Benzodiazepines may not be the answer for soldiers suffering stress from the horrors of war (Image: Sipa Press/Rex Features)
GIVING sleeping pills to soldiers and earthquake victims is common practice, yet it could be doing more harm than good. That’s the suggestion from a study of traumatised rats, which seemed to show that the drugs suppressed the rodent’s natural mechanisms for coping with trauma.
The US Department of Veterans Affairs says it will consider this and other studies when preparing new guidelines on treatments for post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). If their results are strong enough, it may recommend withholding…
