ASAM Pocket Guidelines and Patient Guide

Benzodiazepine Tapering Patient Guide

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5 Withdrawal Symptoms Reduced Brain Activity Benzodiazepines reduce activity in your brain. In the short term this can decrease anxiety, help you sleep, and prevent seizures. With regular use, benzodiazepines consistently reduce brain activity. When you develop tolerance, your benzodiazepine receptors are less able to reduce brain activity. If you stop taking the benzodiazepine abruptly, your brain activity will be higher than normal. This can cause withdrawal symptoms, which can be severe (see Figure 2). Developing Tolerance In response to this reduction in activity, your brain tries to regain its natural balance. It does this by reducing the number of benzodiazepine receptors or their effects when activated. Think of this as turning up the dial of brain activity. This is how your brain develops tolerance to benzodiazepine medication, such that a higher dose may be needed to have the same effect. FIGURE 1. BENZODIAZEPINE EFFECTS ON BRAIN Natural Balance Your brain has a natural balance of activity. It tries to maintain this balance by adjusting how it responds to different stimuli. Think of this as turning the dial up or down to come back to balance.

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