Introduction

The statistics estimate alcohol consumption in India will be 5 million litres in 2020 and is estimated to reach 6.21 billion litres by 2024. This increase in alcohol consumption is concerning as it may lead to a higher number of individuals and an increase in alcohol-addicted people in India, which is not a good factor for the lives of people. Alcohol destroys the person’s and their family’s life. There are various medicines to withdraw alcohol. Benzodiazepine is one of them. 

Benzodiazepine is a widely prescribed medicine for alcohol addiction. The name comes from the chemical compound, which is the “benzene” ring and “diazepine” ring. Benzo is used for the treatment of anxiety, muscle spasms, insomnia, alcohol withdrawal, and other conditions. When it is used for a short duration or till the doctor prescribes it is functional. But when it is an overdose, the person becomes physically dependent on benzodiazepine, addicted to it, and in certain situations, a person dies. The signs of Benzo addiction are physical and behavioral, depending on the withdrawal of doses. 

This article will focus on why benzos are used for alcohol withdrawal, benzo addiction symptoms, benzodiazepine addiction, benzodiazepine addiction anxiety, and signs of benzo addiction. Stay tuned till the end to know everything in detail. 

Why are benzos used for alcohol withdrawal?

When a person consumes alcohol, they become addicted to the substance. The symptoms seen in alcoholic people are seizures, nausea, hallucinations, anxiety, and more. Here, the depressant medication Benzos helps with alcohol withdrawal. The medicine comes in the form of a tablet that can be dissolved or swallowed easily, and a liquid state is injected. Benzo depresses the brain’s nerves and causes drowsiness or sleepiness. In the long act, Benzo prevents delirium, while in the short act, it is better for patients who have liver failure. 

The symptoms of alcoholic withdrawal are as follows: 

• Proper Sleep and rest
• No Headaches
• Reduce of Pain 
• No Seizures and tremors 
• Reduce Anxiety and irritability 
• Sweats and chills
  

Benzo is a safe treatment that is provided during a detox from alcohol. It is the process that makes a person less uncomfortable. Once the person gets Benzo treatment, they fully recover, and alcohol is not controlling their mind and body. There are various types of Benzos medicine, such as Diazepam valium, chlordiazepoxide Librium, and lorazepam ativan. Here is the breakdown of different benzos drugs and how it is helpful in the treatment of alcohol addiction:

1. Diazepam (valium) 

Diazepam medications come in two forms: tablets and injections. It is a long-acting benzo, so its single-dose impact lasts for three days. The injection form of medicine affects a person in 5 minutes, while the tablet form affects a person in 30 to 60 minutes. This medicine helps with withdrawal symptoms such as anxiety, insomnia, seizures, and muscle spasms.

2. Chlordiazepoxide (Librium)

Chlordiazepoxide is a long-acting benzo medicine; it remains in the body for three days. It provides prolonged effects on the person, making them comfortable during the withdrawal process. The patient feels the impact of chlordiazepoxide in 30 minutes. The medicine lowers problems of anxiety and muscle spasms caused by alcohol withdrawal. 

3. Lorazepam ( Ativan) 

 Lorazepam medications come in two forms: tablets and injections. It is an intermediate drug with a duration of around 11 to 20 hours. The medicine is helpful for older patients and liver failure patients. The patient feels the impact of injections form in 15 minutes and tablet form in 30 minutes. The treatment helps in reducing the risk of seizures. 

Benzodiazepines addiction anxiety

Benzodiazepines help millions of people’s lives, but they become an addiction anxiety for some people. Because it can relax the person. When a person takes benzodiazepine over what the doctor prescribed, they experience severe illness, and death can take place. Also, consuming benzodiazepines with alcohol increases the danger to a person’s life. 

The person goes through benzodiazepine addiction anxiety for two reasons: one is genetic, and the other is environmental factors. Genetic means those people’s family members have an addiction to such substances, so there is a high chance of getting addicted themselves. Environmental factors refer to the person’s working life or personal life, giving them stress or chaos, leading to the consumption of Benzo more than prescribed by the doctor, leading to benzodiazepine addiction. 

Signs of Benzo addiction

The signs of Benzo addiction are getting drowsy, being Unsteady on their feet, having poor coordination, and having Poor memory. Additionally, a benzo-addicted person detached himself/herself from life, relationship, and responsibility. For that person, only Benzo drug becomes essential to recover. A person starts stealing money from home, bank, or another place for the Benzo substance. When these substances are consumed with alcohol or other substances, it becomes more risky for a person’s life. 

