[true_religion]

If you're willing to throw out a "pharma grade street drug" then wouldn't you be willing to throw out any pharma-grade drugs that are used directly on the street such as codeine, morphine, Valium, Vicodin, and any other broad spectrum pain reliever.

[Rexatron]

Not pain meds for legit pain.

But as a ex-addict of benzos I would restrict those to epileptic patients...

The data on benzos for mania, depression, and suicide is scary. Long term use has terrible effects.

Most docs don't prescribe the heavy ones for psychiatry anymore. Seizures are a different story.

[Alex3917]

"Most docs don't prescribe the heavy ones for psychiatry anymore. Seizures are a different story."

Benzos have actually made a huge comeback recently, and are quickly catching up to their peak prescription levels in 1975. In 2009, benzos were 3 of the top 20 most-prescribed psychiatric drugs prescribed in the US:

1. Alprazolam (Xanax) 44,029,000

3. Lorazepam (Ativan) 25,868,00

10. Diazepam (Valium) 14,009,000

There were 83 million prescriptions for benzos written in 2007, as compared with 103 million at their peak in 1975. (Granted there are more people today, but still.)

source: http://www.erowid.org/general/newsletter/erowid_newsletter18...

(And also Anatomy of an Epidemic, p. 131)

[Rexatron]

That is scary.

My experience,when I was addicted, was that I couldn't find a doc to prescribe them for me. Was it the dead-faced junkie staring back that prevented it? Probably.

It's sad they are so heavily prescribed again, because I know how it feels to rely on a pill to stop the pain and get out of my own head/anxiety. I'm lucky to have found another way.