Benzodiazepines are prescription-only drugs, used to treat anxiety and seizures, among other medical conditions. However, many benzodiazepines, such as valium (diazepam) alprazolam (Xanax), are commonly used as a recreational drug. Benzodiazepines can cause drowsiness and long periods of sleep.
Common names such as ‘Alprazolam’, ‘Blues’, ‘Diazepam’, ‘Downers’, ‘Valium’, ‘Vallies’, ‘Xanax’.
Research. Knowing the facts and potential risks associated to benzodiazepine use is crucial to knowing what to expect during and after, consuming the drug. It will also enable you to make an informed decision about whether you use or not.
Do not use alone. If you use any benzodiazepine, such as valium, ensure you do not use out of sight of other people. Preferably, you should be with a ‘sober’ friend, who can help, if you need any support or medical assistance.
Test, test, test. If available, access a drug checking service who can test to see what is in your sample. If this is not available, then you can get drug testing kits online. But be aware, they are not always accurate and may not pick up ‘novel’ benzodiazepines such as etizolam and flubromazolam.
Start Low and Go Slow. Regardless of how ‘experienced’ you may be in using benzodiazepines, such as valium, it is always worth taking a small test dose and waiting a few hours before taking any more. The problem with ‘street’ benzodiazepines is that even though it may say the dose on the tablet, e.g. 10mg, it doesn’t necessarily mean that is what is in it. ‘Street’ benzodiazepines are not like the prescribed versions, in that they are not tested or regulated, so therefore you may be taking a much higher dose than what you intended and increase the risk of experiencing an overdose.
Novel benzodiazepines. Over the last few years, many ‘novel’ benzodiazepines have emerged within Wales’ street drug market. These are drugs such as etizolam, flualprazolam and alprazolam (xanax) to name just a few. Some of these are 10-40 times more toxic than valium. Therefore if you are used to taking 10mg worth of valium, the equivalent would be: 1mg of etizolam; 0.5mg of alprazolam; and 0.25mg of flualprazolam. According to WEDINOS, in 2019-20, only 53% of samples believed to be valium, actually contained valium, while 22% contained etizolam. It is becoming more common for more toxic, novel, fake versions of benzodiazepines, to be sold off as other drugs such as valium. Therefore you can never be too sure what is in your sample.
Do not mix. Benzodiazepines are depressants (also known as ‘downers’) meaning they depress your central nervous system and subsequently slows your heart rate and breathing. Mixing benzodiazepines with other drugs can lead to unpredictable and dangerous effects. Mixing with alcohol or heroin can significantly increase the risk of an overdose.
Look after your mates. If your mate suddenly falls asleep or is unconscious, put them in the recovery position and check on them regularly. If they are showing signs of an overdose, ring 999 immediately.
Tolerance. Tolerance to benzodiazepines can develop quickly, meaning you start taking more of the drug to get the same effects. This can increase the risk of developing a dependency. It is important to take breaks between using benzodiazepines, to give your body a chance to recover. But be aware, your tolerance may reduce during extended breaks, so be sure to start with a small dose, if you use again.
Withdrawals. If you find yourself using benzodiazepines regularly and experiencing side effects when you don’t, it could indicate potential dependency. If you have a dependency to benzodiazepines and wish to stop completely, it is advised to taper and reduce your use rather than stopping immediately. This is because sudden withdrawals to depressant-like drugs including benzodiazepines and alcohol, can be dangerous and even life threatening. It is worth reaching out to your GP or your local drug service for additional information and support.
Reach out if you are worried. If you are worried about your own, or a loved one’s benzodiazepine use, get in touch with your local service. Here at Barod, we provide free, confidential support to anyone affected by substance use. You can chat to a trained support worker via our Live Webchat Service too.
Signs of overdose may include:
Respond
The benefits to reducing your benzodiazepine intake will vary from one person to the next. Some people will have specific things in mind such as improving their physical health, while others may want a bit of extra cash in their pocket to spend on other things.
Many people who have accessed Barod for support around benzodiazepine use and achieved their goals have identified the following benefits:
Mental health: In the short term, benzos may induce relaxation, calmness and euphoria but in the long term they can worsen mental health and exacerbate feelings of depression, anxiety and panic.
Improved sleep: Drug use can make it difficult to fall asleep, and may find that you do not dream as frequently when taking benzodiazepine or may experience vivid dreams.
More time: You will be able to have more time to yourself and focus on doing things you love, for example finding a hobby.
More money: Benzodiazepine’s can be costly, therefore reducing your intake will lead to you have more money that you can spend on yourself.
Improved relationships: Drug use can have a negative effect on relationships. Reducing benzodiazepine use can provide the chance to rebuild relationships that were impacted.
