People who have been using benzodiazepines for an extended period may experience a range of benzo withdrawal symptoms when they try to stop using them.
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What Are Benzos?
Benzos is a shortened version of benzodiazepines. Whichever term you use, it refers to a class of central nervous system (CNS) depressants. Drugs in this category slow the delivery of impulses throughout the CNS, which can have a soothing, relaxing impact on a person’s body and mind.
Examples of frequently prescribed benzos include:
- Alprazolam (Xanax)
- Lorazepam (Ativan)
- Clonazepam (Klonopin)
- Triazolam (Halcion)
- Diazepam (Valium)
As described in a September 2013 article in The Consultant Pharmacist, the first benzo was synthesized by chemist Leo Sternbach in 1955.
Initial enthusiasm about benzos was fueled in part by the belief that they were safer and less addictive than the drugs they replaced. Through the decades, it has become clear that early opinions of benzos understated their potential for danger and addictiveness, especially when they are misused.
Typical uses
According to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA), benzos are approved to treat both physical and mental health concerns, including:
- Generalized anxiety disorder
- Social anxiety disorder (social phobia)
- Panic disorder
- Insomnia
- Seizures
Physicians also use benzos on an off-label basis for patients who have a variety of additional health challenges, such as:
- Obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD)
- Specific phobia
- Posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD)
- Mania due to bipolar disorder
- Tourette syndrome
Benzos’ effects have also made the drugs popular among people who are seeking a certain type of recreational high, or who are trying to self-medicate. A February 2019 study in the journal Psychiatric Services found that misuse accounted for 17.2% of all benzo use among U.S. adults in 2015 and 2016.
Addiction risk
As noted earlier, benzodiazepines have proved to be more addictive than experts first believed. Benzo use can also increase a person’s risk of becoming addicted to other substances.
For example, a September 2024 analysis in Drug and Alcohol Dependence Reports determined that long-term use of prescription benzodiazepines contributed to “significantly higher risks” of becoming addicted to alcohol, stimulants, cannabis, and inhalants.
Once someone becomes dependent on a benzo, intense withdrawal symptoms can keep them trapped in the darkness of compulsive drug use.
What Causes Benzo Withdrawal Symptoms?
When a person takes a benzo, the drug increases the amount of a naturally occurring brain chemical called gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA). GABA is the body’s primary inhibitory neurotransmitter, which means that it slows CNS functioning.
Over time, a person’s body will begin to depend on benzos to maintain appropriate GABA levels. If this person abruptly stops using the medication, their body will be temporarily unable to produce an adequate amount of GABA on its own. This internal imbalance can cause a host of unpleasant withdrawal symptoms.
What Happens During Benzo Withdrawal?
Benzo withdrawal can include both physical and psychological distress. But not everyone has the same experience. The type and severity of a person’s symptoms can be influenced by several factors, including:
- Their age, gender, and overall health
- Which benzo they’ve been taking
- How long they’ve been using benzos
- How much they typically use
- If they’ve been through withdrawal before
Benzo withdrawal symptoms
Depending on the factors listed above, potential benzo withdrawal symptoms include:
- Powerful drug cravings
- Anxiety and irritability
- Depression
- Agitation and restlessness
- Mood swings
- Appetite loss
- Abdominal cramping
- Nausea
- Headache
- Tinnitus (ringing in the ears)
- Blurred vision
- Increased heart rate
- Muscle tension
- Difficulty concentrating
- Memory problems
- Insomnia
- Paranoia
Benzo withdrawal timeline
The onset and duration of benzo withdrawal symptoms can be influenced by the same factors that affect which symptoms a person develops and how severe they become.
Usually, the first symptoms occur within 24-72 hours (one to three days) after a person stops using the drugs. If they had been using a shorter-acting benzo, symptoms are likely to start closer to the 24-hour mark, or perhaps earlier. Those who had been taking longer-acting benzos may be symptom-free for days or even a week.
Once benzo withdrawal symptoms appear, they will typically become stronger over the next three or four days. For some people, it can take a week or longer before symptoms reach maximum intensity.
After peaking, benzo withdrawal symptoms will begin to slowly subside. This can take anywhere from a few days to a few weeks.
In some cases, people continue to deal with lingering withdrawal symptoms for months or even years. This phenomenon is called post-acute withdrawal syndrome (PAWS). PAWS seems to be more common among people who have a history of heavy, long-term benzo use or who have been through withdrawal before. Certain genetic variations and co-occurring conditions may also increase a person’s risk of PAWS.
What Happens After Benzo Withdrawal?
Getting through withdrawal can be a significant step when you’re trying to end your compulsive benzo use. But what you do (or don’t do) after completing withdrawal can have a profound impact on your ability to maintain your recovery.
Once you’ve rid your body of benzos, you need to address the psychological, behavioral, and social aspects of addiction and recovery. Many people accomplish this by enrolling in a residential or outpatient treatment program.
While you’re in treatment, you can get professional guidance in areas such as:
- Understanding the issues that contributed to your benzo misuse
- Identifying and addressing triggers that could push you to relapse
- Filling the hours that you used to spend using or recovering from benzos
- Repairing relationships that were damaged by your benzo use
- Getting help for anxiety, depression, or other co-occurring mental health concerns
- Learning to establish healthy boundaries and advocate for your own needs
- Connecting with people and resources who can support your continued recovery efforts
The areas you need to focus on and the types of treatment you need will depend on your unique history, strengths, and needs. There’s no right or wrong path to recovery. What’s most important is finding the path that’s right for you.
Find Benzo Addiction Treatment in Atlanta
Valor Behavioral Health offers personalized, age-appropriate outpatient care for adults and adolescents who have become addicted to benzos and other drugs. We also provide dual diagnosis services to those who have co-occurring mental health concerns.
Treatment options at our addiction rehab in Atlanta, GA, include a partial hospitalization program (PHP), an intensive outpatient program (IOP), and a virtual (online) IOP.
To learn more about how we can help you or a loved one, or to schedule a free assessment, please visit our Admissions page or call us today.
