Abstract

Sociocultural considerations and persistence of indiscriminate prescription habits for addicts may have contributed in shifting the pattern of misused drugs from traditional alcohol and illicit drugs to predominantly iatrogenic dependence on benzodiazepines. The clinical profile and the rationale for the long-adopted detoxification treatment of 120 patients were studied. Multiple-drug misusers were found to suffer significantly more anxiety-type symptoms suggestive of benzodiazepine withdrawal. Poor correlation of detoxification medication with patient variables suggests that such treatment lacks the rationale for its continuation and should be replaced by treatments based on proper physical and psychiatric evaluation. Benzodiazepine dependence should be recognized as a clinical entity requiring relevant treatment strategies.