The Negative Impacts Of Benzodiazepine Use

Posted by brandoniswrite on May 31, 2012

There is a new and growing epidemic in this country revolving around the prescription drug Xanax. Xanax is being abused in record numbers by a staggering amount of Americans. The problem seems to have gotten worse in the past few years. Prescription drugs have come under heavy scrutiny lately after a number of celebrity deaths were found to have involved them. It is important that anyone who has an addiction to Xanax, or any other type of prescription drug, goes to a xanax detox or Oxycontin detox treatment facility. There, they will be able to rid their bodies of all harmful chemicals, and begin the process of rehabilitaiotn.

Xanax

Xanax known by the generic name Alprazolam, it is classified as a psychoactive drug and is short-acting. Usually Xanax is prescribed to treat anxiety disorders such as panic disorder, social anxiety disorder, and generalized anxiety disorder. It is normally taken in oral form by way of a tablet. Xanax provides properties that are helpful in treating anxiety conditions. Xanax acts as a sedative, a skeletal muscle relaxant, and amnesiac, as well as an anticonvulsant. Unfortunately, it is also highly addictive.

Function

The main way that Xanax works is by polarizing brain cells so that they fire less often, which in turn slows down their functions. This helps people who are prone to have anxiety attacks calm their nerves and get through the day without having an attack. The instead feel a dull calmness. Xanax is incredibly powerful because it is released throughout the body over the course of an entire day. This is different from other antidepressants which offer only a short burst of the feeling.

Addictive Properties

The other downside is the fact that because this drug works so quickly, it is very addictive. It’s great because it works so quickly to combat feelings of anxiety, but some may overuse it and abuse it, which in turn creates a dependency. This will make detoxing off the drug that much more dangerous. It is easily abused due to the fact that it has a very short half-life. This means that it enters the body quickly and leaves the body quickly, meaning that those who use it will experience subtle withdrawal symptoms even between regular prescribed doses.

Long Term Effects

Chronic debilitating anxiety decreases performance and is a top reason for suicide. Benzodiazepines such as Xanax are needed to help those dealing with anxiety disorders to function regularly. The withdrawal symptoms generally resolve in about a week. This indicates that the brain may return to a fairly normal rate rather swiftly. However, it has yet to be determined whether longer term effects remain. For many years, researchers thought that people who took Benzodiazepines were slower than those who had never taken them before. This has since been proven incorrect and there have been no definitive studies done to sustain this theory.

Xanax addiction is a very serious health issue that affects millions of Americans every year. It is almost impossible for an individual with an addiction to prescription drugs to quit without the help of a Xanax detox or oxycontin dependency detoxification. These programs will be able to assist an individual get all of the drugs out of their systems. Without the help of a medical detox, it is highly unlikely that an individual will be able to stop using prescription drugs on their own. After the completion of a medical detox, it is important the a person with an addiction continues to seek counseling at a rehabilitation facility.

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