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Often when I think about how much I love my wife, Ginger, I wish I could sing to her. But I cannot sing. Instead, I imagine Whitney Houston singing to Ginger in her incredible soaring voice. Whitney became the voice expressing how much I love my wife. That is how much Whitney came to mean to so many of us who knew her only through her music. She became the music about love we carry in our hearts.

Whitney's passing has raised the specter that she was taking the benzodiazepine Xanax (alprazolam) at the time she died.

If it turns out that Whitney was under the influence of Xanax (alprazolam), then there's a good chance she would be alive today if that drug had never been put on the market.

Although Xanax is the most commonly prescribed benzodiazepine, and in my experience the most dangerous, the same harmful effects can be caused by all benzodiazepines, including Valium, Ativan, Klonopin, Serax, Halcion, Dalmane, and Halcion. When I address Xanax, I'm also talking about all of these drugs.

Reports that Xanax and other benzos are not usually lethal when taken alone are vastly misleading. Xanax is rarely taken alone. Why? Because as much or more than any other prescribed drug, Xanax causes medication spellbinding. It corrupts judgment, memory and self-control, so that individuals have no idea how badly they are being impaired. Eventually it erodes all mental faculties, often without the person fully grasping this loss of function. The impairment of judgment and self-control causes people to overdose on drugs or alcohol without intending to, leading to coma, cardiovascular collapse and death. The Xanax-induced memory impairment causes them to forget how many pills or how much alcohol they have already taken, again increasing the lethal risk.

Xanax has been called "alcohol in a pill" because its effects are so similar to alcohol. However, as will be documented, Xanax can be far more dangerous than alcohol. It should not be prescribed to patients with alcohol problems, because it becomes a powerful impetus for alcohol abuse.

At critical moments in their lives when individuals are suffering from serious emotional problems, their ability to deal with them is further compromised as a result of Xanax-induced medication spellbinding and cognitive deficits. In acute distress, they often have no idea what is happening to them. They have no idea how impaired they have become, they forget what they've already taken, or increase the dose, or increase or add other medications or alcohol.

This cannot be over-emphasized: Benzodiazepines, including the worst offender Xanax, can change people so that they become no longer rational, responsible or aware of the consequences of their behavior. Whether or not Xanax intoxication specifically causes death in these cases, Xanax-induced mental dysfunction contributes to the death.

Because the benzodiazepines so seriously impair judgment and other cognitive functions, it is often impossible to determine if a death was intentional or accidental, and as a result, we may never know in Whitney's case. News coverage saying that a loud sound like a falling body was heard from the room above her may indicate that she unexpectedly and unintentionally collapsed.

Even in the short run, Xanax often makes people worse than they were before starting the drug. As I first documented in Toxic Psychiatry (1991, pp. 252-254), the original studies for panic disorder showed that at 8-10 weeks of exposure the patients were more phobic, more anxious, and had a 350 percent increase in the panic attacks for which they were being treated. Upjohn, the manufacturer, promoted the first four weeks of the study without indicating that patients were worse than ever at eight weeks. When these studies for panic disorder were published in the AMA Archives of General Psychiatry, the editor-in-chief, himself on the Upjohn payroll, permitted the misleading research to be published without comment.

Eventually, after much delay, the FDA required some of the negative data to be included in the FDA-approved label for Xanax. Perhaps because the label had become rather ominous, Upjohn has stopped putting Xanax in the most commonly used reference for prescribers, The Physicians' Desk Reference. As a result, many or most prescribers will be using the drug on the basis of their recollection of much weaker labels from the past. To make it readily available, I've put the 2011 Xanax label up at www.ToxicPsychiatry.com. This version of the label is for the extended release or long-acting version, called Xanax XR, because this label contains the latest FDA-mandated upgrades. All page number citations in this blog are to this Xanax XR label.

Reports that Xanax only causes abuse and dependence (addiction) in addiction-prone patients are very false and extremely misleading. The 2011 label for Xanax XR states:

Some patients may find it very difficult to discontinue treatment with XANAX XR due to severe emotional and physical dependence. Discontinuation symptoms, including possible seizures, may occur following discontinuation from any dose... P. 10

While the severity and incidence of withdrawal phenomena appear to be related to dose and duration of treatment, withdrawal symptoms, including seizures, have been reported after only brief therapy with alprazolam at doses within the recommended range for the treatment of anxiety (eg, 0.75 to 4 mg/day). Pp. 18-19

Notice that "after only brief therapy" in the "recommended" dose range Xanax can cause withdrawal symptoms. Withdrawal symptoms are often the initiating factor in future abuse and addiction, including the abuse of alcohol.

After the short several-week trials used for FDA approval, many patients were simply unable to stop taking the drug. That is, they were already addicted! In various studies, the number unable to withdraw ranged from a low of 7 percent to a high of 29 percent (p. 6).

