The danger of trying to help others see the dangers of psych drugs

[[...]]

Yes, Ms Atomic, I'm very well aware you have it in for me because I used the word addict in the title of my book. It took me 400 pages to explain why I did so, and I'm not going write it out again here. You people claim to want to get the word out about the dangers of Benzos to unsuspecting people. That's exactly what my book is doing. But you think the debate is all about that one word, and want to claim some kind of moral superiority for avoiding it. Talk about cutting off your nose to spite your face.

 

Why does language matter?

 

Stigma remains the biggest barrier to addiction treatment faced by patients. The terminology used to describe addiction has contributed to the stigma. Many derogatory, stigmatizing terms were championed throughout the “War on Drugs” in an effort to dissuade people from misusing substances. Education took a backseat, mainly because little was known about the science of addiction. That has changed, and the language of addiction medicine should be changed to reflect today’s greater understanding. By choosing language that is not stigmatizing, we can begin to dismantle the negative stereotype associated with addiction.

 

Changing the stigma will benefit everyone. It will allow patients to more easily regain their self esteem, allow lawmakers to appropriate funding, allow doctors to treat without disapproval of their peers, allow insurers to cover treatment, and help the public understand this is a medical condition as real as any other.

 

Choosing the words we use more carefully is one way we can all make a difference and help decrease the stigma.

 

“...In discussing substance use disorders, words can be powerful when used to inform, clarify, encourage, support, enlighten, and unify. On the other hand, stigmatizing words often discourage, isolate, misinform, shame, and embarrass...”

 

Excerpt from “Substance Use Disorders: A Guide to the Use of Language” published by CSAT and SAMHSA

 

Words to avoid and alternatives.

 

Following are stigmatizing words and phrases which could be replaced with the suggested “preferred terminology” as a start in reducing the stigma associated with addiction.

 

Addict, Abuser, Junkie

 

Problem with the terms: These terms are demeaning because they label a person by his/her illness. By making no distinction between the person and the disease, they deny the dignity and humanity of the individual. In addition, these labels imply a permanency to the condition, leaving no room for a change in status.

 

Preferred terminology: Person in active addiction, person with a substance misuse disorder, person experiencing an alcohol/drug problem, patient (if referring to an individual receiving treatment services).

 

https://www.naabt.org/documents/NAABT_Language.pdf

[[Lo...]]

Thanks for some really great points, eric. I enjoyed reading your post. Sometimes, the person gets being deemed an addict just by the virtue of being on a controlled substance, like benzodiazepines.

 

So, theoretically, if my doctor cut me off from benzos and to compensate, raised my Neurontin from 900mg/day to 3,600mg/day and also put me on two or three "mood stabilizers" (say, for example, Depakote and  Lamictal), and threw a hefty night-time dose of Seroquel to the mix, I would no longer be at risk of being considered an addict. Instead, my status would shift to basically being "just" severely mentally ill, as I'd probably just be crawling on all fours and sleeping all day or seeing cobwebs in front of my eyes in forms of visual hallucinations, but it would be a "reasonable" price to pay not to be consistently stigmatized for benzodiazepine use and be continually be asked questions such as ("are you STILL taking your benzos?").

 

Yes, the whole judgmental charade gets really tiring, indeed....

 

[[Lo...]]

Oh, yes, and before benzos, I was a big Prozac "junkie", taking "whopping" 20mg/day, and I even dared to drink coffee fairly regularly, and used to have a sweet tooth for desserts and ice cream. Yes, how shameful of me!

[Guest [Kp...]]

Oh, yes, and before benzos, I was a big Prozac "junkie", taking "whopping" 20mg/day

 

20 mg is not whopping.  40 probably is, lol.

[[Fi...]]

Eric--I will not be continuing this debate about addiction vs. dependence.  Of course I think language matters.  I'm a writer!  Defenders of their status as non-addicts like to claim they are only thinking of others, of those who follow.  Well, me too.  The first time I hit a window and realized what my doctors had inadvertently put me through, I thought, wow,  people need to be warned about this!  If it could happen to me, it could happen to anybody.  So, in that window, I started writing.  When I hit a wave, I suffered.  Then, when I went back to a window, I wrote again, documenting the exact details of that suffering.  In the end I produced a memoir that shows exactly how a person with no addictive tendencies and absolutely no prior issues with substance abuse could have her mind addicted and destroyed by well-meaning doctors.  I knew I had done nothing wrong and had nothing to be ashamed about, so I didn't give a damn what anybody labeled me.  There was NO HELP EITHER WAY.  In  the end I healed myself, and my book has been eye-opening in various ways to everyone who's read it.

