A Psychiatrist's Perspective w/ Dr. Alexis Ritvo (Part 1 of 2) | Benzo Free 141

Alexis Ritvo MD, MPH is a board-certified psychiatrist at the University of Colorado School Medicine, co-founder of the Benzodiazepine Action Work Group, and lead author on the research study that introduced BIND. Join us for this illuminating conversation.

Part 2 of this discussion was released on our sister podcast, "uneven." Listen to it here:

https://uneven.podbean.com/e/a-psychiatrists-perspective-w-dr-alexis-ritvo-part-2-of-2-uneven-70/

CHAPTERS

0:00:00 Introduction

0:03:26 Dr. Ritvo's Bio

0:06:30 Tell Us a Bit About Your Family

0:08:13 What Interested You in Psychiatry

0:10:07 What Brought You to the Alliance?

0:12:37 Exploring Benzodiazepine Prescribing Practices

0:13:19 The Benzodiazepine Action Work Group (BAWG)

0:14:53 Benzodiazepine Legislation in Colorado

0:18:03 Documentation on Benzo Prescribing / Deprescribing

0:19:19 BAWG's Peer Support Training

0:19:53 What's New at the Alliance?

0:22:35 What About Benzo Research?

0:22:58 Research on Benzodiazepine Use

0:24:07 The Science and Timing of BIND

0:29:59 Other Benzo Effects?

0:32:03 Benzos & Akathisia

0:35:55 Determining Which Medication to Taper First

0:38:34 What About Taper Plans?

0:40:41 Can We Become Too Obsessive About Our Taper?

0:43:56 Wrap Up

ALEXIS RITVO, MD, MPH

Alexis Ritvo MD, MPH is a board-certified addiction psychiatrist. She is the Program Director for the Addiction Psychiatry Fellowship at the University of Colorado (CU) School of Medicine where she is an Assistant Professor of Psychiatry. She earned her Medical Degree and a Master’s in Public Health in Health Policy from Emory University in 2012. She completed her general psychiatry residency and addiction psychiatry fellowship at CU before joining faculty in 2017. Since then, she has been a supervising attending of general psychiatry residents in the CU Medicine Outpatient Psychiatry clinic where she directs a co-occurring disorder subspeciality clinic. Her growing interest in the safe prescribing and deprescribing of prescription benzodiazepines led her to co-found the Benzodiazepine Action Work Group with the Colorado Consortium for Prescription Drug Abuse in late 2020. In 2022, she became medical director for the national non-profit the Alliance for Benzodiazepines Best Practices. She is the current chair of the Education Committee for the American Association of Addiction Psychiatry. She has a passion for psychotherapy, teaching trainees, improving health systems, and advocacy.

RECODING INFO

— RECORDED: Monday, January 13, 2025

— LOCATION: Colorado

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PODCAST SUMMARY

This podcast is dedicated to those who struggle with side effects, dependence, and withdrawal from benzos, a group of drugs from the benzodiazepine and nonbenzodiazepine classes, better known as anti-anxiety drugs, sleeping pills, sedatives, and minor tranquilizers. Their common brand names include Ambien, Ativan, Klonopin, Lunesta, Valium, and Xanax.

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Benzo Free Theme Music

— TITLE: Walk in the Park

— ARTIST: Neil Cross

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The Benzo Free Podcast is part of the Easing Anxiety network (https://easinganxiety.com) and is a production of Denim Mountain Press (https://denimmountainpress.com).