Even doctors suffer from these drugs (trigger, as it deals with suicide)

This isn't the entire article, but I wanted to point out that this doctor was on anxiolytics and was recently weaned off of them - from Medscape:

 

Yet Another Physician Suicide

He was the go-to sports guy in Washington, DC. A masterful surgeon with countless academic publications, he trained orthopedic surgeons across the world and was the top physician for professional sports teams and Olympians.

 

Dr Benjamin Shaffer

 

Dr Benjamin Shaffer had it all.

 

Yet Ben was more than a stellar surgeon. He was a kind, sweet, brilliant, and sensitive soul who could relate to anyone—from inner-city children to Supreme Court justices. He was gorgeous and magnetic with a sense of humor and a zest for life that was contagious. Most of all, he loved helping people. Patients came to him in pain and left his office laughing. They called him "Dr Smiles."

 

Ben was at the top of his game when he ended his life. So why did he die?

 

Underneath his irresistible smile, Ben hid a lifetime of anxiety amid his professional achievements. He had recently been weaned off of anxiolytics and was suffering from rebound anxiety and insomnia—sleeping just a few hours per night and trying to operate and treat patients each day. Then his psychiatrist retired and passed him on to a new one.

 

Eight days before he died, his psychiatrist prescribed two new drugs that worsened his insomnia, increased his anxiety, and led to paranoia. He was told that he would need medication for the rest of his life. Devastated, Ben feared that he would never have a normal life. He told his sister it was "game over."

 

Ben admitted that he was suicidal, with a plan, though he told his psychiatrist that he wouldn't act on it. Ben knew he should check himself into a hospital but was panicked. He was terrified that he would lose his patients, his practice, his marriage, and that everyone in DC—team owners, players, patients, colleagues—would find out about his mental illness and he would be shunned.

 

The night before he died, Ben requested the remainder of the week off to rest. His colleagues were supportive, yet he was ashamed. He slept that night but awoke wiped out on May 20, 2015. After driving his son to school, he came home and hanged himself on a bookcase. He left no note. He left behind his wife and two children.

 

Word about these drugs can't stall. It has got to get out to everyone. It's obvious that the psychiatrist didn't have a clue as to what was going on with the doctor and instead gave him worse drugs. This is devastating, but then again, it seems that a lot of people on BB have come up against the very same thing.

 

The rate among doctors is 3 or 4 times higher than the general population per 2018 pub med.

Is there a link?

 

Can people comment?

I can't seem to link it because it's for members only, but at the time I read it, there were no comments. I've wondered about commenting myself, but I don't know how to.

The rate among doctors is 3 or 4 times higher than the general population per 2018 pub med.

 

Yes, it's getting bad. I've seen numerous articles in Medscape about this lately. There's too much stress. Doctors have to fill out a bunch of forms for the insurance company. It used to be that you could look at your patient while talking. Now doctors are looking at computers while talking. Their primary reason for being a doctor has been cut off. It's all about the insurance companies getting information, time shortened for appointments, being evaluated. And of course big pharma keeps breathing down their necks, urging doctors to prescribe new drugs that the doctors have no idea about. And of course people have interactions between drugs, want to get off drugs. Honestly, I'd hate being a doctor. No wonder they're starting to shift to concierge practice. Something has got to change. It's big business for the insurance companies now. They rule the roost.

All of that is true in the UK too but we don’t have insurance in that way.

Everyone can join Medscape free of charge, just sign up.

 

Here's the link to the article, there are a couple of comments there now.

 

https://www.medscape.com/viewarticle/901300

Still can’t find how to comment.

http://www.idealmedicalcare.org/why-happy-doctors-die-by-suicide/

 

You can comment here   

Thank you abcd and Skyblue!

From the comments section:

 

Someone named Wren Cage said this: Although it doesn’t say which anxiolytic he was recently weaned off of, I’m pretty sure this poor man was suffering from acute benzodiazepine withdrawal syndrome.

And Dr. Pamela Wible responded: Ativan, Xanax, he was on many over the years.

 

Benzos are the cause of suffering. Yet some people get off these easily the first or second times. The paradox and sadness continue... 

