Benzodiazepines, the anti-anxiety drug class which includes alprazolam and diazepam in the United States (marketed under the name Xanax), clonazepam in Europe (marketed under the name Klonopin), and lorazepam in Australia (marketed as Ativan), are the most commonly prescribed drugs in America. You or someone else in your family probably have a bottle of benzodiazepines in their medicine cabinet.

About 12.5% of Americans or 30 million people regularly use benzodiazepines.

Recent research on past and present benzodiazepine drug users found that even after being off these drugs for an entire year or longer, a large percentage of people reported severe, persistent symptoms they didn’t have before becoming dependent.

Research published in PLOS One:

“A total of 763 respondents reported they had discontinued benzodiazepines, of whom 426 stated they had been off benzodiazepines for a year or more. Adverse life consequences reported by those who had discontinued benzodiazepines for a year or more were deemed severe or worse by 55.9% to 83.6% of respondents…

Based on the data collected from respondents, it appears that the enduring symptoms played a significant role in the negative life outcomes they experienced. The study shows that more than 80% of the respondents attributed at least five serious consequences to benzodiazepine usage. This is, to our knowledge, the first study that explores adverse life consequences related to these persistent symptoms, many of which were neurocognitive.

For more than 60 years, patients have reported long-term side effects of benzodiazepines. I am one such patient. Even though I have been off benzodiazepines for four years, I still suffer from symptoms. Our survey and BIND give voice to patient experience and point to the need for more investigations,” said one of the study authors to EurekAlert!

These highly addictive drugs are only meant for short-term anxiety relief, and should not be used more than a few days per Week. As I discovered first-hand, many prescribing physicians and nurse practitioners either do not understand the negative effects of benzodiazepine abuse or fail to adequately warn their patients. In either case, it’s unforgivable and arguably tantamount to malpractice.