Skip to main content
  • 84 Accesses

Abstract

In recent years, increasing concern has been expressed about the use of benzodiazepine hypnotics and tranquilizers, particularly with regard to the numbers of patients who take the tablets regularly for a long period of time. This paper addresses the problems of long-term use and dependence and suggests ways in which patients can be helped to give up reliance on these drugs.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this chapter

Chapter
USD 29.95
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Available as PDF
  • Read on any device
  • Instant download
  • Own it forever
eBook
USD 39.99
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Available as EPUB and PDF
  • Read on any device
  • Instant download
  • Own it forever
Softcover Book
USD 54.99
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Compact, lightweight edition
  • Dispatched in 3 to 5 business days
  • Free shipping worldwide - see info

Tax calculation will be finalised at checkout

Purchases are for personal use only

Institutional subscriptions

Preview

Unable to display preview. Download preview PDF.

Unable to display preview. Download preview PDF.

References

  • Anderson, S., and Hasler, J. C., 1979, Counseling in general practice, J.R.Coll.Gen.Pract., 29: 352–356.

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Ashton, H., 1984, Benzodiazepine withdrawal: An unfinished story Br.Med.J., 288: 1135–1140.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Balter, M. B., Levine, J., and Manheimer, D. I., 1974, Cross national study of the extent of anti-anxiety/sedative drug use, New Eng.J.Med., 290: 769–774.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Committee on the Review of Medicines, 1980, Systematic review of the benzodiazepines, Br.Med.J., 280: 910–912.

    Google Scholar 

  • Cormack, M. A., and Sinnott, A., 1983, Psychological alternatives to longterm benzodiazepine use, J.R.Coll.Gen.Pract., 33: 279–281.

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • de Bard, M. L., 1979, Diazepam withdrawal syndrome: A case with psychosis, seizure and coma, Am.J.Psychiat., 136: 104–105.

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Dennis, P. J., 1979, Monitoring of psychotropic drug prescription in general practice, Br.Med.J., 2: 1115–1116.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Evans, J. G., and Jarvis, E. H., 1972, Nitrazepam and the elderly, Br.Med.J., 4: 487.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Fleming, D. M., and Cross, K. W., 1984, Psychotropic drug prescribing, J.R.Coll.Gen.Pract., 34: 216–220.

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Giblin, M. J., and Clift, A. D., 1983, Sleep without drugs, J.R.Coll.Gen. Pract., 33: 628–633.

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Hall, R. C. W., and Joffe, J. R., 1972, Aberrant response to diazepam: A new syndrome, Am.J.Psychiat., 129: 738–742.

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Hall, R. C. W., and Zisook, S., 1981, Paradoxical reactions to benzodiazepines, Br.J.Clin.Pharmacol., 11: 99S - 104S.

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Harris, G., Latham, J., McGuinness, B., and Crisp, A. H., 1977, The relationship between psychoneurotic status and psychoactive drug prescription in general practice, J.R.Coll.Gen.Pract., 27: 173–177.

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Hendler, N., Cimini, C., Long, T., and Long, D., 1980, A comparison of cognitive impairment due to benzodiazepines and to narcotics, Am.J.Psychiat., 137: 828–830.

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Hindmarch, I., 1979a, Some aspects of the effects of clobazam on human psychomotor performance, Br.J.Clin.Pharmacol., 7,suppl.:77S–82S.

    Google Scholar 

  • Hindmarch, I., 1979b, Effects of hypnotic and sleep inducing drugs on objective assessments of human psychomotor performance and subjective appraisals of sleep and early morning behavior, Br.J.Clin. Pharmacol., 8: 43S - 46S.

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Hindmarch, I., 1981, Psychotropic drugs and psychomotor performance, in: “The misuse of psychotropic drugs,” R. Murray and H. Ghodse, eds., Gaskell, London.

