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first post - what to do with someone going through benzo withdrawals

R

REBOKTO

Greenlighter
Joined
Oct 27, 2010
Messages
4
I share an apartment with another guy I met through gumtree (a public trading/rental share site). About a month ago this girl he knew who had been traveling in Europe moved in so she could crash for a few weeks until she headed back overseas. Everything was fine at the start, she was really lovely and helped out with the cleaning and everything but then about two weeks ago her behaviour grew... strange. It started with her manically cleaning the house to the point where my housemate and I (let's call him John) were getting frustrated because she was only sleeping about four hours a night and cleaning and smoking bongs constantly for the other twenty hours.

then about five days ago things got really out of hand. we came home and our house was pretty much trashed, there was rubbish and soil all over our floor and she was rambling about her 'business plan' which is to teach everyone to clean by keeping all their possessions in piles on the ground. She seems calm and collected but is not making sense to anyone apart from herself. We have been asking her to leave for the last three days but she just keeps moving stuff around the floor looking for twigs and assorted bits of rubbish she's collected saying that they're the most important things she's collected in her whole life.

last night it reached a climax when she punched our phone unit off the wall (this is the only violent action she has performed) and i called 000 to tell them that there was a woman having what appeared to be a psychotic episode or mental breakdown in our house and we wanted her to leave but she wouldn't. when they arrived her behaviour didn't change at all, she was totally chill and rambled to them about her grand trippy business scheme as well. They pretty much forced her to grab a few essential things (wallet, valuables, toothbrush) which took about fourty five minutes and put it in her car, told her to come back in a few days to grab the rest of her stuff, told us to lock the doors and put her stuff outside and then left. this morning i went outside and she is still in her car organising repeatedly emptying and repacking her bags in the same state of delusion. we've realised that she has no money, her car won't start and she has no other friends or family to go to.

yesterday i also found a bottle of temazepam in the kitchen. i did some googling and her behaviour matches the symptoms of addiction/withdrawal perfectly. so, bluelight, the question i pose to you is this: what the fuck do i do? letting her back into the house is out of the question, she'll just start throwing rubbish and stuff everywhere. the police weren't any help. i tried calling nurse on call last night and told her about the temazepam but she didn't seem to think that that would be a major cause for concern but i don't think that could be right.

edit: I hope this is in the right section. seeing as i will probably need australia-specific public services i thought it would only be relevant in this section
 
Hi Rebokto, welcome to Bluelight :)

Sorry to hear about this poor girls issues. Definitely sounds like mental health problems. I think temazepam would be the least of her concerns unless she was taking huge doses over a long period of time. It's pretty much the weakest benzo likely to be prescribed in Aus & is scripted for insomnia.

Perhaps you could call a mental health hotline and see what they recommend?
 
Yeah that sounds like it goes well beyond simple withdrawal, I'd say your first guess of psychosis isn't far off, especially if she's been 'smoking bongs constantly for the other twenty hours.' Weed is well known to contribute to psychotic breaks in those predisposed.
 
Dude, admit your girl who is a friend to a psychiatric hospital. Don't turn to Bluelight. Benzo withdrawals are characterized by the following, and what your friend sounds like she's going through is a manic state of bipolar disorder:
The following symptoms may emerge during gradual dosage reduction but can usually be reduced in intensity or eliminated altogether by reducing the rate of reduction:

* Anxiety, possible terror and panic attacks[17][36]
* Agitation and restlessness[17]
* Hypochondriasis[17]
* Dilated pupils[4]
* Impaired concentration[36]
* Nightmares[37]
* Insomnia[37]
* Muscular spasms, cramps or fasciculations[38]
* Electric shock sensations[3][39]
* Blurred vision[17]
* Dizziness[17]
* Dry mouth[17]
* Aches and pains[17]
* Hearing impairment[17]
* Taste and smell disturbances[17]
* Chest pain[17]
* Flu like symptoms[17]
* Impaired memory and concentration[17]
* Increased sensitivity to sound[17]
* Increased urinary frequency[17]
* Numbness and tingling[17]
* Hot and cold flushes[17]
* Headache[36]
* Rebound REM sleep[40]
* Stiffness[17]
* Fatigue and weakness[17]
* Hyperosmia[41]
* Restless legs syndrome[11]
* Metallic taste[41]
* Photophobia[41]
* Paranoia[41]
* Hypnagogia-hallucinations[6]
* Nausea and vomiting[37]
* Elevation in blood pressure[42]
* Tachycardia[43]
* Hypertension[44]
* Postural hypotension[37]
* Depression (can be severe),[45] possible suicidal ideation
* Tremor[46][47]
* Perspiration[36]
* Loss of appetite and weight loss[48]
* Dysphoria[49][50]
* Depersonalization[51][52]
* Derealisation (Feelings of unreality)[53]
* Obsessive compulsive disorder[54][55]
* Tinnitus[56]
* Paraesthesia[41][52]
* Visual disturbances[52]
* Mood swings[17]
* Indecision[17]
* Gastrointestinal problems (Irritable bowel syndrome)[57][58][59]