 

My idea was to use my already in place skill set to give people the heads up I wish I'd had.  That's my contribution to the cause.  The book is out there for whatever good it can do.  I never wanted to make a career of being a benzo survivor and that's why, when Robert Whitaker asked me to blog on MadinAmerica, I said no thanks.  My book is it.  Take it or leave it.  It's already helped some people and I hope it will help others.

 

My only regret at the moment is that, while I was down with a garden variety cold, I came back here out of boredom to check on folks.  Not much good news, I'm afraid, and I have no intention of getting sucked back into these debates.

 

Life is short.  Time is precious.  Especially well time.

 

I wish you all well.

 

 

[[Lo...]]

I wouldn't normally flat out refuse to read a book about addiction. The key would be in the title. If someone put words like "Tranquilizer" or "Sedative"  and "Addiction" together, you bet I'd be interested (both before taking them and now. I've seen and read plenty about addiction/dependence to other substances and feel informed on a basic level. Plus it was pretty clear to me that those other substances are addictive. There's no such thing as cognitive dissonance with realizing that a person is addicted to heroin/opiates/alcohol/cocaine/amphetamine/LSD/etc etc. There's much more cognitive dissonance with benzos, because of the widespread belief that "tranquilizer addiction is purely psychological and that there is no such thing as physical dependence". In other word, "it's all in your head, man up and just quit, for heaven's sake"

 

I am not sure that "Accidental Addiction" or "Accidental Addict" will grab a lot of interest. Most people out there tend to believe that Addiction either implies some kind of a character defect or a moral failure, or they look at addiction as a disease and something that a person is born with and cannot be avoided unless a person attends AA or NA all the time and adheres to principles 100%. Basically, "Accidental" in "Accidental Addict" makes no sense to the uninitiated.

 

I think a title along the lines "Prescription to Addiction" or "Prescribed Addiction" would be far more effective because it would make me think about dangers of prescription drugs, and I'd be inclined to read it.

 

Call me selfish, but Tranquilizers are the only substances I'd ever had problems with, so while reeling and suffering from that, I just have no energy to read about other addictions/dependencies at this point, whatever you want to call them. Getting off of Prozac was a walk in the park compared to getting off of tranquilizers.

 

[[Lo...]]

E. Robert Mercer put an excellent book out called "Worse than Heroin". But how does a person run into a book like that if they have no interest in heroin? Unfortunately, it was a veiled title (since there is nothing about heroin in that book), and the book was published in 2008, and a lot of people could have benefited by reading it back then. And actually, a lot that he writes about, I could relate so much to. Wish it had a better title, as I could have found it before this Godawful mess. I still didn't know what Ativan or a benzodiazepine or a benzo was. I knew what a tranquilizer was, but wasn't aware that term was being replaced by another, more accurate one.

[[Fl...]]

The story of drugs in the modern world is as fascinating as it is sad, tragic and convoluted. I would love to write about it one day when I am finally able to work out all of my thoughts on it. If I am ever able to regain my ability to tackle a project of that magnitude, that is.

 

Honestly I don't have much of an opinion on the language that surrounds addiction. I don't have a dog in that fight. I'm sure people who are addicted to other drugs are treated unfairly in some regards but I have my own issues to worry about so the only thing I am concerned about is that people stop using addiction terminology to describe the brain damage I have suffered from a drug that I took exactly as prescribed.

 

And contrary to what some people would like us to believe it has little to do with the desire to distance us from the stigma of addiction. Yes, that is part of it. It is absolutely unfair to lump me into the same category as a heroin addict. But more importantly it is dangerous and possibly even deadly to treat benzo dependence/withdrawal/damage the same way you would treat a heroin addiction.

 

 

[Guest [Sk...]]

E. Robert Mercer put an excellent book out called "Worse than Heroin". But how does a person run into a book like that if they have no interest in heroin? Unfortunately, it was a veiled title (since there is nothing about heroin in that book), and the book was published in 2008, and a lot of people could have benefited by reading it back then. And actually, a lot that he writes about, I could relate so much to. Wish it had a better title, as I could have found it before this Godawful mess. I still didn't know what Ativan or a benzodiazepine or a benzo was. I knew what a tranquilizer was, but wasn't aware that term was being replaced by another, more accurate one.

