Dr Reg Peart's Story

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http://www.benzo.org.uk/

 

Dr Reg Peart's Story

 

 

 

Dr Reg Peart, BSc, PhD

 

Chemical Rape of Body, Mind

and Soul - An Account of

Benzodiazepine Dependence

 

Foreword

 

This account contains little more than the 'Bare Bones' of over 50

years of my life. It includes over 16 years of medical treatment,

using the benzodiazepines to treat the many side effects caused by the

benzodiazepines, resulting in admission to psychiatric hospitals, loss

of career, marriage, family, home and severe intellectual impairment.

 

I have tried to highlight three key areas: Misprescribing,

Misdiagnosis and Mistreatment, that are common elements in most

accounts of benzodiazepine dependency.

 

One day in 1969, I was driving to my home town of Reading, England for

the first time in many years, when I decided to contact my family

doctor, who had taken an interest in my life and career. That spur of

the moment decision radically altered my life and that of my family.

 

I had recently returned to England from the USA, where I had worked

for 8 years as a physicist at the University of Illinois and for IBM

Research in New York State.

 

I mentioned to the doctor, that I had experienced recent bouts of

vertigo and he prescribed me what I now know to be Valium. Over 16

years later, I had lost my career, marriage, family, home and

possessions, living on Social Security in a Bed and Breakfast hostel,

with a mental age of about 10 years.

 

During my upbringing, I had few health problems, less than 10 visits

to doctors in the first 35 years of my life. I represented my school,

town and county at several sports and competed in several National

Athletic Championships. I also represented my University at soccer,

table tennis and athletics.

 

Between my school and University years, I spent one year working at

Harwell, the Atomic Energy Research Establishment, where my interest

in Nuclear physics was stimulated. I attended the University of

Reading, where I obtained a BSc in Physics and a PhD in Atomics physics.

 

After a 2 year period of post doctoral research, I was married and

took up an appointment at the University of Illinois.

 

From early childhood onwards, I had close links with my local church,

being very active in the choir, social and sporting activities. Later,

I became a member of the Parish Council and the Diocesan Synod.

 

Although much of my early years on Valium is hazy, I can with

hindsight detect the slow and insidious nature of Valium dependency. I

can remember short term memory loss and problems with concentration

that were affecting my work. (On my return to England, I had taken up

a post with an International Electronics Company, in the field of

semiconductor physics). Although I had published over 30 Scientific

papers, I was finding it difficult to write up recent work and after

several promotions, I asked to be relieved of some of my

responsibilities. I was becoming Introverted and began to isolate

socially, giving up my links with the church and sports. A marked

change in my personality and character occurred over a few years,

accompanied by a range of physical problems as well as anxiety and

panic attacks.

 

In 1974 my local doctor stopped the prescribing of Valium overnight,

and in 5 days, I was admitted to a private psychiatric hospital for

what I now know to be 'cold turkey' withdrawals. I was initially

diagnosed as schizophrenic and for the period 1974-1976, I spent

several periods in this hospital, receiving various drug therapies,

including continuous narcosis and about 25 sessions of ECT.

 

At the end of this period, I was asked to accept redundancy from my

work, on the grounds of ill health. The only explanation given to me

and my wife, was that I had had a nervous breakdown.

 

During the next 10 years, I was prescribed diazepam (Valium),

Chlordiazepoxide (Librium), nitrazepam (Mogadon), temazepam, prazepam,

a wide range of antidepressants and several neuroleptics.

 

I had tried several times to resurrect my working life, including a

period as a tutor in Adult Basic Education, unsuccessfully. Not

surprisingly, these events took a heavy toll on my marriage, resulting

in a marriage separation. My wife was also prescribed Valium and

became dependant on them for several years.

 

I was by this time taking 100 mgs of Valium / day, all prescribed, and

my physical and mental health had greatly deteriorated and after a

failed attempt to restart our marriage, I gave up my part time work

and obtained a divorce.

