What’s Behind the Rise in Benzodiazepine Abuse and Addiction?
Benzodiazepine medications are traditionally prescribed for the treatment of anxiety disorders, such as generalised anxiety disorder (GAD), post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), and social anxiety disorder (SAD), but people may also find them useful for the treatment of other mental health conditions, as well as insomnia. While incredibly helpful at times, especially for people with the most severe symptoms, benzodiazepines like diazepam (Valium) and alprazolam (Xanax) can be highly addictive. Many people find the withdrawals from benzodiazepines much harder to deal than those of opioids, including heroin.
Originally published at https://www.samwoolfe.com on December 24, 2020.
