Skip to main content
The British Journal of General Practice logoLink to The British Journal of General Practice
. 1990 May;40(334):194–196.

Long term use of benzodiazepines: the views of patients.

M B King 1, J Gabe 1, P Williams 1, E K Rodrigo 1
PMCID: PMC1371277  PMID: 1973049

Abstract

All long term benzodiazepine users in one inner London general practice were asked to participate in a study of their attitudes to their drugs. The 64 respondents had mixed views about benzodiazepines and did not conform to the stereotype presented in the media. Although 58% of the sample had attempted to stop taking benzodiazepines, this was usually not until at least one year of taking the drug. At the time of interview, 50% of the sample expressed a desire to stop taking their tablets. However, the majority were uncertain whether their general practitioner wished them to continue taking the drugs or not. It is argued that users' views of their medication must be taken into account in the debate about tranquillizer dependence.

Full text

PDF
194

Selected References

These references are in PubMed. This may not be the complete list of references from this article.

  1. Balter M. B., Manheimer D. I., Mellinger G. D., Uhlenhuth E. H. A cross-national comparison of anti-anxiety/sedative drug use. Curr Med Res Opin. 1984;8 (Suppl 4):5–20. doi: 10.1185/03007998409109541. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  2. Catalan J., Gath D. H., Bond A., Edmonds G., Martin P., Ennis J. General practice patients on long-term psychotropic drugs. A controlled investigation. Br J Psychiatry. 1988 Mar;152:399–405. doi: 10.1192/bjp.152.3.399. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  3. Gabe J., Williams P. Rural tranquility?: urban-rural differences in tranquilliser prescribing. Soc Sci Med. 1986;22(10):1059–1066. doi: 10.1016/0277-9536(86)90206-6. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  4. Goldberg D. P., Cooper B., Eastwood M. R., Kedward H. B., Shepherd M. A standardized psychiatric interview for use in community surveys. Br J Prev Soc Med. 1970 Feb;24(1):18–23. doi: 10.1136/jech.24.1.18. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  5. Klerman G. L. Drugs and social values. Int J Addict. 1970 Jun;5(2):313–319. doi: 10.3109/10826087009056998. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  6. Mant A., Duncan-Jones P., Saltman D., Bridges-Webb C., Kehoe L., Lansbury G., Chancellor A. H. Development of long term use of psychotropic drugs by general practice patients. Br Med J (Clin Res Ed) 1988 Jan 23;296(6617):251–254. doi: 10.1136/bmj.296.6617.251. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  7. Marks J. The benzodiazepines an international perspective. J Psychoactive Drugs. 1983 Jan-Jun;15(1-2):137–149. doi: 10.1080/02791072.1983.10472135. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  8. McIntyre K., Farrell M., David A. S. What do psychiatric inpatients really want? BMJ. 1989 Jan 21;298(6667):159–160. doi: 10.1136/bmj.298.6667.159. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  9. Morgan K., Dallosso H., Ebrahim S., Arie T., Fentem P. H. Prevalence, frequency, and duration of hypnotic drug use among the elderly living at home. Br Med J (Clin Res Ed) 1988 Feb 27;296(6622):601–602. doi: 10.1136/bmj.296.6622.601. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  10. Murray J. Long-term psychotropic drug-taking and the process of withdrawal. Psychol Med. 1981 Nov;11(4):853–858. doi: 10.1017/s0033291700041350. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  11. Rodrigo E. K., King M. B., Williams P. Health of long term benzodiazepine users. Br Med J (Clin Res Ed) 1988 Feb 27;296(6622):603–606. doi: 10.1136/bmj.296.6622.603. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  12. Salinsky J. V., Doré C. J. Characteristics of long term benzodiazepine users in general practice. J R Coll Gen Pract. 1987 May;37(298):202–204. [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  13. Taylor F. K. The damnation of benzodiazepines. Br J Psychiatry. 1989 May;154:697–704. doi: 10.1192/bjp.154.5.697. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]

Articles from The British Journal of General Practice are provided here courtesy of Royal College of General Practitioners

RESOURCES