about us

who are we?

Easing Anxiety (EA) is a community of individuals who are helping each other live full and exciting lives — with our anxiety. We take a rational, common sense approach to managing anxiety and the complications of anxiety medication (benzodiazepines and Z-drugs).

EA provides informational pages, articles, videos, podcasts. stories, resources, and a variety of other content to help you better manage your anxiety, improve your overall life, and ease the burden of dependence and withdrawal for those who have taken anxiety medication.

Anxiety is part of being human. We’ll never get rid of it completely, nor should we. And while anxiety medication can help in the short-term, when taken continuously it can make things worse. But when we learn of anxiety's origins, what tools can help us manage it, and most of all, how to stop fighting against it, life can improve dramatically.

The origins of Easing Anxiety can be found in the struggles of those who have taken anxiety medication (benzodiazepines, Z-drugs) and endured the complications of dependence, withdrawal, and BIND. In 2018, I published a book (Benzo Free: The World of Anti-Anxiety Drugs and the Reality of Withdrawal) on this subject and followed it up with a podcast (The Benzo Free Podcast) the following year. The podcast soon became — and still is — a vital lifeline for thousands of individuals trying to deal with the long-term effects of these drugs.

Over the past four years hosting the podcast, something started to become clear to me. Much of the content I was providing the benzo audience, was about anxiety — how to understand it, how to live with it, and how to develop tools to help manage it. In fact, I starting hearing from individuals who had never taken a benzodiazepine in in their life, but just tuned in for help with their anxiety.

And thus, Easing Anxiety was born. A site dedicated to helping those dealing with the life consequences associated with anxiety, whether or not they have taken anxiety medication. We continue to produce our benzo content as before, but we now also provide videos, articles, and support for those dealing with anxiety alone. In 2023, we are launching our Easing Anxiety Community, a membership-driven site with specialized content, experiences, and guidance. Sign up for our mailing list to be notified of any updates.

On this page, I attempt to answer some of the questions you might have about us. If you don’t find what you are looking for, just ask. I’m always happy to hear from you.

why is connection so important?

One thing we all have in common is the need for connection. I discovered this during my recovery from dependence to anxiety medication. The more I shared my personal challenges, struggles, and failures with the podcast listeners, the more they connected to me. We developed a bond through this shared experience and it’s one we continue to build on as we help each other survive, and even more so, thrive.

But one size does not fit all. While we have a lot of similarities, we also have many differences. We have different nationalities, races, genders, personalities, childhoods, adulthoods, likes, dislikes, beliefs, values, and on and on and on. So, when it comes to managing our anxiety, it makes sense that there is no one simple solution for all. Instead, the approaches are varied, and here at Easing Anxiety we strive to provide a buffet of possible solutions for every walk of life.

So, let me just say, welcome. Sincerely. I promised at the beginning of the podcast that I would be as honest and objective as I can in all that we do here, and I have tried to stay true to that. Those of you who have listened to me ramble on since early 2019, know that I often say, “This is me — warts and all.” I will share my successes — and equally, my failures. As will others who contribute to our content.

Living with chronic anxiety is one of the most difficult challenges a person can face, and you deserve a place where you can go and feel at home. I hope we can be that place.

why do you call this a community?

Although this organization was initially created and started by one person, our true goal has always been to grow and expand with the support and help of our community. From the very beginning, this has been a community effort. I couldn’t — and didn’t — do this alone. Many people contributed their time and money to help us get here, and I am very grateful to each and every one of them.

But, we still need help. All of our information is only as good as the time and effort that goes into it.

The best way to support Easing Anxiety is with your input. We always need feedback: ideas, updates, additions, corrections, personal stories, and any other information you can think of that might be of interest to our community. Or, if you are interested in writing articles for our blog, adding to our informational pages, or coaching on in our community, let us know. We look forward to working with the amazing people in this community and hope we will hear from you soon.

The more people involved, the more people helped. We need varied content, and that only comes from varied sources.

how is easing anxiety funded?

Currently, our only funding stream is via online donations. Although we are not a non-profit organization, we operate with a similar mindset. We are a community organization, focused on providing a service to that community by creating content for and supporting those in need within the anxiety and benzo communities. Unfortunately, that endeavor takes time and money.

While many individuals have been incredibly generous with their donations, the funds we've received over the past few years have fallen far short of covering our expenses, let alone provide any reimbursement for the time and efforts of our staff and contributors. If we wish to continue the work we do here — which we do — we have to adopt a new financial model so that Easing Anxiety can be self-sustaining.

In 2023, we will be adding a subscription-based platform to our site. This will be an online community for those struggling with anxiety and/or the complications of anxiety medications. While all of our current content (including the podcast) will remain free to the public as they always have been, there will be additional content and services provided for to the subscribers. This will include coaching services, support groups, specialized videos, guided meditations, chat rooms, and much more.

Please subscribe to our mailing list if you wish to receive updates.

who am i?

Oops. Sorry. I almost forgot to introduce myself.

My name is D E Foster, but most people just call me "D."

I am the founder of Easing Anxiety, host of the Benzo Free Podcast, and author of the book Benzo Free: The World of Anti-Anxiety Drugs and the Reality of Withdrawal. I am also co-chair and a founding member of the Benzodiazepine Action Work Group at the Colorado Consortium for Prescription Drug Abuse Prevention and a global advocate supporting those struggling with anxiety and benzodiazepine dependence and withdrawal.

To learn more about me, you can read my complete bio here.

There. Hope that helps.