There are different medications, many of them linked to mental health, with sedative or anxiolytic effects, which create enormous dependence without proper control.
We are talking about benzodiazepine addiction, a psychotropic medication that is also used as a muscle relaxant.
The fact that benzodiazepines are legal to use reduces people’s perception of their risk. Quite the opposite: it makes use and abuse easier and, as a result, dependence.
Benzodiazepine use should not be taken lightly, and certainly should not be prolonged over time, as it creates tolerance in the body and, like other similar substances, structural changes in the brain.
That is why they should only be taken for short periods. Otherwise, health problems would worsen and could even multiply.
This type of sedative has a strong addictive potential. They contain chemical compounds capable of slowing the central nervous system, inducing feelings of calm and relief from anxiety.
People who initially take benzodiazepines for anxiety or another mental health problem already have that underlying vulnerability that makes addiction more likely, which makes it even more necessary to stop this behaviour as soon as possible and put yourself in the hands of a detox clinic to stop using drugs.
What do benzodiazepines do?
The effects of taking benzodiazepines, in addition to greater calm and relief, include:
- Increased drowsiness
- Confusion and grogginess
- Dizziness
- Disorientation
- Slower speech
- Headaches
- Blurred vision
These are side effects and can be noticed especially during the first few days after taking them. As you can see, the body gets used to them easily. Imagine taking them without dose control and over the course of weeks.
Prolonged use without supervision can lead to severe benzodiazepine addiction, with no clear end in sight, as dependence is very strong. People who get used to taking this substance and suddenly do not have access may experience intense agitation, nervousness, anxiety, chills, trouble resting, etc. Symptoms that are undoubtedly very similar to what withdrawal syndrome produces when there is an addiction to any harmful substance.
A very important fact is that benzodiazepines, in a high percentage of cases, are taken together with alcohol and other narcotics, multiplying the harmful consequences.
It is truly a very dangerous combination for health and it intensifies physical and mental dependence on drug use.
When there is addiction, people can experience extreme fatigue and motor and cognitive impairments.
What are the long-term effects of these substances?
In the long term, all of this intensifies and severe dependence becomes increasingly evident. Since benzodiazepines are often prescribed to reduce high levels of anxiety, they end up being taken for much longer than treatment with these medications recommends. Their inappropriate and prolonged use, and even an overdose, causes:
- Weakness in the body
- Lack of responsiveness
- Breathing difficulties
- Sedation
- Severely altered mental state
Before reaching any extreme, even when faced with early symptoms of addiction, it is necessary to have professional help to stop using drugs and other substances.
Detox clinic with the best addiction professionals
It is important to seek the best help at a specialised addiction centre, such as CC ADICCIONES. With the best supervision, you can stop using, recover, and return to good habits.
Abruptly stopping use without medical supervision is not only dangerous, but ineffective, and leads to multiple relapses, which generate frustration and even more addiction, if possible.
There are no easy paths or secrets to quitting drugs—only work and individual and group therapies, having experts in the field close by, and being in a friendly, positive environment that brings out the best in the person.
Are you concerned about medication dependence?
Some people start taking benzodiazepines, oxycodone, or other drugs under medical indication and, over time, feel they cannot reduce or stop them without discomfort. In these cases, it is important not to abruptly discontinue treatment and to seek professional supervision.
At CC Adicciones, we can guide you if there is dependence, withdrawal syndrome, loss of control, or consumption outside the indicated guidelines.
Confidential consultation: +34 617 200 882
Reception: +34 977 809 523
Personalized therapeutic approach.
Medical and psychological coordination.
Specialized care for addictions and dual pathology.
