Alternative treatments for withdrawing the long-term benzodiazepine user: a pilot study

Anxiolytic therapy with benzodiazepines and their potential for dependence are reviewed. Relaxation training and biofeedback have been used for chemically dependent anxious patients. These techniques have been recommended for benzodiazepine-dependent patients, but not investigated. Previous withdrawal studies offer only limited follow-up data. Stress management treatment was based on a successful case study. Recruitment difficulties were encountered. However, seven patients were randomly assigned to stress management or brief psycho-therapy. All showed improvement, but three of four patients available for 1 year follow-up had returned to pretreatment dependence. These withdrawal difficulties suggest the need for more effective treatments and more adequate follow-up studies.