What Do Doctors Need to Understand About Patients and Benzos?

 

Pretty good interview with a Doctor... may be of interest.

 

Thank you for bringing this to our attention.  It’s long but worth the view IMHO.  I hope the sponsoring org will provide a full transcript.  FYI Here’s the tag for the vid:

Published on Apr 3, 2019

“What responsibility do doctors have in the harm patients have experienced from benzos?  A candid interview with Dr. Stephen Wright GP, addiction specialist and lecturer.  We discuss his reasons for taking on the benzo cause along with promising research on the horizon for injured patients.  Dr. Wright and I both work with The Alliance for Benzodiazepine Best Practices, a non-profit focused on medical providers by medical providers.  Go to www.benzoreform.org to learn more.”

 

I am now aware of 3 different orgs in the U.S. working on getting the word out about benzo harms as well as providing info about withdrawal (this one, the benzo info coalition, and the withdrawal project).  Does anyone know if these orgs are coordinating efforts? 

This was an excellent article, and I'm so happy that a doctor is actually in on it!! It gives me hope that the news about benzos is building and that doctors will one day be knowledgeable enough not to yank a person off benzos and go far beyond the assumption that symptoms are all in our heads or that we're addicted.  :thumbsup:

 

Very good, and I appreciate it, colley!!

I've seen worse presentations & would give this one an above average score.

 

Some points regarding benzo w/d, not very well if at all highlighted by Dr. Steven Wright in this presentation nor by most others while discussing benzo w/d, but are highlighted in a slide show presentation by, I'm guessing, the same Dr. Steven Wright are these:

 

(1) "Benzodiazepine Withdrawal Patterns:

 

-Gradual decline in severity

-Protracted severity -- perhaps indefinitely

-Increased severity after initial decline

-Spikes in severity overlying other patterns"

 

(1) http://naceonline.com/CME-Courses/pc-slides/EC2018_Benzodiazepines_Print_10_16.pdf

I've seen worse presentations & would give this one an above average score.

 

Some points regarding benzo w/d, not very well if at all highlighted by Dr. Steven Wright in this presentation nor by most others while discussing benzo w/d, but are highlighted in a slide show presentation by, I'm guessing, the same Dr. Steven Wright are these:

 

(1) "Benzodiazepine Withdrawal Patterns:

 

-Gradual decline in severity

-Protracted severity -- perhaps indefinitely

-Increased severity after initial decline

-Spikes in severity overlying other patterns"

 

(1) http://naceonline.com/CME-Courses/pc-slides/EC2018_Benzodiazepines_Print_10_16.pdf

 

A reason this omission of important facts surrounding benzo w/d concerns me is the video presentation linked by colley appears to be directed toward patients via youtube but, the slideshow presentation appears to be directed toward physicians as part of a continuing medical education program presumably to be used during diagnosis, prognosis and development of treatment plans for patients.

 

Errors of omission of facts directed toward patients may present questions and problems during patient/doctor consultations. For example: If a patient reports to their doctor increased severity of symptoms during w/d and the doctor then recommends up-dosing to alleviate the symptoms, the patient (expecting only gradual declines or only occasional spikes in severity of symptoms) may reject a more fully informed doctor's advice.

 

When doctors and patients are working from different "scripts" of information, I can foresee possible problems in implementing successful treatment protocols.

 

Great to see this one! Thanks so much for posting it. I'm just starting to watch it, so I can't weigh in with any reflections yet.

It's great that this doctor is talking about listening to patients and their individual stories, which will inform them as they do their research and try to understand what's going on, neurophysiologically speaking, in the body. So, so wise. The stories are important.

 

____

 

Okay, I've just finished watching this, and I must say, it's phenomenal to hear Dr. Wright say, "I'm sorry" to those of us dealing with benzo-related issues. Good for him! I, personally, did have a doctor apologize to me regarding the misdiagnoses that I received, and it meant so much. There are good, caring doctors out there who want to do the right thing, and Dr. Wright is certainly one of them.  :thumbsup:

Unable to watch video, but the site looks great.

 

Very encouraging...

Thanks for posting.  As I was watching, the many interactions I've had with my providers over the years came to mind and I was filled with regret.  His apology was really great to hear.

Thanks for sharing this.  One of their own who gets it!  I hope they get the funding for the studies he references.