Nature has power, but it does not judge. A natural setting like a pond acts on our spirit and evokes calm. Just being by water can have this effect. Working in the soil, growing plants, tending them, seeing how they grow and finally harvesting them grounds us. Vida, Mother of Former Resident. She sounds so wonderful and I can hardly wait to see her. She is so happy and grateful for her time at Dunham and the life changing experience it has brought her.
Habits and Community. When we live with others, such as a partner, our larger family or even if we live alone, we develop habits of behaviour. For people with mental illness, depression and addictions, it is the same. Warren Steiner. An endorsement of Dunham House by the renowned Dr. Juan Carlos Negrete. An endorsement by the renowned Dr. Alumni Program. The road to recovery often times can be long and emotionally difficult. Navigating these challenges to ensure that one does not return back to old habits while being supported through this transition is essential.
Why did Dunham House decide to start its own Alumni Program? Over the course of the years many people who finished our program often asked about how they could keep in touch with us or where they could go for any added support.
We did not have any means to keep in touch unless the individual themselves gave us a call or sent us email. Most of them would be referred to various outpatient services once their program finished. However, for many people the importance of continuing the work they started while attending our program and interacting with their peers who they are familiar with helps ease that transition back to everyday life, while also making it more likely they would reach out for help as needed.
What are some of the benefits of being part of an Alumni Program? There are many benefits to joining or being part of an alumni group. Some of the reasons include continuing that transition from inpatient to outpatient treatment without losing the structure and routine they are used to. Lastly, a big part of alumni groups is the socialization factor. How many people are currently involved in the program? Like I mentioned the alumni program is a very new initiative for our organization.
We started this back in February and at the time we started off small with residents. Currently we have 25 members who are active to various degrees. What can one expect if they decide to join the Alumni Program? Well, we have weekly meetings online which are used to share how everyone may be doing or to check in with where one may be at. We also try and organize events so that our members can meet and socialize throughout the year.
There is also a private Facebook group just for alumni members who can share their stories and offer one another feedback. First, thankyou for taking the time to reply to so many questions! You obviously care about people very much. I am a retired nurse going back to school to be a high-school art teacher. I have always battled cognitive impairment that I think originated with learning disabilities caused from a horse accident when i was fifteen sub-dural hematoma that was delayed brain surgery, and little to no extra help in school afterrwards I have fought my whole life to remain functional.
I finally gave in to medication a few years ago when I developed chronic pain in all my joints, but mainly my hips in the girdle area. I have taken Norco 7. After about a year on Cymbalta I realized I was increasing the norco again and decided to quit taking it.
It has been 3 months and weaning down to 15mg, but I still cannot stop it due to the tingling in my face and lips along with severe vertigo, and now I feel like I have severe dementia some days. I feel very trapped by these medicines and want to get off of them.
My question is, should I start making a plan with my doctor to stop the Lorazepam now, or after the Cymbalta? It takes extra effort but I really believe in a natural healthy lifestyle now, rather than drugs. I was very unaware of the end result. Thankyou for taking the time to hear my story. Well, sounds like you have a particularly complicated situation at hand.
Chronic pain can be a challenge to manage in the long-term. Unfortunately, most doctors tend to have much more experience starting medications than discontinuing them. As a general rule, you want to taper slowly if you are experiencing side-effects or withdrawal. I take it for a tic thing.
It is like a tourettes person and I was so relieved when I started taking this along with blood presure medication. My doctor wants to discuss it. Also I am chemically sensitive to everyday products so it also helps with coping. Really stressed now they say I have osteoporisis and that medication sounds horrible. I am so careful not to use anything except these medications. Well, for every medication one needs to consider the likely benefits and risks, and also what are the available alternatives.
There are often viable and safer alternatives for managing insomnia and anxiety, but that may be less true for your condition. I think it sounds like a good idea to discuss with your doctor.
Dialogue, considering alternatives, and trying a potentially better approach are what is most important. I took. Thank you Kate xxx. Congrats on your efforts to get off this medication. Using a liquid form of lorazepam can make it easier to manage the small dose reductions.
I would recommend bringing Dr. Lorazepam 0. I would recommend discussing your interest in stopping with your prescribing doctor. Ask for help figuring out a reasonable taper schedule. I would recommend seeing your health provider about these symptoms. Thank you so much for your reply itching seems to have calmed thankgod was awful.
