For those who have been diagnosed with anxiety, panic, seizures, and other conditions, products like Xanax and Klonopin have delivered rapid symptom relief. However, when used in high doses over long periods of time, this class of drug also has a dark side.
What Are Benzos?
Benzo is the short form for benzodiazepine. When a person takes benzodiazepines over the short term, they typically experience a sedative effect. Their muscles may relax, and they may feel sleepy and less anxious.
These effects occur with benzodiazepines because the drug impacts gamma aminobutyric acid (GABA), the chemical responsible for reducing activity in certain parts of the brain; specifically, those connected to emotion, memory, breathing, and reasoning.
The Controlled Substance Act lists benzos as a Schedule IV drug in the United States. This class of drugs has a lower potential for abuse. However, abusing them increases the risk of limited psychological or physical dependence.
Why Are Benzos So Addictive?
Dopamine is a neurotransmitter that’s made in the brain. It sends chemical messages between your brain’s neurons.
When you engage in an enjoyable activity, dopamine is released, making you feel good. Dopamine will be released whenever you engage in that same enjoyable activity, reinforcing the connection between it and the good feeling
Benzos cause your brain to release dopamine. However, when taken over the long term, the primary effects of benzodiazepines include changes to how your brain releases dopamine.
Instead of only releasing it in a short burst of a regulated amount, benzos cause an uncontrolled amount of dopamine to be released in the brain.
This means that the high you get from taking benzos can be incredibly intense and pleasurable. Not only that. Each time you take this drug, a higher amount of dopamine is released, which gives you a more pleasurable high. This is what makes benzos so addictive.
Still another reason that benzos can be so addictive is that they are easy to obtain via benzodiazepine prescriptions or online, and they may cost less than other drugs.
How Does Benzo Use Affect the Brain?
Using this drug for the purpose of treating anxiety disorders and other conditions can be effective. However, long-term benzodiazepine use, which is generally classified as three months or longer, is not suggested This is due to the drug’s effect on the brain.
Using benzos for a long time can cause cognitive decline in the following ways:
- Impaired understanding of information
- Slower processing speed
- Reduced ability for verbal learning
- Shorter attention span
- Memory loss
- Confusion
- Depression
As well, a higher dosage of the drug may be needed to achieve the same high. This can quickly lead to overdose and death.
However, despite the cognitive impairment that benzos can cause in the brain, the good news is that once a person has not taken benzos for a long time, many of the damaging effects listed above can be reversed.
Severe Withdrawal Symptoms
After a person with physical dependence stops the long-term use of benzodiazepines, a number of severe withdrawal symptoms can arise within a few days of stopping, and these can last for up to 10 days. Symptoms include:
- Heart palpitations
- Increased anxiety
- Panic attacks
- Seizures
- Psychotic reactions
- Hallucinations
Due to the high intensity of these withdrawal symptoms associated with benzodiazepine dependence, medically assisted detox is strongly recommended before addiction treatment begins. This type of detox allows you to be monitored by a trained medical staff that has the knowledge and equipment necessary to stop serious symptoms before they become dangerous.
Want to Talk to us About Treatment Options for Benzodiazepine Addiction?
Here at EHN Canada, we take care of you. Please contact us at 1-866-963-6343 if you or a loved one is struggling with a benzodiazepine addiction and/ or a mental health issue.
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