Benzodiazepines

Benzodiazepines (benzos) are a very important and useful class of medications. They are effective in controlling and preventing seizures. They are useful in detoxification from other drugs. Benzos are beneficial in breaking acute anxiety attacks, inducing sedation, initiating anesthesia, and serve many other important medical purposes.

Unfortunately, if they are used inappropriately they can also be addicting. Prolonged use can lead to tolerance and a decrease in the effectiveness of the medications. Used in high doses they can also cause a “high” or euphoria. Benzos are frequently abused, and are implicated frequently in overdose deaths. However, most cases where benzos are involved in overdoses they are combined with other drugs, which enhances the effects of both drugs.

Around 2008 deaths from drug overdoses surpassed deaths from motor vehicle accidents as the leading cause of accidental deaths in America. Despite this, and the availability and common use of benzos and benzo-like drugs, most people do not understand addiction and how it is becoming a crisis in America.