How I Got Started on Benzos: A Classic Case of Iatrogenic Harm

TL;DR: I had always been somewhat anxious and slept poorly, but things became much harder when I returned to school while working and then lost a close friend. I went to a doctor expecting help and was prescribed clonazepam without being warned about dependence, short-term use or the risks of stopping abruptly. At first, the medication seemed like the perfect answer: I slept better, felt calmer and felt like myself again. I trusted the prescription and had no reason to question it, setting the stage for what happened next.