Understanding Risks and Side Effects
Benzodiazepines, commonly referred to as benzos, are considered a class of highly addictive drugs. When prescribed, benzodiazepines are used under medical supervision; they’re typically used to treat insomnia and anxiety.
They’re also known for their calming effect, which makes them effective as sleeping pills and sedatives.
However, some people misuse these drugs recreationally to achieve a euphoric state. Over time, this misuse, especially during long-term benzodiazepine use, can cause a range of adverse effects, including memory problems, mood shifts, and even acute psychosis.
Key Takeaways
- Benzodiazepine misuse, especially in high doses or long-term use, can lead to serious adverse effects, including memory problems, mood shifts, and even acute psychosis.
- Psychosis, characterized by a loss of touch with reality, hallucinations, and delusions, can be triggered by benzodiazepine use.
- Developing tolerance and dependence on benzodiazepines can quickly escalate into a substance use disorder, leading to withdrawal symptoms that may include neurological issues and paranoid psychosis.
- If you’re dealing with a substance use disorder, Charles River Recovery offers the professional care and support needed to achieve sobriety.
How to Recognize a Substance Use Disorder
If you are dealing with a substance use disorder, you will likely go through a series of different stages.
Initially, you may develop a tolerance to benzodiazepines. Tolerance is when you require a higher dose in order to achieve the same effect. Even when you take prescribed medication appropriately, benzos typically lose their efficacy in just four to six months.
After developing a tolerance, you may quickly reach the dependence stage. When people have a dependence on a drug, it means that they need the drug simply to feel normal. A dependence will generally develop sooner if you take a higher dose.
By this stage, you may be dealing with many of the different symptoms of a substance use disorder. Because benzos are increasingly important to you, you may stop caring about school, work, and family relationships. Your substance use disorder can cause some of the following negative side effects.
- You continue to use a drug after you realize the harm it is causing you.
- Your appearance, behavior, and physical health may suddenly change.
- Before long, you need more of the drug to feel normal.
- You try and fail to quit.
- When you are using benzos, you do things that you would never do under normal circumstances.
- You have financial problems from spending more money on buying drugs.
Once you have developed a substance use disorder, you may experience withdrawal symptoms if you try to stop using benzodiazepines. With benzos, withdrawal symptoms are often protracted.
Unfortunately, an estimated 2.3 to 18% of Americans have misused tranquilizers or sedatives at some point in their lives.
In many cases, people use benzos at the same time as alcohol or other drugs. By mixing different substances at once, people are likely to suffer from additional side effects and drug interactions.
What Is Psychosis?
Psychosis, as defined by the National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH), is a group of symptoms that impact the mind, causing individuals to lose touch with reality.
When individuals experience psychosis, their mental states and perceptions are disrupted. They may struggle to tell what is real or not. Often, people experience hallucinations during psychosis.
During a psychotic episode, processing information can be challenging, and understanding situations may become impossible for you. Other than hallucinations, you may suffer from delusions and incoherent speech. Likewise, your behavior may be inappropriate for what is going on around you.
Interestingly, benzodiazepines are frequently used on people who are suffering from psychosis. In particular, benzos help to increase GABAergic function. Because this is typically depressed in people who have schizophrenia, benzos may be able to alleviate the symptoms of schizophrenia-induced psychosis.
It is also possible for benzos to cause hallucinations. When benzos boost your GABA levels, you may experience a state of relaxation and overall wellness. Unfortunately, these effects tend to disappear when you take higher doses. In large amounts, benzos can cause disturbing delusions and hallucinations.
During the initial stages of substance use, you or a loved one may take benzodiazepines to achieve a state of pleasure or euphoria. Before long, high doses can cause psychosis, paranoia, and violent behavior. Ironically, high doses can cause the same problems that benzos are intended to treat. In large amounts, these drugs can cause anxiety, insomnia, and depression.
Symptoms of Benzodiazepine Usage
Normally, people take benzos to alleviate insomnia and anxiety. Even when this drug is used as a prescription, it can make you feel dizzy or drowsy. If you take higher doses, these side effects will typically become worse.
