Benzos, also known as benzodiazepines, are a class of medication prescribed by doctors for panic disorders, insomnia, muscle tension, and anxiety. In the United States alone, nearly fifty million prescriptions are written yearly for the benzo class of anti-anxiety medication. This abuse can lead to using other drugs, health complications, and changes in mood and personality that can severely alter a person’s life. Benzo addiction treatment is the first step in recovering from benzodiazepine dependency.
If you are currently using benzodiazepines and may be developing a dependency on prescription drugs, Baltimore Detox Center can be a valuable resource. Our benzo addiction treatment program provides the tools and strategies people may need to begin their recovery. You may be concerned that someone you care about is abusing benzos. One of the best ways to help them is to learn more about prescription drug abuse.
What Classifies a Benzo?
Benzodiazepines slow down the brain. They mediate and diffuse stress alleviating emotional side effects by increasing GABA in the brain. GABA is a naturally occurring chemical in the brain that calms the central nervous system. Benzos also increase dopamine, the brain’s pleasure chemical that is also responsible for motivation and joy. Regular consumption of benzos may lead the brain to stop producing these chemicals on its own, leading to drug dependency.
Common benzodiazepines include:
- Xanax
- Valium
- Klonopin
- Ativan
- Restoril
- Dalmane
- Librium
While benzos are often prescribed to relax the nervous system and help people sleep, they can also produce a euphoric high as dopamine is released in the brain. Because benzos may cause the brain to stop producing necessary chemicals, they aren’t designed to be taken for more than a few weeks at a time.
Long-Term Effects of Benzos
If someone abuses this medication for more than a few weeks, long-term effects of benzos may occur. Dependency on benzodiazepines can impair:
- Memory
- Cognition
- Verbal processing speed
- Learning abilities
Communicating with someone abusing benzos may feel like talking to someone who can’t catch up or be present in the conversation. The cognitive long-term effects of benzos on someone’s brain can cause users to struggle to complete tasks, understand objects, people, and scenarios in relation to the world around them, and experience changes in their speech and language abilities. While these effects can be terrifying for someone using benzos and their loved ones, after benzo addiction treatment, the brain can eventually repair and restore itself to normal function.
If someone stops using benzos too quickly after they’ve become dependant, they can experience a “rebound effect.” This effect presents as an overestimation of neurons and nerves suppressed by the drug’s chemicals. This stimulation can cause original symptoms to return and worsen along with short-term memory loss, mood swings, digestive problems, hallucinations, and depression. It is safest and most effective to undergo benzo withdrawal and detox with a professional medical rehabilitation program.
Baltimore Detox Center’s Benzo Treatment Programs
At Baltimore Detox Center, we lead with compassion. We understand how quickly prescription drug use can lead to dependency and how hard it is to detox alone. If you or a loved one have developed a dependency on benzos or other prescription drugs, Baltimore Detox Center can help you gain control of your life and prevent relapse. We place a high value on family therapy to repair relationships that have suffered at the hand of addiction.
Find Support for Long-Term Effects of Benzos at Baltimore Detox Center
At Baltimore Detox Center, our team takes pride in being the second free-standing detox center in the city with inpatient programs in addiction recovery and mental health. Learn more about our benzo addiction treatment program by calling us at [Direct] or completing our online form today. Start a healthy and benzo-free lifestyle by reaching out to Baltimore Detox Center today.