 

After the divorce in 1981, I isolated even more and moved from the

Midlands to Bournemouth on the South coast of England, where I knew no

one. After a while I sought help from a local doctor, who immediately

stopped my supply of Valium in a few days. Within 2 weeks, I was in

severe withdrawals again and admitted to a psychiatric hospital where

I was threatened and blackmailed into having ECT. I later learned that

the records showed that I did not sign a consent form and that a

diagnosis of severe benzodiazepine withdrawal was made, followed by a

note for ECT to be given.

 

The next 5 years were a continuous nightmare of more benzodiazepines,

antidepressants and other drugs. Every day was a huge conscious effort

to achieve the basic facets of life. I was living by myself and with

the help of ex colleagues, managed to obtain a junior post at a

University Research Laboratory, thinking that a return to the 'love of

my life' would help me back to 'normal' life. This with hindsight,

predictably ended in disaster. I was working away from home during the

week and returning to Bournemouth at weekends, needing more and more

drugs to stave off withdrawal symptoms, obtained readily on repeat

prescriptions.

 

In April 1985, I was refused a prescription with no explanations. I

was later to find out, that because of a restricted National Health

Service prescribing list, prazepam was no longer available. So again,

I went into cold turkey withdrawals and ended up in a psychiatric

unit, put back on drugs and after a rapid 2 week withdrawal programme,

I was sent home.

 

The next 6 months are a complete blur, I now know that I was going in

and out of fugue states (similar to alcoholics blackouts). I had

previously had an epileptic seizure and these states are known to be

associated with epileptic activities in the brain. Fortunately, during

my stay in a psychiatric hospital, I had met a counsellor at a 12 step

Treatment Centre, and he managed to get me admitted for a 3 month

period of treatment, which turned out to be the beginning of my recovery.

 

For the first 2 years, I suffered from insomnia, anxiety, fear and

panic, with very poor short and long term memory. I had virtually lost

all of my life and social skills and I did little except attend 12

step meetings every day. These were my only means of support, the

medical profession had neglected me. Soon after, I came out of

treatment, I asked my doctor for help with rehabilitation, but at the

first mention of benzodiazepine dependency, I was met with a stony

faced, glassy eyed silence, and an opening of the door to indicate the

appointment was over.

 

After 2 years in recovery, the anxiety, fear and panic levels had

dropped appreciably, but my short and long term memory was still very

poor. I was going through protracted withdrawals (an extended period

of side effects produced by the drugs) and I was finding it difficult

to cope with the responsibility of living in my own home. I managed to

make some money by selling my home and became a wanderer for a few

years, living in bed and breakfast hostels, with friends and with my

brother and family in Perth, Western Australia, for several lengthy

periods. I also took two round the world flights, visiting various

countries, including the USA, Australia, Fiji, Hong Kong and

Singapore. I attended 12 step groups in these countries and received a

great deal of help, support care and attention from them.

 

In between my travels, I started to re-study maths and physics, at O

Level (16 years) and A Level (18 years) standard. I believe that in

this period as well as relearning, I was doing a very important thing,

a necessary reconditioning and reprogramming of my brain. This

culminated in a series of memory floods in 1989/90, during which my

long term memory largely returned. From that time onwards, my short

term memory and concentration slowly improved. Later in 1992, as a

part of the benzodiazepine litigation, a neuropsychological

examination revealed deficits in cognitive ability in at least 6

areas. My IQ at that time had reached 120, well short of the pre

benzodiazepine level.

 

During one of my stays in Bournemouth, I became aware of the legal

action against the manufacturers of the benzodiazepines, which I

joined initially, with the hope of getting my medical records (several

previous requests had been denied by the medical profession), when I

finally managed to get them, to my horror, it was clear that the

prescribing doctors knew of my addiction since the mid 1970's, and had

failed to advise me or my family. On the contrary, several had flatly

denied it with comments like: " Stop playing doctor and burn your

books " and " You will take Valium for the rest of you life, if you wish

to be my patient " . One letter from the treatment centre advised my

doctor, that, I was seriously brain damaged, and that the prognosis

was uncertain. I saw this doctor several times after treatment, and he

failed to advise me, or my family, or offer any help in recovery.