Does it get easier or harder the lower you get. Generally the slower the taper, the more manageable it feels to the body. If your doctor suggests a larger step down, you can perhaps discuss your preference to taper more slowly if at all possible. You might also find it helpful to find an online community of people working on benzo tapers, that would be a good source of moral support.
My elderly grandmother, 93, was placed on hospice 2 months ago. She is bedridden but would attempt to get out of bed, remove her diaper and not know where she was in the middle of the night. The hospice nurse suggested starting her on. Twice I gave her 1mg, as the. She was awake throughout the night last night be disoriented with the same behavior mentioned above after having been given. I am not sure what to do and an wondering if I need to step her down even after only 2 weeks of use.
Thank you for your guidance. Sorry to hear of these challenges. Could it have been pain or shortness of breath or something else? You could talk to the hospice team about trying to taper down the lorazepam. That said, it may or may not be realistic to hope that she can be managed without any confusion or difficulty whatsoever.
Really it depends on what is her hospice diagnosis and her other conditions affecting her health, but declining and dying often do affect the brain, even in people much younger than Good luck and hang in there. Hi I was on 3mg Ativan for over a year taking at bedtime I was also on Ritalin and reglan I began having extreme anxiety and shaking and confusion as I cut Down on reglan an had stopped the Ritalin. Doctor said it was caused by Ativan so switched me to klonopin.
I got vertigo bad after starting klonopin so after 2 months was switched to Valium. I have been on Valium for almost 2 months only 2. Seems only thing that helps is Ativan again. I tried a. Now doctor wants to know if I want to go back to Ativan. Should I stick with Valium or go back to Ativan?
It been 4 months since I got off Ativan and withdrawals were bad from both Ativan and klonopin. Should I just take more Valium. Would it take time again to get tolerance to Ativan or will it work at small dose as if starting over again? Your situation sounds exceptionally complicated, both because of the many medications you have taken and are taking, and also because you have advanced cancer and metastases to the liver.
I would recommend you consult with a palliative care specialist. Palliative care is a discipline focused on helping people manage difficult symptoms and helping people cope with serious illness. Learn more about palliative care here: Get Palliative Care.
Among other things, they should be able to discuss the big picture of your health and the likely benefits versus burdens of trying to taper off benzodiazepines at this time. My 82 year old mother has been taking 4 mg of Ativan every night for at least a year or two. The doctor was prescribing 3 mg every night however she called and asked if she could take an extra 1 mg. He said ok to do so every now and then.
Apparently she was doing 4 mg every night. He then decided that 4 was too much and dropped her to 3mg. She immediately started having serious withdrawal symptoms and panic attacks. The doctor put her back to 4 mg Ativan and added Clonazepam 5mg. She was feeling very zombie like of course she was! She is feeling withdrawal again. I have no idea where to turn, this Dr has over medicated her for years and now the withdrawal symptoms seem to be too much for her to take.
Any advice would be greatly appreciated. I think she needs an inpatient detox type of treatment. Sounds like she has been on pretty substantial doses of benzodiazepines, for a person of her age. I cannot make specific recommendations but in general, the more slowly the dose is reduced, the better. Tapering off benzodiazepines can take months, that would be a long time to remain as an inpatient.
But perhaps you can find a health provider who is willing to work carefully with your mom and your family on slowly tapering her benzos? You may also find it helpful to connect with other people concerned about aging parents.
There is an active online caregiver forum at AgingCare. This is a way to get moral support and encouragement as you explore your options. I cannot advise as it has been a very long time since I took care of women who were still getting their periods. Would recommend addressing this query to your treating clinician. My mom is 91yrs old and takes. When the first FDA tapering came about her doctor was going to stop her cold turkey by not prescribing her anymore. So had to find another doctor who would work with her on tapering.
I had to find something online and began tapering her down. I got her down to the dose I mentioned at the beginning. No compassion whatsoever. I have to call every month to get a new script for my mom, and this month they are giving me a hard time.
Been arguing with office nurse, but she told me deal with it. How can medical professions be so cruel? Thought they took an oath to protect and save..??
They are probably overworked and under a lot of stress, but still. For the future, you could see if the prescribing clinician would be willing to prescribe liquid lorazepam. This can be easier to taper down slowly. Good luck, your mother is very fortunate to have you looking out for her. My mom took Depranil plus 5mg a diazpam tab for 28yrs continuously now she is taking ativan 2mg from past 3 months instead of Depranil plus, her sleep is good but Dr. What should I do should I give her half a tablet instead of full in such tapering down or can I abruptly stop it?
