10 Reasons Why I Do Not Like Benzodiazepines

10. Benzos are like whiskey in the form of pills. They act similarly as alcohol on the brain via GABA.They easily can cause intoxication.

9. Benzos have no medical evidence to be used for more than a few weeks. Benzos have been shown not to be effective long-term to treat any anxiety disorder.

8. Benzos are not considered 1st , 2nd , or 3rd line recommended treatment by the American Psychiatric Association’s treatment guidelines for any anxiety disorder (other than the first 2 weeks of treating Panic Disorder whilst a serotonin medication is being titrated up).

7. Benzos are often used to treat difficult emotions. No new coping mechanisms can be developed.Folks use benzos to change their feelings, not living life on life’s terms.

6. Impaired reaction time in driving.

5. Overdoses – in NC, Benzos have overtaken Opioids as the leading cause of unintentional poisoning deaths.

4. Benzos disinhibit. I have seen many patients not acting like their usual self while on Benzos.

3. Benzos cause dementia. September 2014’s British medical Journal published a study that showed just 91 days of taking Benzos in your lifetime increased your risk of developing dementia by over 40%.

2. Benzos are addictive, especially in folks who already suffer with an addiction. They lead to relapse.

1. Benzos kill people in combination with methadone and buprenorphine from suppressing breathing. At the Morse Clinics, we limit doses of methadone or buprenorphine to minimize this risk as part of our Benzo Policy. I believe that is why we have a much lower death rate than the national average.