Dangers of Xanax Addiction

A clinical approach to a topic that freaks me the fuck out

Harmony S
9 min readJul 7, 2022
Photo by am JD on Unsplash

Dangers of Xanax Addiction & the Alternatives

Xanax is a powerful benzodiazepine and the most frequently prescribed psychiatric mediation in the United States. This drug is often used to treat generalized anxiety disorder (GAD), panic disorders, alcohol withdrawal, seizures, and insomnia.

Tolerance to Xanax develops easily and quickly so usually it is only prescribed for short term use. However, this means that it is easy to become addicted to the drug and unfortunately, not everyone is getting it from their doctor.

What is Xanax?

Xanax is a benzodiazepine from the same class as Klonopin (clonazepam), Valium (diazepam), and Librium (chlordiazepoxide). It works by increasing the amount neurotransmitter GABA in the brain. This neurotransmitter is widely distributed in the brain, and its main job is to reduce neuronal activity by binding to neurons.

Anxiety and other psychiatric conditions are often caused by a chemical imbalance in the brain — when there is too little or too much of a neurotransmitter. So, someone who suffers from GAD or panic disorders might not have enough GABA naturally. Xanax increases the abundance of the chemical messenger, to reduce abnormal excitement…

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Harmony S

H A P P Y and you should be TOO!!! LIFE IS AMAZING 👏🦝🦄🌺🍭I write for ILLUMINATION, The Memoirist, Fuck Niches, and The Orange Journal.