Introduction to Benzodiazepines

  The topic of this week’s blog is comorbidity. Comorbidity is a term used to describe the occurrence of interacting conditions (National Institute on Drug Abuse, 2020). When discussing comorbidity and benzodiazepine usage it is common to see both mental illness and substance abuse issues occurring within one person but this is because benzodiazepine is a class of medications used to treat many mental disorders alone or with complimenting medications. Mental conditions such as anxiety, depression, sleep disturbances, and post-traumatic stress disorder may be treated using benzodiazepines such as Klonopin, Ativan, and Xanax. These drugs are often abused due to their euphoric, relaxing effects and those with prescriptions to these medications are especially at risk for abuse. Risk factors of both substance abuse and mental illnesses are often similar such as genetic factors, environmental factors such as trauma, or interfamilial influences such as being subject to abuse or neglect a...

 The Family System: Anxiety and Addiction  Karissa Lemire, September 25, 2020 https://www.addictioncenter.com/addiction/role-family-addiction-recovery/ The above link is provided by the Addiction Center which helps connect those in need of services with those providing services. The Addiction Center is an informational website as well which addresses many aspects of addiction including explaining how the family becomes intertwined with substance use and addictive behaviors. Coping with a family member’s addictive behaviors can be a challenge. Addictive behaviors often dismantle family dynamics through broken trust and communication with one-another (Murray, 2020). To cope with dysfunction some family members assume “roles” or behave in specific responsive ways. These roles are outlined by Krystina Murray (2020) on the Addiction Center’s webpage and are as follows: The Hero      The Mascot The Lost Child The Scapegoat & The Enabler/Rescuer Each role serve...

  Blog 3, Benzodiazepines, Attitudes of the Culture Karissa Lemire, 9/16/2020 Xanax, clozapine, and valium are prescription benzodiazepines used to treat generalized anxiety disorder. Many people in the United States suffer from anxiety, so much so that it is the number one diagnosed mental condition in the US. It is reported that 40 million adults suffer from some form of anxiety (Garrison, 2018). Last week we discussed how the current pandemic is adding to the anxiety levels of people, so this number is increasing, and people are using benzodiazepines at higher rates. But how do our attitudes add to benzo usage? The above image was shared on a popular Facebook group page, “ Mommy Needs a Xanax ”, where members frequently share images such as this as well as funny sayings about the troubles of parenting, being a wife, and juggling it all during uncertain times. It is meant to bring light to a serious situation, women are stressed. Here the women have a safe space to expres...

  Lemire, Karissa September 11, 2020 Benzodiazepines https://www.wbur.org/cognoscenti/2020/05/18/coronavirus-anxiety-benzos-jack-turban-https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/urban-survival/201604/six-aromatherapy-essential-oils-stress-relief-and-sleepjessica-gold Coronavirus, or COVID for short, is a pandemic that is impacting the United States significantly. Click here to view the COVID current numbers across the nation. The pandemic has changed how we operate as a society from needing to wear masks in public, to not visiting family in nursing homes or hospitals, not having family and friends gather, and children needing to participate in schooling at home. These changes have impacted how we behave but they are also impacting the ways in which we feel. Benzodiazepine medications specifically have seen a rise in popularity. More of these potent medications are being prescribed and used by people just like Whitney whose story is shared in the article above. Whitney (nam...

  BLOG ONE An introduction to Benzos; Blogging for Psychology of Drug Use and Addiction Karissa Lemire: September 4, 2020 Benzodiazepines are prescription pill medications used for the treatment of insomnia, anxiety, muscle spasms, seizures, and even alcohol withdrawal and they are considered a Schedule IV drug. Developed during the 1950s their popularity in treating anxiety and sleep treatments quickly began to rise due to low health-associated risks (Erickson, 2011). They are sedative and work by inhibiting  neurotransmitters in the brain (view the hyperlink for a quick video explanation). The most known benzodiazepines are clonazepam (Klonopin), alprazolam (Xanax), and diazepam (Valium) (National Institute on Drug Abuse, 2018). Much like opioids, benzodiazepines (or benzos) are habit-forming and often misused by those who have it prescribed to them. Pictured above you will see the national overdose death rates involving both benzos alone and with opioid involvement...