Abstract
- Treatment strategies for discontinuing long-term benzodiazepine usage can be divided into minimal interventions and gradual discontinuation programs. - Minimal interventions invite patients to quit their long-term benzodiazepine usage on their own by making them aware of the adverse effects. This type of intervention is successful in about one fifth of patients. - Gradual discontinuation programs are more extensive interventions in order to help those patients who are unable to discontinue benzodiazepine use on their own. These programs are successful in two-thirds of the patients and can be combined with additional pharmacological or psychological treatment. - Once the withdrawal symptoms have diminished, most patients have an improved psychological functioning compared to when they were using benzodiazepines. Furthermore, no increase in medical consumption has been found.
| Translated title of the contribution | Treatment methods for discontinuing long-term benzodiazepine use |
|---|---|
| Original language | Dutch |
| Pages (from-to) | 1347-1350 |
| Number of pages | 4 |
| Journal | Nederlands Tijdschrift voor Geneeskunde |
| Volume | 145 |
| Issue number | 28 |
| Publication status | Published - 14 Jul 2001 |