An abrupt or over-rapid discontinuation of benzodiazepines may result in a more serious and very unpleasant withdrawal syndrome that may additionally result in:

* Convulsions, which may result in death[60][61]
* Catatonia, which may result in death[62][63][64]
* Coma[65] (rare)
* Suicide[5][66][67]
* Attempted suicide[52]
* Suicidal ideation[68]
* Self harm[52]
* Hyperthermia[37]
* Delusions[69]
* Homicide ideations[70]
* Urges to shout, throw, break things or to harm someone[17]
* Violence[71]
* Post Traumatic Stress Disorder[11]
* Organic brain syndrome[72]
* Psychosis[73][74]
* Confusion[35]
* Mania[75][76]
* Neuroleptic malignant syndrome like event[77][78] (rare)
* Delirium tremens[79][80][81]
 
hey guys,

yeah shortly after posting this thread i realised that things were much more serious than i originally thought. I called two mental health lines (mental health advice and triage) and they both told me. I'll just copy my account of the day from a conversation on msn:

i called mental health advice line and triage today and asked for advice and they both told me to call an ambulance. she is in a state of complete delusion. i bought her a sandwich and by this time it was about 3:00 and that is the only thing she ate today. she seemed at peace and comfortable and can form coherent sentences but beyond that... she was making no sense. She couldn't start her car (turns out she tore out the starting wires) and was spreading her possessions out around the road and at one point was wearing a one piece bikini. I called an ambulance but because she was vaguely aware of her surroundings (she knew what day it was and where she was) and she didn't pose a physical threat to herself or others they couldn't force her to go to hospital even though they clearly thought it was in her best interests. She was real angry at me for calling an ambulance so i bailed haha (tuff) and came back about five hours later. my housemate had gotten home, helped her carry about nine garbage bags of her shit downstairs into her car, tried to help her start her car and when he realised she had cut the starting wires he went inside and called the cops and when i got home she was in handcuffs with four cops. i walked up to them and she asked me for cigarettes i said ' i don't have any' (i've got one left you're not getting it you bitch) and she flipped out and starting shouting at the cops "THEY'RE SMOKING BONGS UPSTAIRS, THERE ARE DRUGS UPSTAIRS HOW DO YOU FEEL ABOUT THAT" and at about that point i entered a world of anxious pain as i stood on the street outside my house with an insane former resident of my house handcuffed and surrounded by four armed police officers screaming that i had drugs in my room. I just bailed, ran upstairs and watched from the window as they put her in a van and drove away after two of them came to our door and told her to put all her stuff in her car (she had emptied those nine bags of stuff all over the street) in her car. we did.
 
Wow!! sounds like she was in a horrible mental state.

I wonder what precipitated this episode?? It's amazing how a seemingly normal person can just so suddenly slip into a totally different version of reality.

Don't spose you know if she was doing any other drugs beside the Temaze and the Weed?? Speed induced psychosis will usually "wear off" over time, but if this is an underlying condition that has just now bubbled to the surface...well i feel terribly sorry for the poor girl.

REBOKTO, I understand that you must be pissed off about the situation and what she has put you through but im sure you understand that she wasn't being an asshole on purpose. If she is truly suffering a mental illness i would hope that you show some compassion in any future dealings you may have with her.
 
hey guys, we got a call from the psych ward of the local hospital and were told that she has been diagnosed with manic bipolar and is going through an intense bout of mania and will be there for a few weeks. I realised I over reacted to finding the tamazapam bottle.

Ignatius J, I know some of my language made it seem like my primary emotion was anger (especially by using the word 'bitch', of course i didn't actually say that to her) but really i have been so concerned about her for the last few days. i'm only nineteen and haven't had to deal with anything like this before, i spent hours on the phone to various mental health services trying to work out what to do. I spent a good part of the day hanging out with her making sure she was okay and keeping her company even though her mood swings were really frightening. My housemate's decision to call the cops the second time wasn't based on anger or self-preservation or anything, we actually believe she was in danger. She had her possessions strewn all over the street and was talking to anyone who would walk past her (there's a real dodgy bar nearby and it was getting late and dudes were starting to get sleazy she was walking around in a one piece bikini ffs). i know letting her back into the house could have been a possibility but as selfish as it is she would have just wrecked the place within an hour again (i don't just mean 'making a mess', she is in such a trance that she turns taps on and forgets about them. she flooded our bathroom and hallway) and we would have had to then call the cops anyway. the cops didn't arrest her and take her to a police station they took her straight to a hospital.

thanks for your help everyone. what a crazy week. housemate and i plan on going and visiting her in a week or two if the psych's say it's okay to make sure she's doing well and make sure she doesn't thing we hold anything against her :)
 
Thats got to be meth/speed, the benzos were probably to help when she didnt have a hit.
Are her eyes dialated all the time and does she do a lot of unnecessary body language or licking her lips or some other kind of oral fixation?

