“I went to the psychiatrist for depression and anxiety. Benzodiazepines prescribed me, and I began to mix them with alcohol, which I already drank considerably from before, Thing that I didn’t tell the psychiatrist. I took them for Everything and not at all. “
Thus begins the testimony of a former corporate director who has been recovering alcohol and benzodiazepines for seven years. These legal and commonly prescribed substances were about to cost his life. When a psychiatrist refused to continue prescribing him, he simply looked for another. His routine revolved around consumption, until he entered the Monte Fénix clinic. There he recognized his dependence, began his rehabilitation process and, as he recounts, “he recovered the desire to live.” He survived renal failure that could be permanent. Today, except for some sequelae in long -term memory, it enjoys health and fullness. He has dedicated himself to logotherapy, which now considers his vocation.
The global market of benzodiazepines – medicalities indicated for insomnia, anxiety, depression or post -traumatic stress disorder – will go from $ 3,530 million in 2024 to 3,780 million in 2025. Its prescription was fired during the pandemic and has not returned to the previous levels. However, between 30% and 50% of treatments with these substances lack clinical justification, according to specialists, and the doses and the recommended time are often exceeded.
The problem is aggravated when these medications are perceived as harmless simply by being prescribed. This medical legitimacy decreases the perception of risk and delays the search for help when consumption becomes problematic.
Among the most prescribed benzodiazepines are Diazepam, Alprazolam and Clonazepam. They are also used as muscle, anticonvulsive or sedative relaxants. But in 2023, the World Health Organization (WHO) updated the guidelines on its use: they are delicate management drugs, with limited effects in the long term and with side effects ranging from dependence and depression to cognitive deterioration, especially in older adults.
“My gynecologist prescribed me Tafil to calm the anxiety with which I woke up after an alcohol night. I started increasing the dose on my own, taking it at any time. I did not stop drinking. Shortly before entering my rehabilitation, a psychiatrist tried to replace the tafil and alcohol with valium. Of course, I just added it to what I already took.”
This is the testimony of a woman in recovery, today a specialist in the treatment of addictions. It emphasizes that many of the benzodiazepines are prescribed by non -psychiatrist doctors, in a country where we have just a third of the necessary psychiatrists and whose presence is concentrated in the main cities. This lack of specialized access further complicates the panorama. Benzodiazepines, commonly prescribed to anxiety or depression diagnoses – which have been shot in recent years – are usually administered without comprehensive treatment or proper monitoring.
In addition, as in the previous testimonies, a primary condition is frequently overlooked: alcoholism. When this occurs, treatment with benzodiazepines not only does not solve the problem, but aggravates it, adding a new addiction.
The problematic use of alcohol or benzodiazepines, separately, already represents a significant health risk. But the combination of both – both of the central nervous system – can be lethal. The trial decreases, reduces coordination, affects motor control and, in the long term, can damage the neurological, liver, renal and cardiovascular system. The risk of accidents, hospitalization and death also increases.
This same specialist warns that although there is a predominant profile of medium -south -age women of benzodiazepines, there are also those who begin with alcohol and then incorporate these medications. In their clinical experience, young people have begun to consume benzodiazepines to alleviate the anxiety caused by other stimulating drugs such as amphetamines.
Today we know that these substances should be used only in very specific situations, for example, alcohol suppression syndrome, for short times and under psychiatric supervision. Otherwise, the risk of dependence and health damage is high, even when they come from a medical recipe.
How to prevent abuse?
●Avoid self -medication, even with legal medications.
●Verify that the treatment is indicated by a psychiatrist, preferably with addiction training.
●Use them for short periods, under strict monitoring.
●Promote healthy lifestyles and, if necessary, receive psychotherapeutic support.
If you or someone close to your alcohol consumption or anxiolytic medications, it is suggested to seek professional help. Recognizing the problem in time can make the difference between a life limited by addiction … and one lived in freedom.
The author is an opinion leader at national and international addictions. He was director of Monte Fénix and is the founder of the Monte Fénix Center for Higher Studies, Claider Clinics and Amesad. He is co-author of the book addictions, the growing challenge and has been recognized for his career with various awards, currently develops the Espinosa-Larrea Foundation. His vision has marked a before and after in the treatment of addictions in Latin America.
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