“Benzos” is an abbreviated name for the benzodiazepine class of drugs. These are also called tranquilizers, sedatives or depressants. In street drug terms you may also hear them referred to as “downers”.
Benzodiazepine drugs have been openly of concern as drugs of misuse and addiction since the 1980s, when they were the most commonly prescribed drug class in America. Even before the public became aware of the problems, the medical community began to weigh the benefits of the use of benzos against the potential for dependence to these drugs.
There are more than 15 commonly prescribed benzodiazepine drugs in the United States (and even more internationally!). In this Recovery Place blog we’ll take a closer look at benzos in general, and the commonly misused Valium and Xanax.
The same theme keeps cropping up in The Recovery Place’s alcohol and drug rehab blog series on addiction education: good medical ideas gone bad. Benzos also fall into this category.
First discovered in the 1930s, benzodiazepines weren’t prescribed medically until 1957 when Librium began to be prescribed for anxiety and tension. Initially it was considered somewhat of a wonder drug.
Librium began to be over-prescribed as a “nerve pill” for many conditions, real and imagined. Those using these “nerve pills” developed physical and psychological dependence of the drug.
While benzodiazepines have important medical benefits in treating anxiety, insomnia, seizures and muscle spasms, the problems with tolerance and physical dependence to the drug is an issue even when used for legitimate medical problems.
Tolerance means that increasing dosages of a drug are needed to get the same effect. Dependence means that the body demands a certain level of the drug in the body, or withdrawal symptoms may occur. Emotional dependence may also occur, with a person thinking they can’t relax or can’t sleep, unless they take a benzo such as Valium or Xanax.
Valium (the generic name is diazepam) is often prescribed for anxiety disorders and short-term episodes of anxiety. Valiumcame on the market in the 1960s and was originally thought not to be addictive, and therefore a better alternative to Librium.
Street names for Valium include candy, downers, sleeping pills or tranks.
Valium, ironically, has great value in treating alcohol and drug withdrawal symptoms, including medical detox of people who are addicted to other kinds of benzos. This is related to how slowly Valium is metabolized by the body.
Xanax (the generic name is alprazolam) is another common benzodiazepine. It is most often used to treat anxiety and panic disorders but working in a particular way on the brain.
Dependence and tolerance to Xanax is also problematic, and when used medically must be done under close supervision by a physician.
Street names for Xanax include Z-bars, bars or sticks.
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