If you’ve suffered from any sort of mental health disorder, odds are good you are familiar with Benzodiazepians (aka Benzos). Benzos are a class of drugs which are used to treat anxiety and a slew of other conditions, including insomnia, seizures and more. In the short-term, they can be very helpful in getting people through panic attacks. Personally, I’ve used them in the past for rip-roaring anxiety attacks, and they can be helpful in getting through the worst of these condition. When taken in conjunction with therapy or other long-term medication strategies, they are a useful tool in treating mental illness.
Use of benzos has dramatically increased. From 1996-2013, the amount of adults prescribed benzos increased 67%, going from 8.1 million to 13.5 million. Those increases are also seen among individuals who have been prescribed opioids – and that has led to overdose issues.
According to government research, over 30% of opioid overdoses also involve benzos:
Meanwhile, overdose deaths from Benzos have shown frightening increases of late:
There is also evidence of late that shows that Benzo prescriptions for those with PTSD may increase suicide risk, and that use of Benzos may be tied to an increased risk of Alzheimer’s.
So, am I telling you to throw away your Benzos? No, no, and hell no. When used under a doctors care, and responsibly, Benzo medication can be an important part of any therapeutic regimen. Candidly, when my anxiety was at it’s peak, I walked around with tranquilizers as a “just in case.” Knowing I had those to fall back on gave me the confidence to continue my daily routine in terms of my school, work and social life. If I hadn’t had those, I would have had major difficulties functioning. Eventually, modifications to my regular medication and therapy helped me address my anxiety issues, ones which (thankfully) have not come back.
Benzos can be helpful – you just need to be careful in how you use them!
PS: GO VOTE TOMORROW!
Mike Schlossberg - Author 