Benzodiazepines are some of the most efficacious, and addictive, pharmacological meds on the market. They are just one of a plethora of “legal drugs” that get prescribed to millions of people, all over the world, every year. The most famous drug in this category is Valium, and housewives took it in droves when it first came out decades ago, so much so that it got dubbed “Mommy’s Little Helper”.
Today, it’s a lot of people’s helper, and not without a cost. For the author of this book, what started out as a psychiatrist’s prescription for anxiety and depression soon turned into a full-blown addiction that quickly took over his mind, his health and his life. The ensuing nightmare is chronicled in detail in the pages of this raw, exposed memoir.
Death Grip should be read by anyone who is contemplating taking these drugs as a “quick fix” and an easy way out of their existential angst. It should be read by anyone who knows anyone who takes these drugs on an ongoing basis. And it should be read by anyone who still thinks that just because a product has an official stamp of approval, from a recognized association, it is safer than buying crack on the corner of Hastings and Main.
