Many pill users, however, can and do curtail their habit in a matter of days or weeks with few serious withdrawal symptoms. In common with all other addictions, admitting the problem is the first step. Deciding when and what to do about it comes next. Discussing these issues is well suited to the GP consultation, in the same way as smoking cessation or drinking problems. One of the doctor's responsibilities is to give the patient information on which to base their personal decisions.
Some patients are ignorant of the most fundamental properties of the drugs they are taking.
Many 'benzo' addicts are unduly concerned about fitting if they cut down their dose. After years of using pills in a binge manner, if a patient has never had a fit, then they are at low risk of convulsions. On the other hand, those who do take fits need special attention to graduated dose reductions. Some impostors use this as a ruse to obtain drugs from sympathetic or naive doctors. Another common misapprehension is that you 'cannot die from benzodiazepines'.