What Are The Risks Of Becoming Addicted To Sleeping Pills?

 

Have you ever taken sleeping pills? These medications are often prescribed to treat insomnia, stress, anxiety, phobia and other similar problems. One of the side effects of these pills is that they can cause addiction and withdrawal symptoms.

Categorizing Sleep Aids

Most sleeping pills fall under the category of sedative hypnotics, which includes benzodiazepines and barbiturates. Some benzodiazepines such as Xanax, Valium, Ativan or Librium are used to treat depression and anxiety rather than insomnia. On the other hand, barbiturates work by depressing the central nervous system and can put the patient under sedation. These drugs are mostly used to treat insomnia or for anesthesia.

Withdrawals and Side Effects

Any drug that belongs to the benzodiazepines family can be addictive. These drugs usually work great on the short term but patients are likely to experience addiction and withdrawal symptoms if the drug is taken for a long period of time. A patient is considered to be addicted if they are going through withdrawal symptoms when they stop taking the medication, become tolerant to the drug and display a drug-seeking behavior when the medication is not available.

Withdrawal symptoms include depression, derealisation, depersonalisation, aches and pains, headaches, sleep disturbance and hypersensitivity. Drug-seeking behavior is uncommon but some patients display this behavior if nothing is done to help them cope with the withdrawal symptoms. The best way to treat these symptoms is to gradually reduce the dose of benzodiazepines taken by the patients so they can get used to living without the drug. If the patient was originally treated for anxiety of depression, it is best to continue the therapy until the withdrawal symptoms are gone.
Benzodiazepines are useful drugs when taken for an average of four weeks. It is possible to develop tolerance and even addiction if the drug is taken for longer, which is why it is important to have a doctor monitor the dosage and the symptoms.

Prescription Drug Abuse and Addiction Are Serious Concerns

If you or a love one has been abusing sleep medications or other prescription drugs, Touchstone Ranch Recovery Can Help:

Touchstone Ranch Recovery Center
15751 U.S. 281
Hico, TX 76457, United States
(254) 918-2009
touchstoneranch.com