    Google Scholar 

  • Hindmarch, I., 1983, Benzodiazepines: The five point profile of clinical action, MIMS, March 1: 13–16.

    Google Scholar 

  • Hopkins, D. R., Sethi, K. B. S., and Muckow, J. C., 1982, Benzodiazepine withdrawal in general practice, J.R.Coll.Gen.Pract., 32: 758–762.

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Howe, J. G., 1980, Lorazepam withdrawal seizures, Br.Med.J., 280: 1163–1164.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Ives, G., 1979, Psychological treatment in general practice, J.R.Coll.Gen Pract.., 29: 343–351.

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Johnson, J., and Clift, A. D., 1968, Dependence on hypnotic drugs in general practice, Br.Med.J., 4: 613–617.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Kales, A., 1980, Benzodiazepine hypnotics: Carry over effectiveness, rebound insomnia and performance effects, in: “Benzodiazepines: A Review of Research Results,” S.I. Szara and J.P. Ludford, eds., National Institute on Drug Abuse, Research Monograph 33, DHHS, Washington DC.

    Google Scholar 

  • King, D. J., Griffiths, K., Reilly, P. M., and Merrett, J. D., 1982, Psychotropic drug use in Northern Ireland 1966–1980, Psychol.Med., 12: 819–833.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Koch, H. C. H., 1979, Evaluation of behavior therapy intervention in general practice, J.R.Coll.Gen.Pract., 29: 337–340.

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Lader, M. H., Curry, S., and Baker, W. J., 1980, Physiological and psychological effects of clorazepate in man, Br.J.Clin.Pharmacol., 9: 83–90.

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Lader, M., 1981, Benzodiazepine dependence, in: “The Misuse of Psychotropic Drugs,” R. Murray and H. Ghodse, eds., Gaskell, The Royal College of Psychiatrists, London.

    Google Scholar 

  • Lader, M. H., and Petursson, H., 1981, Benzodiazepine derivatives: Side effects and dangers, Biol.Psychiat., 16: 1195–1201.

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Lader, M., 1983a, Benzodiazepines: Long-term use and problems of withdrawal, MIMS, March 1: 28–31.

    Google Scholar 

  • Lader, M., 1983b, Benzodiazepines, psychological functioning and dementia,in: “Benzodiazepines divided,” M.R. Trimble, ed., Wiley, London.

    Google Scholar 

  • Lasagna, L., 1977, The role of benzodiazepines in non-psychiatric medical practice, Am.J.Psychiat., 134: 656–658.

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Linnoila, M., and Hakkinen, S., 1974, Effects of diazepam and codeine, alone and in combination with alcohol, on simulated driving, Clin. Pharmacol.Ther., 15: 368–373.

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Lynch, M. A., Lindsay, I., and Ounsted, C., 1975, Tranquillisers causing aggression, Br.Med.J., 1: 266.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Mapes, R. E., and Williams, W. 0., 1979, The changing pattern of general practitioner drug prescribing in the NHS in England from 1970–1975, J.R.Coll.Gen.Pract., 29: 406–412.

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Marinker, M., 1973, The doctor’s role in prescribing, J.R.Coll.Gen.Pract., 23,suppl. 2: 26–29.

    Google Scholar 

  • Mellinger, G. D., and Baiter, M. B., 1981, Prevalence and patterns of use of psychotherapeutic drugs: Results from a 1979 national survey of American adults, in: “The Epidemiological Impact of Psychotropic Drugs,” G. Tognoni, C. Bellantuono and M. Lader, eds., Elsevier, Amsterdam.

    Google Scholar 

  • Mendelson, W. B., 1980, “The Use and Misuse of Sleeping Pills,” Plenum, New York.

    Google Scholar 

  • Morgan, K., and Oswald, I., 1982, Anxiety caused by a short-life hypnotic, Br.Med.J., 284: 942.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Nicholson, A. N., 1979, Performance studies with diazepam and its hydroxylated metabolites, Br.J.Clin.Pharmacol., 8: 39S - 42S.

