Yet these are social and economic problems that will not be solved by giving pills to women. The real solution is to provide women with services and community support. How benzodiazepines are prescribed Benzodiazepines were originally intended for short-term use only, seven to ten days at most. However, many women are given prescriptions for much longer periods. A doctor will often prescribe benzodiazepines month after month without a follow-up visit to discuss the woman's progress.
Some doctors prescribe more than one type of benzodiazepine at the same time.
Other doctors switch a woman from pill to pill if the old prescription stops being effective. A woman may be given a second benzodiazepine if she has negative side effects from the first. This often happens when the doctor fails to do any follow-up, or when the woman is not offered any community support or counselling. The answer is yes, if we listen to women's stories. Prolonged use of tranquillizers and sleeping pills can result in physical and mental dependency.