These are usually sedating. They are also anticholinergic and can interfere with memory and thinking somewhat. Regardless, it is never a good idea to abruptly stop a benzodiazepine.
People almost always get distressing withdrawal symptoms e. My mom has been prescribed. During this time, my dad and I have witnessed major differences in her personality, most noticeably rage and irritability have emerged in a person who has never exhibited such behavior. This is a tough situation, especially when you feel that soliciting help from doctors will upset your parent.
Honestly I would not expect Ativan to cause these major changes in personality. Benzos can certainly disinhibit someone, which can lead to certain sides of their personality becoming more visible, but a significant change in underlying personality would not be expected. So, I would recommend your mother get further medical evaluation for her personality changes, as these can be the signs of the brain changing or of another underlying medical condition.
If she gets upset when you mention evaluation: this is really common, and also really challenging to deal with. It can be helpful to get advice from a professional who specifically has experience in constructively communicating with people who may be cognitively impaired your current therapist may not have this experience.
Otherwise, you will need to decide whether to communicate your concerns to her doctor. This is allowable from a privacy law perspective, but does often upset the older parent if they find out about it. My doctor put me on. Now I want to come off it. I tried to taper slowly by cutting one dose daily in half, but I experienced heightened anxiety and loud ringing in my ears.
My doctor really does not seem interested in helping me come off this med. I am 74 years old, have heart disease and high blood pressure. What can I do? Is it best that I remain on this medication for the rest of my life if it is controlling my anxiety?
Cutting a dose in half is still a big step down for the body. I would recommend printing out Dr. Let them know you are interested in reducing your lorazepam but you need their help figuring out a very slow taper. You should also discuss other ways to manage anxiety or other symptoms that are currently being treated by lorazepam. For instance, some people benefit from special therapy programs to help manage their anxiety.
A few days later I went to see a nurse practictioner because of my anxiety levels increasing and suicidal thinking. She referred me to see a Psychiatrist. Made an appointment, went and he called primary told her to get me off of Ativan. So no more Ativan. BUT since last thrusday I have been going thru withdrawal. I called primary today and she said that withdrawal should have happened around the 18th. The literature I have read say that withdrawal could happen anytime.
No wonder there is much Medicare fraud. I was placed on disability about 10 years ago due my memory loss. I have a neuropsychiatrist in a week. Yikes, I am sorry to hear that a provider would stop a benzodiazepine cold turkey, that is not considered optimal practice as most people experience distressing withdrawal symptoms. People on higher doses of benzos can also experience life-threatening physical withdrawal symptoms.
It sounds like you need to have health providers working closely and compassionately with you at this time, I hope you will be able to connect with someone suitable soon. Neuropsychiatry is a somewhat newer subspecialty, it is also sometimes called behavioral neurology, and basically draws from both psychiatry and neurology.
Hmm , most of these stories are tales of woe. I have only had a positive experience of being on this drug for over 30 years.
An article in the paper about this drug brought out positive reviews from doctors ,about patients who have benefited from this drug. Most of the studies are observational and not longitudinal. In later life , the harmful effects of withdrawal seem to me to defeat the object.
Yes, many people find benzodiazepines helpful for their symptoms at least in the short-term, and many people have been taking them for years without experiencing obvious issues.
And, an individual person is not able to determine whether long-term use of a medication increases their risk for certain problems, such as falls. It is certainly reasonable for an individual to conclude that the burdens of attempting withdrawal outweigh the likely benefits. We mostly want people to have the information they need to make an informed choice. Doctors are not practicing Drs today.
This is partly due to the system making it hard for them to do so. You would either have to continue negotiating with your current clinician to get more help, or you will have to find someone else. Hi my husband became ill in India and was put on Lorezepam. Does he still have to do this tapering or will cold turkey be ok. Yes, at this point it would be best to do a taper. I am taking 2 mg ativan for sleep and anti depression medication from 3 years I want stop it can u help me thanks.
I recommend finding a health provider to assist you in tapering. So I am turning 46 and take clonazepam for seizures, I have been on it approximately 15 years. With that I was not taking clonazepam daily until this time. Now I still cant get my static seizures controlled, often sending me to the ER. I recently had brain surgery to try and stop the seizures. It is worse now in some ways. So I asked my neurologist to prescribe Ativan for the days the static seizures come on.
