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Xanax Addiction

10 Minutes

Edited & medically reviewed by THE BALANCE Team

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CONTENTS

Xanax is a common medication used to treat anxiety and panic disorders. Like most drugs in the benzodiazepine family, it helps to reduce activity in the brain and nervous system, helpful for those with Generalized Anxiety Disorder (GAD) and panic attacks. To most people, Xanax is a useful means of managing mental health disorders and helping them go through their day without being overwhelmed by fear and anxiety.

Nonetheless, like most other drugs, Xanax has its positive side as well as the negative side which is described below. The drug has soothing properties and can cause dependency, with people taking it and finding themselves gradually raising the dosage to get the same effect. This is because the chances of getting dependent on Xanax and finally getting addicted are high, especially if one is using it for many years or not under the recommended dosage.

A drug that is supposed to be helpful may lead to addiction, putting people in a cycle that they cannot escape easily. We will briefly look at the dangers of using Xanax, the signs of addiction, and how to avoid or overcome it.

Xanax is a brand name of alprazolam. It falls under the benzodiazepine group of drugs that are characterized by their ability to induce muscle relaxation and relief of anxiety. When a person takes Xanax, it increases the impact of a neurotransmitter in the brain known as gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA). GABA decreases neurons’ activity in the brain, making people feel relaxed and free from anxiety [1].

Xanax is very useful for the management of anxiety symptoms in the short term because of its rapid onset of action. It takes between half an hour to an hour for the effects of the drug to manifest themselves in patients. The quick onset of relief can make it very tempting to use Xanax for severe anxiety or panic attacks.

Yes, people can become addicted to Xanax. Tolerance is the first step to addiction; people need higher doses of the substance to have the same calming influence as before. Physical dependence occurs when the body adapts to the presence of the drug and experiences withdrawal symptoms when the use of the drug is reduced or stopped. This physical dependence can be very much felt with drugs such as Xanax in the group of benzodiazepines because these drugs affect the central nervous system.

However, addiction is not the same as physical dependence. It also has a psychological component, which is the urge to continue taking the substance even when it begins to interfere with the user’s activities. The use of Xanax may develop into a situation where people start needing it to function as a normal person, or to deal with ordinary stress. This kind of dependency can result in people abusing the medication—using it in larger quantities, more often, or even without a prescription.

Several factors can increase the likelihood of developing an addiction to Xanax, including [1]:

Dosage: Xanax dependence and addiction are more likely to be experienced with higher doses of the drug.

Duration: This is because even when used according to the doctor’s prescription, it results in physical and psychological dependency.

Individual Susceptibility: Some factors that make people more susceptible to addiction are substance abuse history and mental health disorders.

Also, if someone takes Xanax for fun or with other drugs like alcohol or opioids, they are at a much higher risk of getting addicted.

Compared to other benzodiazepines, Xanax has a high addictive index because of its short duration of action. When ingested, Xanax takes between one to two hours to reach its highest level in the bloodstream [2]. This fast-acting effect is especially beneficial for anxiety and has the potential to make users continually seek out the drug.

It is believed that Xanax has a greater addictive capability than other types of benzodiazepine drugs like diazepam (Valium), or lorazepam (Ativan) due to its effectiveness and immediacy. This fast relief makes the drug very attractive, especially for people with extreme anxiety or panic disorders, but this is because the body gets used to the drug very fast.

The risks are not mere assumptions, as research and statistics support them. Different researches reveal that the chronic use of benzodiazepines such as Xanax has severe tendencies of abuse and dependency. According to a survey conducted at the end of 2018, 5.2 million people in the United States suffered from benzodiazepine addiction, and alprazolam remained the king of the drug list. Another study revealed that about 20% of the long-term users of Xanax become addicted to the drug. These numbers show that it is very possible to become addicted to the substance especially when taken out of prescription by a doctor.

The time between its calming effects and withdrawal symptoms is very short, making it an addictive substance. The effects fade, and people experience anxiety or discomfort, so they take more of the drug than necessary and continue the cycle.

It can be quite difficult to immediately identify the signs of Xanax dependence and addiction as the symptoms may build up over time. However, some signs can be used to determine when a person is developing dependence on the substance.

Early Warning Signs

Increased Tolerance: Requiring more Xanax to elicit the same anxiolytic response [1].

Craving: A compulsive urge to use Xanax even when it is not needed.

Preoccupation with the Drug: Preoccupation with when the next dose will be or trying to get prescriptions from different doctors.

Physical And Psychological Symptoms

Physical Dependence: Suffering from withdrawal symptoms like headache, tremors, muscle aches, or difficulty in sleeping when the use of Xanax is cut down or stopped [1].

