been there," each offering insight and hope. Out of the enormous selection of self-help books available, I put this one at the very top!



3. The layout of "Knot" is teaching basic life skills by example. For every problem you face there is a solution. These are real life people who have real life problems, some staggering, but they deal. I guess if they can do it, so can I. This is the theme of Teresa B. Kindred's "The Knot at the End of Your Rope" which is laced with faith promoting answers. My thanks to the author.

No comments about Your Personal Stress Profile and Activity Workbook.

1 comments about Mindfulness Meditation: Cultivating the Wisdom of Your Body and Mind [Unabridged Audiotapes].

1. This unabridged version contains 7 tapes; 6 are the unabridged version of the book covering:
   ** What is Mindfulness?
   ** An Experience of Being Alive
   ** The Miracle of Breathing
   ** Preparing the Soul
   ** Cultivating Non-Doing
   ** Being in Your Body
   ** Everyday Meditation
   ** Movement Meditation
   ** Responding to Stress
   ** The Mind-Body Connection
   ** Wholeness and Oneness
   
   The last tape is a bonus tape with two guided meditationss.
   
   The only problem is that the book is narrated by the author (almost always a mistake) and a woman with one of those overly-regulated "soothing" voices. If you can get past the reading, the contents are a good introduction to a somewhat westernized view of meditation.

3 comments about Loveland: Music For Dreaming And Awakening.

1. I am admittedly a huge fan of Jai Uttal and Ben Leinbach - I have quite a few of their cd's and enjoy using them in yoga classes or when I want to chill out. So, of course, I was excited with this new offering.
   
   It did not disappoint - this inviting collection of songs is soothing to the spirit and uplifting for the soul. Gentle, lilting chants coupled with lush, ambient slow-trance grooves provides a welcome escape from everyday life. "Gopala Lullaby" and "Bija Mantras" were my two favorites on the cd - the first song showcases Uttal's beautiful voice and the second song is almost hypnotic - making it one of my new favorites for meditation. I have enjoyed using this CD in my yoga classes and am sure it will be one of the classic favorites for myself and many other fans of this duo's work. Simply divine!



2. Searching for other Jai Uttal music I stumbled upon this CD and after sampling just two of the tracks I quickly purchased it. I can say after recieving it I was not disappointed! The layers of harmony, space, and sound combine to leave the listener searching within and in a state of reconnected peace. All music should be this good. Track #5 bija mantras, if listened to while watching the rising sun in the morning will give you a feeling of understanding, awe, and peace. All the tracks leave me speechless and are great for meditation, yoga, relaxation, massage and reconnecting the soul to the divine. A true must have CD.



3. Jai Uttal has done it again. What an amazing and beautiful blend of peaceful sounds and harmonies. Definitely more on the tranquil side, but one of my absolute favorites. I could listen to the first song on the CD all day. Great chill music or end of active yoga class.

5 comments about Living The Seven Habits: Stories Of Courage And Inspiration.

1. I've been listening to Stephen Covey for years, and I think he's one of the wisest observers of the human spirit around.
   
   While all of his programs are inspiring, Living the 7 Habits is probably the most moving - because it brings the 7 Habits to life, by showing how people have used them to change their lives for the better.
   
   I was so moved hearing some of these stories, and even more moved when I realized that, thanks to Dr. Covey's wonderful guidance, I can bring the same wisdom and insight into my own life.
   
   It's pretty clear that I was already familiar with the 7 Habits when I heard this, but you don't have to be - I recommend this as an excellent starting point for anybody who is encountering this way of living for the very first time, as well as for people like me who have heard and read a lot about it but can still use some help putting it to work on a day to day basis.
   
   And what a generous program it is - nine compact discs long, but it doesn't even cost $30 ... even less with discounts!



2. It's difficult to give enough praise to what Stephen R. Covey does. I love reading his books and almost anyone will benefit from browsing through the different stories about how people had the courage to face their problems and change by engaging in positive behavior. To state the obvious, 'Living the 7 Habits' is an inspiring read. I would urge a bit of caution, however, in that the laboratory of the real world may not cooperate much with a person living the seven habits. On the other hand, Covey never says it's easy and he at least indirectly reminds the reader that incorporating the seven habits into one's life is an enormous amount of work.
   
   Some of the stories are funny, some are quite sad, and they all demonstrate how the people who were challenged by life had to grow in some way. Living the seven habits is tough, and the reader cannot expect the world to play along, but trying is worth the effort, and the rewards from doing so can be more satisfying than a person ever imagined. I think the people that Covey wrote about in the book would agree.
   
   In addition to about 300 pages of very readable, relevant stories about overcoming adversity and finding a better way of living, the book invites the reader to share stories that are similar to the ones in the book by writing the Franklin Covey Company. Covey also has a Q&A section at the back of the book which is insightful and fun to read. Altogether a very worthwhile book. econ



3. This is real.
   
   It's difficult to give enough praise to what Stephen R. Covey does. I love reading his books and almost anyone will benefit from browsing through the different stories about how people had the courage to face their problems and change by engaging in positive behavior. To state the obvious, 'Living the 7 Habits' is an inspiring read. I would urge a bit of caution, however, in that the laboratory of the real world may not cooperate much with a person living the seven habits. On the other hand, Covey never says it's easy and he at least indirectly reminds the reader that incorporating the seven habits into one's life is an enormous amount of work.
   
   Some of the stories are funny, some are quite sad, and they all demonstrate how the people who were challenged by life had to grow in some way. Living the seven habits is tough, and the reader cannot expect the world to play along, but trying is worth the effort, and the rewards from doing so can be more satisfying than a person ever imagined. I think the people that Covey wrote about in the book would agree.
   
   In addition to about 300 pages of very readable, relevant stories about overcoming adversity and finding a better way of living, the book invites the reader to share stories that are similar to the ones in the book by writing the Franklin Covey Company. Covey also has a Q&A section at the back of the book which is insightful and fun to read. Altogether a very worthwhile book. econ



4. The audio is delivered in a monotone that almost puts you to sleep. Not a good thing while driving



5. I listen to the CDs during my comute and it helps to reinforce the 7 habits of highly effective people.