This site aims to help raise awareness about the potential dangers of prescription Benzodiazepines, which could affect any one of us worldwide given the circumstances.

It also aims to raise awareness about some of the problems in litigation cases. For this purpose, I have included documents from my own case to serve as an example.

My case and story are presented along with International expert opinions and other information that may be considered helpful.

The area of prescription drug dependency is filled with controversy and differing opinions, even among experts. Subsequently, the content of this site is not intended to force any views or opinions, but rather aims to act as a point of reference, to provoke thought and to encourage others to carry out further research.

The Case and Feedback parts may be of interest to those seeking litigation.

Also included is The Ashton Manual (English & Japanese) in both HTML and PDF formats.

This site is divided into 4 main sections:

1. The Benzodiazepine Section
2. The Case Section
3. The Resources Section
4. My Story

GENERAL

• The Benzodiazepine Section shows a comprehensive list of benzodiazepines (and trade names), potencies, and a list of useful information (Did You Know).
• Addictiveness explains how addictive these drugs are.
• Withdrawal shows the different stages of withdrawal and lists some symptoms.
• Permanent Damages contains quotes from the literature and concerns from experts about possible irreversible damages.
• What to Do provides some guidance for people wanting to come off benzos based on advice from Prof. Ashton.
• Effects on Us All shows just how damaging these drugs can be to all of society.
• Who’s Responsible reveals what’s causing this pandemic.
• Recommendations contains suggestions for improvement.
• Compensation Cases discusses some implications associated with seeking justice and compensation.
• News gives the latest in Global benzo news.    

ACTION

• World Benzo Awareness Day
• ISAM World Congress
• Petition to Japanese Government
• My Activities

CHECK LIST

• Could your prescription be a type of benzodiazepine or similar drug?
• How addictive are benzodiazepines?
• Could you (or someone you know) be dependent?
• Do you know what to do if you are dependent?

• Does your doctor understand enough about prescribing benzodiazepines?
• Have you received proper informed consent?
• Have you received proper monitoring (for potential forming of dependency)?
• Are medication package inserts reliable?

• How does the (legal) benzo problem compare to cases of illegal drug use?
• How do these problems affect people who have have never taken benzos?
• Who’s responsible for these problems?
• What needs to be done to improve the situation?

• How difficult is it to pursue a compensation case (litigation)
• What are dependency and withdrawal like? (for unfamiliar general public)

• The Case Section contains Medical Reports, Personal & Witness Statements, The High / Supreme Court Verdicts, and my Supreme Court Appeal which may help give an insight into the types of issues that could be raised and questioned in a case like this.

• Medical reports are presented, together with brief explanations on the Feedback page as to what they were trying to achieve within context of the court. The reports also show how their content was based on the official evidence (mainly patient files from Japan & NZ) whilst incorporating credible International Expert Opinions (literature etc).

• The DSM-TV-TR diagnostic criteria for dependency were applied which helped to define the issues for litigation in my case.

• Translation Errors are included showing corrections of Japanese translation errors (made by the translation company) which occurred in the translation of the medical reports.

• Explanations of the nature of these errors are also included, which may allow you to consider any potential implications they may have had on the case. This could be of interest to language enthusiasts.

• Statements, both personal and witness, capture how the state of dependency evolved in relation to the treatment history, and the impact of that dependency, as well as they address other issues raised by the courts.

• The Verdicts (Tokyo High Court and Supreme Court) are shown together with English translations and detailed comments which give clear explanations and reasons based on medical reports and the official evidence (patient files etc) why the judges’ decisions were visibly unfair, especially in the High Court ruling.

• The Supreme Court Appeal highlights many of the injustices demonstrated by the High Court.

• Case Issues shows the main diagnostic issues which were raised in my case, along with common misconceptions displayed among concerned parties, together with expert verifications to the contrary.

• Official Loss & Damage Forms show the actual amount of losses and damages in my case.

• Justice or Not? further highlights many of the injustices demonstrated by the High Court.

• The Resources Section contains a variety of other materials that may be of use to the reader including:

• The Ashton Manual with expert advice on benzodiazepines and how to withdrawal safely written by world renowned expert Prof. Heather Ashton.

• The INCB Report 2010 which shows global consumption levels for a variety of drugs according to country including benzodiazepines shown on page 32.

