Behaviorism and Mental Health

Alternative perspective on psychiatry's so-called mental disorders | PHILIP HICKEY, PH.D.

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Benzodiazepine Withdrawal: A Dilemma

January 7, 2015 By Phil Hickey |

On March 17, 2013, I wrote a post titled Withdrawal from Benzodiazepines.  In that post I wrote:

“Withdrawal from these drugs is potentially dangerous, incidentally, and medical supervision is a good idea, especially if the dependence is marked.  Try to find a physician other than the one who got you hooked on them in the first place.  In severe cases, hospitalization is required.”

On December 27, 2014, a reader (Nancy Rubenstein) left a comment which stated that this is dangerous advice in that  “…there are literally less than a handful of doctors nationwide who have proven they can handle this. There is no safe hospitalisation for people in psych drug withdrawal…”  Nancy also pointed out that when people do go to hospital for emergency withdrawal problems, they are often met with disbelief, and that this disbelief can result in further problems, e.g. diagnosis of a “mental illness”, further drugging, etc…

All of these points are well taken, and I appreciate Nancy’s feedback.  I received similar feedback from Monica Cassani (Beyond Meds) in March of 2013.

The great difficulty in all of this is that withdrawal from benzos can be life-threatening.  So people who have become addicted to these products are in a particularly difficult dilemma:  to seek medical care or not?  I would be very grateful for comments from people who have had to face this question, and from people who have experienced adverse consequences as a result of seeking medical care for this kind of withdrawal.

Filed Under: A Behavioral Approach to Mental Disorders Tagged With: benzodiazepines

About Phil Hickey

I am a licensed psychologist, presently retired. I have worked in clinical and managerial positions in the mental health, corrections, and addictions fields in the United States and England. My wife Nancy and I have been married since 1970 and have four grown children.

 

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The phrase "mental health" as used in the name of this website is simply a term of convenience. It specifically does not imply that the human problems embraced by this term are illnesses, or that their absence constitutes health. Indeed, the fundamental tenet of this site is that there are no mental illnesses, and that conceptualizing human problems in this way is spurious, destructive, disempowering, and stigmatizing.

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The purpose of this website is to provide a forum where current practices and ideas in the mental health field can be critically examined and discussed. It is not possible in this kind of context to provide psychological help or advice to individuals who may read this site, and nothing written here should be construed in this manner. Readers seeking psychological help should consult a qualified practitioner in their own local area. They should explain their concerns to this person and develop a trusting working relationship. It is only in a one-to-one relationship of this kind that specific advice should be given or taken.

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