Benzo addiction symptoms

When a person is Benzo addicted, they face several symptoms. The benzo addiction symptoms include behavioral, physical, psychosocial, and cognitive symptoms. Let you know in detail each symptom: 

1. Behavioral Symptoms

• Taking the Benzo frequently or increasing the dosage of the drug
• Not able to live without the drug
• Constantly taking the drug impacts their physical and mental health
• A person becomes irritable and hostile towards others
• The person has impaired judgement 
• Shifts in the mood of the person
• Do not engage in the activity of keeping body hygiene. 
• The person engages in risky driving activity after taking a dose of Benzo.
• A person involved in the wrong activities, such as stealing money, draining bank accounts, and having an excess of cards.

2. Physical Symptoms

• Muscle weakness
• Blurred vision
• Headaches
• Fainting
• Drowsiness
• Unsteadiness

3. Cognitive Symptoms 

• Bad concentration
• A person has impaired judgment
• Face memory difficulty
• The thought process becomes slow
• A person faces perceptual disturbances
• Confusion about life person

4. Psychosocial symptom

• Experience withdrawal symptoms such as anxiety, depression, disturbance to sleep, tremors, and higher sensitivity when drug dosage is reduced or increased intentionally or unintentionally. 
• Emotional dysregulation person face 
• Feeling of hostility

Benzodiazepine addiction

Benzodiazepine addiction occurs in individuals with anxiety disorders, sleep disorders, and mood disorders. Individuals with anxiety disorders or sleep disorders find the Benzo effects helpful on their body, so they take more doses of Benzodiazepine to maintain the effects. As a result, a person is physically dependent on Benzodiazepine substances and continuously consumes heavy doses to withdraw alcohol symptoms. 

Treatment of the Benzodiazepine addiction

Treatment of the addiction began with the detoxification process. It is the process of taking away a person from the effects of drugs. The follow-up process of a detoxification program encourages a person for group therapy, psychological therapy, and another program to prevent relapse. 

FAQ (Frequently Asked Questions)

1. How to know if the person has a Benzodiazepine addiction or not? 

To understand whether the person is addicted to Benzodiazepine or not, check the following signs of Benzo Addiction : 

• The person needs a higher dose to achieve the same effect on the body.
• Neglect responsibility for work and life
• Have a withdrawal symptoms like anxiety, tremors, or other symptoms 
• Seeking multiple perceptions from the doctor
• Loss of interest in daily activity 

2. What is the treatment of Benzodiazepine addiction? 

The first step to treat benzodiazepine addiction is a medical detox. Medical detox helps ease the withdrawal of benzo addiction and reduce the risk of seizures. Once the person safely withdraws Benzo from medical detox, the next step is to treat them according to the social and psychological factors. The treatment for such is behavioral therapy, peer support, medication, psychoeducation, and medication. The best place for all the treatment is a rehab. 

3. How long is it safe to take Benzodiazepine?

According to the doctor, taking Benzodiazepine for 2 to 4 weeks is good, as per the need of the person’s symptoms. Consumption of Benzo more than the doctor prescribed became an addiction for a person, which is not suitable for mental health. 

4. What should be avoided when taking Benzodiazepine?

When taking Benzodiazepine medicine, a drug such as opioids, barbiturates, antidepressants, alcohol, illegal drugs like heroin, MAO inhibitors, and phenothiazines should be avoided. 

Conclusion 

Recognizing signs of Benzodiazepine Addiction is essential because it doesn’t impact individuals but their families. The families face genetic benzo addiction and the environment of house spoils due to a person’s bad behavior, which leads to the development of mental health issues in family members. 

A person needs to consume Benzodiazepine as per the doctor’s prescription, so it saves a person from becoming addicted. Additionally, a person should avoid peer pressure, and seek mental health when needed, balance their life so they can avoid Benzo medicine. However, benzo medicine has benefits when taken by doctor’s prescription, such as having proper sleep and rest, no headaches, no seizures and tremors, reduced pain, and reduced anxiety and irritability.

Calusa Recovery has their top-rated rehab facility in Florida and it has a group of professionals that address your benzodiazepine concerns and mental health needs. A Medical Doctor conducts a full physical history and assessment within a week of intake to analyze what treatment the client requires at this point in time. We provide an open opportunity to our clients where they can participate in dynamic and innovative group counseling 3 to 5 days per week, depending on their schedule. We offer tailored programs and treatment solutions that are personalized according to the patient’s immediate requirements.

References

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4657308/

https://www.priorygroup.com/blog/benzodiazepine-addiction-signs-symptoms-and-recovery

https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/7841856/

https://www.webmd.com/mental-health/addiction/benzodiazepine-abuse