Addiction Report 1
Notice
Direct permission has been given by Dr. Graeme Judson to use this report and to change the formatting for web purposes (the content remains unchanged).
Medical Report
Re: Wayne Douglas – Benzodiazepine Dependence
Prepared by: Dr. Graeme Judson, Clinical Service Director, Alcohol & Drug Service Taranaki
Prepared for: Tokyo District Court
Date: 24 April 2008
Signature: Graeme Judson
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Introduction
I, Graeme Judson, have been invited to provide this report regarding Mr. Wayne Douglas’s Benzodiazepine dependency.
I am the Clinical Service Director of the Alcohol & Drug Service Taranaki. I have been working in Alcohol and Drug Rehabilitation for 16 years and I have been involved in assessing patients for Benzodiazepine and other substance dependencies. My qualifications include my undergraduate degrees BHB, MBChB as well as my post-graduate qualifications of MHSc and FAChAM.
This report includes content from the letters that I have provided thus far together with more detailed information regarding Wayne’s Benzodiazepine dependence.
This report consists of 3 main sections as follows:
- Patient Background
- The Dependence Diagnosis / DSM-IV-TR Criteria
- Formal Reduction Program
In order to gain an understanding of the overall clinical picture and the diagnosis for Benzodiazepine dependence we must first examine the Patient Background, including, Prior Medical History, Patient Profile, Substance / Prescription History, History of Symptoms etc, as outlined in Section 1 of this report.
NB: Section 1 also consists of information provided by Wayne and his lawyer, Mr. A.
After examining the Patient Background we can then see how the overall clinical picture relates to the diagnostic criteria for Benzodiazepine dependence, which in this case is based on the DSM-IV-TR, as outlined in Section 2 of this report.
Section 3 covers the formal reduction program.
The report is concluded with a summary of findings.
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(1) Patient Background
1.1 Prior Medical History
1.2 Patient Profile
1.3 Substance / Prescription History
1.4 History of Symptoms
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(2) Dependence Diagnosis
2.1 Diagnostic Procedure
2.2 Overall Clinical Picture
2.3 DSM-IV-TR Criteria
2.4 ICD-10 Criteria
2.5 Differential Diagnosis
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Summary
In summary, Wayne’s presentation was consistent with that of a diagnosis meeting Benzodiazepine dependence in terms of both the ICD-10 criteria and the DSM-IV-TR criteria.
Based on the above together with the overall clinical picture, in my professional opinion, Wayne was indeed dependent to the Benzodiazepines that were first prescribed to him by Dr. X on 5th July 2000 and that he has suffered as a consequence of that dependence.
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Original Copy
Click here to see Original Copy of Report 1
Translation Errors
- Translation Errors are have been included to show corrections of Japanese translation errors (made by the translation company) which occurred in the translation of the medical reports.
- Also included are explanations of the nature of these errors which may allow you to consider any potential implications they may have had on the case. This could be of interest to language enthusiasts.
The primary language of this website is English. Japanese appears as translations only (except for some original court documents).
These translations have been done by many different translators including me. Therefore, there are differences in quality and styles.
Please understand that I am not native Japanese and subsequently there are parts that may sound unnatural in Japanese.
“If any drug over time is going to just rob you of your identity [leading to] long, long term disaster, it has to be benzodiazepines.”
Dr John Marsden,
Institute of Psychiatry, London
November 1, 2007
“Benzos are responsible for more pain, unhappiness and damage than anything else in our society.”
Phil Woolas MP,
Deputy Leader of the House of Commons,
Oldham Chronicle, February 12, 2004
“The benzodiazepines are probably the most addictive drugs ever created and the vast army of enthusiastic doctors who prescribed these drugs by the tonne have created the world's largest drug addiction problem.”
The Drugs Myth, 1992
“If there's a pill, then pharmaceutical companies will find a disease for it.”
Jeremy Laurance,
The Independent, April 17, 2002.
“It is more difficult to withdraw people from benzodiazepines than it is from heroin.”
Professor Malcolm H Lader
Institute of Psychiatry London
BBC Radio 4, Face The Facts
March 16, 1999
“Withdrawal symptoms can last months or years in 15% of long-term users. In some people, chronic use has resulted in long-term, possibly permanent disability.”
Professor C Heather Ashton
DM, FRCP,
Good Housekeeping, 2003