Posted by Racer on October 28, 2007, at 20:52:48
In reply to Benzo treatment for anxiety=drug problem?, posted by torachan on October 28, 2007, at 19:31:51
Yes, you have a drug problem, just not the one this doctor has in mind. The drug problem I see is that you've been treated for a decade and a half with a class of drug many doctors are reluctant to prescribe. Fortunately, there is a good chance of improvement in this sort of drug problem, although you will possibly have to consult another doctor...
Seriously, the first question I'd ask is how your dosage has changed over the time you've taken the drugs? I assume you've increased your usage in times of acute stress, and probably gone back down again when things were more stable? If that's the case, or if you've never really increased the dose once you found one which worked, then I think you're probably in a good position to assess whether you have a drug problem.
The biggest problem with benzos is that they're the sort of short acting drug which can be taken for fun and then cause tolerance. There are a lot of people out there who enjoy them a bit too much, too, which also makes it harder for doctors to assess who is drug seeking, and who isn't. The good news is that the doctor you saw was probably genuinely trying to help, however clumsily. The bad news, of course, is that that wasn't helpful to you.
So, what do you think? Do you have a drug problem? Or are benzos an effective treatment for what ails you?
poster:Racer
thread:792047
URL: http://www.dr-bob.org/babble/20071027/msgs/792072.html