Posted by linkadge on July 3, 2007, at 12:51:10
In reply to Re: The Benzos, posted by Klavot on July 3, 2007, at 10:10:29
>Both benzodiazepines as well as SSRIs can cause >withdrawal when discontinued. But SSRIs are not >drugs of abuse, whereas benzos are.
Yes, but that doesn't mean everybody abuses benzodiazapines, it just means there is a potential for abuse. The potential for abusing stimulants has not been a reason to halt prescriptions. It is just another consideration.
>The phenomenon of benzophobia is simply a case >of learning from history. Why did doctors become >benzophobic in the first place? Because back in >the days when benzos were freely dispensed, >there was too much benzodiazepine abuse taking >place.
Benzophobia is multifacited, and not entirely based upon the true incidence of benzodiazapine abuse. The incidence of true benzodiazapine abuse
has been overemphasized on account of the way that it helps market SSRI's.There are other aspects too such as benzodiazapine misue, such as lending valium to friends, using valium to smooth out minor anxieties etc. In this sense SSRI's are subject to misuse too.
>I've never seen anybody abuse SSRIs.
It certainly does happen. Prozac is sometimes outright abused. Somtimes it is combined with other drugs such as amphetamines to increase the high, or lower doses required to get a buzz. I know it is abused as their is some street value for SSRI's.
>In my own family, I know of two people who have >abused benzos to the point where their quality >of life was impacted. They would spend entire >weekends in a benzo-induced haze, having little >recollection afterwards of anything they had >done over the weekend.
I have several family members who have greatly benifited from benzodiazapines. Both my mother, father, aunt, uncle, and grandfather and myself benifited greatly from benzodiazapine use for severe periods of anxiety in their lives. They used them appropriately, and tapered off them later. In comparison, most of these family members found antidperessants for GAD to be essentually useless.
>If I were a doctor, I too would be benzophobic.
I don't think phobia is necessary, just caution, they can be lifesavers when little else works. Antidepressant resistant GAD is fairly prevalant, and can be very serious and life disrupting. There is actually very little else that can be used for such severe anxiety.
Linkadge
poster:linkadge
thread:766128
URL: http://www.dr-bob.org/babble/20070630/msgs/767389.html