 

Here's a link to a Washington Orthopedics article about him. Very, very sad. His family and friends must be gutted.

 

https://www.wosm.com/our-physicians/in-memory-of-dr-shaffer/

 

Looks like it happened in 2015:

 

https://www.legacy.com/obituaries/washingtonpost/obituary.aspx?n=benjamin-shaffer&pid=174912999

Thank you, Lapis, for those!

 

Yes, very, very sad indeed.

 

I didn't realize it happened in 2015, though.

 

 

Yes, Terry, it's hard to tell from the Medscape article. It appears that it just happened, but when I started to look up this man's name, I found some obituaries. He had a wife and children and a very full, successful professional life, it seems. So sad. No doubt, his death was a huge loss to many.

http://www.idealmedicalcare.org/why-happy-doctors-die-by-suicide/

 

You can comment here   

 

Ta!

Yes, Terry, it's hard to tell from the Medscape article. It appears that it just happened, but when I started to look up this man's name, I found some obituaries. He had a wife and children and a very full, successful professional life, it seems. So sad. No doubt, his death was a huge loss to many.

 

I agree with you. A very full, very successful life. Gone. So very sad. The picture of him looks so vital.

http://www.idealmedicalcare.org/why-happy-doctors-die-by-suicide/

 

You can comment here   

 

Ta!

 

I'm glad you have access to the comments now, Ajusta! 

If doctors are suffering is it fair for us to blame doctors for our suffering, surely they are being lied to as well?

It I should their job to be aware of these things. They get paid a lot of money to at least be competent at that.

If doctors are suffering is it fair for us to blame doctors for our suffering, surely they are being lied to as well?

 

Absolutely agree.

From the comments section:

 

Someone named Wren Cage said this: Although it doesn’t say which anxiolytic he was recently weaned off of, I’m pretty sure this poor man was suffering from acute benzodiazepine withdrawal syndrome.

And Dr. Pamela Wible responded: Ativan, Xanax, he was on many over the years.

 

Benzos are the cause of suffering. Yet some people get off these easily the first or second times. The paradox and sadness continue...

 

Yep my third time and it’s completely different depression wise.

He probably felt trapped and had to keep up appearances, even if he was really struggling to function. I can understand the picture. So much pressure. We had a doctor in our family too, and the pressure is enormous.

 

Anything we can guess, though, is nothing more than a guess.

Yes, Laois, I can't imagine trying to do surgery while going through this!! I remember a doctor on POR that did a c/t off Valium, and he also had to perform surgeries. He couldn't stop his job, so somehow he did it, but I can only imagine how difficult that would be. You have to be extra steady with your hands. Other doctors are watching you as well. The patient's life is in your hands. WHAT PRESSURE!!! And all while going through deep depression and anxiety and the myriad of other symptoms that pop up while in benzo withdrawal.

If doctors are suffering is it fair for us to blame doctors for our suffering, surely they are being lied to as well?

 

I wonder who is at fault for sending the message that these drugs are easily gotten off of and pose no dependence. Is it the pharma reps who send the message? The botched-up clinical trials? Buried evidence? Lack of studies? Little funding for research? Doctors take these pills, too, not knowing the dangers. And meanwhile the media doesn't send a clear message also. EVERYTHING ELSE but the benzo seems implicated in deaths. They don't dare say anything about benzos. Dr. Drew did say it was going to be the next epidemic on national TV. Other doctors have said something, but it goes on deaf ears.

 

Meanwhile, you have the people on them voicing how good they are and "DON'T TAKE THEM AWAY FROM US!!!" You also have a good number of people saying that they have no problem coming off these drugs a first or second time. What can be done to counteract these forces? Where does that leave the rest of us who have incapacitated brains and cannot function normally with broken brains?

Maybe "personalized medicine" will reveal how different we all are with regards to metabolization of these meds. If more testing is done on individuals BEFORE prescriptions are given, and we see that this person has this genetic makeup and the next person has a completely different one, etc., then we see that no two people will have the same experience on benzos -- or a myriad of other meds as well. The CYP450 enzymes are known entities -- not mysteries -- and there IS testing available. But the question is whether it can used regularly, i.e. whether it's accessible, affordable, available to all.