It's not what's in the news that's important it's:

what's ISN'T in the news. What isn't in the news is a cure for benzodiazepine damage! It's quite obvious that discontinuation is NOT a cure for a majority of long term users, in fact that seems to make symptoms worse for many. Why isn't that news worthy?

https://www.madinamerica.com/2014/10/benzos-cognitive-damage/

Thanks LorazepamFree2015, I have read that article numerous times but it never hurts to read it again. I'm feeling particularly down today because yesterday I accompanied a friend, who is also benzo damaged & dependent, on his weekly visitation of other benzo victims in our community. One was in a very bad state with depression, he's been benzo free for several years but continues (without relief) with his prescribed antidepressant medications.  I also learned that another benzo victim from our community caught his proverbial bus this past week. It's discouraging seeing so many victims losing their health & life but, at least my friend continues to make weekly visitations. He asked me what else can he do, after contemplating a bit, I told him he is probably providing the best therapy he can: friendly companionship. As for the friend who caught his bus, I'm fairly certain no mention will be made regarding benzodiazepines in his obituary. 

I am sorry, it must be very hard to see others affected to badly.  It would have been like that in the UK a few decades ago when whole communities were blighted by these drugs.  Now we tend to meet each other online.

Thanks LorazepamFree2015, I have read that article numerous times but it never hurts to read it again. I'm feeling particularly down today because yesterday I accompanied a friend, who is also benzo damaged & dependent, on his weekly visitation of other benzo victims in our community. One was in a very bad state with depression, he's been benzo free for several years but continues (without relief) with his prescribed antidepressant medications.  I also learned that another benzo victim from our community caught his proverbial bus this past week. It's discouraging seeing so many victims losing their health & life but, at least my friend continues to make weekly visitations. He asked me what else can he do, after contemplating a bit, I told him he is probably providing the best therapy he can: friendly companionship. As for the friend who caught his bus, I'm fairly certain no mention will be made regarding benzodiazepines in his obituary.

 

Fi, that's tough about your friend. Sorry to hear it.

 

People just cannot understand the issue. Although it seems simple to us, to the general public it's extremely complicated. People do not understand biology, let alone the nervous system, which is easily the most complicated part. Psychiatrists exploit this ignorance by telling people the reason we are doing badly is due to a re-emergence of illness. I don't know about you, but I've never had an "illness' this intractable and persistent. It will become public knowledge at some point. As soon as I get healthy enough, I plan on enrolling in a graduate level neuroscience program at the local university. I can't make any promises, but the plan is nothing less than to lay waste to psychiatric charlatanism. These people are going to have a hell of a bill to pay.

Thanks Data & best wishes for you & the crusade. I'm hopeful that fewer & fewer people will fall victim to long-term use with more careful prescribing & monitoring. I'm not very hopeful for those who have been on for decades & are senior citizens. The guy I mentioned was only in his 40's & just a normal guy with a prescribed iatrogenic chemical damage, not unlike most of us with this condition. As I said before, I think what is not being reported in the news is the greater tragedy. 

I'm so sorry about what happened to your friend, Fi. I'm wondering if he did a c/t or had a rapid taper. So very sad...

 

I think what is of utmost importance is tapering. One must start out very slowly. Only then can a person tell how their nerves will fare and perhaps go faster. Most of the people who are protracted have either done a c/t or a rapid taper, not knowing any better. It was thought that getting the drug out of the body as soon as possible was the best choice, or they become too impatient and can't be bothered with tapering. Now we know that it's the nerves that need to be protected and that tapering slowly, at least to start out with, is really the best way.

 

Unfortunately, people don't have the facts about tapering and are told by doctors and others in the medical field to just stop taking the benzo, or they want their patients to do fast tapers. They don't seem to understand GABA or glutamate as it relates to benzos, the adrenaline surges that can arise, the deep depressions from going too quickly. I don't know what it will take for them to change their ways, but I believe that they should be held accountable for their actions. Look, this has been going on for almost 60 years. A deep tragedy. Being held accountable would certainly send a clear message and travel through the medical community.

 

I don't believe, personally, in staying on medication that is so bad. Early on I had difficulty that I had never experienced before, and it kept getting worse. I didn't even suspect Ativan. 