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Nicholson, A. N., 1981, The use of short-and long-acting hypnotics in clinical medicine, Br.J.Clin.Pharmacol., 11, suppl. 1: 61S - 69S.

    Google Scholar 

  • Oswald, I., 1983, Benzodiazepines and sleep, in: “Benzodiazepines Divided,” M.R. Trimble, ed., Wiley, London.

    Google Scholar 

  • Petursson, H., and Lader, M., 1981, Withdrawal from long-term benzodiazepine treatment, Br.Med.J., 283: 643–645.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Rickels, K., 1980, Benzodiazepines: Clinical use patters, in: “Benzodiazepines: A Review of Research Results,” S.I. Szara and J.P. Ludford, eds., National Institute on Drug Abuse, Research Monograph 33, DHHS, Washington DC.

    Google Scholar 

  • Shader, R. I., and Greenblatt, D. J., 1981, The use of benzodiazepines in clinical practice, Br.J.Clin.Pharmacol., 11, suppl. 1: 5S - 9S.

    Google Scholar 

  • Skegg, D. C. G., Doll, R., and Perry, J., 1977, Use of medicines in general practice, Br.Med.J., 1: 1561.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Skegg, D. C. G., Richards, S. M., and Doll, R., 1979, Minor tranquillisers and road accidents, Br.Med.J., 1: 917–919.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Swift, C. G., 1981, Psychotropic drugs and the elderly, in: “The Epidemiological Impact of Psychotropic Drugs,” G. Tognoni, C. Bellantuono and M. Lader, eds., Elsevier, Amsterdam.

    Google Scholar 

  • Tessler, R., Stokes, R., and Pietras, M., 1978, Consumer response to valium, Drug Ther, 8: 1780183.

    Google Scholar 

  • Tyrer, P., 1978, Drug treatment of psychiatric patients in general practice, Br.Med.J., 2: 1008–1010.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Tyrer, P., 1980, Dependence on benzodiazepines, Br.J.Psychiat., 137: 576–577.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Tyrer, P., Rutherford, D., and Huggett, T., 1981, Benzodiazepine withdrawal symptoms and propranolol, Lancet, 1: 520–522.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Varnam, M., 1981, Psychotropic prescribing. What am I doing? J.R.Coll.Gen. Pract., 31: 480–483.

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Williams, P., 1978, Physical ill health and psychotropic drug prescription–a review, Psychol.Med., 8: 683–693.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Williams, P., 1980, Recent trends in the prescribing of psychotropic drugs, Health Trends, 12: 6–7.

    Google Scholar 

  • Williams, P., Murray, J., and Clare, A., 1982, A longitudinal study of

    Google Scholar 

  • psychotropic drug prescription, Psychol.Med., 12:201–206.

    Google Scholar 

  • Winokur, A., Rickels, K., Greenblatt, D. J., Snyder, P. J., and Schatz, N.J., 1980, Withdrawal reaction from long-term, low dosage administration of diazepam, Arch.Gen.Psychiat., 37: 101–105.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Wittenborn, J. R., 1979, Effects of benzodiazepines on psychomotor performance, Br.J.Clin.Pharmacol., 7: 61S - 67S.

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

Authors

Editor information

Editors and Affiliations

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

Copyright information

© 1986 Plenum Press, New York

About this chapter

Cite this chapter

Cormack, M.A. (1986). Benzodiazepine Dependence. In: Edwards, G. (eds) Current Issues in Clinical Psychology. Springer, Boston, MA. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4615-6775-2_21

Download citation

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4615-6775-2_21

  • Publisher Name: Springer, Boston, MA

  • Print ISBN: 978-1-4615-6777-6

  • Online ISBN: 978-1-4615-6775-2

  • eBook Packages: Springer Book Archive

Publish with us

Policies and ethics