Plot
After losing her mother, Robin Myers is put on a benzodiazepine (Xanax) to help with her grief. When the drug stops working, her doctor suddenly discontinues her script, and debilitating neurological symptoms emerge. She is forced to fight for her recovery and survival while trying to convince the people in her life that her situation is real. With the help of her sister and a reluctant art therapist, Robin battles the greatest fight of her life.
PG-13
95 minutes
Our Story
LAKE OF FIRE was a passion project developed by filmmaker and benzo recovery coach David Powers. Having gone through benzodiazepine dependence and profound acute withdrawal himself, Powers was inspired to create a film that gave an accurate depiction of what it's like to suffer (and recover) from benzodiazepine dependence. The film had three goals: to validate the experiences of countless people enduring psych-med acute withdrawal and recovery, to spread public awareness of the problem, and lastly, to emotionally reach the friends and family of those individuals suffering to heal.
The film was produced by a small but dynamic team of dedicated artists, each invested in their own way in making this project great. This resulted in a very magical experience that translated beautifully to cinema. Lake of Fire has a profound ability to strike a deep, undeniable chord in its viewers. Part of the film was funded by donations from supporters, many of whom had personal experiences with psych-med injury. This made the project all the more unique. These individuals have a special credit at the end of the film.
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about Benzodiazepines
Benzodiazepines are a class of depressant drugs used to treat anxiety disorders, insomnia, muscle spasms, seizures, and alcohol withdrawal. Over 30 million (13%) of adults in the United States use benzodiazepines. The most common benzos include Valium, Xanax, Klonopin, Ativan, and Librium. Over 10,000 deaths occur as a result of abuse and overdose from this class of drugs each year. Most people who take benzos will be fine. However, a small but meaningful (10-15%) population of users will experience side effects, tolerance, and protracted acute withdrawal (PAWS).
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Protracted Acute Withdrawal is challenging to diagnose and is often confused as being features of a pre-existing condition, or some other manifesting mental illness, or physical ailment. Many people experience Interdose-withdrawal, by which they experience unusually stronger anxiety symptoms (or physical symptoms) between doses of their benzodiazepines. Benzo withdrawal is very challenging to treat, with few medications proving helpful. Individuals usually need to taper very slowly over a period of time while mitigating risks of developing other mental illnesses, such as agoraphobia, insomnia, obsessive rumination, health anxiety, panic disorder, and complex trauma.
Everyone can heal from a psych-med-induced brain injury, but navigating the recovery journey is challenging.
