Nicole Lamberson
Nicole is a Physician Assistant residing in Virginia. She obtained a BS at James Madison University (2000) and then went on to complete the Master of Physician Assistant program at Eastern Virginia Medical School in 2004. She practiced in an Urgent Care and Occupational Medicine setting until severe illness from benzodiazepine withdrawal syndrome left her unable to work. In 2005, she was prescribed Xanax for “work-related stress”. Over the course of five years, she developed many classic symptoms of benzodiazepine tolerance withdrawal, which multiple psychiatrists misdiagnosed as mental illness. This resulted in prescribed polypharmacy. In late 2010, after discovering a magazine article authored by a journalist experiencing similar symptoms from his prescribed benzodiazepine, Nicole researched further and made the connection between her own troubling symptoms and the medication. This was followed by her immediate decision to withdraw. Unfortunately, lacking proper guidance regarding the absolute need for a slow taper, she was negligently "cold-turkeyed" in a detox center. This ultimately resulted in a severe and protracted withdrawal syndrome that persists to date. Symptoms permitting, Nicole writes to raise benzodiazepine awareness and volunteers her time with the Benzodiazepine Information Coalition, the Benzodiazepine Action Work Group of the Colorado Consortium and The Withdrawal Project. She also does marketing/outreach for Medicating Normal-The Film.