Side effects from abusing this drug can vary depending on the person, the amount they use, and any co-occurring drug use. Over time, benzos can impact someone’s ability to have a relationship or perform well at work. If your loved one suffers from a substance use disorder, you may notice the following symptoms:
- Coordination issues
- Coma
- Breathing problems
- Confusion
- Insomnia
- Mood changes
- Slurred speech
- Loss of bladder control
- Anorexia
- Weakness
- Drowsiness
- Anxiety
- Headaches
- Blurred vision
- Memory problems
When you take a medication in a higher amount or more frequently than you are supposed to, it can cause severe side effects. With benzos, you may also become dependent on the drug to feel normal. If you stop using this drug, you may develop severe withdrawal symptoms. Because of this, it is important to seek professional help when you try to quit using benzos.
What Are the Withdrawal Effects Associated With Benzodiazepines?
After you have stopped using benzos, you may suffer from benzodiazepine withdrawal syndrome. This can involve tremors, concentration issues, heart palpitations, tingling, irritability, and sweating. You may become hypersensitive to physical stimuli or feel like things are crawling across your skin.
In some instances, you may develop neurological symptoms as well. For example, you may suffer from paranoid psychotic symptoms. Some people also develop muscle twitching and epilepsy.
If you use drugs or alcohol at the same time, it can cause additional side effects. It can slow your thoughts and make it difficult to understand what is going on around you. In addition, you may lose your sense of judgment.
Before long, you may become intoxicated. Instead of simply dealing with delirium, you may suffer from visual distortions and confused thoughts. You may also develop paranoia and hallucinations.
Can Benzodiazepines Cause Psychosis?
Yes. Although benzos are often part of an effective treatment for anxiety or acute psychosis, they can also trigger psychosis, especially when misused or taken in high doses. Someone experiencing benzo-induced psychosis may appear delusional, confused, or overly agitated.
Because of their powerful effect on the brain’s neurotransmitters, benzos may create a false sense of well-being. Moreover, based on clinical studies, the presence of benzodiazepine use at the outset in individuals at clinical high-risk for psychosis is associated with more than double the chance of transitioning to psychosis.
What Happens During a State of Psychosis From Benzos?
A person going through benzo-induced psychosis may exhibit:
- Hallucinations (seeing or hearing things that aren’t there)
- Inappropriate behavior
- Sleep disturbances
- Heightened aggression or fear
- Sudden mood or perception shifts
In severe cases, even stopping the medication doesn’t immediately reverse these symptoms, especially in long-term benzodiazepine users. Withdrawal itself can induce a new wave of psychotic symptoms.
How Can You Treat Benzodiazepine Use?
If you have used benzodiazepines consistently for one to six months, you may develop life-threatening seizures when you quit. Because of this, it is important to seek out professional care when you decide to become sober.
Depending on the severity of someone’s drug use and other factors, around 25 to 80% of people will be able to remain sober for at least 12 months.
Detox
One of the first stages in the recovery process is detox. During a detox program, you can receive professional support as you decrease your physical dependence on benzodiazepines. Medical staff members will monitor your withdrawal symptoms, so you will be as safe and comfortable as possible.
Rehab Options
Detox is merely the first step in the treatment process. Afterward, most people take part in some type of rehabilitation program. They may go to an inpatient or outpatient program.
Inpatient Treatment
With an inpatient treatment program, you will stay at the treatment center for a specified period. This can be anywhere from a few weeks to a few months. Clients are monitored constantly, so it is impossible to relapse while you are at the rehab center.
More importantly, you can get extra support with other mental and physical conditions during the same treatment process.
Outpatient Treatment
Sometimes, people have outside responsibilities to take care of during rehab. When this happens, they may take part in some kind of outpatient program.
This allows them to attend therapy and counseling sessions for part of the day. Afterward, they can return home to their loved ones until the next session.
Aftercare
After you have finished the treatment process, you can get extra support through aftercare programs.
These programs include support groups, private therapy, and self-help meetings. Depending on your unique situation, you may also benefit from sober housing.