 

 

 

agree.  sadly this book mentioned above was published in 2008, 10 years ago, and still the problem persists and exists  sadly for all of us now on this journey, and no further solutions have come forth other than individual speculations re personal experiences, beliefs, and opinions,  however we are all different and what suits one person often is not helpful for another. :'( :'( :'(

 

and if one looks there are also so many other books on Amazon written on this same subject and still no solutions other than its up to each of us individually to solve our own dilemmas as we heal. :tickedoff:

 

 

[[Ms...]]

 

 

And contrary to what some people would like us to believe it has little to do with the desire to distance us from the stigma of addiction. Yes, that is part of it. It is absolutely unfair to lump me into the same category as a heroin addict. But more importantly it is dangerous and possibly even deadly to treat benzo dependence/withdrawal/damage the same way you would treat a heroin addiction.

 

That's how I feel.  I was so confused at the beginning ended up in a failed detox and due to that kindling coming off is even worse than it needed to be.  I also wasted a ton of money.  Rehab couldn't help me.  It was as if I was speaking greek and they were speaking dutch.  They said my insistence I never abused the medication was lying and denial because I was on such a "low dose" that how could I otherwise have problems.  This is the result of convoluted language. 

 

I have neurological issues.  I want nothing more in my life than to be off these drugs.  I also don't want my brain and body damaged further because if it got much lower it would not be worth living anymore.

 

None of that has a damn thing to do with getting high off a drug.  It's a failure of a system to understand a drug they prescribe and then blame the patient.  Florida Guy you should blog for us about something, I bet you'd be great.

 

[[Lo...]]

March 2014, job change, quitting 0.5mg Ativan for good, or so I thought. To my surprise, something felt very wrong. Like having a flu and bad allergies but worse. The only "cure" seemed to be to go back to weekly Lorazepam. Same dose. Total confusion. At this point, it was clear I could not stop taking this, but had no idea what to do except to stay on this. I talk to the doctor about my anxieties and he prescribes more. 4 times more. Why? Is he trying to kill me? Yet, I kept getting worse on my small dose. Suddenly, my body is screaming for the second dose. Confusion. Being told by the doctor that it's just anxiety. Sure feels like anxiety, but in a much worse form than I ever had it. And what's up with this crushing fatigue, weakness, and failure to concentrate?

[[Lo...]]

I think there is far less danger in letting people know of the dangers BEFORE they start psychiatric drugs. Once they are on them and under medical supervision, it gets much more dangerous because talking to a friend/coworker/neighbor/acquaintance may cause an opposite reaction from intended, as the person may get a feeling they need to stop their psychiatric drugs ASAP, which could be hazardous to their health.

 

I think the effort should be on informing people before they get their first psychiatric drug from their doctor. That's where a lot of people can be helped via therapy or some other venue, and the outcome would be much better.

[[Fl...]]

That's how I feel.  I was so confused at the beginning ended up in a failed detox and due to that kindling coming off is even worse than it needed to be.  I also wasted a ton of money.  Rehab couldn't help me.  It was as if I was speaking greek and they were speaking dutch.  They said my insistence I never abused the medication was lying and denial because I was on such a "low dose" that how could I otherwise have problems.  This is the result of convoluted language.

 

After I had been on clonazepam for about six months I asked my doctor about the potential for addiction and her exact words were "I'm not worried about that with you". She was as clueless as I was thinking that I couldn't possibly have any issues with these drugs if I wasn't abusing them or escalating my dose. All because we both thought that the problem with benzos is that they are "addictive". 

 

I think about how different everything might be today if my doctor were properly educated about dependence and the subsequent long term damage to the brain and CNS they can cause, or even if I had heard or read something about what these drugs are truly capable of prior to taking that first pill. Instead here I am more that 7 years after my last dose suffering from a serious brain injury, all because everyone thinks that benzos are addictive, when for most people they are nothing of the sort.

 

Florida Guy you should blog for us about something, I bet you'd be great.

 

Blog?

[[Fl...]]

