Benzodiazepines

Benzodiazepines include diazepam (Valium), alprazolam (Xanax), midazolam, oxazepam (Serepax), temazepam and nitrazepam (Mogadon).

Benzodiazepines are prescription drugs and many people who have become addicted to them did so after a doctor prescribed them.

Benzodiazepines reduce anxiety. However, when someone has been using them for some time, they often find that they need a higher and higher dose to achieve the same effect. This is because prolonged use makes the receptors in the brain that detect them less sensitive. Someone who becomes addicted to benzodiazepines can feel shaky and anxious almost all the time because their body’s own natural benzodiazepine molecules are no longer effective in calming them down. That makes benzodiazepines hard to come off.

A lot of overdose deaths are caused by a using combination of drugs, such as heroin and benzodiazepines.

To find out about possible treatments for benzodiazepine dependence at Fresh Start, follow this link.