Anxiety Rebound: The anxiety may even worsen than it was before when the patient stopped taking Xanax.

Mood Swings: Nervousness, depression, or exaggerated feelings.

Behavioral Changes

Neglecting Responsibilities: Failing to attend to work, academic responsibilities, or family duties to use Xanax.

Social Withdrawal: Avoiding friends, family, and things that were once enjoyable to do in society.

Drug-Seeking Behavior: Increasing the dosage of Xanax or obtaining it from other sources including other doctors or streets.

In extreme circumstances, some people may misuse Xanax in different ways including taking more than the recommended dosage by for instance; chewing or snorting the pills. Such behaviors can gradually escalate to addiction within a short time and become a major problem.

Abusing the drug for a long time increases the risk of dependence and has negative impacts on the health of a person. The impacts of abusing Xanax are not restricted to the development of drug dependence but the consequences are dreadful.

Physical Health Risks

Cognitive Impairment: Long-term use of Xanax can cause memory loss, poor concentration, and overall poor brain function. This is because the drug reduces brain function and long-term use can lead to changes in the brain [1].

Emotional Instability: Some of the side effects of Xanax include mood swings, irritability, or depression especially when the drug is about to wear off. After some time, users are unable to control their emotions without the drug.

Physical Symptoms: It also causes muscle weakness, dizziness, and fatigue if taken for a long time. Some people may have seizures if they attempt to quit using the drug cold turkey.

Mental Health Risks

Anxiety and Panic: Surprisingly, taking Xanax for a long time may worsen the anxiety and panic attacks it was meant to help cure. This state referred to as ‘rebound anxiety’ appears when the calming effects of the drug wear off, and the anxiety level is probably higher than it was before.

Depression: Some of the side effects of using Xanax in the long term include, depression and suicidal thoughts.

Risk Of Overdose

One more disadvantage of Xanax use is that there may occur an overdose of the drug. If one takes a large quantity of Xanax or combines it with other depressants including alcohol, and opioids, the heart rate and respiration slow down to a dangerous level causing coma or death [3]. Many cases of accidental overdoses are a result of people taking Xanax with other substances without knowledge of the outcome of the combination.

It is crucial to distinguish between the correct use of Xanax and the abuse of the substance. Xanax is a drug normally used by doctors for use in small quantities and for a short time to help individuals with anxiety or panic disorders. Therefore, the risk of getting addicted is relatively low since doctors do not give the drug in a way that can make a patient addicted, in addition, doctors tend to slowly reduce the dosage.

Recreational use of Xanax, however, entails taking the drug without a prescription, and this is usually taken in large quantities or combination with other drugs. This kind of use is often taken during social leisure, and parties when Xanax can be combined with alcohol, marijuana, or other substances to enhance effects. In such cases, people take Xanax to feel relaxed or intoxicated rather than using it as it is supposed to be used.

The most dangerous method of using Xanax is polydrug use when the drug is taken with opioids, alcohol, or LSD. When mixed with other substances that act on the central nervous system, the risk of an overdose is high because it causes drowsiness, difficulty in breathing, and sometimes death. A certain percentage of drug users for recreation purposes may not be in a position to know the implications of drug interactions and may suffer dire consequences for it [2].

Other people may have a prescription for Xanax at some point and then build tolerance and begin to take it just for the sake of it. This is especially the case if the people who are using the drug continue to do so even after the prescription has run out or if they take more of the drug so that it can produce more of the effect that they desire.

A specific risky manner of consumption is the combination of the drug with hallucinogens such as LSD. Two of the substances cause dangerous side effects when used together.

Opposing Effects: The two drugs are Xanax and LSD; the two drugs affect the brain in different ways. LSD is a powerful hallucinogenic drug that affects the perception, mood, and thoughts of an individual. It can create vivid pictures and impressions which can enhance emotions and feelings. However, Xanax is a central nervous system depressant that helps in reducing the activity of the brain and leads to sedation or sleepiness.

Impact on the Brain: This combination of the two drugs may result in an unclear outcome. Some people may use Xanax to ‘mellow’ or lessen the effects of a ‘bad acid trip’ and this affects their perception and coordination which makes them act crazy. The consequence may be confusion, irrationality, and, worst of all, the inability to master one’s mind.

Increased Risk of Overdose: It also raises the risk of an overdose because while Xanax counters the effects of LSD, taking more Xanax could counteract the effects of LSD. Both drugs affect the brain and this may make the user take less Xanax than required and this results in respiratory depression or coma.

Addiction Potential: Combination use of Xanax and hallucinogens also raises the probability of addiction. When the brain is subjected to several substances at the same time, it may require these drugs to perform its tasks effectively. This makes it easier to become addicted to Xanax or any other substance that one is taking the drug with.

