The Hazards Of Benzodiazepine Addiction
With the flagrant use of prescription drugs these days the number of those who are addicted to benzodiazepines, also known as, Benzos or BZD, has risen significantly. This type of drug addiction is very serious and cause long term damage and can even result in death. This is why it is important for those with a Benzo abuse problem to seek Benzodiazepine Detox and get their lives back on track.
Benzos
Benzodiazepine is classified as a psychoactive drug. It was first discovered in 1955 in the form of chlordiazepoxide (Librium), by 1960 it was made readily available and was marketed by Hoffman-La Roche which also marketed Valium as diazepam. It is a depressive drug that enhances the effect of the neurotransmitter gamma-aminobutyric acid. For this reason it is used as a sedative, a sleep agent, anti-anxiety med, anticonvulsant, as well as a muscle relaxant.
Cases
Whitney Houston is just one of the celebrities who, it is widely speculated, died from a prescription drug overdose. Heath Ledger is another example of someone who accidently overdosed. It is important to learn a lesson from these examples. It is far too easy for an individual to get multiple prescriptions from different sources. This is a very dangerous trend that we must start to address.
Effects
It doesn’t matter whether it’s a street drug or a prescription drug; drugs effect the body the same way. Addiction to any type of drug can wreak havoc on the body. Ativan, Valium, and Xanax act the same way, and at times are even more dangerous because people think they’re ok to use. Some side effects of abuse of Benzos include; dizziness, clumsiness, insomnia, unsteady gait, irritability, disorientation, depression, headaches, vision problems, nausea, abdominal pain, drowsiness, tachycardia, disinhibition and overall weakness. Sometimes anterograde amnesia occurs as well. Anterograde amnesia is the inability to form new memories after the event that caused the amnesia. This leads to a partial or complete inability to recall the recent past, however memories formed before the event are unaffected.
What Is Being Done?
It is also important to continue to educate individuals about the dangers associated with abusing prescription drugs. These drugs should only be taken under the strict supervision of a medical professional. The government is trying as hard as it can to stem the epidemic of prescription drug abuse. However, the government can only do so much. It is incumbent on doctors to stop prescribing these pain killers with such reckless abandon.
There is hope for the future though, now as educators and agencies realize that this lax attitude regarding prescription drugs has affected the nation severely perhaps policies and prescribing rates of physicians will change. Until a substance dependency to Benzodiazepines is a phenomenon of the past agencies that specialize in benzo detox will continue to serve the community and help get people back on the right path.
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