Thanks LorazepamFree2015, I have read that article numerous times but it never hurts to read it again. I'm feeling particularly down today because yesterday I accompanied a friend, who is also benzo damaged & dependent, on his weekly visitation of other benzo victims in our community. One was in a very bad state with depression, he's been benzo free for several years but continues (without relief) with his prescribed antidepressant medications.  I also learned that another benzo victim from our community caught his proverbial bus this past week. It's discouraging seeing so many victims losing their health & life but, at least my friend continues to make weekly visitations. He asked me what else can he do, after contemplating a bit, I told him he is probably providing the best therapy he can: friendly companionship. As for the friend who caught his bus, I'm fairly certain no mention will be made regarding benzodiazepines in his obituary.

 

Thanks Fi Addendum. I am really sorry to hear about your friend and the other person from the community. I wish more people would understand benzodiazepines much better, because, there are cases when it's not clear that being entirely benzo free is the answer. Personally, I am going on a long hold myself because, at this point, my brain has a lot of catching up to do and I also believe that lowering my dose any further would cause me much more harm than good. I guess my goal for the longest time had been to drop into a very prescribable dose range where I don't have to beg for my medications and am not subjected to the indignities of emergency room visits and ridicule by my doctor. If only my brain and body could recover a bit better. That would be so nice.

Thanks Data & best wishes for you & the crusade. I'm hopeful that fewer & fewer people will fall victim to long-term use with more careful prescribing & monitoring. I'm not very hopeful for those who have been on for decades & are senior citizens. The guy I mentioned was only in his 40's & just a normal guy with a prescribed iatrogenic chemical damage, not unlike most of us with this condition. As I said before, I think what is not being reported in the news is the greater tragedy.

 

Thanks Fi Addendum. I am in my 40's myself. I did not even know what ativan was until the age of 37. I was healthy, working and fully capable at that age. By the age of 41 1/2, I had severe enough prescribed iatrogenic issues that kept me from working, driving, and rendered me disabled and non-functional. I had gotten a little better, but not much has changed since then. Sadly, what seemed like useful anxiolytic medicine at first paved the road to my long-term disability. I wish more people understood the disabling and damaging effects of benzodiazepines. I also wish that more people understood that benzodiazepines can cause damage long before a person feels that something is off and wrong. Also, once the damage has been done, a person on a long-term benzo prescription needs to constantly evaluate whether being completely off of a drug is in their benefit or not. This is something a person has to keep deciding on every step of the way due to the unpredictable and uncertain nature of recovery from these drugs.

 

 

Thanks LorazepamFree, I hope you will find a comfortable level that works for you. I too expect I'll need to adjust dosages as my condition changes. best wishes! 

The local community is attributing the death at least partially due to depression from a recent breakup with his girlfriend. Seems like a common explanation, it's likely no further information will be provided and I'm almost certain the cause of death will NOT be in the news. His brother is a law enforcement officer in the community. It goes to show this affliction can affect families from all walks of life. Be wise, be safe & best wishes!

Yes, that's how it normally goes. Should there be any autopsy, it will most likely reveal "prescription medication in therapeutic levels". Of course, if someone has been getting therapeutic benefit from their prescription medication, surely, that cannot be the cause of death by any means. There are plenty of people on mental health medications out there that seem to work and function ok. Perhaps, what some of those folks might have in common is that they are not on benzodiazepines of any kind. But then agan, it's all just dumped into a category of "prescription drugs". What a "benign" little catch-all term.

Lost another community member this week, I live in a very small community. That's 3 in the last 2 months who have done this. They say this happens in waves.

Oh my goodness, Fi. That's devastating. I'm so sorry to hear about that.

I am very sorry to hear about this, Fi. Beyond tragic.

The local community is attributing the death at least partially due to depression from a recent breakup with his girlfriend. Seems like a common explanation, it's likely no further information will be provided and I'm almost certain the cause of death will NOT be in the news. His brother is a law enforcement officer in the community. It goes to show this affliction can affect families from all walks of life. Be wise, be safe & best wishes!

 

I'm so sorry, this makes me so angry I could cry.

Lost another friend this week. Although he had other troubling circumstances going on in his life, like a recent break up with his long-term girlfriend, I can't help but wonder if his recent attempt to w/d from benzos, accompanying depression and other w/d symptoms might not have led him to take his own life.

 

Who knows? Be safe!

 

Best Wishes

I'm so sorry to hear that, Fi. I'm sending condolences. Very sad news.