England- Proposed agenda for discussion on involuntary tranquilliser addiction

this is the proposed agenda for discussion on involuntary tranquilliser addiction with Dr Harris, Head SMU, RCGP, Simon Ashmore, Head of Communications RCGP and John Perrott, Lancaster, Monday 28th March 2011.

 

http://www.benzo.org.uk/perrott9.htm

 

in it it is proposed various things like "Withdrawal can be frightening and prolonged and GPs need to employ trained counsellors to provide psychological support and withdrawal advice."

and

"To stop the practice of enforced and/or abrupt withdrawals by reduction/cessation of prescriptions. "

 

and others. hope it goes well with the royal college..

This is fantastic and John Perrot even suggest disciplinary action for docs who don't follow guidelines. As well as how people are uselessly polydrugged from misunderstood bw symptoms etc.

 

Thankyou for this Reguadio. Great article. I hope it carries the "punch" we need to get government officials to understand bw and doctors to understand benzowithdrawal and what they need to change.

Looks good.  Feel like printing it out and sticking on the doctors wall!!  lol

I have printed out copies of it and took one to my doctors office and another one to a physician's assistant who has been helping me.  I plan to send it out to all the doctors who have helped to put me into this horrible situation.  I have been collecting articles and info for the last six months and they are all going to get a letter from me with all those articles attached.  Will they read it?  I don't know.  But it will give me satisfaction to send it to them.  So maddening!

Hoping2BFree

Good for you Hoping2BeFree.  I need my psychiatrist on my side, so I'm not going to antagonise her just yet!  But I noticed there is a feedback form in the psychiatric outpatients asking about whether or not you have received enough information about your meds.  I will now certainly be filling this out and making sure I make my point about physical addiction and withdrawal from benzos. 

 

As for all that crap about discontinuation syndrome coming off antidepressants ......  What a load of baloney .... If you have physical withdrawal, you are physically addicted.  Isn't that the definition of addiction?

 

 

As for all that crap about DISCONTINUATION SYNDROME coming off antidepressants ......  What a load of baloney .... If you have PHYSICAL WITHDRAWAL, you are PHYSICALLY ADDICTED.  Isn't that the definition of addiction?

You so said it starbar..............euphemism city, they're politicians now too.

Oh It makes me so mad.  I saw my sister go through hell coming of seroxat (Paxil).  She tapered so slowly.  At first NOBODY believed her that she was in withdrawal (this was over 10 years ago), then there was an expose on a BBC programme about that drug.  Eventually they helped her to taper, even down to the most minuscule liquid amounts.  After 10 days off, wham!  She was back to where she started.  Back in ER.  They wanted her to go back on it.  She refused, but ended up on Prozac, all because of withdrawal.  She is going to try and come off Prozac in the next year. 

 

What makes me just as mad is how they market drugs for different uses.  Like first Prozac was for depression, then eating disorders, then anorexia, then ocd, etc etc.

 

I had no idea what I was being given when I went on Klonopin :-(  At one point I was offered Lyrica for anxiety.  Dont even know what it's original use what meant to be for.  Thank God I looked it up first on the internet.  But as far as I am concerned they are ALL addictive.

 

I did a quick search today about how long does it take to withdraw from heroin.  It was saying like 2 weeks.  I feel cheated and don't mean to judge people addicted to heroin but I am on a legally prescribed drug that will take months of pain to come off.  Not fair. 

HOW do we get this kind of response from US policy makers???

HOW do we get this kind of response from US policy makers???

 

We could write our representatives, here are some contact links;

 

House -

http://www.house.gov/house/MemberWWW_by_State.shtml

 

Senate -

http://www.senate.gov/general/contact_information/senators_cfm.cfm

 

I just refuse to stay silent on this issue, our silence doesn't help anyone. The more my cognition returns, the louder I get  hehe    

I just refuse to stay silent on this issue, our silence doesn't help anyone. The more my cognition returns, the louder I get

 

Star, I think over the course of the next generation or so, we may just see that.. as people start coming off Benzo's. There's millions out there on them. I assume, sadly they will be coming off someday too. So hopefully word gets around! In this case, not quick enough.

 

Keryn.

I am printing this info and taking to my next doctor appt.  My gp keeps saying that it is not withdrawal but rather anxiety that causes my symptoms.  She also keeps saying I should start lexapro then I will have no problem getting of Klonopin.  I hope this article will help here.  I keep gathering info to share with her.  I just hope it helps, she is a relatively young doctor.  I am hoping to change her way of thinking before a lot of other people are unnecessarily put on drugs.

Good for you Hoping2BeFree.  I need my psychiatrist on my side, so I'm not going to antagonise her just yet!  But I noticed there is a feedback form in the psychiatric outpatients asking about whether or not you have received enough information about your meds.  I will now certainly be filling this out and making sure I make my point about physical addiction and withdrawal from benzos. 

 

As for all that crap about discontinuation syndrome coming off antidepressants ......  What a load of baloney .... If you have physical withdrawal, you are physically addicted.  Isn't that the definition of addiction?

 

 

They call it dependence. Big difference between dependence and addiction.

 

But yes, they are full of poo poo.

This article almost makes you want to move to England just to be taken seriously.

 

Kudos to star104 for posting the links to the house and the senate!  This is what I'm talking about!  The problem is so vast the only way to reel it in is through legislature.  I encourage everyone to visit these websites and tell your representatives your story.

 

 

House -

http://www.house.gov/house/MemberWWW_by_State.shtml

 

Senate -

http://www.senate.gov/general/contact_information/senators_cfm.cfm

 

 

Thanks Regaudio for posting the article!