Benzo prescription for gun violence trauma?

[[wa...]]

I'm not going to get into political thing, administrators. 

 

But I can't help but wonder if docs are going to whip out the tranquilizer prescription pads like crazy for patients who have survived incidents like today's high school shooting.  Family members too.  How do folks deal with such terror?  Are there enough good trauma therapists in the world?  WBB

[[Fl...]]

Of course. And the irony being that there very well could be a connection between psych drugs and these mass killings, as many of the perpetrators are on some form of psych meds.

[[Ga...]]

I honestly don't know how these kids get over this.

 

ALOT of therapy

 

I do think drs might prescribe benzos

[[wa...]]

I worked with folks following 9/11 -- not even survivors of the Twin Towers -- they just lived nearby.  And, not being savvy to the dangers of benzos, I knew of people starting benzos due to the general public angst who frankly would have done fine with a good therapist.  But everyone was hysterical and panicked.  It was like the whole world was falling apart.  How many folks got hooked on benzos then, I wonder.

 

No one is going to challenge a teenager or their family's (after a school shooting) decision to do what the doctor orders.  Of course Valium - look what they've been through.  Just more tragedy.    W

[[Lo...]]

I'm not going to get into political thing, administrators. 

 

But I can't help but wonder if docs are going to whip out the tranquilizer prescription pads like crazy for patients who have survived incidents like today's high school shooting.  Family members too.  How do folks deal with such terror?  Are there enough good trauma therapists in the world?  WBB

 

As a young man in the 90's, I remember that doctors would whip up SSRI prescription pads much more often. It seems that something after 9/11 changed, and that whipping up tranquilizer prescription pads was in vogue again

 

I suppose benzos became a way to "augment" an AD or to "buffer" the SSRI start up symptoms or to even "shield" from SSRI undesired effects. Very clever  . And of course, if that SSRI withdrawal becomes too uncomfortable, nothing like a benzo to make it more bearable 

 

And yes, if a long term SSRI use starts causing more and more depression and anxiety, suddenly, an occasional benzo becomes a very "practical" way to deal with those uncomfortable moments. 

[[gl...]]

  AMEN :'( :'(...I cant even pray anymore. My grandson is in the Army. Actually he was having issues with his parents and we took him in and convincing him to go in the military, Ti's was before #45 got to the White House. If something were to happen to him, that will be the end of me :-[

[[Ch...]]

A couple of days or even a week on a benzodiazepine PRN isn’t the end of the world for a victim of extreme violence.  I’m not sure how I’d have coped without it.  It’s the refilling of what’s recommended for 2-3 weeks that leads to why we’re here.

[[Lo...]]

A couple of days or even a week on a benzodiazepine PRN isn’t the end of the world for a victim of extreme violence.  I’m not sure how I’d have coped without it.  It’s the refilling of what’s recommended for 2-3 weeks that leads to why we’re here.

 

In addition to that guideline, I also see nothing wrong when people take a benzodiazepines PRN far apart enough (1 every 3-6 months). Understanding the rebound mechanism is the key. If a person understands it, a very rare PRN use seems perfectly acceptable to me. I'm pretty sure there is a good number of people who get 1 or 2 refills that last them for a very, very long time.

 

[[pi...]]

A couple of days or even a week on a benzodiazepine PRN isn’t the end of the world for a victim of extreme violence.  I’m not sure how I’d have coped without it.  It’s the refilling of what’s recommended for 2-3 weeks that leads to why we’re here.

 

In addition to that guideline, I also see nothing wrong when people take a benzodiazepines PRN far apart enough (1 every 3-6 months). Understanding the rebound mechanism is the key. If a person understands it, a very rare PRN use seems perfectly acceptable to me. I'm pretty sure there is a good number of people who get 1 or 2 refills that last them for a very, very long time.

 

I agree.

[[Be...]]

A couple of days or even a week on a benzodiazepine PRN isn’t the end of the world for a victim of extreme violence.  I’m not sure how I’d have coped without it.  It’s the refilling of what’s recommended for 2-3 weeks that leads to why we’re here.

 

In addition to that guideline, I also see nothing wrong when people take a benzodiazepines PRN far apart enough (1 every 3-6 months). Understanding the rebound mechanism is the key. If a person understands it, a very rare PRN use seems perfectly acceptable to me. I'm pretty sure there is a good number of people who get 1 or 2 refills that last them for a very, very long time.

 

I agree.

 

 

[[Va...]]

Emdr is great therapy for this kind of single event trauma's. Its fast and effective.

[[Sh...]]

I hate to see the mods saying that taking benzos even rarely, prn, and occasionally for short term use is okay.  Yes those scenarios viewed in a vacuum seems harmless enough, but we all know it's a really slippery slope. Getting immediate relief from taking a pill even in a horrible situation and gosh, life is full of stress and anxiety and where's that pill that worked so well last time?  What starts out as occasional can become something else entirely.  Hard to put that toothpaste back in the tube. Don't we all know that the hard way!!  Just a note of caution from someone who started out rarely and occasionally taking xanax following a traumatic event and fast forward 28 years and 28 circles of hell and here I am.

 

XX

She

[[Fl...]]

I hate to see the mods saying that taking benzos even rarely, prn, and occasionally for short term use is okay.  Yes those scenarios viewed in a vacuum seems harmless enough, but we all know it's a really slippery slope. Getting immediate relief from taking a pill even in a horrible situation and gosh, life is full of stress and anxiety and where's that pill that worked so well last time?  What starts out as occasional can become something else entirely.  Hard to put that toothpaste back in the tube. Don't we all know that the hard way!!  Just a note of caution from someone who started out rarely and occasionally taking xanax following a traumatic event and fast forward 28 years and 28 circles of hell and here I am.

