This is a recording from this month, after I went to a restaurant for the first time in over six years since being harmed by benzodiazepines and, for part of that time, antidepressants. My brother came with me as my safety blanket because I still could not do it on my own. Something as ordinary as going to a restaurant placed an enormous amount of stress on my nervous system and increased many of my symptoms, including spine pain, depersonalization, euphoria, dizziness, lightheadedness, and anhedonia. And then there was the aftermath in the days that followed. I share this as a form of hope, relatability, and reality. For many people following my page, it may be difficult to comprehend someone not being able to go to a restaurant for over six years. But unfortunately, that has been my reality, and I know it is the reality for many others living with severe psychiatric drug harm. This is the part people do not see. They do not see the years of life that can be lost. They do not see how everyday experiences that most people never think twice about can become enormous milestones. They do not see what it can take just to sit at a table, have a conversation, tolerate the environment, and then deal with the symptoms afterward. These are realities patients deserve to know about when making decisions about psychiatric medications. But this video is also about hope. Because after more than six years, I went to the restaurant. I needed my brother beside me. My symptoms increased. There was an aftermath. It was far from easy. But I went. And for those of you still living in the years where something like this feels impossible, I hope seeing this reminds you that progress does not have to look normal to everyone else to be enormous to us. Sometimes the things the world considers ordinary are the very things we fought years to get back. #BenzodiazepineInjury #BenzoWithdrawal #BIND #ProtractedWithdrawal #AntidepressantWithdrawal - @thefaceofmalpractice