On 11th July 2017 World Benzodiazepine Awareness Day (W-BAD) celebrates its second year and the launch of its official website which can be found at http://w-bad.org.
W-BAD is a grassroots victim-organized and led campaign that seeks to raise global awareness about the harms and dangers of prescribed benzodiazepines. Some objectives of the awareness campaign include:
- preventing would-be victims from harm
- spotlighting the change that is much-needed within the current system which has allowed for many decades the irresponsible prescribing (namely, long-term) of benzodiazepines and a total lack of informed consent given to patients prior to the initiation of benzodiazepine prescription resulting in sometimes severe iatrogenic (cause by medicine) injury, among many others.
The new website houses critical educational information for the general public and medical prescribers alike as well as campaign information for global activists, a section for victims to share their stories in writing or video, a press packet, among countless other educational and campaign tools. In preparation for the website launch and approaching official day of awareness, a talented graphic artist designed and donated an official “awareness ribbon” for the organization and a professional media production company donated an explainer video about the risks of taken-as-prescribed benzodiazepines.
I do not understand why so intelligent people are focusing only in benzos been aware of how horrifing side effects can cause antispycotics and antidepresives bearing in mind that most of the people with a prescription in benzos most probably be prescribed at least one of the other two.
We are still missing the bigest problem which is the DSM “bible” and the wrong doing of a great majority of psychiatrist that seems continue without no one to stop them
Absolutely correct.
It must be fear of the power of the Pharmaceutical Companies that prevents the Government, the NHS or the BMA from taking action against what is becoming an epidemic.
I would also question the Psychiatric profession’s silence on the matter.
I find diazepam useful for helping to reduce severe stomach cramps that take my breath away.
I also would be in severe trouble if all the hype about the ‘opioid crisis’ eventually deters my GP from prescribing me the one thing I’ve found that stops my peripheral nerves burning enough to allow me to lie still in bed and sleep.
What is wrong is prescribing drugs for profit instead of need; having no establishment health interest in finding cures rather than ‘treatments’ that are just designed to make money by keeping people ill for life, instead of introducing a proper Diagnostic Service, and inpatient diagnostic beds; and a general tendency towards irresponsible hedonistic behaviour, that makes people risk their lives in many other stupid ways in addition to abuse of very useful medicines.
Steve I do agree with you that unless other options are found, benzos can give back life to a person with serious neurological problems, like internal seizures, burning sensations, electroshock sensations etc that sadly some psychiatrist ignore are a reality, seriously enough to misdiagnose ataxia and other for “mental health” illness with the adding of prescribing antypsicotics for real physical aillments. Which is a kind of accepted “torture” for a few patients because burning sensations and electroshocks sensations increase with the mentioned drugs.
Neurological problemas can be reduced or multiply by electromagnetic polution exposition, that many ecological GP in Uk have accepted but that has been ignored by general mainstream health professionals. In countries like Switzerland, France and I believe Finland it is recognize the human sensibility to electromagnetic camps to the point of patients been on a pension due to how affects the health of a person. Wifi among other kinds of waves have been recognize to interfere between the communication of our cells, and to provoke cellular stress afecting neuronal paths and emotional states with specific individuals that can develop hypersensibility at any age. This is old knowledge by now but the responsibles in advance health in western society keep in ignoring for their economical benefit. Many things need to change to really stop the unnecesary sufering of our family and friends. Too many economical and social interest are on the table. For sure benzos are not worts than antipsicotics or antidepresives and in certain ways sadly until we allow to advance further they are need it. Researchers are there, but medical profession seems are too far distant from them.
Apologies where says “magnetic camps” means “magnetic field” sorry mistake in translation
I guarantee if you get into trouble with the benzodiazepines it will make you wish all you had was “painful stomach cramps”
I won’t get into trouble with diazepam or any other drug. I do not have an addict personality, and I’ve spent a lifetime being amazed by people all around me who do. I can’t even believe that people are stupid enough to buy stuff because of adverts, let alone stick needles in themselves for fun, or bankrupt themselves over paying for tobacco and other free weeds. 🙁
Humans are mostly plain crazy: psychiatrists among the craziest. :/
That’s the thing. People are getting into trouble with them just by taking them exactly as prescribed just as you are. You hit tolerance and withdrawal effects start while on the drug as well as when you try to stop them, not to mention all the other problems with their effects while people take them.
Nevertheless the bigest pandemia is the actual psychiatric system and treatment, it is an urgent matter and it is important to focus and no deviate from this very serious situation.
It seems some one always finds the way to distract the most important objective.
In mental health patients are strip of human rights and in many cases abuse severely.
I would like to know what services are being offered in the place of Benzodiazepines? Antipsychotics? Where are the therapies, the so called alternatives for treating anxious states? What about the waiting lists/lack of research? All medication should be monitored and reduced at the earliest opportunity. We need to build a social network for people to return back to integrate in a positive way with society by offering realistic opportunities for them to do so, opportunities that are not led by pharmaceutical companies feeding psychiatrist, then I’ll be very interested.