Addiction to Diazepam

Abstract

Literature is reviewed which raises the question of diazepam's addicting potential. To explore this issue, 50 subjects referred from medical, surgical, and psychiatric clinics were evaluated by interview regarding their use of diazepam. Replies to a standardized interview were combined with physicians' ratings of addiction under two conditions: without and then with the knowledge that the drug in question was diazepam.

A computer-aided analysis of these data, including a correlation matrix, revealed surprisingly strong evidence for diazepam's capacity to elicit tolerance and withdrawal in this sample. Psychiatric patients were no more “addiction-prone” in this regard than patients given diazepam for medical conditions. Of equal significance, physicians' impressions of addiction were significantly altered toward a more favorable view when they learned that the drug in question was diazepam. Implications for psychiatric and medical practice are discussed, and suggestions for further controlled research offered.