BONUS: Benzodiazepines - From Relief to Risk in Mental Health with Dr. Olivera Bogunovic and Holly Hardman

Everyday Wellness: Midlife Hormones, Menopause, and Science for Women 35+

Cynthia Thurlow

Alternative Health, Nutrition, Science, Life Sciences, Health & Fitness

4.8 • 1K Ratings

🗓️ 10 November 2025

⏱️ 60 minutes

🔗️ Recording | iTunes | RSS

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Summary

I am thrilled to have Dr. Olivera Bogunovic and Holly Hardman with me on the show today. Dr. Bogunovic is an assistant professor of psychiatry at Harvard Medical School and the medical director of the alcohol, drug, and addiction outpatient program at McLean Hospital. and Holly directed the documentary As Prescribed. In today’s discussion, we dive into the ongoing benzodiazepine crisis in the United States, with over 92 million prescriptions written each year for medications like Ativan, Valium, Xanax, and Klonopin. We discuss the origin of those drugs in the 1970s as treatments for anxiety and how they lead to tremendous physical dependency. Holly shares her experience with the neurological effects she suffered after long-term use of Klonopin, and we examine challenges in psychiatric care, the need for informed consent, and the impact of social media. We also cover the role of lifestyle, the need for psychotherapy and psychosocial support, and the significance of hope. This conversation is truly invaluable! Given how frequently benzodiazepines get prescribed, everyone must understand their associated risks and considerations. IN THIS EPISODE YOU WILL LEARN: How prescribing practices have evolved over the last two decades The significant consequences older adults face when they suddenly stop using benzodiazepines Holly shares how doctors misinformed her when she began taking Klonopin. Holly describes the benzodiazepine-induced symptoms and cognitive issues she experienced Why people must get informed about the long-term effects of benzodiazepines when consenting to take them How benzodiazepines work in the body and impact the brain Why benzodiazepines are ineffective when used long-term for insomnia The challenges certain people face when accessing psychiatric care What is BIND, and what are its symptoms? The significance of diet and holistic approaches for managing mental health, and why community support is essential in the recovery process Why As Prescribed is an educational documentary for everyone Connect with Cynthia Thurlow Follow on X ⁠Instagram⁠ ⁠LinkedIn⁠ Check out Cynthia’s ⁠website⁠ Submit your questions to ⁠[email protected]⁠ Connect with Dr. Olivera Bogunovic ⁠The McLean Hospital⁠ The documentary, As Prescribed, is available in the United States and Canada on Prime Video, Apple, Kanopy, Tubi, and Google.

Transcript

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0:00.0	Welcome to Everyday Wellness Podcast.
0:03.7	I'm your host, nurse practitioner, Cynthia Thurlow.
0:07.4	This podcast is designed to educate, empower, and inspire you to achieve your health and wellness goals.
0:13.9	My goal and intent is to provide you with the best content and conversations from leaders in the health and wellness industry each week and
0:21.5	impact over a million lives.
0:28.9	This is the start of bonus Mondays, a compilation of the top episodes over the past three years for everyday wellness. And I have to tell
0:41.3	you, when I went through all of this research and data, it was apparent to me that we have a very
0:46.3	eclectic, diverse group of clinicians, science writers, personal trainers, and experts.
0:55.4	I know you will love this new series.
0:57.4	Every Monday, we're dropping some of the biggest podcasts of the last three years.
1:02.3	These are your favorites, the most downloaded, ones that have resonated with you.
1:07.6	And I love that we're going to be able to share these every Monday so that you can
1:11.4	revisit some of these amazing episodes.
1:16.5	Today I had the honor of connecting with Dr. Olivera, Bo Ginovick, who's a assistant professor
1:23.3	of psychiatry at Harvard Medical School and the medical director of the McLean Hospital's
1:27.9	Alcohol, Drug and Addiction Outpatient Program, as well as the director of as prescribed,
1:33.7	Holly Hardman.
1:35.1	Today we spoke extensively about the scope of the current benzodiazepine crisis.
1:39.8	For listeners, these are drugs like Ativan, Valium, Xanax, and Clonopin.
1:44.0	There are over 92 million
1:45.9	prescriptions for these drugs every year in the United States. We spoke about the role of
1:51.5	the development of these drugs in the 1970s and how they were initially designed to help
	...

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