“Addicted to Diazepam?”
Good morning, I have been taking Diazepam for approx. 5 years and am addicted. However, in the past year, I have managed to reduce my daily dose from 30mg to 6mg. I would like to stop taking this medication completely but my Dr. isn't being helpful. Can you please advise me on how to taper off Diazepam safely on my own? Thank you.
Female | 53 years old
Medications: Diazepam
Conditions: Addiction
1 Answer
Unless you're abusing diazepam, binge using it, or buying it on the street, you're not "addicted." What you describe is physical dependence plus withdrawal if you taper or stop it too quickly. The problem with diazepam is that any kind of rapid taper can lead to an anxiety flare-up that many people find intolerable. This is part and parcel of using diazepam for more than short periods. It doesn't reflect on you in any way. Also, with most drugs of this sort, it's often easier to taper to a lower dose than to taper down and stop from a low dose. So, getting stuck at 6 mg/day is completely understandable.
You'll find a variety of slow tapering recommendations on the internet, some better than others. What I'd suggest is cutting the dose by 10% A MONTH. So, take 5-1/2 mg/day for a month, 5 mg a day for a month, 4.5 mg a day for a month, etc. Take your time. In addition, I'd also recommend learning a self-soothing, meditation, or relaxation skill. Mindfulness works well. You'll find mindfulness books and tapes at Amazon and on the internet. A particularly helpful resource may be the Mindfulness Awareness Research Center at UCLA, https://www.uclahealth.org/marc/.
You'll find a variety of slow tapering recommendations on the internet, some better than others. What I'd suggest is cutting the dose by 10% A MONTH. So, take 5-1/2 mg/day for a month, 5 mg a day for a month, 4.5 mg a day for a month, etc. Take your time. In addition, I'd also recommend learning a self-soothing, meditation, or relaxation skill. Mindfulness works well. You'll find mindfulness books and tapes at Amazon and on the internet. A particularly helpful resource may be the Mindfulness Awareness Research Center at UCLA, https://www.uclahealth.org/marc/.
