The Trouble with Tranqs

There's a whole group of drugs out there called benzodiazepines.They are tranquillisers, or sedatives. They include such well-known names as Valium (diazepam), Ativan (lorazepam), Librium (chlordiazepoxide), Tranxene (clorazepate), Paxipam (halazepam), Centrax or Verstran (prazepam), Klonopin (clonazepam), Dalmane (flurazepam), Serax (oxazepam), Restoril (temazepam), Xanax (alprazolam), and Halcion (triazolam). Drugs like Librium and Valium have been around for a while, others such as Xanax are relative newcomers. Interestingly, whenever it appears, the newcomer is always hailed as a wonder drug as it becomes available for prescrption, until, 10 or 20 years later, the problems start to appear with those who were the first to be 'saved' from their pain by this miracle of pharmacological engineering.

But when the mind is filled with anxious thoughts; the world is a scary place; and coping is a dream so far away it's just a fantasy, these wonderful drugs are a lifeline to be grabbed with all of our might and they can indeed create a window of respite, a breather, a little calm that allows the troubled mind to struggle on and cope in a lesser version of Hell than without the drugs.

Peter Breggin, in Toxic Psychiatry, writes of 100,000,000 prescriptions a year, in the US alone, for benzodiazepines, at a conservative estimate costing $500,000,000. They are clearly popular with doctors, but considering the long-term detrimental effects, and the ease with which short-term use can turn to addiction I am puzzled as to why they seem to be the first response to people who are clearly lost in their own minds and most of whom just need re-assurance first, with direction, support, and guidance following on.

These drugs have a clinically similar effect to alcohol on the central nervous system, and long term use can have quite a severe impact on brain tissue, in much the way alcohol does. But the real problem with these drugs is their addictiveness, and the difficulty in stopping taking them after even a relatively short period of use. Some of these distressing withdrawal symptoms that may be experienced are: anger, anxiety, bowel changes, lack of concentration, emotional disturbance, depression, coordination difficulties, vertigo, sensitivity to light, head pressure, muscle and joint pain, numbness, paranoia, agitation, shaking, insomnia, and feelings of unreality or dissociation.

So what's the alternative?

The alternative is not a bigger, better, more modern, more focused drug. The alternative is the realisation by the medical world, and by sufferers from anxiety, that these drugs don't change anything. They just disconnect you from it. Whatever it is that's causing the anxiety, it's still there when the drug is eventually stopped. Postponing facing up to it for 3 months, a year, 10 years, 20 years? still leaves the problem sitting there, and it will wait for as long as is necessary because it is a part of the mind, a part of the belief system, a part of the upbringing, a part of the self. All the drugs do is numb the mind, wrap it in cotton wool so thinking is fuzzier, but they leave the problem sitting there waiting for the day the drug is removed. There is simply no escape through drugs.

The trouble is we've all become so used to the idea of the easy option, the effortless solution ? magic is what we want. What we don't want is to have to look at what we don't want to look at because every time we look we get the anxiety response that we're trying to escape from in the first place.

There is only one solution.

That solution is for the sufferer to decide that they are going to be free of the problem, and that their life is no longer going to be controlled by their anxiety.

Without a commitment at that level, nothing will work long-term.

Once that commitment is made, then it is up to the sufferer to allow themselves to be guided (by what feels right to them) towards the help and assistance they require. This may be therapy in one of its many forms, counselling, cognitive therapy, psychotherapy, Gestalt, behavioural therapy, hypnotherapy?; or the avid reading of self-help books that appeal, attending therapy/self-help groups, attending workshops, visiting a spiritual healer?

What is important is that the sufferer feels heard and honoured and supported, not so much what the flavour of the month is in therapy. They all work. They all have an impact, as long as the match between the sufferer's mind, the style of therapy, and the personality of the therapist/facilitator, are a comfortable fit.

There is no suggestion here that anyone taking tranquillisers should stop taking them without consulting their physician. Many of these drugs require a gradual reduction in dose ? a weaning, because of the effects they have on the brain. Sudden removal can produce worse or similar symptoms to those that the drug was being prescribed for in the first place.

What I am suggesting is that alternatives are seriously considered, and that it is possible to lead a life free of the need of the tranquillising crutch that prevents the sufferer from ever experiencing the fullness and wonder of self in all it's creative and successful glory.

