Benzodiazepines—also known as benzos—are some of the most widely prescribed drugs for anxiety, insomnia, panic attacks, and even seizures. Benzodiazepines such as Xanax, Ativan, Klonopin, and Valium can bring quick relief when you’re feeling overwhelmed or have trouble calming your body and mind. However, these medications can also be highly addictive and habit-forming, especially when used longer than intended or without close medical supervision.
At Kasa Recovery in Los Angeles, we see how benzo addiction can take hold quickly and have life-altering consequences. Recognizing how this form of addiction works is essential to protecting yourself or finding help if you or a loved one is already struggling. This article provides a straightforward explanation of benzo addiction and how it works.
Understanding Benzodiazepines
Benzodiazepines work on a neurotransmitter in the brain called GABA (gamma-aminobutyric acid). This chemical is responsible for slowing activity throughout the brain and nervous system. An increase in GABA causes you to feel more relaxed and less anxious.
Benzos increase this effect to deliver fast-acting relief in moments of high stress or panic. However, your brain quickly adapts to this change. As you continue taking benzodiazepines, your brain relies less on its natural ability to produce adequate GABA. Instead, you need medication to produce that relaxing effect.
Even if you only take benzos as prescribed, your brain can become dependent on them with long-term use. This is why most benzodiazepines are only prescribed for short-term use, such as a few weeks or months. But many people find they end up taking them far longer than they originally intended
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Escalating Dependence and Addiction
Physical dependence on benzodiazepines simply means that your body has adapted to functioning with the medication present. Withdrawal symptoms like anxiety, insomnia, irritability, and in extreme cases, seizures result when you suddenly stop taking the medication.
Addiction, on the other hand, is a stronger form of dependence. Addiction occurs when you start to have a psychological need for benzos and develop cravings. Addiction can also happen when you start taking benzos for a purpose other than what your doctor prescribed them or feel like you can’t function without them.
For example, addiction can start when you take benzos to relax after work when you have a busy day, fall asleep easier at night, help you feel better, or numb uncomfortable emotions. Because benzodiazepines offer relief quickly, this desire to take more can become powerful. Before long, the medication moves from being a helpful supplement to something you feel you can’t live without. It can become difficult to stop taking benzodiazepines without help.
Factors That Increase Risk of Addiction
While many people take benzodiazepines without becoming addicted, certain risk factors can increase the likelihood. Here are some of the most common.
- Stress and anxiety: If you’re using benzodiazepines to manage ongoing stress, emotional struggles, or chronic anxiety, you’re more likely to continue using them for a long time. Genetics also plays a part; if you have a family history of addiction or other substance use disorders, your brain may respond more powerfully to benzodiazepines.
- Misuse: Benzodiazepines can be misused easily and often without even realizing it. For instance, you might take an extra pill because you’re feeling more anxious than usual or double your dose if you can’t fall asleep. You might also increase your dose slightly over time without noticing that your brain is becoming dependent.
- Peer pressure: Your social circle also impacts benzo addiction. If your friends or coworkers casually use benzodiazepines, it can feel harmless for you to do the same. In this case, it’s easy to cross the line between safe use and misuse without even realizing it. Benzo misuse can also escalate very fast and spiral into something more serious before you know what’s happening.
Addiction Is Dangerous
Benzo addiction is dangerous for several reasons. The withdrawal process is one of the primary dangers. Unlike many drugs and alcohol, benzodiazepine withdrawal can be life-threatening. Symptoms include:
- Intense anxiety
- Shakiness and tremors
- Hallucinations and disorientation
- Muscle spasms
Seizures are one of the main reasons why cold-turkey detox from benzodiazepines is never safe. Another danger is the tendency to mix benzos with other substances. People who struggle with addiction often combine benzodiazepines with alcohol or opioids. Mixing benzodiazepines and opioids, in particular, can be especially risky. These drugs have a synergistic effect and can slow your breathing and heart rate, and make overdoses more likely.
Benzo addiction can also have harmful effects on your brain, memory, concentration, sleep patterns, mood, and relationships. You may also isolate, hide your use, and struggle at work or with family life. Many of these physical and emotional changes can happen without your knowledge until they’ve already had a significant impact.
Breaking Free
Benzo addiction is complex because it affects both the mind and the body. Chemically, your brain has adapted to the drug’s relaxing effect. But psychologically, you may feel incapable of dealing with daily life without medication. Attempting to quit can cause intense rebound anxiety and withdrawal symptoms, which can feel overwhelming.
These factors create a cycle that’s hard to break. You take benzodiazepines to calm your anxiety, but the very act of stopping benzos increases your anxiety even more. In this situation, it’s difficult to quit without proper support.
In most cases, treatment is the best and safest way to stop taking benzodiazepines. A medical detox program will taper off your dose gradually so that you don’t experience dangerous withdrawal symptoms. Once your body has had time to stabilize, you can engage in therapy to understand and treat the underlying factors that contributed to your benzo use.
Help for Benzo Addiction from Kasa Recovery
Benzo addiction may feel like a lonely struggle, but you don’t have to go through it alone. At Kasa Recovery in Los Angeles, we provide personalized and evidence-based treatment to help you detox safely and rebuild your life after benzodiazepine addiction. Our team understands how benzo addiction works and what it takes to overcome its physical and emotional challenges.
If you or a loved one is struggling with benzodiazepine dependence or addiction to drugs such as Xanax, Ativan, Klonopin, or Valium, we can help. You can feel better, but you have to reach out for support.