 

The English Benzodiazepine Litigation, paid for by the Legal Aid

Board, was beset with many problems right from the start in 1988. It

finally collapsed in 1993, when funding was withdrawn in 1992, I and

several other claimants had formed Victims of Tranquillisers (VOT), in

an attempt to overcome the appalling ignorance shown by many

solicitors and medical experts of the nature of benzodiazepine

dependence and its consequences.

 

We became litigants in person and fought our case through the High

Court, the Appeal Court and the Supreme Court (House of Lords). Much

as expected, our case was rejected and we are now suing the UK

Government in the European Court of Human Rights, for denial of our

right to a fair trial.

 

My medical records reveal over 40 adverse reactions to benzodiazepine

ingestion. Today 15 years on, most of the physical and cognitive

problems have either disappeared or are at a level that can be

incorporated in every day life, but, time does not heal the

sociological problems and losses.

 

Although officially retired after many years of being unemployed and

unemployable, I spend most of my time as National Co-ordinator of VOT.

The need for such an organisation is still growing, because

unfortunately, the medical profession has not learnt its lesson from

the past over the prescribing of sedative-hypnotic drugs. VOT members

handle many thousands of enquiries by mail, telephone, fax and email

and hopefully one day, will all make sure that the authorities, who

are responsible for this medical scandal, are made accountable.

 

As of today, I have not met a doctor, who has the courage and honesty

to look me in the eye and admit to the benzodiazepine dependency

problem, let alone offer an apology for their role in it.

 

It appears that many have turned the Hippocratic Oath on its head,

" First Do No Harm " , now applies to themselves and the medical

profession, NOT THE PATIENTS.

 

Quotations:

 

" Institutions, like some individuals, are constitutionally incapable

of being honest with themselves. " - anon

 

" There is a bar against all information, which is proof against all

arguments and which cannot fail to keep a man in everlasting ignorance

- that principle is contempt to investigation. " Herbert Spencer

 

Dr Peart studied at the University of Reading where he was awarded a

B.Sc. (Special) in Physics and a Ph.D. in Atomic Physics. He has held

various appointments in academic and industrial research

establishments including the Atomic Energy Research Establishment

(AERE) Harwell, Associate Professor at the University of Illinois and

Manager of the Radioisotope Laboratory at the world renowned IBM JJ

Watson Research Centre, New York. He has published many papers in

Atomic Physics, Metal Physics and Semiconductor Physics, and is a

member of the New York Academy of Science.

 

Subsequently to being prescribed Valium for vertigo he suffered many

years of misprescribing, misdiagnosis and mistreatment including over

30 sessions of Electro Convulsive Treatment (ECT), many whilst in

'cold turkey' Valium withdrawal. He finally became unemployed and

unemployable with severe cognitive impairment and other long term

damage. He was rejected and neglected by all the doctors he approached

for treatment.

 

During his years of very slow recovery he became involved in voluntary

work with addicts of various kinds. In 1992, he helped form Victims of

Tranquillisers (VOT) and was responsible for leading a group of

litigants in persons from the failed Benzodiazepine Litigation through

to the European Court of Human Rights where the UK Government is being

sued for denial of the right to a fair trial.

 

He spends most of his life as the National Coordinator and Archivist VOT.

 

Dr R F Peart, BSc, PhD, RIBA, SOP*

Victims of Tranquillisers (VOT)

Flat 9

Vale Lodge

Vale Road

Bournemouth

BH1 3SY

Tel: 01202 311689

 

*Bachelor of Science, Doctor of Philosophy, Recovering Iatrogenic

Benzodiazepine Addict, Survivor of Psychiatry

 

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