There is no doubt that the symptoms of addiction to tranquilizers pose a real danger to the health and behavior of our youth. After tranquilizers were a therapeutic source for relieving pain, they have now become a life-threatening nightmare, as the rate of misuse of tranquilizers in the Arab world in recent years has reached 41%, which raises the alarm. Therefore, in this article, we will review the most important signs of a tranquilizer addict, and when to seek medical help.
What are the symptoms of addiction to tranquilizers and when do they appear?
Symptoms of addiction to tranquilizers appear after repeated use of high doses. Tranquilizers bind to GABA receptors in the brain and increase the effect of their inhibitory neurotransmitter, making brain activity slower. The inevitable result is a series of serious physical, psychological, and behavioral symptoms due to the lack of sensitivity of the nerve receptors.
Physical signs of tranquilizer addiction
Physical signs of tranquilizer addiction include:
- Pale face with severe redness in the eyes.
- Continued drowsiness and lethargy at unusual times.
- Tremor in the hands and limbs, especially when taking the dose is delayed.
- Frequent headaches with dizziness and vertigo, accompanied by poor concentration.
- Changes in the way of speaking and the tone of voice, causing the addict to feel heaviness in his tongue.
- Suffering from digestive disorders such as vomiting, nausea, and loss of appetite.
- Low heart rate in advanced cases is followed by severe slow breathing
- Extreme slowness of movement and poor muscle coordination, which exposes the user to frequent falls.
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Behavioral changes resulting from dependence on tranquilizers
As for the behavioral changes resulting from dependence on tranquilizers, which are among the most prominent symptoms of addiction to tranquilizers:
- Completely neglecting personal hygiene.
- Tendency to isolate and stay away from family and friends.
- Neglecting daily responsibilities such as studying or work.
- Continuous lying and deception about the amount of abuse and the dose used.
- Constantly feeling the need for a sedative and searching for illegal methods.
- Change the doctor frequently so that he can get the medicine from several ways.
- Radical changes in the daily routine, so the priority becomes taking tranquilizers and relaxation.
- Extreme impulsivity and reckless behavior, such as driving drowsy, or not concentrating and causing daily problems.
Psychological effects of tranquilizer addiction
The psychological effects of tranquilizer addiction include:
- Excessive anxiety, especially when taking a dose is delayed.
- Inability to make decisions due to difficulty concentrating.
- Continuous confusion of thought and poor ability to think.
- A state of constant frustration and sadness as a result of losing control over the need for medication.
- Severe mood and emotional fluctuations, and the addict suddenly feels worthless and internally empty
- Loss of pleasure and chronic depression due to the negative effect of sedatives on the brain.
- Advanced cases may witness some psychotic symptoms such as paranoia or hallucinations.
The difference between medical use and addiction
Below we learn about the difference between medical use and addiction because the line between them may save the lives of thousands of people because it helps raise awareness among families:
1. Medical use of tranquilizers
The sedative was originally manufactured and approved for medical use only, and what distinguishes it from addiction is that:
- It is prescribed by a doctor so that it can be taken under complete medical supervision.
- The doctor determines the dosage and duration of treatment according to the age and condition of the patient to avoid complications.
- The goal of medical use is to control anxiety, sleep disorders, and some psychological problems.
- لا يجب الاعتماد على المهدئات مدى الحياة بل يتم وصفها للمريض لفترة قصيرة ثم تتوقف تدريجيًا.
- The person does not show any abnormal signs, only a calming effect on the body and relief from stress and anxiety.
2. Tranquilizer addiction
As for addiction to tranquilizers, the situation is completely different from medical use, and the difference appears in the following:
- Neglecting the doses recommended by the doctor and increasing them without consulting him.
- The patient avoids visiting the doctor in order to continue taking tranquilizers for as long as possible.
- He becomes in a constant state of increasing the dose and this is observed in purchasing the medicine in an abnormal way.
- Symptoms of addiction to tranquilizers appear after a period of use, which is a dangerous sign that one should be aware of.
- In the event that the drug is unable to be provided or discontinued for any circumstances, sedative withdrawal symptoms appear and may become life-threatening.
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Withdrawal symptoms when stopping tranquilizers
Withdrawal symptoms begin when stopping tranquilizers suddenly, so it is always recommended during that period that the addiction patient be under close medical supervision to deal with any sudden symptoms such as:
- التعرق المفرط.
- تسارع ضربات القلب.
- Suffering from anxiety and stress.
- Sleep disorders and chronic insomnia.
- Tremors in the extremities with severe physical pain.
- Suffering from poor concentration and memory disturbance.
- Severe mood and psychological fluctuations that lead to depression.
- Some cases develop convulsions and seizures similar to epileptic seizures with sudden cessation.
- Severe cases of addiction may experience symptoms of psychosis such as auditory and visual hallucinations.
- An intense need and longing for a sedative constantly if one stops taking the usual dose.
Doctors at Al-Mousa Specialist Hospital in Al-Ahsa recommend that an addicted patient should not be neglected when he suddenly stops taking tranquilizers so that his life is not at risk. He must quickly seek medical help, and we have an integrated program to treat the symptoms of addiction to tranquilizers, which includes a program to withdraw toxins from the body, then begin treating the symptoms of tranquilizer withdrawal, then a behavioral psychological treatment program, and finally develop a future plan to avoid a return to addiction.
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When should you seek medical help?
It is normal to rely on medical assistance from the first moment to abandon addiction to tranquilizers, but there are some symptoms that require seeking immediate medical assistance and immediately transporting the addiction patient to the nearest emergency department, which include the following:
- Exposure to sudden convulsions.
- The addict enters into seizures that lead to loss of consciousness.
- Delusions and recurrent auditory and visual hallucinations.
- Severe breathing disturbances with rapid heartbeat.
- An addiction patient suffers from a state of severe agitation or depression that exposes him to harming himself or others.
Frequently asked questions
Learn with us the most frequently asked questions about the symptoms of addiction to tranquilizers and answer them in detail:
What does a tranquilizer do to the body?
A sedative works to slow down the activity of the central nervous system to reduce stress and anxiety and treat sleep disorders, but it is a double-edged sword because it causes a state of extreme relaxation, which encourages some people to become physically and psychologically dependent on it, leading to addiction.
How do you know who abuses tranquilizers?
Tranquilizer abusers are identified by the symptoms they exhibit, such as extreme slowness of movement and slurred speech, severe mood swings, constant sleepiness with poor concentration, and isolation with a constant desire to increase the dose of the tranquilizer.
Are tranquilizer pills addictive?
Yes, of course, sedative pills cause addiction because they mainly affect the brain and central nervous system. Therefore, as the dose is raised, the body and mind begin to depend on them for a constant feeling of comfort, which later leads the person to take larger doses.
What are the symptoms of withdrawal from tranquilizers?
Symptoms of tranquilizer withdrawal appear in constant anxiety, sleep disturbances, body tremors, excessive sweating, increased heart rate, and convulsions, in addition to the addict’s agitation and anger constantly seeking the tranquilizer.
Even if the symptoms of addiction to tranquilizers are severe and affect your life, there is still great hope for recovery from addiction, so be sure to contact Al-Mousa Specialist Hospital in Al-Ahsa and book an appointment with an addiction treatment specialist in complete confidentiality to begin an integrated treatment program that includes withdrawing the drug from the body and then approved rehabilitation sessions that include psychological and behavioral therapy, and avoiding relapse.
المصادر:
What is Sedative Addiction:, Symptoms, and Treatment – compassionbehavioralhealth
Effects of Sedative Addiction – duffysrehab
