This week on MIA Radio, we present a special episode of the podcast to join in the many events being held for World Benzodiazepine Awareness Day, July 11, 2018. In part 1, we chat with W-BAD Lead Operations Volunteer and Virginia Representative Nicole Lamberson who talks about the events being held for W-BAD. We hear from psychiatrist Dr Josef Witt-Doerring, who talks about a recent paper he co-authored entitled “Online Communities for Drug Withdrawal: What Can We Learn?”. We also hear from therapist and campaigner Chris Paige who discusses his own experiences taking and withdrawing from benzodiazepines. Finally, in part 2 of the interview, we get to chat with Robert Whitaker, science journalist and author of the books Mad in America and Anatomy of an Epidemic. First, I am very fortunate to have had the chance to talk with Nicole Lamberson. Nicole is Lead Operations Volunteer and Virginia Representative for W-BAD and she has kindly taken time out of her busy preparations to talk about how she became involved with W-BAD, some of the events and campaigns being held around the world and how people can get involved. Nicole has an immense passion for benzodiazepine awareness and its victims and hopes that her efforts ultimately spare many others from taking this painful, senseless, and totally preventable iatrogenic “journey”. We discuss: How Nicole first became involved with W-BAD. How discovering personal testimonies encouraged her to reach out to find out more about an awareness day held on the birthday of Dr Heather Ashton - July 11. What it feels like to be part of the benzodiazepine community. How there is is still no medical consensus about the effects of both taking and withdrawing from benzodiazepines. The W-BAD T-shirt campaign, which was organised in partnership with the Benzodiazepine Information Coalition and As Prescribed, an in-production documentary by Holly Hardman. Pamphlet distributions happening in Auckland, Paris, Boston and Torrington. That Wayne Douglas, W-BAD founder is on the Dr Peter Breggin hour on July 11 at 4pm New York time. That people can visit W-BAD events to find out more. That on social media, people can follow events using @WorldBenzoDay and the hashtag #WorldBenzoDay. That people can participate in many ways and that one of the most important ways to participate is to submit reports of adverse effects and withdrawal reactions to the appropriate regulator, links to which can be found on the W-BAD website. How important it is to share stories and personal experiences. That W-BAD is for anybody, not just those who are damaged by the drugs but also for families and friends and those recovered too. Relevant links: W-BAD [IN]VISIBLE T-shirt campaign How to participate in W-BAD Benzodiazepine Information Coalition As Prescribed by Holly Hardman (documentary film in production) International Task Force on Benzodiazepines Dr Heather Ashton The 2017 W-BAD podcast featuring Professor Malcolm Lader, Jocelyn Pedersen and Barry Haslam. Next, we chat with psychiatrist Dr Josef Witt-Doerring. Josef trained in Queensland, Australia before becoming a psychiatric resident at Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, Texas. He co-authored a paper published in Psychiatric Times entitled “Online Communities for Drug Withdrawal: What Can We Learn?” which received praise for openly addressing the issues of dependence and withdrawal and identifying the support activity that goes on in forums like Benzo Buddies and Surviving Antidepressants. We discuss: What led Dr Witt-Doerring to become a psychiatric trainee after attending medical school in Queensland, Australia. How reading Anatomy of an Epidemic led to an awareness of some of the consequences of psychiatric drug use from a critical perspective. What led to his research into online support forums for those who are seeking support for psychiatric drug withdrawal. That Josef was surprised at the amount of support activity in online forums like Benzo Buddies and Surviving