Lorazepam

[[Ph...]]

The words to use for this: disability, damage, neurotoxicity. Very few newcomers will take benzos if they hear that benzos are neurotoxic and can cause disability, central nervous injury and neurological and other kind of damage. And once the damage occurs, the only way it can be minimized is by a slow taper off the drug. Nice and clear. Now, why do we go 'round and 'round with addiction/dependence without acknowleding the truth? Probably the same reason many people take a benzo for initially: FEAR.

 

LF says:  "The words to use for this: disability, damage, neurotoxicity. Very few newcomers will take benzos if they hear that benzos are neurotoxic and can cause disability, central nervous injury and neurological and other kind of damage. And once the damage occurs, the only way it can be minimized is by a slow taper off the drug. Nice and clear. Now, why do we go 'round and 'round with addiction/dependence without acknowleding the truth?"

 

All of these words describing the outcome of long term benzo use are accurate, of course  But the cause of long term use is "addiction."  That is, after a surprisingly short period of time, these drugs can no longer be stopped.  They will control your life.  This must be the primary message.  This is the word.

 

[[Ph...]]

Segment including Michael Behan

 

 

Good.  I liked Appleby's comments about alternative methods of treating anxiety rather than throwing pills at a new patient.  And government's responsibility to recommend and enforce the use of alternative treatments.  He's right, we can't just tell doctors not to throw pills.  They need to be re-trained in other methods. 

[[li...]]

Look at the media. Messages about 'addiction'. Asociated with compulsive drug seeking, craving, abuse. The doctor knows best, its the patient addict's fault. People thinking 'it won't happen to me'.

 

The words to use for this: disability, damage, neurotoxicity. Very few newcomers will take benzos if they hear that benzos are neurotoxic and can cause disability, central nervous injury and neurological and other kind of damage. And once the damage occurs, the only way it can be minimized is by a slow taper off the drug. Nice and clear. Now, why do we go 'round and 'round with addiction/dependence without acknowleding the truth? Probably the same reason many people take a benzo for initially: FEAR.

 

LF says:  "The words to use for this: disability, damage, neurotoxicity. Very few newcomers will take benzos if they hear that benzos are neurotoxic and can cause disability, central nervous injury and neurological and other kind of damage. And once the damage occurs, the only way it can be minimized is by a slow taper off the drug. Nice and clear. Now, why do we go 'round and 'round with addiction/dependence without acknowleding the truth?"

 

All of these words describing the outcome of long term benzo use are accurate, of course  But the cause of long term use is "addiction."  That is, after a surprisingly short period of time, these drugs can no longer be stopped.  They will control your life.  This must be the primary message.  This is the word.

[[Ph...]]

Photobug,

 

Pompous ogre it is then. No problemo.

 

I’ve been on a horse or two. At this time of my life, I prefer to walk on level ground. But I can surely understand why you like riding that horse. It’s fun and exciting, and a person does see what others may not see.

 

I also see what others may or may not see on that level ground.

 

No labels here. My perception: remember? And you surely have the right to call yourself an addict if you want to label yourself as such.

 

Its a good thing to discuss different ideas and thoughts. Don’t think I’d call that as challenging though. A bit of a strong term there. Just a discussion; not a competition; no dispute; we think what we think.

Nothing uncomfortable about that or rare. We call it as we see it and as we think it. We both do.

 

As for next weekend; let’s think. Let’s relax and take that healing breath.

 

Intend says:  "I’ve been on a horse or two. At this time of my life, I prefer to walk on level ground.  But I can surely understand why you like riding that horse.  It’s fun and exciting, and a person does see what others may not see."

It's depressing, actually.  But the horse metaphor (your original choice) is a pejorative.  What I'm talking about is a wider perspective.  As to labeling, character analysis, rendering judgments, doing the ad hominem thing...these things don't add much to our discussion.  In debate, these tactics often signal frustration and defeat.  You're better than that.

 

[[Lo...]]

Look at the media. Messages about 'addiction'. Asociated with compulsive drug seeking, craving, abuse. The doctor knows best, its the patient addict's fault. People thinking 'it won't happen to me'.

 

The words to use for this: disability, damage, neurotoxicity. Very few newcomers will take benzos if they hear that benzos are neurotoxic and can cause disability, central nervous injury and neurological and other kind of damage. And once the damage occurs, the only way it can be minimized is by a slow taper off the drug. Nice and clear. Now, why do we go 'round and 'round with addiction/dependence without acknowleding the truth? Probably the same reason many people take a benzo for initially: FEAR.

 

LF says:  "The words to use for this: disability, damage, neurotoxicity. Very few newcomers will take benzos if they hear that benzos are neurotoxic and can cause disability, central nervous injury and neurological and other kind of damage. And once the damage occurs, the only way it can be minimized is by a slow taper off the drug. Nice and clear. Now, why do we go 'round and 'round with addiction/dependence without acknowleding the truth?"