I would not be letting her in your home ever again. She'll be put on Prozac no doubt and that often leads to drinking and/or suicidal tendancies or threats.. She's loopin. If you dont really know her I would just let her go. Too much trouble for you if she is not a close friend.
 
^ if you read rebokto's most recent post he explains she was diagnosed with bipolar and was in a manic cycle. The situation was likely worsened by her smoking pot but there's no mention in any of rebokto's posts about her touching speed. It could be the case but I'd give her the benefit of the doubt.
 
From what I've seen, someone in a manic state can be almost indistinguishable from someone using speed, or in a mild state of amphetamine psychosis.
 
Mr. Squiggle! said:
Dude, admit your girl who is a friend to a psychiatric hospital. Don't turn to Bluelight. Benzo withdrawals are characterized by the following, and what your friend sounds like she's going through is a manic state of bipolar disorder:
The following symptoms may emerge during gradual dosage reduction but can usually be reduced in intensity or eliminated altogether by reducing the rate of reduction:

* Anxiety, possible terror and panic attacks[17][36]
* Agitation and restlessness[17]
* Hypochondriasis[17]
* Dilated pupils[4]
* Impaired concentration[36]
* Nightmares[37]
* Insomnia[37]
* Muscular spasms, cramps or fasciculations[38]
* Electric shock sensations[3][39]
* Blurred vision[17]
* Dizziness[17]
* Dry mouth[17]
* Aches and pains[17]
* Hearing impairment[17]
* Taste and smell disturbances[17]
* Chest pain[17]
* Flu like symptoms[17]
* Impaired memory and concentration[17]
* Increased sensitivity to sound[17]
* Increased urinary frequency[17]
* Numbness and tingling[17]
* Hot and cold flushes[17]
* Headache[36]
* Rebound REM sleep[40]
* Stiffness[17]
* Fatigue and weakness[17]
* Hyperosmia[41]
* Restless legs syndrome[11]
* Metallic taste[41]
* Photophobia[41]
* Paranoia[41]
* Hypnagogia-hallucinations[6]
* Nausea and vomiting[37]
* Elevation in blood pressure[42]
* Tachycardia[43]
* Hypertension[44]
* Postural hypotension[37]
* Depression (can be severe),[45] possible suicidal ideation
* Tremor[46][47]
* Perspiration[36]
* Loss of appetite and weight loss[48]
* Dysphoria[49][50]
* Depersonalization[51][52]
* Derealisation (Feelings of unreality)[53]
* Obsessive compulsive disorder[54][55]
* Tinnitus[56]
* Paraesthesia[41][52]
* Visual disturbances[52]
* Mood swings[17]
* Indecision[17]
* Gastrointestinal problems (Irritable bowel syndrome)[57][58][59]
An abrupt or over-rapid discontinuation of benzodiazepines may result in a more serious and very unpleasant withdrawal syndrome that may additionally result in:

* Convulsions, which may result in death[60][61]
* Catatonia, which may result in death[62][63][64]
* Coma[65] (rare)
* Suicide[5][66][67]
* Attempted suicide[52]
* Suicidal ideation[68]
* Self harm[52]
* Hyperthermia[37]
* Delusions[69]
* Homicide ideations[70]
* Urges to shout, throw, break things or to harm someone[17]
* Violence[71]
* Post Traumatic Stress Disorder[11]
* Organic brain syndrome[72]
* Psychosis[73][74]
* Confusion[35]
* Mania[75][76]
* Neuroleptic malignant syndrome like event[77][78] (rare)
* Delirium tremens[79][80][81]
Click to expand...

Dude this first list is bang on, been there and had most symtems ,just never seen anyone write them down very impressive...
 
^It's a copy n' paste job from wiki or a med journal dude... it's not that much effort. the [xx]'s are for the references that would have been used in the article
 
great work i think you handled the situation very well, amazing summary too.
 
Dude, choose your future housemates more wisely, LOL. Mental health ain't no joke though, they probably got that bitch pumped up on Seroquel and some benzos. Still, good approach to the whole situation.

And at SLOWPOKE1967, LOL dude, just google benzodiazepine withdrawal symptoms and you'll see all my work/PubMed abstracts/papers/journal articles on the field.
 
If that was just mania imagine what would happen if she had meth as well...
 
You end up being found in a different town completely naked talking to angels, I know of this happening from bi-polar + meth
 
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