I was on my knees, at a point in my life where I felt unable to continue when I found Dr Valsa Madhava. I had been diagnosed with PTSD and anxiety back in 2011 and prescribed Xanax. I’d gradually increased dose over seven years. It’s only now that I’m no longer taking them that I’ve realised how much they were affecting my ability to live my life. I’d attempted to complete a PhD without success, trying again and again but never being able to fully concentrate. I started but never finished my dissertation at least 8 times.
 

When I moved states in 2018, I was shocked to find that no-one would take on my prescription. I was being forced to go cold turkey and I couldn’t have anticipated how terrifying that would be. I naively thought that maybe this was fate and that it was part of the fresh start I needed. In reality, I stopped functioning and felt indescribable pain. I was hospitalized twice, I honestly thought I was going to die.
 

When I first met with Dr. Madhava, she explained, very sympathetically that she’d seen this many times and she reassured me that things would get better, that she could help me. Initially she prescribed Valium to stabilize me and to start a taper program but I experienced horrible side effects from that, so she switched me to Librium.
 

From then on things started to improve for me, for the first time in nearly 8 years. It took me 3 months to taper off of Librium. At the same time, Dr Madhava identified through testing that I had a low adrenal function. I now take B12, nutrient and hormone supplements to balance my natural levels as well as eating a gluten free, low sugar diet and exercising. I feel like a different person and am living the life I thought I’d never be able to.
 

At 35 years of age, I finally completed by PhD dissertation. I do believe it was fate that brought me to find Dr Valsa Madhava. I have so much to thank her for.