In free time, people take drugs and mix them up without knowing the repercussions they can bring. Hallucinogens may make people feel as if they are losing control and Xanax is thought to help with this but in fact, this combination is lethal.

Xanax addiction can affect all spheres of a person’s life and has many negative consequences. The drug, which was initially prescribed to help with anxiety, gradually becomes a major component of the patient’s life, which has several adverse effects.

Impact on Responsibilities

Work and School: Xanax users can easily become forgetful and may fail to meet their academic or work-related standards. The overuse leads to drowsiness and one may find it difficult to be awake during the day. Users may become absent more often as drugs become more important than obligations.

Family and Relationships: Xanax addiction affects relationships. The mood swings, irritability, and withdrawal symptoms that are related to the drug can lead to quarrels with family and friends. Friends or relatives may notice that the affected person is withdrawn or untrustworthy.

Neglect of Daily Tasks: Addicts may start to become unkempt, forget to wash the dishes, or fail to perform other duties that they used to do. The desire to get and use Xanax becomes more important than other aspects of life, causing a person to live a messy life.

Mental Health and Functioning

Emotional Instability: Xanax addiction causes mood swings. Patients can be peaceful one moment and easily agitated or stressed the next due to fluctuations between the use of the drug and withdrawal. This is a rather unpredictable cycle of feelings, which can complicate even the most ordinary communication.

Loss of Interest in Hobbies: Interests and pastimes that the person used to enjoy no longer interest them as they become more and more preoccupied with drugs. Loneliness is typical because patients may quit seeing friends or engaging in activities that do not include Xanax.

Financial Strain: Sustaining a Xanax addiction is costly, especially when the drug is bought on the black market. People can spend a lot of money to feed the habit and that leads to financial issues. At times, individuals engage in criminal activities or theft in an attempt to finance their substance abuse.

Social Costs

Legal Issues: Some of the users of Xanax in the society resort to criminal activities to get the drug including; visiting several doctors to get prescriptions, forging prescriptions, and purchasing the drug from unauthorized sources. These activities can result in legal problems, such as being arrested and charged with a crime.

Social Isolation: In the course of the addiction, people may isolate themselves from friends and family who try to intervene. Stigma and shame are common characteristics of addiction, and people with addiction often feel lonely because they do not find understanding from their peers.

Xanax addiction is a process that can lead to the deterioration of the quality of life and make it almost impossible to function. When dependency increases, the drug becomes more important than everything else, and it becomes more difficult for people to live without it.

1. Very Well Health. What Is a Xanax Addiction? https://www.verywellhealth.com/xanax-addiction-5087537

2. Healthline. How to Recognize and Treat Xanax Addiction. https://www.healthline.com/health/addiction/xanax-addiction

3. Medical News Today. What to know about Xanax addiction treatment. https://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/anax-addiction-treatment

FAQs

How Long Does It Take To Build Xanax Addiction?

The time it takes to become addicted to Xanax is different for everyone, and can be affected by dose, how often the drug is taken, and the person’s body chemistry. Some people develop the signs of dependence within weeks of regular use especially if they are using high doses. But it is possible to become addicted to the drug within a few months of use especially if one is using Xanax daily. Addiction is not the same for everyone, and people with past substance use disorders may become addicted faster than others.

What Does The Term “Xanax-Induced Amnesia” Mean?

Xanax induced amnesia is another name for memory loss which is caused by the use of the drug especially when used in a long time and large quantities. Xanax has an impact on the memory center of the brain thus a patient is unable to create new memories and has a condition known as anterograde amnesia. People are likely to have amnesia about events or conversations that happened while they were taking Xanax. This memory loss may last for several hours even after the drug has worn off and may worsen with continued use of the drug.

Is It Possible To Overdose On Xanax Alone, Or Does It Always Involve Other Substances?

Yes, some mental health issues may remain an issue even after you have completely gotten off Xanax. Xanax abuse can also have long-term effects on the brain and may result in conditions such as anxiety, depression, and poor concentration. Some of the ex-users may develop emotional dysregulation or cognitive impairments that may persist for months or even years after stopping the drug. These symptoms can be treated with therapy, changes in daily habits, and other medications, but recovery may be slow.

Does Xanax Make You “Stupid”?

Xanax doesn’t necessarily make you dumb, but it can certainly slow down your ability to think and process information, especially if you are misusing it for a long time. Some of the symptoms include; difficulty in focusing, memory loss, and delayed response. These cognitive impairments can make it difficult for the person to do things that demand mental acuity, including work or school. Long-term use of Xanax may result in difficulties in concentrating and remembering things, which may be mistaken for loss of IQ or “dumbness.”

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