March 2014, job change, quitting 0.5mg Ativan for good, or so I thought. To my surprise, something felt very wrong. Like having a flu and bad allergies but worse. The only "cure" seemed to be to go back to weekly Lorazepam. Same dose. Total confusion. At this point, it was clear I could not stop taking this, but had no idea what to do except to stay on this. I talk to the doctor about my anxieties and he prescribes more. 4 times more. Why? Is he trying to kill me? Yet, I kept getting worse on my small dose. Suddenly, my body is screaming for the second dose. Confusion. Being told by the doctor that it's just anxiety. Sure feels like anxiety, but in a much worse form than I ever had it. And what's up with this crushing fatigue, weakness, and failure to concentrate?

 

The really scary thing is that a different doctor could very well have made a different determination, labeling you as "addicted" and cutting you off cold turkey.

 

The ignorance that surrounds these drugs is astounding.

[[li...]]

FG,

 

That has a lot to do with the 'I am the doctor, I am God' phenomenon.

[[ma...]]

That has a lot to do with the 'I am the doctor, I am God' phenomenon.

 

Yes, to a point where they don’t feel obliged to keep updated or reevaluate their decisions

[[Lo...]]

March 2014, job change, quitting 0.5mg Ativan for good, or so I thought. To my surprise, something felt very wrong. Like having a flu and bad allergies but worse. The only "cure" seemed to be to go back to weekly Lorazepam. Same dose. Total confusion. At this point, it was clear I could not stop taking this, but had no idea what to do except to stay on this. I talk to the doctor about my anxieties and he prescribes more. 4 times more. Why? Is he trying to kill me? Yet, I kept getting worse on my small dose. Suddenly, my body is screaming for the second dose. Confusion. Being told by the doctor that it's just anxiety. Sure feels like anxiety, but in a much worse form than I ever had it. And what's up with this crushing fatigue, weakness, and failure to concentrate?

 

The really scary thing is that a different doctor could very well have made a different determination, labeling you as "addicted" and cutting you off cold turkey.

 

The ignorance that surrounds these drugs is astounding.

 

Yes, so true. I could have had a doctor who would have labeled me not just addicted but also weak. I mean "it was just 0.5mg, and I could have just toughened up and stopped it". And I would have probably bought into it. That's the scary part. But it wasn't that simple. There was no cold turkey for me at that time anymore.

[Guest [Sk...]]

FG,

 

That has a lot to do with the 'I am the doctor, I am God' phenomenon.

 

:thumbsup:

[[Fl...]]

FG,

 

That has a lot to do with the 'I am the doctor, I am God' phenomenon.

 

In a way, yes, but that is an oversimplification. It has a lot more to do with the broken system that doesn't teach doctors the truth about these drugs than it does the egos of doctors.

 

Yes, so true. I could have had a doctor who would have labeled me not just addicted but also weak. I mean "it was just 0.5mg, and I could have just toughened up and stopped it". And I would have probably bought into it. That's the scary part. But it wasn't that simple. There was no cold turkey for me at that time anymore.

 

The scary thing is that both "you need more of the drug" and "you have a drug problem and need to get off of them ASAP" are both equally wrong and both have the potential to cause the patient grave harm.

[[Lo...]]

FG,

 

That has a lot to do with the 'I am the doctor, I am God' phenomenon.

 

In a way, yes, but that is an oversimplification. It has a lot more to do with the broken system that doesn't teach doctors the truth about these drugs than it does the egos of doctors.

 

Yes, so true. I could have had a doctor who would have labeled me not just addicted but also weak. I mean "it was just 0.5mg, and I could have just toughened up and stopped it". And I would have probably bought into it. That's the scary part. But it wasn't that simple. There was no cold turkey for me at that time anymore.

 

The scary thing is that both "you need more of the drug" and "you have a drug problem and need to get off of them ASAP" are both equally wrong and both have the potential to cause the patient grave harm.

 

Yes. Scary indeed. And that is the mainstream attitude because benzos are routinely treated as just yet another substance dependence out there. If that was the true, why would people be doing these painfully long tapers to get off of it? Apparently, it is not as simple...

 

The thing with lorazepam is that 0.5mg is the smallest pill they make. There is no divider line on it, so it gives the impression that it cannot be scored/cut in half or tapered. At least, to the uninitiated, it seems that it is not an option. So the logical conclusion seems to jump from 0.5mg to zero.....

[Guest [Sk...]]

FG,

 

That has a lot to do with the 'I am the doctor, I am God' phenomenon.

 

In a way, yes, but that is an oversimplification. It has a lot more to do with the broken system that doesn't teach doctors the truth about these drugs than it does the egos of doctors.

 

 

:thumbsup: