Written by:

Nuno Albuquerque – Former UKAT Counsellor

Medically Reviewed by:

Dr Mateen Durrani – MBBS, DPM, MSc, BCPsych

Last Updated:

January 8th, 2025

Benzodiazepine Addiction | Types, Symptoms & Effects

Benzodiazepine addiction can come about quickly and without much warning. Many people first start taking benzos with a valid prescription for a condition such as insomnia, anxiety, or panic attacks. Benzo addiction can develop in as little as a few weeks, even when you have followed your prescription properly. Learning to recognise the signs and dangers can make all the difference.

What are benzos?

Benzodiazepines (benzos) are prescription drugs used to treat anxiety, panic, and other mental health disorders. Benzos are central nervous system depressants that slow down activity in the brain, making you feel calm and relaxed.

How does benzo addiction develop?

Benzos work by increasing the availability of a chemical messenger called GABA. It inhibits other chemical messengers, disrupting communication between different regions of your brain. This slows down your brain and body, reducing stress, anxiety, and panic.

These effects on the brain make benzos very addictive. This is partly due to people wanting to chase the feelings of calmness and euphoria it brings, but also down to the fact that the brain quickly became dependent on benzos to maintain normal GABA levels.

Using benzos increases dopamine levels in the brain and motivates you to take the drug again. Repeated use reinforces this sense of motivation, and you develop strong cravings for benzos. This can then lead to faking prescriptions or even buying street benzos, which can be cut or mixed with unknown substances.

What Underlies benzodiazepine Addiction?

Addiction is usually driven by underlying issues, such as mental illness or experiences of trauma. Substance abuse is often an attempt to cope with emotional distress. If this issue is left unaddressed, it can cause addictive behaviour to restart even after years of abstinence.

Recognising benzo addiction

Some signs and symptoms to look out for in yourself include:

Benzo use becoming the priority in your life
Neglect of home and work responsibilities due to benzo use
Experiencing withdrawal symptoms when trying to quit benzos
Trying to stop using benzos but being unable to
Continuing to use benzos despite any negative consequences

This list is far from exhaustive and addiction can take many different forms. If you have any concerns about your benzo use, speak to us for expert advice.

What are some different types of benzos?

Clonazepam addiction

Klonopin is a medium-acting or long-acting benzo with a shorter half-life than Valium but a longer half-life than Xanax or Ativan. Click on the link below to learn more.

Clonazepam addiction →

Diazepam addiction

Valium (also known by the name Diazepam) is a long-acting benzo with a much longer half-life than Xanax or Ativan, averaging about forty-eight hours.

Diazepam addiction →

Halcion addiction

Halcion addiction involves compulsive use of the sedative, leading to memory loss, dependency, and potentially withdrawal symptoms.

Halcion addiction →

Librium addiction

Librium addiction involves compulsive use of the sedative, causing dependency, withdrawal symptoms, and cognitive issues. Professional treatment is essential for recovery. Click on the button below to learn more.

Librium addiction →

Lorazepam addiction

Ativan has a slightly longer half-life than Xanax, averaging around twelve hours. You can find Ativan in tablet or liquid form. Ativan usually has a slower onset than Xanax, but the effects tend to last for a couple of hours longer.

Lorazepam addiction →

Nitrazepam addiction

Nitrazepam addiction involves compulsive use of the sedative, leading to dependency, withdrawal symptoms, and cognitive impairment. Treatment is crucial for recovery. Click on the button below if you would like to learn more.

Nitrazepam addiction →

Temazepam addiction

Temazepam addiction involves compulsive use of the sedative, causing dependency, withdrawal symptoms, and cognitive impairment. Professional treatment is essential for recovery.

Temazepam addiction →

Xanax addiction

Xanax is a short-acting benzo with a half-life of around eleven hours. You usually feel the effects of Xanax within an hour, and they tend to peak one to two hours after taking the drug.

Xanax addiction →

Understanding enabling behaviours

Loved ones with good intentions may accidentally enable someone’s benzodiazepine addiction.

Enabling behaviours can include:

Helping someone to acquire benzos
Offering them financial support
Hiding their addiction from others
Calling in sick for them at work if they are ill from benzo abuse
Taking on their responsibilities

While it can be difficult to take a step back, it’s important to remember that benzo addiction is a mental health condition that requires medical support to overcome. If you find yourself doing any of the above, we advise that you put in boundaries and instead encourage the person you are worried about to seek help through benzodiazepine rehab.

Overcoming benzo addiction

At Linwood House, we’re here to make the benzodiazepine recovery process as easy as possible for you. Our expert team can answer your questions and talk you through your next steps.

Our treatment plans teach you the skills you need to overcome benzodiazepine addiction while helping you to heal from within. Contact us today to make the change.

Frequently asked questions

Can one die of benzodiazepine addiction?

If you take too many benzos or mix them with other substances, including alcohol, you could overdose. Benzo overdose happens when your respiratory system is depressed to dangerous levels, causing slow breathing, heart rate, coma or death.

Which benzo is the most addictive?

All benzodiazepines have the potential to lead to addiction, but some are more addictive than others. Clonazepam is a powerful benzo that produces strong feelings of euphoria, leading people to take more of it to chase this high. Benzos like alprazolam, however, act very quickly and have a short half-life. This can push people to take it more frequently than is safe, increasing their chances of developing an addiction.

What is the difference between benzodiazepines and opioids?

Benzodiazepines are a class of medications primarily used to treat anxiety, insomnia, and seizures, acting as central nervous system depressants. Opioids, on the other hand, are primarily used for pain relief and work by binding to opioid receptors in the brain. Both can be addictive but serve different medical purposes.