In the last week I have been to the ER 2 times. She told me she can give me only 5 a month as she would lose her license if she gives me more. I dont see how if I have to have both to stop the seizures how it can be illegal to prescribe them both to me. As I read your article, I understand that their are issues with long term benzo use, but death from static seizures seems a good enough reason to need them. Before two doses of Ativan, after I had had 1 mg of clonazepam at my regular morning dose, my pulse would not drop below and was as high as I do not recall how high my blood pressure was except they were very worried, especially as I am only a month out of brain surgery.
Is it bad to have both medications being used if the possibility of dying from a static seizure not stopping. Sorry to hear of your situation. The optimal or reasonable use of benzodiazepines for seizure control is beyond the scope of my own practice and this article. So, I would encourage you to ask her more questions. Alternatively, you could try to find another health provider, ideally one with experience prescribing seizure treatment I think this would be a neurologist specialized in epilepsy.
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Your privacy is very important to us. Your information will never be sold to anyone, whether you browse the site, sign up for email updates, or register for an event. Pleae read our complete Privacy Policy for more information and for Dr. Kernisan's financial disclosures. Getting Started Why Geriatrics Are you a caregiver? The must-read information brochure on Ativan and older adults If your older relative is taking Ativan generic name lorazepam , I highly recommend you read Dr.
Other sedatives to consider stopping The brochure above covers Ativan along with other benzodiazepines, such as Valium, Xanax, Klonopin, and Restoril generic names diazepam, alprazolam, clonazepam, and temazepam, respectively. For instance, research has found these drugs: Worsen balance and thinking; Increase the risk of falls, and of fractures; Can make dementia symptoms worse; Are linked to a higher risk of dying within a few years.
Is it ever okay for an older adult to take benzodiazepines? Tips for caregivers If your older loved one is taking a benzodiazepine: Do make sure you and the older person are properly informed about the side-effects, risks, and alternative options for treating insomnia or anxiety. Do talk to the doctors about attempting a taper off the drug. Even a reduction in dose can help reduce side-effects and risks. Reducing these medications should be done gradually, and under medical supervision.
If your older loved one complains of insomnia or anxiety: Do question things if the doctor proposes a benzodiazepine or other tranquilizer as a solution.
Later, her dad told CNN that she had benzodiazepine in her system when she died. Actually, she died from drug intoxication that involved two types of benzos. He died from a variety of drugs mixed together. Two of the meds were the same type of benzos Brittany Murphy died from. Found dead in his apartment from overdose, Ledger had taken a mixture of drugs that included benzos. The combination of Ativan and alcohol can be fatal. Side effects can include confusion, aggression, slurred speech, and irritability.
The two substances feed off each other, making the other substance more powerful. It becomes easy to lose track of how much one is consuming.
Withdrawal symptoms from both substances can include paranoia, seizures, and the potential of psychosis. Chris Cornell killed himself while under the influence of benzos. Researchers have found a connection between benzo abuse and the risk of suicide. It is similar to someone with alcohol dependency.
Studies have found variables as to why suicide risk is high. Patients that are in need of Ativan are perhaps already at greater risk of hurting themselves. People may try to come off of Ativan on their own and experience terrifying emotions and thoughts.
This can cause them to carry out suicidal thoughts. These thoughts are one of the side effects of taking Ativan. Any class of medication under the benzodiazepine family is habit-forming. This makes them highly risky for abuse.
Every year, , Americans will abuse benzos for the first time. Someone with anxiety will feel much more relaxed on Ativan. The body and mind gets used to the effects so the user has to take more. This is a highly dangerous cycle because to gain the effects back, a user will have to take more. This tolerance can lead to addiction. There are people who will use Ativan and other benzos recreationally also. This will often entail a person taking more than one would ever be prescribed.
Long-term use results in tolerance, dependence, and ultimately, addiction. Benzodiazepine withdrawal can be so severe as to be life-threatening. People may become heavily depressed or overly anxious. They may not be able to sleep when they withdraw from benzos and feel completely out of control. For this reason, detox from this class of medications should ONLY occur under close medical supervision.
Today, that number has ballooned to As a result, the number of benzodiazepine-related deaths have skyrocketed. Cornell had an extensive and well-documented prior history of substance abuse, including an addiction to OxyContin. His drug use spiraled out of control in the late s, when he was experiencing major professional and personal setbacks. Although he checked into rehab in , recent indications point to the possibility of renewed struggles.
There are also multiple reports saying that Cornell had obvious fresh track marks on his arms. This is one of the telltale signs of heroin addiction. Benzos and opioids together are one of the most common drug combinations. Nearly three-quarters of heroin addicts also abuse benzodiazepines, with one-fourth of those reporting that they use benzos daily.
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