Xanax And Benzodiazepines

When people have trouble going to sleep, or if they simply cannot relax, they will often visit their family physician in order to get something to help them. Many times, they will receive help from medications called benzodiazepines, something that is commonly prescribed under the label of Valium, Xanax, or Ativan. These drugs are regarded as helpful for those that suffer from anxiety attacks as well, are not just for going to sleep. Let's take a look at how these drugs work and why they could be helpful for you.

Understanding Benzodiazepines

Also referred to as Benzo, this is a type of drug that can affect the GABA receptors in your brain. By doing so, they act as a sedative, and in higher doses, can be hypnotic. They can also give a euphoric experience, and also act as a muscle relaxants. They are often prescribed for those that have muscle spasms, seizures, insomnia and anxiety. The combination of all of these positive results motivates many doctors to use these drugs to help people with these symptoms.

Addiction To Sleeping Pills

One of the reasons that these types of drugs become so addicting is because it increases the GABA levels in our brain. Our brain and body become accustomed to this level of GABA, and then we must continue to perpetuate these levels to fall asleep. As long as we have the sleeping pills, we will be able to have a good nights rest. When they are gone, we are unable to sleep as well, thus leading to the addiction.

The way to avoid an addiction is to ensure that you only take them every other day. You could take them every day, but then only for a month, giving your brain a break for a month in order to go back to normal levels of GABA. This information should help you understand which pills will help you sleep, or relax, plus how to avoid becoming addicted to them at the same time.