Benzodiazepine overdose

Most patients make a full physical recovery after acute benzodiazepine overdose but, in many cases, the underlying psychiatric and social issues that precipitated the overdose need to be addressed. Patients who have taken an intentional overdose are at risk of future episodes of deliberate self-harm.

A greater challenge is treating long-term abuse or dependence. An extensive review of 25 clinical trials, with a total of 1666 subjects, found that cognitive behavioral therapy offers limited benefit, and there is insufficient evidence to support motivational therapy or other common approaches in treating abuse or dependence.[42]Darker CD, Sweeney BP, Barry JM, et al. Psychosocial interventions for benzodiazepine harmful use, abuse or dependence. Cochrane Database Syst Rev. 2015;(5):CD009652. http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/14651858.CD009652.pub2/abstract http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/26106751?tool=bestpractice.com