Tranquiliser trap: The pain of long term injury

In 2015, almost 900,000 prescriptions were written for just two benzodiazepine drugs, with users becoming heavily dependent on them — often with painful results, says Helen O’Callaghan.    

MEDICATION wasn’t her thing — she hadn’t taken an antibiotic since 1987. But when Tipperary-based mother of two Catherine* experienced a “bad menopause” and didn’t sleep for months, her doctor asked in August 2007 if she’d try a bit of Valium.

“I took no more than 5mg at night for two or three months. It worked — I was getting sleep.”