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Psychiatrists often prescribe anti-anxiety drugs such as alprazolam or lorazepam for people suffering from post-traumatic stress disorder, or PTSD. This can be brought on by terrible accidents, physical injuries, disasters, sexual assault or the horrors of war.
Although such benzodiazepine medications can ease anxiety symptoms and insomnia in other situations, a recent review of 12 studies showed no benefit from treating PTSD with these drugs.
Might Benzodiazepines Increase the Likelihood of PTSD?
There was actually a hint that recent trauma victims treated with a benzodiazepine might be at higher risk of developing PTSD than those who received no medication. It is not clear that these drugs actually worsen symptoms of PTSD and make recovery more difficult, but it is possible that such medications interfere with coping mechanisms that are important for recovery from traumatic events.
Jean
Bradenton, Florida
Since 1996 I have been taking a one MG lorazepam tablet every night in order to stay asleep for more than 3 hours. Without it, I have no problem getting to sleep, but cannot stay asleep. I weigh 105 lbs, can tolerate few medications, but have never had a problem with lorazepam, have never needed to increase the dosage, and continue to enjoy all the benefits without any side effects. My doctor completely endorses this!
janet
re benzos: my husband became dependent on Librium by accident after taking a drug he was prescribed for a gastro issue. After 3 years, he began experiencing severe anxiety for which his doctor then prescribed Xanax! His doctor was completely clueless about what the benzodiazapenes were doing to him.
When our med provider removed the Librium containing drug from their formulary, they informed him that, by the way, he may have become dependent on this drug. Again, our doctor was clueless on what to expect and gave us no direction on how to withdraw.
It was a TERRIBLE withdrawal. My husband turned to binge drinking and was almost suicidal. He was finally hospitalized and was able to withdraw under medical supervision.
I cannot emphasize enough the terrible mental state that benzos can create. AND it was a real eye opener to realize how little our doctor knew about the drugs he was so blithely prescribing.
Marcy
USA
I have taken clonazepam, a benzo med, for 10 years as I have severe insomnia. I would definitely have gone crazy before now without this medication as I DO NOT sleep without it. I am sorry that people throw out drugs wholesale without considering those of us who have tried EVERYTHING to sleep but nothing has worked except clonazepam. I would love to sleep again naturally but nothing natural and alternative has helped to date. I take a small dose and have not increased it. So, be a little gentle.
Miki
West Coast
Buy some black cherry juice concentrate. It does have natural melatonin, but it doesn’t bother me the way the tablets did. It really helps if you add some to yogurt, ice cream, or whatever at night before you go to sleep. Melatonin tablets gave me vivid dreams that woke me up, but the Black Cherry juice does not give me vivid dreams.
Helen M
Modesto, CA
It has been shown, time and again, that counseling/therapy can help as much, if not more than drugs. With no side effects – unless you count facing things you would rather bury, and the pain that brings, as a side effect. As with our medical system, our mental health system is in tatters too. We are going to have to bring a lot of brain power, time, energy and money together to make things better. Hopefully with honest people leading the way to change.
In 1975 we were having difficulties within our family and needed some outside intervention to put us on a better path. We turn to the mental health system of our county. For a small fee our son was placed into group therapy, as were we with other parents and two professionals. We could visit individually with a therapist now and again, if needed. All for one small, even then, weekly fee. Therapy usually went for two years, less if not needed. During our time there, our financial circumstances changed, for the worse. They continued to treat us for a token sum per week. If I had not insisted we pay something; the therapy would have gone on without a fee from us. I don’t know where the money came from; I do know these public health agencies have gone by the wayside. So, when you are struggling for money to buy food, where can you get mental health care?
A healthy populace, in mind and body, is a high performing populace. Prevention and early treatment are also far more cost effective than trauma care that could have been avoided. When will they ever learn?
Beth
San Diego
I am a 78 year old woman. I have owned my condo for 30 years. It is 40 years old. I have vibration almost daily throughout. At night my mattress quivers due to a 36 yr old renter. We share a common bedroom wall. He and his partner enjoy making out at least three times a night. I can’t go to sleep due to my mattress quivering and it wakes me up at 1:30 or 2am and again at 4:30 or 5:00 am. I have complained for months. He denied to our Board what was going on. They can’t do anything as I can’t prove it. I am concerned about taking sleeping medicine as I already have some short term memory issues, and I know it can make my memory worse. But I am loosing sleep and don’t know what to do. I tried 3 mg of Melatonin but it gives me a terrible headache. I weigh 105 and do not do well with medicines. Any suggestions.
Art
San Antonio
Beth, have you tried rearranging your furniture and moving your bed to the other side of bedroom? Just a thought.
Mary
I keep a small 8″ floor fan that is steadily NOISY if there is unusual noise. The fact it is steady allows me to tune it out.
It turns it into White Noise.
Dee
usa
Benzos MAKE you depressed and suicidal!The withdrawal symptoms from these little monsters will make you feel like you are going crazy and dying, you will be so sick.As you build up tolerance to the drug you will need to keep increasing the dosage or you will get inner dose withdrawal symptoms with anxiety and panic way worse then what you had before taking these.Check out the Benzo withdrawal sites,such as Benzo Buddies to see how many people are totally messed up from this drug,and how hard it is to get off them.The side effects last,seriously,for years.These drugs are snakes that will make you very,very sorry the day you started taking them.