Benzodiazepines
Benzodiazepine Addiction
How Can Addiction To Benzodiazepines Be Treated ?
Benzodiazepine addiction can be a serious problem, and benzodiazepines should never be used long term for this reason.
In general anyone who has taken more than 30 mg daily of diazepam (Valium), or equivalent, for more than 4 months is in trouble and anyone who has been on benzodiazepines for more than one month will need to have the medication tapered.
The usual way of treating the addiction is to slowly withdraw the drug, while providing counselling and support for the problem which prompted their use in the first place.
The drug should never be abruptly withdrawn since this leads to a withdrawal syndrome very similar to that of alcohol withdrawal. This includes anxiety, irritability, depersonalisation, hallucinations and various serious nervous system symptoms.
The drug is tapered very slowly, usually decreasing the dose by no more than 10% per day. The length of time of withdrawal will depend on the amount of the drug taken, being longer for higher doses.
If the addiction was to a short acting type of benzodiazepine, then a long acting one may be substituted in the early phases of withdrawal, since these tend to taper themselves and make it easier to withdraw from the drug entirely.
Long term users may require hospitalization for withdrawl.
Books Benzo Blues:
Overcoming Anxiety Without Tranquilizers
The benzodiazepine family of drugs includes ativan, azene, centrax, clonopin, dalmane, halcion, librium, paxipam, restoril, serax, valium, xanax, etc. They are among the most routinely prescribed medications in our society, used to treat chronic anxiety in millions of people.
Of the more than 30 million people who take these drugs, more than four million are addicted. Dr. Edward H. Drummond offers hope with a program for overcoming chronic anxiety without the use of tranquilizers.
Benzo Blues: Overcoming Anxiety Without Tranquilizers Consumer's Guide to Psychiatric Drugs
Comprehensive overview of the current medical treatments for anxiety, mood, and psychotic disorders. Discusses diagnostic issues, biology of mental illness, drug to drug interactions, and addiction potentials.
For consumers, this lay reference on psychiatric drugs outlines treatment options and tells patients what to expect.
Consumer's Guide to Psychiatric Drugs Prescription Drug Abuse
Abusers discuss their methods and sources and disclose that many of them felt that because they had prescriptions, they were not really drug abusers.
Medical, pharmaceutical, and legal personnel comment on the scope, sources, procedures, and possible solutions of the prescription drug problem.
Prescription Drug Abuse The Essential Guide to Psychiatric Drugs
Informative, accessible, and easy to use, it has become a classic indispensable resource for the layperson and professional alike.
With detailed descriptions of all the psychiatric medications available today, including their uses, side-effects, cost, dosage, and more, consumers can take an active role in their mental health and know what to expect from specific drugs.
The Essential Guide to Psychiatric Drugs
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