A new study published in Psychiatry Research finds that alprazolam, commonly sold as Xanax, is linked to an increased risk of suicidal events. In fact, all of the benzodiazepines examined in the current research, including diazepam (often marketed as Valium) and lorazepam (Ativan), were also associated with increased suicide risk. Buspirone, the only non-benzodiazepine anxiety-reducing medication examined in the current work, showed a significantly weaker association with suicide risk.
The research, led by Robert Gibbons from the University of Chicago, also finds that suicide risk increased by 5% for each month of treatment with alprazolam.
The authors write:
“Alprazolam was associated with over a doubling of the risk of suicide attempts. A duration-response analysis for the modal dose (0.5 mg) revealed a 5 % increase in suicidal events per additional month of treatment. Parallel analyses with long-acting (diazepam) and short-acting (lorazepam), found similar associations, whereas the non-benzodiazepine anxiolytic, buspirone, showed significantly less risk, and no increased risk in patients with an attempt history.”
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May I modestly suggest:
https://canadafreepress.com/article/ive-lost-everything
https://canadafreepress.com/article/a-double-whammy
https://canadafreepress.com/article/a-nine-billion-dollar-a-year-industry
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FWIW: They prescribed benzodiazepines to me “as needed” for 14 years (originating from coping with domestic violence). I didn’t abuse the drug. Every suicide event was blamed on “serious mental illness”. I walked away. I believe that if I hadn’t “the health care system” would have killed me. I had nothing to loose. The drug was in control of my brain. Seven years later … clean living. Zero problems.
Someone (or someone’s) ought to have been sued. The reason why I didn’t was – a lawsuit would not extend my life, by even one day. These days, I love being alive. Shame on all that ignore these reports of harm. It is exploitation.
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This has all been known since the 1980s mate. I vote we invent a time machine and go back to 1939 so we can re-enter the trenches before we all get dentures and then terminate in fax machines and cemeteries, rather then in these desiccated research studies. Back to the trenches: it’s better this then these fax machine research studies repeating the findings of those from the 80s.
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