Therapy
Throughout the recovery process, therapy can provide you with support and guidance. These sessions are available in individual and group settings. In addition, there are different styles of therapy you can choose.
Cognitive Behavior Therapy (CBT)
CBT helps you to see how your thoughts, feelings, beliefs, and actions are all interconnected. By learning how to change your unhelpful thoughts and feelings, you can spot and avoid high-risk situations.
In addition, you can improve your stress management skills. Over time, CBT can help you learn how to prevent a relapse.
Motivational Enhancement Therapy (MET)
MET can help you understand your inner feelings. Then, you can figure out the advantages and disadvantages of making changes in your life. By helping you improve your internal motivation, MET can catalyze positive changes in your life.
Contingency Management (CM)
Over time, you need to reinforce your sobriety with positive habits. CM focuses on positive reinforcement and rewards. Through positive reinforcement, this technique can help you complete your treatment program and remain sober.
Get Help for Substance Use Disorder Today
Dealing with a substance use disorder can be incredibly challenging. Fortunately, you do not have to go through this process alone.
At Charles River Recovery, you can get the inpatient program you need to become sober. Through a blend of detox programs and therapy options, our recovery center can help you discover the help you need.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can benzodiazepines worsen anxiety disorders over time?
While benzos provide short-term relief for anxiety disorders, long-term use may lead to paradoxical effects like increased anxiety, agitation, or panic.
Patients can develop tolerance, requiring higher doses, which increases the risk of addiction and worsens symptoms when the drug is reduced or stopped.
Do benzodiazepines interact with antipsychotic drugs?
Yes. Antipsychotic drugs and benzos both depress nerve activity, so using them together can amplify sedation and impair thinking. While sometimes used in emergencies, combining them long term may cause dangerous effects.
Are benzodiazepines linked to sleep disorders?
Benzos are often prescribed for sleep disorders like insomnia, but long-term use can disrupt sleep architecture.
Over time, they reduce REM sleep and cause dependence. Stopping the drug may worsen insomnia temporarily and lead to rebound symptoms, especially without proper medical tapering.
What are the paradoxical effects of benzodiazepines?
Paradoxical effects are unexpected reactions like talkativeness, excitement, or excessive movement that occur instead of calming sedation.
How do benzodiazepines affect memory?
Benzodiazepines can impair the brain’s ability to form new memories, especially during high-dose or prolonged use. This is due to their suppression of nerve activity in the hippocampus, a region essential for memory formation. The condition is properly known as anterograde amnesia.
Is there a link between benzodiazepines and Alzheimer’s disease?
Some studies suggest long-term use of benzodiazepines may increase the risk of Alzheimer’s disease, but the evidence is not fully conclusive.
How addictive are benzodiazepines like diazepam?
Diazepam, even when used as prescribed, can lead to addiction due to its calming effect on nerve activity. Patients may quickly develop tolerance and dependence, especially with daily or high-dose use. Withdrawal symptoms make it difficult to stop without medical supervision.
Conclusion
The relationship between benzodiazepines and psychosis is a critical area of concern, particularly given their widespread use for anxiety and insomnia.
While benzos are sometimes used to manage acute psychotic symptoms, research suggests that their misuse, high doses, and prolonged use can paradoxically trigger or exacerbate psychosis.
This underscores the delicate balance of their therapeutic benefits versus their potential for severe adverse effects, including addiction and altered mental states.
Recognizing the signs of substance use disorder, understanding the risks of psychosis, and seeking professional help for benzodiazepine dependency are crucial steps for protecting mental and overall health. If you or a loved one is struggling with benzo use, expert support is available at Charlse River Recovery to guide a safe and effective path to recovery.
Disclaimer
The information provided in this article is for educational and informational purposes only and is not intended to be a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment.
Always seek the guidance of a qualified healthcare provider or addiction specialist with any questions you may have regarding a medical condition or treatment options. Never disregard professional medical advice or delay seeking treatment because of something you have read on this website.
Charles River Recovery is not liable for any decisions made or actions taken based on the information provided here. If you are in crisis or need immediate help, please contact emergency services or call a licensed treatment provider immediately.
