During my DPDR recovery I did not take any pharmaceuticals, neither am I a doctor, nevertheless one of the first questions I had during my DPDR was “Is there a pill that can cure me?”. Thus, I contacted a pharmacist to write this article about Benzodiazepine for me.
Keep on reading to gain insights into Benzodiazepine and its effects on DPDR.
What is Benzodiazepine?
Benzodiazepines, often called “benzos,” are a class of psychoactive drugs. Benzodiazepines work with the GABA receptors in the brain, GABA is an inhibitory neurotransmitter.
How Can Benzos Help With Depersonalization?
Benzodiazepines enhance the effect of the neurotransmitter gamma amino butyric acid (GABA) at the GABAA receptor, resulting in sedative, hypnotic, anti-anxiety as well as muscle relaxant properties.
Common drugs belonging to this class are Xanax, Klonopin, Valium. These compounds are often prescribed for anxiety, panic disorders, and obsessive-compulsive disorders. Thus, benzos could also help battle DPDR.
High levels of anxiety are constantly mentioned by DPDR sufferes and are often suggested to be the cause. This might explain why people taking benzos for DPDR do sometimes experience some relief from it. Whether or not these compounds alleviate the underlying dissociation is still in question.
Side effects of benzodiazepines
Side effects of benzodiazepines are serious withdrawal effects and being highly addictive. If you take them every day for months, then you have to add up the dose to get the same effect as before. If you try to withdraw, then your DP and anxiety might increase. Benzos are ideally taken on an “as needed” basis, and are more effective in people with DP who are highly anxious.