Benzodiazepine use in Older Adults: Dangers, Management

Evidence-Based Practice Assignment
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Evidence-Based Practice Assignment
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Question: A patient is diagnosed with anxiety, are benzodiazepines as good as cognitive behavioral therapy in decreasing panic attacks?
Ahmed, M., Westra, H. A., & Stewart, S. H. (2011). A self-help handout for benzodiazepine discontinuation using cognitive behavioral therapy. Cognitive and Behavioral Practice , 15(3):317-324.
The authors are concerned that, as much as benzodiazepines’ prescription rates may be declining, still there are evident that they are massively prescribed for the treatment of various kind of anxiety disorders. The reason behind this is due to the fact that many anxiety patients necessitate support or close assistance in successfully discontinuing of the benzodiazepines. As such, experts in the health care have specifically developed and proposed cognitive behavioral therapy approach over benzodiazepines to solve the risks posed by the latter. Importantly, there is an evidence base findings that now underpins the use of cognitive behavioral therapy in this manner. Particularly, the article provides insightful the rationale as to why discontinuation of benzodiazepines justifiable. Additionally, the authors share a productive self-help handbook that they have successfully use in the cognitive-behavioral exercise to help patients making decisive decisions as to whether they are ready to go ahead with the termination of their benzodiazepines as well as preparing them with plans for effective discontinuation.
The article is essential as it highlights reasons that confirms benzodiazepines approach is the not as good as the cognitive behavioural therapy in treating anxiety disorder effectively.
M, M., Rummans, & Bostwick JM, L. M. (2016). Benzodiazepine use in older adults: Dangers, management, and alternative therapies. Mayo Clinic Proceeding, 91(11):1632-1639.
The article focuses on negative impact of using Benzodiazepine partcularly to the elderly people. It underpins with a caution that many medical and psychiatric organizations such as the American Generic Society, have offered cautions to discourage the use of benzodiazepines or any other psychopharmacological intervention in treating anxiety disorder to adults. However, the research indicates that many physicians continue to massively prescribe benzodiazepines even to the populations that are vulnerable to its side effects. The article condenses genuine explanations for prescribing benzodiazepines to the adults, especially to the elderly, a group that is thoughtful related with the risks of prescribing them, mostly when not specified, obstacles that many doctors faces in changing their prescription pattern as well as evidence-based approaches on how to terminate the administering of benzodiazepines to the elderly patients. Additionally, the article includes a disclaimer that further researches might be needed to justify the discontinuation of benzodiazepines but it still goes ahead and suggest alternate and non-pharmacological approaches in treating anxiety disorder specifically to the elderly patient. The non- pharmacological methods include cognitive behavioral t...