The Two Ways to Deal with Benzodiazepine Addiction

Dr Vernon Coleman MB ChB DSc FRSA




There are two ways we can deal with one of the greatest long-standing modern medical scandals.

We can try to help the people who are stuck on these damned drugs.

I’ve done that.

In the early 1980s, after a decade of campaigning, I devised a tapering programme designed to help patients wean themselves off their drugs. (At that time there were no low dose pills available and my programme required cutting some tablets up with a knife.)

That programme was originally attacked but I am pleased to say that it is now widely accepted and is used by doctors and patients. It has been refined and improved but I am delighted it has been of help.

The other way is to tackle the problem at source: to try to persuade patients not to take benzodiazepines – and to understand that any modest short-term benefits are massively outweighed by the vast medium and long-term problems. And to try to stop doctors prescribing them.

There are no benefits to the benzodiazepines as tranquillisers or sleeping tablets.

They undoubtedly have very short-term value in anaesthesia and the treatment of certain brain disorders.

But they have no place in the treatment of patients who are nervous or anxious.

Doctors have to be educated. They have to be trained not to prescribe benzodiazepines in such vast quantities.

And history tells us that will never happen unless doctors are startled, shocked and frightened into changing their ways.

Until more people are prepared to fight the medical profession (which is backed and supported by the drug industry) this problem will never be conquered.

Unfortunately, many of those who have only recently discovered the benzodiazepine disaster, still do not realise just how evil and powerful the drug companies are and how totally they control the medical profession.

The problem will not be solved until more of those who are now taking an interest in benzodiazepine addiction understand the real nature of their challenge.

Copyright Vernon Coleman July 28th 2017



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