Posted by octopusprime on November 11, 2003, at 12:51:45
In reply to Please Choose An Addiction: Benzos, or Demon Rum?, posted by Destroyo on November 10, 2003, at 21:27:16
hello destroyo
i'll put my personal note to you first. (to make sure you read it, this post will get long :)
you said: "Suffice it to say, it's a 150 lb. rabid mastiff that must be placated (with alcohol), or else it'll eat me alive."
there are more choices in drugs than benzos and alcohol. there are ssris and atypical anti-psychotics and other drugs that you may find helpful for anxiety. i myself used weed to keep me in line, it wound up being ultimately ineffective, and i felt much better after going the shrink/medical drug route. medical treatment may in fact be cheaper than a drinking habit, despite your lack of insurance. do a cost/benefit analysis to exploring treatment, it may be worth it to you. good luck.
now to the more general stuff:
thought i would google on your assertion:
"I've never heard of anyone going to the emergency room, or dying, due to OD'ing on benzos."here's what i turned up on the toxicity on benzos:
"In the US: In 1998, a total of 40,004 benzodiazepine exposures were reported to US poison control centers, of which 1177 (2.9%) resulted in major toxicity and 53 (0.1%) resulted in death. " (from http://www.emedicine.com/emerg/topic58.htm)so, as you suggest, we can contrast this against alcohol-related deaths, and see that the morbidity related to benzos is significantly smaller than the morbidity related to alcohol (even if you only count the deaths from alcohol poisoning!)
however, the morbidity statistics do indicate that benzos are not harmless, as you assert. a steady supply becomes an invitation to overdose, because as you mentioned a tolerance grows.
i'm with you, the war on drugs has been an abject failure. i personally think we should legalize it, tax it, and treat addiction publically, much like alcohol. until our western society truly does create good opportunities for all people to work, socialize, and make the most of ourselves, the underclass (and even the unsatisfied upper and middle classes) will continue to drug itself into a stupor to close its eyes to the pain and banality of modern life. i don't see any solution besides acceptance and social growth.
alcohol is not the best we can do. drugs aren't either. what we need are good schools, solid social programs, affordable housing, and a real shot for everybody. and while i'm dreaming, i'd like a pony. :)
poster:octopusprime
thread:278367
URL: http://www.dr-bob.org/babble/social/20031031/msgs/278584.html