This is the Scary Truth about Taking Anti-Anxiety Drugs

Last Updated on January 7, 2021

The answer is: Yes! Prolonged use of these drugs affects your brain’s sensitivity to GABA (gamma-aminobutyric acid), making you need more of it to feel the same goodness over time, while your state of anxiety increases without the drug.

Unfortunately, quitting benzos isn’t easy at all once you’ve started swallowing them, and cutting off can result in severe withdrawal symptoms, including restlessness, panic, increased anxiety, irritability, and insomnia.

Surprisingly, the number of people who end up in detox for the use of benzodiazepines and opioids is bigger than for alcohol complications.

#4 – Can You Use these Drugs Safely? Are there any Alternatives?

USA Today

Benzodiazepines can relieve a severe panic attack or prevent a risky one effectively, yet, there are usually other better alternatives. Some of the options to treat chronic anxiety in patients who need medication include SNRIs (selective norepinephrine reuptake inhibitors) and SSRIs (selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors).

However, for your long-term health, you may want to forget about drug use and turn to other riskless options that’d help you treat the root of your issue, such as cognitive behavioral therapy or enhancing and adjusting your lifestyle to combat anxiety, for instance cutting off alcohol and caffeine, improving diet, and having better sleep.

Although they seem insignificant, these strategies can have effective cumulative results that would decrease or even eradicate your need for drugs.

Also, deep-breathing exercises or meditation can save you from many panic attacks before it’s too late. There are various apps that can make this easier. And remember, the more you practice, the more you’ll get to reap the benefits.