Do not cut off Benzodiazepine’s. Try and reduce slowly, do not cut out benzodiazepines at once as it can be fatal. It can cause seizures and other health related issues.
Reach out for support. Services like Barod provide free, confidential one-to-one support for anyone affected by substance use. We also facilitate mutual aid groups, such as SMART Recovery, where people can gain peer support, from people who may find themselves in a similar situation. While accessing services may not always be possible for some, we’d still recommend reaching out to someone you feel could help you achieve your goals.
Set manageable goals. Think about how many days or how many benzodiazepines you use in a day, and try reducing it by half. For example, if you take 2 a day, then reduce down to 1.5 a day. Continue this slowly until you feel comfortable.
Track your usage. Using tools such as mood diary can help you identify any potential patterns to your benzodiazpine use. Without knowing it, you could use benzodiazepine more at a certain time of the day or week, or when you are with certain people. Therefore, this provides you with a starting point of where you can start to cut down.
Identify and develop strategies for managing triggers. If you are successfully reducing your alcohol use, there may come a time when you come across a ‘trigger’, something that could lead you to use benzodiazepines at that time. A trigger could be anything from a specific situation, a person or place, or a feeling and emotion. Building effective coping mechanisms will provide you with the best possible chance of overcoming these triggers. However, if you do lapse or relapse, it is not the end of the world, and it happens to many people. You could use it as a learning experience moving forward.
Plan ahead. There may be times when you know you are going to face one of those triggers, such as a potentially stressful, busy week ahead. So before you encounter those situations, plan to do something different. This could also act as a reward for getting through that day or week.
Think ahead. If you are planning on going out, only take what you need and leave the rest at home so you won’t be tempted.
We provide support to anyone affected by benzodiazepine use, including those affected by a loved one’s use. Below is the list of areas we currently cover. Just click on the service for more information including their contact details. Alternatively, access our Live Webchat Service and speak to one of our trained support workers.
DDAS (Adults) and Choices West (Young People) – covering Dyfed including Llanelli, Carmarthen, Haverfordwest, Cardigan and Aberystwyth and everywhere in-between.
Swansea (Adults) and Choices Swansea (Young People) – covering the City and County of Swansea.
CTDAS (Adults) and Cwm Taf Young Persons – covering Merthyr Tydfil and Rhondda Cynon Taf including Pontypridd and Aberdare.
BDAS (Adults) and Bridgend Young Persons – Covering the Bridgend area.
CAVDAS (Adults) and CAVDAS Young Persons – Covering Cardiff and the Vale.
GDAS (Adults) and Gwent N-Gage (Young Persons) – covering Gwent including Newport, Ebbw Vale, Monthmouth, Caerphilly and Torfaen.
Sometimes it is hard to know where to start when you are concerned about a loved one and their substance use, especially how to start and have a conversation with them about their use. Here are some tips we have put together which may make having that conservation a little easier.
Stay Calm – when talking to a loved one about their substance use it can often be a very emotive subject and they may become defensive and angry. Stay calm in order to reduce the conversation escalating into an argument. It is very difficult to argue with a calm person.
Time – choose a time that is good for both of you. If they are intoxicated or have had a bad day this may not be the best time to talk about their substance use. Choose a time when you are both calm and don’t have any distractions around so you can have a meaningful conversation.
Listen – it is important to allow your loved one to talk – that is the whole point of a conversation. Listen carefully to what they are saying and don’t interrupt.
Don’t be judgmental – your loved one probably knows that their substance use is having an impact on the people around them and often feel a great sense of guilt and shame. You may not agree with their actions but try not to judge or accuse them as they probably already feel judged by the people around them and may become defensive.
Ask open questions – ask questions where it is difficult to give one word answers. This can help a conversation flow and avoids an easy “yes” or “no” answer.
Positives – your loved one is probably very aware of all the negative things they may be doing. Try and let them know of the positives they are doing. Everyone likes to know when they are doing something good and it encourages us to keep doing that positive thing.
Knowledge – research information on drugs and alcohol. It may help you understand some of their behaviours and recognise when they are intoxicated and what support is available.
Get support – Barod offer support for loved ones who may be concerned or affected by someone else’s drug or alcohol use as well as support for loved ones who are using substances.
Sometimes a loved one may not be ready to have a conversation about their substance use. It is important to let them know you are there and ready to have that conversation. Don’t be disheartened if they don’t wish to talk about their substance use straight away, the fact you have approached the subject in a non judgmental and supportive way shows them you care.
For further information regarding etizolam and alprazolam, check out some of DrugWatch UK & ROI detailed briefings on the specific drugs, by clicking here.
You can also check out some of our top harm reduction tips for other specific drugs by clicking on each of the substances below:
