What many people do not realize when receiving prescription tranquilizing medicines such as Valium is that it can be just as addictive and potentially damaging as some illegal drugs. It is widely assumed that Valium can be a one stop fix for problems such as anxiety, seizures or insomnia, however even medically tested prescription medicines have their risks.
What is Valium?
Valium or diazepam is a commonly used medicine belonging to the family of psychoactive drugs Benzodiazepines, which ‘depress’ the central nervous system. This depression reduces brain activity and has proved to be helpful for a range of conditions from vertigo to epilepsy. In the short term Valium has repeatedly proven itself to be very effective in various anxiety related conditions, for some people being a vital part of the recovery process. However in the long term problems can arise.
Recreational users
Being a psychoactive drug, Valium has become popular for recreational use, though research suggests that it is rarely used independently. What are known as polydrug user may ingest Valium in addition to another, usually illegal substance to intensify or alter the effects. Alternatively Valium is used to relieve the comedown of a stimulant such as ecstasy and allow the user to get to sleep.
Long term problems
Like many other substances the problems begin to occur when a user builds up a tolerance and a reliance. Long term prescription and recreational users will find that more Valium is required to reach the desired effect. Unfortunately as tolerance builds up withdrawal symptoms occur sooner and become much more difficult to endure. Users become trapped in a vicious circle and find that coming off the drug is near impossible resulting in a life long addiction. The withdrawal symptoms are often similar to the original symptoms a patient will have taken Valium to relieve themselves of. Once a user has gained a 
dependence, detoxification becomes notoriously difficult and should be done with the help of professionals over a long period of time. Various adverse side effects have arisen in patients and addicts who have detoxified to quickly.
Recognizing addiction
To recognize a Valium addiction you have to be aware of the effects and side effects of this drug. As the main effect of Valium is sedation the most obvious effects will be disengagement. This could be through,
- Drowsiness
- Loss of sex-drive
- Loss of interest in social life
- Loss of interest in usual interests
- Inability to concentrate
- Loss of coordination
Whereas the withdrawal symptoms may be recognized through,
- Nausea
- Muscle spasms
- Insomnia
- Nausea
- Depression
- Panic attacks
- Anxiety
- Paranoia
Rehab
More and more time and money is going into rehabilitation for Valium addiction. It has become a terrible affliction for many people around the world and recovery relies heavily on the will power of the addict. Research has shown that the dosage must be decreased carefully and gradually to make the process easier and effective. Although it may be easier to seek medication for conditions like insomnia, anxiety or phobias, for many people medication like Valium merely hides the problem. For long term solutions to these kind of problems sufferers should consider therapy and counseling which may help resolve these problems.
This post was written by Stanley Martinson. Stanley is a health and fitness writer who has a deep interest in drug and alcohol rehabilitation. To learn more about drug rehabilitation please check out this site.