 

XX

She

 

Spot on. It would be one thing if benzos were given with a black box warning that states in no uncertain terms the devastation these drugs can potentially cause, but we all know that isn't how it works.

[[Lo...]]

Interesting point, She. I was too scared of Xanax, and ended up taking Ativan, which ended up being probably worse for me in a long run. When I started taking it, it wasn't very well known (at least not known to me), and there lies the danger. It's used as an AED in hospitals, so there we are. A perfect warning right there. Maybe it's not a good idea to use any psych drug outpatient that is used as an emergency tool in ER. But I digress. Klonopin has also proven too strong for most people. Another strong anti-epileptic. So, what remains? Valium. Perhaps, getting an RX for 2mg Valium could help for those really rare situations, yet 5mg is much more commonly prescribed. Sometimes even 10mg. And that can be a slippery slope. I suppose where I am going with it is that a patient would have to know a LOT about these tranquilizers to keep out of harm's way. "Excuse me doctor, but I object to your prescription, as I believe that Lorazepam is a 3-hydroxy benzodiazepine, which is known to be very addictive, and its half-life is only 10-20 hours and it is also used as an AED, and I object to taking something that's used in Emergency Rooms to stop seizures. I would actually prefer that you prescribe me 30 x 10mg Librium capsules instead due to its long half-life and low potency. And based on my research of these NCBI

Pub Med articles, I  believe this is the safest option for me, and I'd prefer no refills as I plan for these to last me 2 years. Thanks."

 

My point is that the person getting an Rx would have to be very, very knowledgeable, and most people new to bzds are desperate for relief and just don't have this sort of insight that some of us who lived through this do.

[[Gr...]]

I'm not going to get into political thing, administrators. 

 

But I can't help but wonder if docs are going to whip out the tranquilizer prescription pads like crazy for patients who have survived incidents like today's high school shooting.  Family members too.  How do folks deal with such terror?  Are there enough good trauma therapists in the world?  WBB

 

As a young man in the 90's, I remember that doctors would whip up SSRI prescription pads much more often. It seems that something after 9/11 changed, and that whipping up tranquilizer prescription pads was in vogue again

 

I suppose benzos became a way to "augment" an AD or to "buffer" the SSRI start up symptoms or to even "shield" from SSRI undesired effects. Very clever  . And of course, if that SSRI withdrawal becomes too uncomfortable, nothing like a benzo to make it more bearable 

 

And yes, if a long term SSRI use starts causing more and more depression and anxiety, suddenly, an occasional benzo becomes a very "practical" way to deal with those uncomfortable moments. 

 

The reason I was first prescribed benzos was the help with the side effects of imipirimine(Old school AD) for two weeks, which I never took.  I'm not sure I would advocate for benzos while going on or off ssris for the same reason.

[[Fl...]]

The really sad thing is that politicians are all over the news now talking about how we need more mental health services, and we all know that that essentially means "these kids need to be drugged".

[[pi...]]

I hate to see the mods saying that taking benzos even rarely, prn, and occasionally for short term use is okay.  Yes those scenarios viewed in a vacuum seems harmless enough, but we all know it's a really slippery slope. Getting immediate relief from taking a pill even in a horrible situation and gosh, life is full of stress and anxiety and where's that pill that worked so well last time?  What starts out as occasional can become something else entirely.  Hard to put that toothpaste back in the tube. Don't we all know that the hard way!!  Just a note of caution from someone who started out rarely and occasionally taking xanax following a traumatic event and fast forward 28 years and 28 circles of hell and here I am.

 

XX

She

 

A long time ago a dear friend of mine was given xanax after a cancer diagnosis.  She had cervical cancer and when they started to perform the surgery it was determined that the cancer had spread and they could not continue the surgery.  She ended up having a radio active suppository inserted to 'kill' the cancer. It did.  The xanax was to help her sleep and deal with the trauma of the diagnosis.  Did she need it?  I can really say. I do know she took it very short term and had no problems stopping it. 

[[Lo...]]

It still blows my mind that this benzo problem has been there for decades and nothing was ever done. So when I was a 10 year old kid, playing with friends, somebody was stuck at home, suffering with benzo withdrawal. When I was 20 and in college, worrying about grades and exams, someone else was suffering with benzo withdrawal. When I was 30, worrying about project deadlines at work, someone was suffering from benzo withdrawals. And then I got into my 40's and experienced  it myself and realized that, all this time, there were people in the world suffering from this. Good grief  . That sure is a lot of collective suffering.

[[Lo...]]

Sometimes, people don't really need much. They just need someone to hear them out and empathize with them, without judging them, making fun of them, etc. Just simple supportive listening. If most people were given just that, there would have been far fewer people on psych meds. But there are not many safe places to just talk about things.

[[wa...]]

To be sure there is a place in the doc's RX toolbox for benzodiazepines.  Death in family, divorce, catastrophic event like flood, fire hurricane, rape, war, assault, accidents, periods, and gun violence. 

 

I guess it is long term prescriptions  are the culprit and way too easy to issue in the absence of social supports and therapy.  There is a lot more accessible valium than accessible therapy.  WBB

 

[[ma...]]

It still blows my mind that this benzo problem has been there for decades and nothing was ever done.

 

Yes, I feel the same. But I imagine I'd feel something similar if I found myself sleeping on the streets, homeless, realizing that there had always been people living like this without others, me included, caring enough to prevent it. All are forms of human suffering caused by a dehumanized society. People defend themselves by putting blame on the victim, which is seen as "different". I think that realizing all this is one of the few positive results of this mess that we get into.