 

All of these words describing the outcome of long term benzo use are accurate, of course  But the cause of long term use is "addiction."  That is, after a surprisingly short period of time, these drugs can no longer be stopped.  They will control your life.  This must be the primary message.  This is the word.

 

I don't think there's any substance on this planet that is this sneaky.

 

To all the benzo newcomers, avoid at all costs and, like PhotoBugSF said, avoid all channels of distribution. If your sweet grandmother offers a pill or two at your grandpa's funeral so you can cope, it's better to say "Thanks grandma, but I'd rather cry instead".  If a well-meaning physician offers a month's worth of Xanax ten years later, it's better to say no, too. Being aware that most people's avoidance of any real, substantial conversations about benzos (outside of online benzo communities) and lack of full-on informed consent from the medical profession means that "if there's smoke seen, there's a lot of fire raging". All the glassy eyed silence and embarrassed laughs when these pills are mentioned are the biggest warning one can get. Please don't be offered a welcome hand to benzoland from a seemingly caring family doctor, a concerned psychoterapist mentioning seeing a psychiatrist, or a helpful family member. Don't jump into it, or better yet, don't take a leisurely stroll through beautiful nature into a volcano, either. And no, it doesn't take handfuls of Xanax or Ativan to get profoundly sick from these pills. It doesn't always work like that and it's not how most people imagine it.

 

Now, that would be for the newbies. For the rest would be, "taper safely and stay safe, folks". For those who came off without major problems, it's "Congrats, and keep in touch with the community, both online and in the real world, so you don't get burned again at the most vulnerable". And for those still suffering years out, it is "Please keep fighting".

[[Re...]]

Look at the media. Messages about 'addiction'. Asociated with compulsive drug seeking, craving, abuse. The doctor knows best, its the patient addict's fault. People thinking 'it won't happen to me'.

 

The words to use for this: disability, damage, neurotoxicity. Very few newcomers will take benzos if they hear that benzos are neurotoxic and can cause disability, central nervous injury and neurological and other kind of damage. And once the damage occurs, the only way it can be minimized is by a slow taper off the drug. Nice and clear. Now, why do we go 'round and 'round with addiction/dependence without acknowleding the truth? Probably the same reason many people take a benzo for initially: FEAR.

 

LF says:  "The words to use for this: disability, damage, neurotoxicity. Very few newcomers will take benzos if they hear that benzos are neurotoxic and can cause disability, central nervous injury and neurological and other kind of damage. And once the damage occurs, the only way it can be minimized is by a slow taper off the drug. Nice and clear. Now, why do we go 'round and 'round with addiction/dependence without acknowleding the truth?"

 

All of these words describing the outcome of long term benzo use are accurate, of course  But the cause of long term use is "addiction."  That is, after a surprisingly short period of time, these drugs can no longer be stopped.  They will control your life.  This must be the primary message.  This is the word.

 

I don't think there's any substance on this planet that is this sneaky.

 

To all the benzo newcomers, avoid at all costs and, like PhotoBugSF said, avoid all channels of distribution. If your sweet grandmother offers a pill or two at your grandpa's funeral so you can cope, it's better to say "Thanks grandma, but I'd rather cry instead".  If a well-meaning physician offers a month's worth of Xanax ten years later, it's better to say no, too. Being aware that most people's avoidance of any real, substantial conversations about benzos (outside of online benzo communities) and lack of full-on informed consent from the medical profession means that "if there's smoke seen, there's a lot of fire raging". All the glassy eyed silence and embarrassed laughs when these pills are mentioned are the biggest warning one can get. Please don't be offered a welcome hand to benzoland from a seemingly caring family doctor, a concerned psychoterapist mentioning seeing a psychiatrist, or a helpful family member. Don't jump into it, or better yet, don't take a leisurely stroll through beautiful nature into a volcano, either. And no, it doesn't take handfuls of Xanax or Ativan to get profoundly sick from these pills. It doesn't always work like that and it's not how most people imagine it.

 

Now, that would be for the newbies. For the rest would be, "taper safely and stay safe, folks". For those who came off without major problems, it's "Congrats, and keep in touch with the community, both online and in the real world, so you don't get burned again at the most vulnerable". And for those still suffering years out, it is "Please keep fighting".

 

So true.

 

Barely more than a week with Ativan ruined my life when I tried to stop.  It's been a year and a half of on-going nightmare since.  I'm at a lowish dose of Gabapentin and in tolerance.  Can't go lower because the agony is too intense.  Don't know what to do or which way to go.  It's so shocking to me that I struggle at times to believe it happened to me.  I was so naive and fell into the trap out of insomnia desperation. 

 

-RST