Why do so many patients have to stay on the drug after such short-term exposure? Withdrawal symptoms for Xanax and other benzos are far worse than a mere "craving" that an individual might hope to control. The person doesn't "crave" the drug; the person needs the drug to end the agony of withdrawal.

Withdrawal reactions typically include overwhelming anxiety and panic, as well as insomnia, far worse than the individual has ever before experienced. Irritability can grow into uncontrollable anger and even violence. Muscle spasms, painful feelings in the extremities, painfully-heightened awareness of diminished mental faculties, confusion, depression, suicidality, paranoia, hallucinations, and myriad other unforeseen symptoms can demoralize and terrify the individual.

Withdrawal from Xanax can become far worse than withdrawal from morphine, hydrocodone, oxycodone, and heroin, and require weeks in rehab or months in outpatient practice (See my medical text, Brain-Disabling Treatments in Psychiatry, Second Edition, Chapter 12). Benzodiazepine withdrawal should never be taken lightly and should be conducted with experienced clinical supervision, sometimes including hospitalization.

Xanax is so short-acting and potent that it is especially liable to cause interdose withdrawal in between doses (p. 7). A person taking Xanax at bedtime can wake up in withdrawal in the early morning and mistakenly attribute it to "anxiety." After the first pill in the morning, this same person can go into withdrawal a few hours later, again mistakenly believing that it's "anxiety."

As I describe in my book Medication Madness, Xanax is the benzo most likely to cause abnormal behavior, including violence and suicide. It is the drug I have most commonly found in association with SSRI antidepressants like Paxil and Zoloft in a number of legal cases involving SSRI-induced violence, suicide, and manic-like crime. These are really SSRI/Xanax induced tragedies. Xanax is the only benzo whose FDA-approved label warns about the risk of causing mania (p. 9).

Again according to the official label, "As with all benzodiazepines, paradoxical reactions such as stimulation, increased muscle spasticity, sleep disturbances, hallucinations, and other adverse behavioral effects such as agitation, rage, irritability, and aggressive or hostile behavior have been reported rarely" (p. 17).

There's one last issue that is painful to bring up. As I describe in Brain-Disabling Treatments in Psychiatry, Second Edition (2008), I have treated and evaluated many patients whose mental faculties have never fully returned after years or decades of exposure to Xanax. They suffer from what I have described as drug-induced Chronic Brain Impairment (CBI).

If you are currently taking this drug, seek help for a careful, slow withdrawal. It's not only dangerous to start Xanax, it's dangerous to stop it. If you have already stopped the drug and fear that you have lasting effects, remember that the spirit can triumph over almost any impediment, even harm to the brain. Also, recovery from drug-induced brain injury can take place gradually over many years, so keep up your hope. Stay drug free, live healthy, and make the most of your life -- while avoiding all psychoactive substances as much as possible.

Believe nothing about the safety of Xanax! If it turns out that the drug played a role in taking away our Whitney, it is one more demonstration of why this drug should never have been put on the market.

Join Dr. Breggin and other prestigious speakers, April 13-15, 2012 in Syracuse, New York. The annual conference of Dr. Breggin's 501c3 nonprofit international organization, The Center for the Study of Empathic Therapy, will present information and inspiration about the key issues in psychiatric reform today. Conference information is available at www.EmpathicTherapy.org. Peter R. Breggin, M.D. is a Harvard-trained psychiatrist and former full-time consultant with NIMH who is in private practice in Ithaca, New York. Dr. Breggin is the author of more than twenty books including the bestseller Talking Back to Prozac and the medical book Brain-Disabling Treatments in Psychiatry, Second Edition. His most recent book is Medication Madness, the Role of Psychiatric Drugs in Cases of Violence, Suicide and Crime. He is also the author of dozens of peer-reviewed scientific articles, many in the field of psychopharmacology.

For more by Dr. Peter Breggin, click here.

For more on mental health, click here.

"I want to move." Melissa said.

"Where to?" I asked.

She responded quickly, "I think L.A. or Colorado would be great."

I inquired, "Is there a problem with where you live now?"

Pondering the question she said, "No, not really. I like my home, the schools are good, and the area is child-friendly. But I still want to be somewhere else."

"So you want to leave the present to some future place. Perhaps something is missing in how you experience the present." I suggested.

"Maybe." Melissa commented.

"You have young children. Do you enjoy playing with them?" I asked.

Looking sad, she said, "Not really. I'm always thinking about what I have to do in the house, the laundry, cleaning the kitchen floor or whatever."

"I see. How about lovemaking?" I asked.

Frowning, Melissa said, "I want to get it over with, so I can do other things."

"Is Matt a good lover?" I asked.

"Yes, he wants to please me, but my mind is somewhere else. I'm thinking about what I'm going to do, like how to toilet train my son who insists on making in his pants, things like that." Melissa said.

