Posted by Chairman_MAO on November 10, 2011, at 7:32:57
In reply to why cant there be one story about benzos?, posted by gadchik on November 10, 2011, at 6:23:37
The reason why it is so hard to get an answer is because to give a full account of it is extremely complex. In general, it is better to avoid cementing a dependency on a benzodiazepine as a first-line treatment for anxiety. It would be dishonest of me to pretend that I understand issue fully--in fact, I believe very few people actually do.
Perhaps we should start by you describing exactly what the words "anxiety" and "treatment" mean to you. I know this sounds pedantic, but bear wtih me.
One thing it does _not_ do is "make you an addict for life". A physiological dependency does not for an addiction make.
A big problem with benzodiazepines is that insidious problems can surface _many_ years down the road. A taper is almost always possible, but some people require tapering over the course of a year or more in order to make it painless.
By "do without it", do you mean that you are only taking it "as needed"? If so, how often is "as needed"? I'd say that if you're using it more than once every 48-72hr, you should switch to a shorter-acting benzodiazepine.
Taken occasionally, benzodiazepines are usually extraordinarily benign. It is the physiological dependence that's the problem.
poster:Chairman_MAO
thread:1002095
URL: http://www.dr-bob.org/babble/20111110/msgs/1002103.html