How is addiction to benzodiazepines expressed?

A summary of the characteristics of addiction produced by the consumption of benzodiazepines.

The line that separates what we consider psychotropic drugs from what we usually call "drugs" is blurrier than it seems. In fact, technically, psychotropic drugs are drugs, although culturally their use is not associated with moral impropriety.

However, there are cases in which substances used in medicine to treat pathologies become drugs also in the negative sense of the term, generating a process of dependence and degradation of health by their constant use. Here we will see how a concrete type of psychopharmaceutical of anxiolytic type, the benzodiazepines, can produce addiction..

What are benzodiazepines?

Benzodiazepines are a group of psychotropic drugs normally used for their anxiolytic and sedative effects.. This means that they help to reduce the intensity of nervous activity, which is useful, for example, to help people with anxiety or insomnia problems. Thus, their use produces a feeling of relaxation that is also expressed in a change in observable behavioral patterns.

There are many types of benzodiazepines with different mechanisms of action, but it is generally considered that their characteristic effect on the human body is given by their GABA agonist role; this means that they potentiate the influence of GABA on the human body.This means that it enhances the influence of this neurotransmitter, which is known to inhibit the activity of neurons. In short, the consumption of benzodiazepines increases the likelihood that many neurons in certain parts of the brain tend to be less active than they were before.

On the other hand, benzodiazepines were introduced in the drug market among other things to replace barbiturates, which have more side effects and have a higher addictive potential. However, as we shall see, addiction to benzodiazepines is also a reality..

Characteristics of benzodiazepine addiction

These are the phenomena that go hand in hand with benzodiazepine addiction.

Tolerance

As with all drugs with addictive potential, the use of benzodiazepines can produce tolerance to this substance, which means that over time, the person needs to consume a greater quantity to obtain the same effects.. This phenomenon causes many people to lose control of their drug-taking habits and start taking it without measure, which in turn triggers the intensity of the addiction. Following the doctor's instructions is essential to minimize the risk of this happening.

2. Benzodiazepine withdrawal syndrome

The benzodiazepine withdrawal syndrome often occurs when the consumption of this drug is interrupted or when the dose to be taken is adjusted downwards too abruptly.Once again, the existence of this phenomenon shows how important it is to always follow the indications of the health professional when using these drugs.

On the other hand, the benzodiazepine withdrawal syndrome is made up of a set of symptoms that generate discomfort and that in the most extreme cases can even be dangerous to health or even lethal.

In general, this syndrome can be understood as a kind of "rebound effect", which means that as the organism has become accustomed to the presence of benzodiazepines in its system, when it stops consuming the substance, there is an imbalance in which the Biological and psychological processes associated with the high nervous activation have nothing to counteract them.The result is insomnia, high levels of anxiety, irritability, and in severe cases, even seizures or a generalized collapse of the body's functioning.

3. Use of benzodiazepines to compensate for the effects of other drugs.

Scientific research on addictions shows that people who have developed substance use disorders are much more likely to become addicted to other substances than the average population. In other words, that the existence of one drug addiction encourages the emergence of another drug addiction..

In the case of benzodiazepine dependence this is relevant, since it is known that many addicts to stimulant drugs use the former to try to counteract the effects of the latter; for example, when amphetamines have generated a state of discomfort due to high sensitivity to any stimulus. In this way, both types of psychoactive substances reinforce the consolidation of the addiction of the other.

4. In extreme cases, greater propensity to violence.

It might seem counter-intuitive to think that the consumption of substances that inhibit nervous activity, such as benzodiazepines, could lead to a greater predisposition to violent behavior. And yet, statistically, this is the case: although each person is different and each case must be analyzed individually, it is known that those who consume these substances have a greater predisposition to violent behavior. those who consume this kind of substances are more likely to end up adopting aggressive behavioral patterns..

Why is that? The key is not to focus on the immediate effects of benzodiazepine use, but on the addiction itself. What is important is not the simple interaction between neurons and the molecules that constitute the active ingredient of benzodiazepines, but the way in which dependence, without adequate professional help, makes people more desperate and prone to make impulsive decisions to get rid of withdrawal discomfort.

With the priority being to get back on drugs, anything that gets in the way of use is seen as a problem, including many people. Therefore, much of the work done in therapy for people with addictions has to do with managing the discomfort.

• You may be interested in "Violence in substance use disorders: how are they related?"

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