"You foreclose experiencing the joys of the here-and-now with what you will be doing. Perhaps at an unconscious level the past is also encroaching on your ability to live and love fully in the present." I suggested.

Smiling, Melissa said, "My mother is terrific, and she's always worked and is productive. Her pick of men is another story. My father is just the opposite."

"What is your father like?" I asked.

Frowning, she said, "He's fat and lazy. He used to be a software expert, but he lost his job and is broke now and he still asks me for gas money. He has no self control and is addicted to shopping, not stuff he needs, just stuff. He has a lot of gadgets, at least 40 pairs of shoes, 50 shirts, many of which are identical. He hasn't used most of the stuff and they still have the sales tags on them. When we were kids we went shopping in his closet."

"So you fear losing control and turning into your father." I interpreted.

"If I let go, I can become lazy like him. Sometimes I sneak time in the daytime and watch TV but then I feel lazy and bad about myself," she said, looking down at the floor.

I continued to interpret. "If you surrender to the experience of the moment, you fear you will be lazy, unproductive, without self control, which is your past. To rectify your feelings, your mind takes you to ways to be productive. That of course is in the future and you lose the beauty of life in the present."

"I see what you are saying. But how do I change? How do I surrender to the present?" Melissa asked.

In our busy world, if your mind, like Melissa's mind is caught up in what you have to do, you are missing out on the peace and joy of the moment. It is only by surrendering to your inner self, your essence, your sense of being, that you can live and love fully.

I would suggest you engage in some form of meditation. There are numerous workshops that you can research online. Here then is one way to engage in the practice of sublime momentary experience.

• Sit in a comfortable erect chair.
• Focus on your deep breathing in and out, and block thought out. When a thought intrudes, let it go and refocus on your breath. At this point you can experience the third eye, the spot between your eyebrows.
• Imagine your body parts dissolving, one by one, your face, your chest, your abdomen, your thighs, legs, feet, toes, arms, hands, fingers. Now imagine a light shining within. This inner peace may only last for a few seconds or moments at first. Enjoy the serenity in the moment.

At first, this inner peace may only last for a few seconds or moments. Enjoy the serenity in the moment. At this point you are at peace in a spiritual space and able to commune with your partner, your children, nature, animals.

Become aware of your inner self in all of your experiences. When your mind is racing into what you will do, bring yourself back into the experience of the moment. For example, if you taking a walk and your mind is busy planning your next moves, let your thoughts go and stay in the moment. Listen to your heart beat, your breath, the feeling in your abdomen, your intestines, the sound of the wind, the firmness of the ground under you, the sight of the trees, the clouds in the sky -- all that you are part of. In this way, a simple walk is a satisfying spiritual experience.

Perhaps one of the most fulfilling, joyful experiences in which you experience the moment is that of making love. The key here is to surrender to the present, to your experience, your inner feelings that surface from deep inside of you, from your essence. Only then can you surrender fully to your partner.

The magic of the moment arises when you let go of self control, and lose yourself in your partner, only to find yourself.

Each moment in time of pure presence, of fully experiencing all your senses, of being in the here and now, is all there is. And moment by moment, we are in the process of creating the future of everlasting love.

For deeper insight into how to create everlasting love, read my book book The New Science of Love: How Understanding the Brain's Wiring Can Help Rekindle Your Relationship (Sourcebooks, Casablanca, 2011).

For more by Dr. Fran Cohen Praver, click here.

For more on love, click here.

For more on relationships, click here.

If heights aren't your thing, than this epic freefall YouTube video is probably not for you.

Devin Graham has created what he calls the world's largest rope swing, which boasts a whopping 130 foot drop, the Sun reports.

Shot over two days in Bootlegger Canyon, Moab Utah, the video features Graham's friends flying through the air, secured only by rock climbing ropes. Some of them don't even wear a helmet.

After investing a couple of hours in the set up of the ropes, the swingers swoop under the Corona Arch, to which the swing is connected by five different anchors.

Since the video hit the web last Wednesday, more than 5 million people have watched it.

In addition, Graham produced a behind the scenes video.

Of course, Graham doesn't just take frightfully amazing shots from dangerous heights.

According to CBS, other videos of his include Christmas Puppies and Smashing Pumpkins.

Hearts are everywhere during the month of February. You see them as crafts in magazines, in cards and on cooking shows for that decadent homemade treat. I even made a Sweet Beet soup with a drizzle of Greek yogurt in the shape of a heart for my Sunday Set-Up Club, www.sundaysetup.com.

The month of February also celebrates the heart, however in a completely different way. February is American Heart Month. This year, more than 1 million Americans will have a heart attack or stroke, making heart disease the leading cause of death in men and women in this country. What is even more shocking is that I can't believe people still don't get it. Do you really want to be one of those statistics? It is hard to miss the message as it is everywhere, from Dr. Oz to major network segments on healthy living, newspapers, magazines, your doctor and even products in the supermarket offering healthier choices. Obviously people just don't think anything will happen to them if they stay on the reckless living path.

