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 detoxification 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
A drug dependency to any kind of drug can do serious damage to 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.
What Is Being Done?
Although the government and drug regulating agencies are trying to crack down on those doctors that are a little too ‘free’ with their prescription pads, prescription drug use is still a huge problem in the United States. This problem also has a major impact on teens as well; teens now have access to prescription drugs from their parents or other family member’s medicine cabinets. In some cases parents even innocently give their child a dose to help them at a certain point. This creates an unhealthy attitude toward Benzos and prescription drugs in general. The rule should be if it’s not yours, it’s not safe.
As with any type of substance abuse, it is very important to get help so that you can get your life back on track. The best way to get over a drug addiction to prescription drugs Is to first undergo a drug detox such as a benzodiazepine medical detoxification.



