The Ugly Truth About Benzodiazepines | Xanax, Klonopin, Ativan

Sun, 17 Aug 2025 20:59:50 +0000

We review the controversy and issues surrounding benzodiazepines and why they are no longer used as first-line treatment for anxiety disorders.
Intro 0:00
History of benzos 0:35
Not to be used long-term 1:39
Rebound Anxiety 2:18
Short-term use only 2:39
High Risk of dependence 3:00
Overdose Risk 3:27
Side Effects 3:56
Long-term side effects 4:37
Risk of abruptly stopping 5:45
Continued memory impairments after stopping 6:20
First-line treatments for anxiety 7:09
Outro 8:26

Disclaimer: All of the information on this channel is for educational purposes only and not intended to be specific/personal medical advice or substitute for diagnosis and treatment of any conditions discussed herein. Furthermore, watching these videos or getting answers to comments/questions, does not establish a provider-patient relationship. Please consult with your own health care provider for proper diagnosis and treatment.

Patient Resources:
https://benzoreform.org/overview-of-the-problems/
https://benzoreform.org/patient-tools/
https://www.healthline.com/hea....lth/anxiety/rebound-
https://patient.info/mental-he....alth/insomnia-poor-s
https://youtu.be/Y9UqU8wzOhg
Maudsley Deprescribing Guide: https://amzn.to/4dZEUMk

🚑 If you are in a mental health crisis, please dial 9-8-8 from the U.S. Or text HOME to 741741 and connect to a crisis counselor.
You can find a list of international crisis lines here: https://blog.opencounseling.com/suicide-hotlines/

References:
Crowe, S. F., & Stranks, E. K. (2018). The Residual Medium and Long-term Cognitive Effects of Benzodiazepine Use: An Updated Meta-analysis. Archives of clinical neuropsychology : the official journal of the National Academy of Neuropsychologists, 33(7), 901–911. https://doi.org/10.1093/arclin/acx120

Bandelow, B., Michaelis, S., & Wedekind, D. (2017). Treatment of anxiety disorders. Dialogues in clinical neuroscience, 19(2), 93–107. https://doi.org/10.31887/DCNS.2017.19.2/bbandelow

Votaw, V. R., Geyer, R., Rieselbach, M. M., & McHugh, R. K. (2019). The epidemiology of benzodiazepine misuse: A systematic review. Drug and alcohol dependence, 200, 95–114. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.drugalcdep.2019.02.033

Wick J. Y. (2013). The history of benzodiazepines. The Consultant pharmacist : the journal of the American Society of Consultant Pharmacists, 28(9), 538–548. https://doi.org/10.4140/TCP.n.2013.538

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