This is a guest post by Andy Earle on the topic of teen anxiety and the risks of using Benzodiazepines.
No parent likes to see their child suffering from bad anxiety, but the medical solutions present their own risks.
Benzodiazepines are commonly prescribed to teens who are in serious pain from anxiety and stress, but they should be used as a last resort. Here’s why.
Abuse
Benzodiazepines are risky for the treatment of anxiety in teenagers because research shows that more and more young people are getting their hands on it whether they have a prescription or not. Teenagers abuse this class of drugs to get high, especially a particularly potent benzodiazepine called Xanax.
Studies indicate that teenagers are becoming more likely to take benzos from their parents, give their prescriptions to their friends, and buy it on the dark web. If you decide to use a medication like Xanax to help your teen with anxiety, there is a chance that they will misuse the medication or inspire their friends to abuse it.
Studies show that teenagers make bad decisions because they frame the drug as helpful instead of considering that it can be harmful. About 50% of teenagers who have used Xanax for anxiety or recreation admit to mixing it with alcohol for increased effects. Clearly, teenagers enjoy using this drug and it’s very easy for them to get into a habit of abuse instead of using it solely for anxiety.
Dependency
Introducing your teen to benzodiazepines can lead to dependency issues. This class of drug has a lot of potential for physical dependency as well as addiction.
If your teen starts using it regularly, they can suffer from long term psychological effects like depression and memory issues, both of which can further complicate their dependency on the drug as they want to use it to feel better and might not remember how much they’ve already taken.
Regular use of benzos can also put your teen at risk of serious withdrawal symptoms if they suddenly stop taking their medication. The withdrawal is so intense that many users need to be medically supervised when coming off the medication so they don’t have intense tremors, emotional distress, or even the risk of death.
It’s Short Term Solution
Benzodiazepines typically are not designed for long term effects. There are some extended-release benzos, but most of the time, they are meant to deal with immediate and intense anxiety and only last for a few hours.
This is risky because teenagers who have chronic anxiety would have to rely on a short-term fix and keep taking the medication throughout the day to manage their symptoms. Taking this medication around the clock instead of for once-in-a-while anxiety puts your teen at risk of becoming very drowsy and forgetful.
Using SSRIs (selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors) or SNRIs (norepinephrine and dopamine reuptake inhibitors) are much safer options for chronic anxiety as they last all day. Since benzos don’t last all day, there is an increased risk of self-medicating, or not using as the medication as directed as the anxiety might return to your teen every few hours.
Alternatives
We can suggest a few alternatives to this medication that are effective in treating anxiety. Antidepressants like SSRIs and SNRIs work around the clock and don’t involve a lot of risks other than potential physical side effects that usually go away after the first few weeks.
It works to treat depression in teenagers too. We also recommend using exercise, meditation, aromatherapy, and music for quick relief. If your teen has physical anxiety, progressive muscle relaxation is a great way to go. It works by having your teen tighten and release muscle groups to relieve stressful tension.
We think you should only use benzodiazepines if none of these strategies work.
We Suggest Something Else
No one likes to suffer from anxiety, but benzodiazepines present a lot of risks to teenagers. There are other solutions out there such as SSRIs or SNRIs that do not have a large potential for abuse, do not create harmful dependency issues, and last all day.
If your teen has trouble managing their anxiety, we think benzodiazepines should only be used if nothing else works.
You can learn more about Andy Earle on his website talkingtoteens.com and listen to his Talking to Teens podcast.