Michael J. Hadfield MBSCH is a registered clinical hypnotherapist. You can experience his unique style on a popular range of hypnosis CD's and tapes at http://www.hypnosisiseasy.com. Here you can also obtain treatment for a variety of problems and explore his approach to health, healing, and hypnosis.

In The News:


pen paper and inkwell


cat break through


Comfortable, Affordable Lab Coats for the Health Care Professional

When a health care professional uses lab coats it conveys... Read More

Potassium and The Dialysis Patient

Any dialysis patient who has had a brush with high... Read More

Ingrown Toe Nails Medical Treatment

Medical Care:Treatment options depend on the stage of ingrown toenails,... Read More

The Right Medical Equipment For You Home Or Practice!

Quality, dependable Medical Equipment is an important component of every... Read More

UltraCET: The Dynamic Duo Of Prescription Pain Control Medications

Remember the last time you stubbed your toe? OUCH! It's... Read More

?Get Rid of Tendonitis ? Now!? Advice From An Expert?

Tendons are ropes of fibrous tissue that connect muscles to... Read More

Signs of Suicide : Learn What They are and How to Deal with Them

The true numbers are probably much higher because many suicides... Read More

Dr. Will Horsley, M.D.

Dr. Horsley is Cornea fellowship trained and Lasik board certified... Read More

Watch Out for Misleading Pharmaceutical Advertising

In 1997, the Food and Drug Administration relaxed the rules... Read More

The Power of Ice

Using ice to treat injuries is one of the oldest... Read More

A Closer Look at Lower Back Pain Relief

As many as 8 out of 10 adults will experience... Read More

The Medical Community Changes Its Mind

How many of us have taken aspirin or a similar... Read More

How To Locate An Alcohol Rehabilitation Center In California

Alcohol rehab in California refers to the centers that help... Read More

Clinton on South Beach Diet

Clinton's recent quadruple bypass surgery has been largely debated. Being... Read More

Using Blood Pressure Monitors To Maintain Your Health

Many people today realize the importance of keeping their blood... Read More

Why Modern Medicine is the Greatest Threat to Health

There is the underlying assumption that modernity translates into better... Read More

Finally...Affordable Prescription Medication without Insurance.

If you are like many Americans, you are without health... Read More

Are You Sometimes Confused by Written Medical Instructions?

Now, imagine what it would be like if you were... Read More

Adaptogens for Life - The Science Behind the Discovery of Adaptogens

Modern civilization has produced an unusually stressful environment to humans... Read More

Phenylpropanolamine (PPH) Lawyer: Decongestant Causes Stroke

Phenylpropanolamine, or PPH, used to be an active ingredient in... Read More

Lunesta For Insomnia: A Guide To Compare Generic Lunesta ( Eszopiclone )

We all know that there's no such thing as cheap... Read More

OxyContin Addiction: Doctors & Drug Lords

OxyContin is a narcotic drug, an opiate, that has been... Read More

7 Tips to Keep Your Fluid Down on Dialysis

As any dialysis patient will tell you, keeping your fluid... Read More

Pediatric Emergency Contact Notifications Made Easier

For the head of the trauma department at one of... Read More

22 Inside Tips on How You Can Make Your Arthritis Medicines Work Twice as Effectively in Half the..

This report will give you 22 important tips to make... Read More

Propulsid Litigation Lawyer Says: Unnecessary Drug Killed 80 People

Propulsid was a popular nighttime heartburn drug before it was... Read More

Treating Neuromas - Ten Tips

A neuroma is an inflamed nerve. In the foot, the... Read More

The Pharmaceutical Drug Cartel and the FDA

According to the Los Angeles Times, the California Association of... Read More

Bextra Withdrawal Could Be Just the Beginning for Pfizer

The pharmaceutical industry is a tremendously profitable one, as anyone... Read More

Ambien Sleep Medication And Insomnia: What Is Insomnia And How Can Ambien Help?

What's Insomnia?Identifying insomnia is a little like the old joke... Read More

How Safe Do You Feel Going To Hospital To Be Cured

There has been a lot of concern in Australia over... Read More

Orphan Drugs: Hope Where There Is Little or No Hope

NEW YORK, N.Y., February 18, 2004 ? On a visit... Read More

Alzheimers Toxin May Be Key To Slowing Disease

Australian scientists say they have identified a toxin which plays... Read More