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Re: about withdrawal 'syndromes' (a parenthesis)

Posted by alan on August 15, 2002, at 11:08:52

In reply to Re: about withdrawal 'syndromes' (a parenthesis) » Squiggles, posted by Squiggles on August 15, 2002, at 9:08:40

> p.s. i should like to add that i have
> strong disagreement on some beliefs of
> the Benzo group, and agree with some
> others, based on my personal experience.
> I don't want to take up too much time here
> on the debate as it is long and now, after
> so much discussion and battle, tedious.
>
> I don't think that one should abstain from
> using benzos - but one thing is certain -
> after long term use, getting off, is very
> difficult, at least without the aid of another
> drug or professional assistance. Indeed, the
> books i mention, warn of seizure, and sometimes
> fatal seizure.
>
> Squiggles
--------------------------------------------
One can not extrapolate for the entire population based on their own personal experience. This is the problem regardless of the clinician texts that are mentioned. The texts are accurate in describing the build up of tolerance and withdrawl and the possibility of seizures if one is to stop them abruptly. This is no reason to scare the general population into exaggerating these risks since if taken as the drug was designed, there is very little risk.

No less a prestigious organisation as the World Health Organisation has concluded that short AND long term bzd therapy is some of the safest therapy in the realm of psychotropic medication. It, unlike many other drugs, has a 40+ year track record with a plethora of studies and clinical evaluation to back up both long and short term therapy.

Yes, it is a tedious and long discussion. That's because the devil's in the details. The misunderstandings about these drugs are perpetuated by sites such as these because as just one minor example, this anti-benzo cult group makes no distinction between "addiction" and medical dependence like the rest of the medical world does. This deliberate blurring of the lines is at the root of most of the tedium that is mostly unnecessary and no doubt harmful.

Doing battle with windmills seems to be a full time occupation for groups that refuse to make this simple and medically straightforward distinction. This is not to say bzds are for everyone, but they should and are gradually becoming a class of drug that is offered to the patient on equal footing with all other drug therapy, including the comercially driven ssri's, for properly diagnosed anxiety disorders.

Long term bzd monotherapy is essential for those with chronic disorders that are in need of drug therapy. Withdrawl is NOT generally a problem if done properly regardless of length of therapy and should not be used as a scare tactic to keep patients from being offered the very drug that will provide them relief of their symptoms.

These groups are highly political and moralistic about drgs in general and unfortunately, about bzd's exclusively. This is not the way to administer advice and information about medicine. There are enough competing interests that stand between the doctor/patient relationship. Let's not make the stigmatising of bzd's continue in this overt a manner.


Alan


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poster:alan thread:116248
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