Once upon a time, at Yale University, some researchers were studying a group of drugs called benzodiazepines.
These drugs are used to help people who feel really anxious or have trouble sleeping. But what the researchers found was a bit worrying: these helpful drugs might actually lead to addiction.
You see, for a long time, people have felt anxious. It’s a problem that’s been around for ages. Benzodiazepines seemed like a magic solution.
They were even used when nothing else worked, and they were great for helping people sleep. Before these drugs, there were others called barbiturates, but benzodiazepines were supposed to be better and safer.
However, the study at Yale showed something unexpected. These drugs, which work by making the brain feel calm, might not be as safe as everyone thought.
Here’s the tricky part: after about four weeks, half of the patients needed more of the drug to feel the same calmness. This is a sign of addiction – when you need more and more of something to get the same effect.
Even though benzodiazepines don’t cause addiction as quickly as barbiturates, they can still hook people. If someone tries to stop taking them after using them for a while, they might feel really tense, anxious, or even start shaking. This makes it hard for people to quit.
What’s more, these drugs became super popular. From 1996 to 2013, the number of prescriptions shot up by 67%, reaching 135 million a year. People were getting more of these drugs than ever before.
The scientists are worried that this could turn into a big problem, like the opioid crisis, where lots of people get addicted to a type of painkiller. Just like with opioids, benzodiazepines sometimes end up being used illegally.
This problem isn’t just for adults. Teenagers are getting addicted to benzodiazepines even more than to opioids. These drugs have even become a part of popular culture.
When used carefully, benzodiazepines are safe. But if someone takes them with opioids, it’s really dangerous. Both drugs affect the brain in a way that can make it hard to breathe.
The big question is why is this happening? The researchers think the key might be in the way doctors prescribe drugs.
They’re worried that doctors are prescribing drugs like benzodiazepines, SSRIs (another kind of medicine for anxiety and depression), and antipsychotics more often than they should.
Sometimes, doctors might not feel totally confident in how to treat certain symptoms, leading to too many prescriptions.
Sadly, deaths from overdosing on benzodiazepines have gone up a lot recently. The researchers fear it could get worse. They believe the real problem is that these drugs are being prescribed too much.
In the end, this story is a warning. It shows that even medicines meant to help us can have hidden dangers if we’re not careful about how we use them.
If you care about health, please read studies that vegetarian diet may increase your depression risk, and Vitamin D could help reduce depression symptoms.
For more information about health, please see recent studies that ultra-processed foods may make you feel depressed, and these antioxidants could help reduce the risk of dementia.
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