‘Beautiful’ Bristol art student accidentally overdosed on diazepam while waiting for GP appointment

She was just 20-years-old
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A ‘beautiful and unique’ Bristol art student overdosed on anti-anxiety medication she was taking to cope as she waited weeks for a face-to-face GP appointment during lockdown, an inquest heard.

Arramuxa Lowsley-Williams was just 20 when she tragically passed away at the Bristol Royal Infirmary on September 11 last year.

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A documentary inquest into her death at Avon Coroner’s Court this morning (Thursday, April 7) heard that Miss Lowsley-Williams had long been battling depression and anxiety which had worsened after the death of her grandfather.

A talented painter, Miss Lowsley-Williams was attending the School of Art and Design at the University of the West of England, but had deferred her course for a year in order to work through her issues.

She had sought help from her GP and a mental health charity, but was struggling to get the face-to-face appointment she desperately wanted during lockdown and was ‘self-medicating’ with diazepam that she had bought to ‘tide her over’ in the meantime.

On August 26, Miss Lowsley-Williams had a telephone appointment with a GP from the Gloucester Road Medical Centre in which she revealed that she had self-harmed, was feeling suicidal and buying diazepam in an attempt to calm her anxiety.

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The GP cautioned Miss Lowsley-Williams about the dangers of taking diazepam without a prescription and she was then referred to the Avon and Wiltshire Mental Health Partnership, but further attempts to contact her were unsuccessful.

During the early hours of September 8, Miss Lowsley-Williams and her housemate were at the home they shared on Cromwell Road when the housemate heard ‘a crash’ in the bathroom.

Checking in on her friend around 20 minutes later, the housemate discovered Miss Lowsley-Williams in cardiac arrest on the floor and dialled 999 before attempting CPR.

Paramedics managed to regain a pulse and rushed Miss Lowsley-Williams to the Bristol Royal Informary, but she died in intensive care three days later.

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The medical cause of death was given as 1a) hypoxic brain injury, 1b) cardiac arrest and 2) benzodizapene overdose.

Her mother, Sophie Roche, has been left heartbroken by her daughter’s death and was present in court.

She told the hearing that she and other family members would constantly check in on Miss Lowsley-Williams, who had suffered from depression and anxiety since she was a young teenager.

Ms Roche had offered to pay for therapy for her daughter and she seemed to improve before ‘going downhill’.

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She said that she was unaware of the extent of Miss Lowsley Williams’ struggles in the weeks leading up to her death, as she would have ‘gone and picked her up straight away’.

She added: “She was well-loved and had a good support network. She was open and honest and not the type of person who would hold feelings in if they were bothering her.

“But she was on the waiting list to speak to someone in person, she wanted to speak face-to-face, and it was rolling on for weeks.”

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A tribute posted there describes her as an ‘artist in everything she did’ who loved to dance and express herself through her artwork.

“Her family and friends are devastated,” the tribute adds. “The outpouring of love since Muxa’s passing has been incredible, illustrating the joy she brought to so many people’s lives.

“She leaves a huge hole and will be dearly missed, but always, always remembered dancing in our hearts.”

Debbie Rookes, assistant coroner for Avon, concluded that Miss Lowsley Williams had died due to ‘accident’.

She added: “I’d like to offer my most sincere condolences to Arramuxa’s loved ones. I am so sorry for your loss.”

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