Heather Ashton FRCP (11 July 1929 – 15 September 2019) was a British psychopharmacologist and physician.[1][2] She is best known for her clinical and research work on benzodiazepine dependence.[1][2][3][4]
Heather Ashton | |
|---|---|
| Born | Chrystal Heather Champion 11 July 1929 Dehradun, British India |
| Died | 15 September 2019 (aged 90) Newcastle upon Tyne, England |
| Alma mater | Somerville College, Oxford |
| Scientific career | |
| Fields | Medicine, Psychopharmacology |
| Institutions | Newcastle University |
Biography
editChrystal Heather Champion was born in Dehradun, northern India, to Harry Champion, a British silviculturist, and Chrystal (Parsons) Champion, a secretary.[1][2][4] From the age of six, she attended a boarding school in Swanage, Dorset, England.[1] When WWII began, she was evacuated to West Chester, Pennsylvania; during the crossing, her ship was attacked by a U-boat.[1]
Ashton went on to study Medicine at Somerville College, Oxford,[2] graduating with a first class honours Bachelor of Arts (BA) degree in physiology in 1951.[3] She earned her Bachelor of Medicine, Bachelor of Surgery (BM BCh) degrees in 1954 and a postgraduate Doctor of Medicine (DM) degree in 1956.[3] She completed professional training at Middlesex Hospital.[1] She was elected as a Fellow of the Royal College of Physicians, London, in 1975.[3]
In 1965, Ashton joined the faculty at Newcastle University, first in the Department of Pharmacology and later in the Department of Psychiatry.[1][3] From 1982 to 1994, she ran a benzodiazepine withdrawal clinic at the Royal Victoria Infirmary in Newcastle.[2] She was on the executive committee of the North East Council on Addictions.[1][5] Ashton also helped set up the British organisation Victims of Tranquillisers (VOT).[3][6] She also gave evidence to British government committees on tobacco smoking, cannabis and benzodiazepines.[3][7]
Ashton died on 15 September 2019 at her home in Newcastle upon Tyne, at age 90.[2]
Research
editAshton's developed her expertise in the effects of psychoactive drugs and the effects of substances such as nicotine and cannabis on the brain.[1]
During the 1960s, benzodiazepines, like diazepam and temazepam, had become popular and were seen as safe and effective treatments for anxiety or insomnia.[1][2][4] Ashton found patients who had been on the medications for extended periods came to her with concerns about addiction and further health problems.[2]
Ashton's research on these drugs found that they could be used in the short term, but could lead to physical dependence over the long-term.[2] She developed an approach to withdrawal that supported the patient to control the rate at which the dose was tapered, often taking months or even longer.[1] This led to her writing an important manual to help those who were trying to stop their prescribed benzodiazepine. This manual is now used all over the world.[1][2][3] This book, Benzodiazepines: How They Work and How to Withdraw, was first published in 1999;[7] it has become known as the Ashton Manual and has been translated into 11 languages.[1][2]
Ashton's research was influential, leading to changes in prescribing practices and guidelines in Britain and the USA.[2] Her research on psychotropic drugs led to over 200 journal articles, chapters and books, including over 50 papers concerning benzodiazepines alone.[4]
References
edit- ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m Ferry, Georgina (2019-11-18). "Heather Ashton obituary". The Guardian. ISSN 0261-3077. Retrieved 2020-01-06.
- ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l Sheikh, Knvul (2020-01-03). "Dr. Heather Ashton, 90, Dies; Helped People Quit Anxiety Drugs". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved 2020-01-06.
- ^ a b c d e f g h "Professor C Heather Ashton, DM, FRCP – CV". benzo.org.uk. Retrieved 2020-01-06.
- ^ a b c d "Heather Ashton obituary". Foundation for Excellence in Mental Health Care. 2019-11-18. Retrieved 2020-01-06.[permanent dead link]
- ^ "Neca Homepage". Neca.
- ^ "Victims of Tranquillisers – Objectives & Activities". benzo.org.uk.
- ^ a b "Benzodiazepines: How They Work & How to Withdraw". benzo.org.uk.