Evelyn Hawkins

Summary of the Article Verywell Health’s piece “Understanding Benzodiazepines and How They Work” provides an accessible overview of this class of drugs. It explains that benzodiazepines, commonly called “benzos”, are central nervous system depressants that enhance the effect of the neurotransmitter GABA. By calming brain activity, they can relieve anxiety, panic, seizures, muscle spasms, and symptoms of alcohol withdrawal. The article highlights the approved uses of benzos, such as anxiety...

In a sobering exploration published on March 13, 2025, The Wall Street Journal investigates the dark reality behind benzodiazepines like Xanax, once hailed as 'America's wonder drug' for anxiety and insomnia relief. Lived Experiences: Personal Stories That Resonate Dana Bare, a mother of five from Tennessee, initially turned to Xanax for mild insomnia. Over five years, she developed a debilitating physical dependence. Quitting unleashed “brain zaps,” panic attacks provoked by shower water,...

Minute One: Sit and feel your feet. Name five things you can see. Minute Two: Inhale for 4 counts, exhale for 6 counts. Repeat 6 times. Minute Three: Place a warm or cool cloth on your neck. Let your shoulders drop. Minute Four: Whisper one sentence that’s true and kind: “I’m doing the best I can with what I have.” Minute Five: Choose one One-Degree move (open the window, send the text, make tea) and do it slowly. If you can’t do five, do one. If you can’t do one, sit and breathe. That counts.