• The DSM-IV-TR diagnostic criteria for dependency are shown – these helped to define the issues for litigation in my case. (NB: There has been some controversy over the DSM, and apparently, doctors can also use these criteria to their advantage, so in my case, there was sufficient consultation with my lawyer.)

• Medical Papers: Links are given to benzo.org.uk for an extensive range of benzodiazepine related papers and literature written by experts.

• Court Documentation in the Case Section shows an actual case sample of the DSM-IV-TR Diagnostic Criteria for Dependency applied (See dependency reports). Other documents may also provide an insight into the types of issues that could be raised and questioned in a case like this.

• Feedback on what worked well in my case including preparation, organization, strategy, etc. and what could have been better executed. Also includes feedback on how I managed my stress and time during proceedings, and shows some of the Challenges I faced.

• Documentaries show a variety of benzodiazepine related television documentaries that may be of interest to the reader.

• Videos shows a variety of other benzodiazepine related videos that may be of interest to the reader.

• Recommended Books show a variety of benzodiazepine related books that may be of interest to the reader.

• Links to friendly and informative websites.

• The Section on My Story has been included so that readers can learn more about me and my background, and get a better insight into my doctor induced benzodiazepine dependency and my case for compensation.

• About Me gives a simple outline about me and where I am from.

• My Dependency shows how I had to endure a state of dependency in another country whilst not knowing what was wrong with me because there was no informed consent.

• My Withdrawal shows how I had to endure withdrawal symptoms during the treatment (due to tolerance), during reduction, upon cessation, and for several months and years thereafter.

• My Recovery shows the remarkable effort I made in my recovery, going from a person who could hardly walk to one who could squat 180kgs in the gym.

• My Battle highlights the epic scale of my battle, as I fought this case in another country and language against a world famous doctor, the hospital, and the teams of lawyers and entire networks that no doubt sat behind them.

• Messages of Support shares some messages of support that were kindly sent to me from a number of people following the conclusion of my case.

• Messages of Thanks shares some messages of thanks to a number of people who have supported me.

• My Thoughts are included as a means to try and help raise more awareness.

ACTION

• My Activities

See My Book

There has probably never been a benzodiazepine case recorded in so much detail in 2 languages ever presented like this before. I am sure if I had access to this kind of shared information in advance of my court case, it would have significantly reduced the amount of time and effort required.

The judge made it clear that he would only accept arguments based on credible evidence, and subsequently, all information submitted to the courts and contained herein is exactly so (non-evidential aspects were never included at any stage).

The Information contained in this website is a product built on over 10 years of suffering, sacrifice and pain staking work. At first it was difficult sharing my story online because it necessitated disclosing personal information, however, I felt the need to help others outweighed this.

Through this site I now share my years of endless work together with a variety of supporting information (English & Japanese) in the hope that it will provide others with a better understanding of doctor induced (iatrogenic) dependency and litigation, and improved chances in protecting your own health, livelihoods and families.

Webmaster: Wayne Douglas

Wayne Douglas is a brave man who, in designing the website Benzo Case Japan, has used his own suffering in order to benefit others. His aim is to increase awareness among doctors and the public about the adverse effects of psychotropic drugs, especially tranquillisers such as benzodiazepines.

This clever website, which can be read in both Japanese and English, tells the story of how Wayne, while living in Japan, was wrongly prescribed anti-anxiety drugs (benzodiazepine tranquillisers) in large doses and for long periods. As a result he becamedependent on the drugs which caused severe physical and mental symptoms.

Because of the ignorance of doctors, Wayne was forced to plough his own lonely furrow in order to gain information about the effects of the drugs. After learning more about the drugs, he courageously managed to withdraw himself from them. Then after much research into world-wide sources, he later developed more ‘expertise’ on the subject.

The website contains comprehensive information about the drugs. It also tells the enthralling story from the human and personal angle of how Wayne endured his medical suffering, prepared a court case which he lost at the Tokyo High Court, and how at the same time he suffered as a resident of Fukushima, and like so many others, had to endure the appalling consequences of the 3-11 disaster.

This website should be visited by all doctors and members of the public, especially those who have been prescribed benzodiazepines or other psychotropic drugs (e.g. medication for stress/anxiety, sleeping tablets, antidepressants, antipsychotics, sedatives, painkillers, etc.). All could benefit from the 14 years of work and dedication that Wayne has devoted to the subject.

Heather Ashton: Emeritus Professor of Clinical Psychopharmacology, University of Newcastle upon Tyne, England.