Interestingly, the medical community is jumping on board a little more these days in that 1 out of 3 patients are being given the recommendation to exercise which is up from last year's 1 out of 4. Come on people, we can't keep getting fatter and more out of shape. We need to keep pushing the message, which is just what Goals of Millions Hearts is doing. The Million Hearts initiative seeks to prevent 1 million heart attacks and strokes by the end of 2016. I say let's help and try to get it done before that. Small changes that you can do right now will make a big difference.

For example, quit smoking already. I mean you can barely smoke anywhere anyway, and doesn't the commercial with that woman talking out of tube gasping for air give you incentive to quit? Stop driving through the drive-thru for meals. You must know by now that you'd probably get less salt in your system by licking a salt lick. Start moving, just like the doctor says. We have continued to live this life of slouchy, sluggish, lazy overweight blobs that wander from chair to chair. At least add a 15 minute walk every day. You can certainly figure out a way to do that for your heart, couldn't you?

The best way I know to get your heart in better shape is to keep in mind your heart is a muscle. To make that muscle stronger and more powerful you have to work it and fight for it. There are tremendous benefits from exercise that are too long to list. However, some still think that exercising is like a chore, so I'd rather call it being more active. MOVE YOUR BODY. Maybe this will help. You know how when you go away for a long time and you ask someone to take your car out for a drive and run the engine? Why wouldn't you do that for your body? Our bodies are just like a machine and need to be worked to stay in good running condition. All you need is 20 to 30 minutes of exercise that keeps your heart at 60 percent to 70 percent of your maximum heart beat rate. For adults that is about 110 beats per minute. Walking fast is ideal, which is not a window-shopping stroll. We need increased breathing that is hard and fast. It is even better to to jog or even run if your joints can take it. Interval training has a number of benefits. This is one of the simplest and powerful things one can do to keep the heart healthy. So combine the walk with a run or a flat walk combined with walking hills. Do anything to get the heart rate up.

Build a Support System to Help With Stress.
Start by talking to your spouse, family, and close friends about your health and how to manage the stress in your life. They may be able to help you reduce or alleviate certain stressors.

Recognize Your Stress Triggers.
Learn to identify the things in your life that can trigger stress. Your job, certain relationships with family, friends, driving in traffic, the economy, personal health issues or others and try to figure out ways to either avoid those triggers and most importantly how to cope.

How can I relax?
It can be as easy as taking 20 minutes to simply sit and think, or do an activity that soothes you. Examples include reading, listening to music or taking a bath. My favorite stress reliever is to lie down, place one hand over my belly button, and place the other hand over my chest. Breathe deep through the belly and feel it rise and fall. Your stress melts to your toes and out of the body.

One of the best ways to manage the stress in your life is to learn the word NO. We live in a life of busy from morning to noon to night. It is crazy living! Avoid taking on more responsibilities or social obligations. Set boundaries on your calendar by putting a big red X through days where you can just do what you want to do.

Celebrate with dark chocolate (antioxidant) and red wine. However, keep the celebrating going all month long and do what you can to improve the health of the most important heart of all. Get a heart check up. Know your family history. Eat better. Move more. Floss your teeth and breathe deep.

Now... before you think about another thing. Turn off your computer, stand up and go take a walk around the block.

Kathy

For more by Kathy Kaehler, click here.

For more on personal health, click here.

The human body never ceases to amazes us.

Case in point? Maggie Meier, a basketball star at Blue Valley Northwest High School in Overland Park, Kansas. The teenager wowed locals by shooting hoops while in a coma, The Kansas City Star reports.

Meier fell ill in early November 2008, just as basketball season was starting, according to MaxPreps, a CBS Sports affiliate. Then a freshman in high school, she was rushed to the hospital, barely conscious and having seizures. She soon fell into a coma, which lasted over 2 months.

Doctors diagnosed Meier with mycoplasma meningoencephalitis, a rare, intense form of meningitis, The Daily reported. Though her family worried for her survival, they discovered something incredible that gave them hope. Though unresponsive and unconscious, she would sometimes make the motion for shooting baskets. Her family began to put her into a chair, hand her a beach ball and pull the hoop close. She shoots, she scores!

Meier's neurologist told The Daily that basketball was so "ingrained as one of Maggie’s basic instincts" that her body remembered how to do it before it could walk or even stand.

When she woke up, it took months for her body to recover. She had to re-learn basic functions like walking and eating. But by sophomore year, she was well enough to return to the court.

Her story is certainly incredible, but it's not unique. In 2001, a 24-year-old woman gave birth while in a coma to a perfectly healthy 7 pound baby.