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Written by Brandon Okey. Mina Draskovic, B.Psy., reviewed this content for accuracy.
Benzodiazepines are prescription medications that act as central nervous system depressants. They boost GABA activity in the brain, slowing nerve signals and producing an overall calming effect. When misused or abused, benzodiazepines can disrupt normal brain function and cause cognitive impairment and potential dependency.
A 2024 article published in BMC Medicine explains that long-term benzodiazepine use was linked to faster shrinkage of the hippocampus and amygdala, two brain regions involved in memory and emotion. This shrinkage may affect how well people form memories and handle emotions. We’ll discuss benzodiazepines, their effects on the brain, and what you can do to avoid permanent damage.
Safe benzo withdrawal requires a slow dose reduction with a doctor’s guidance. Our medical team offers constant care and a safe benzo tapering program to help you complete detox safely and comfortably.
Contact our benzodiazepine detox facility, and take your first step toward a fresh start.
Doctors prescribe benzodiazepines for a range of conditions that require sedation, relaxation, or anxiety relief. The most frequently prescribed benzodiazepines are Xanax (alprazolam), Klonopin (clonazepam), Ativan (lorazepam), and Valium (diazepam). These medications are commonly prescribed for:
These effects stem from how benzodiazepines calm brain activity.
Benzodiazepines target specific receptors in the brain called GABA-A receptors to enhance their effects. GABA (gamma-aminobutyric acid) is the brain’s main inhibitory neurotransmitter. It naturally reduces brain activity by blocking certain signals between nerve cells.
Edinoff, et. al. explain that benzodiazepine medications bind between the alpha and gamma subunits of GABA-A receptors. This binding makes receptors more responsive to GABA. Increased sensitivity allows chloride ions to flow more freely into nerve cells, making them less likely to fire. As nerve cells become less active, brain activity slows across multiple regions.
According to Edinoff, et. al., brain regions respond to decreased nerve cell activity differently.
Benzodiazepines work based on how long they stay active in the body. Sleep medications such as sedative-hypnotics clear from the brain quickly to reduce next-day drowsiness, while anxiety medications remain active longer to provide all-day relief. Some benzos bind to brain receptors controlling anxiety, while others target sleep-related receptors—and their effects vary based on how quickly they enter and leave the brain.
A 2024 research article (vom Hofe, et. al.) discusses the neuroadaptive changes where chronic benzodiazepine use leads to desensitization of GABA’s inhibitory function. At the same time, these changes increase sensitivity to excitatory neurotransmitters. This makes the brain more prone to overstimulation and anxiety when the medication is reduced or stopped.
This rebound effect is one of the main reasons why benzodiazepine withdrawal can be dangerous and must be managed with medical supervision. Ardu’s experienced medical team creates a personalized detox plan to keep you safe and comfortable throughout your journey to recovery.
Our drug detox services are at your disposal, whether you’re struggling with Xanax, Klonopin, Valium, Ativan, or any other benzodiazepine dependence.
Benzodiazepines calm brain activity in the short term, but long-term use changes brain structure and function. Chronic benzodiazepine use can cause physical changes in regions controlling memory, emotion, and cognitive function.
Here are ten ways benzodiazepine abuse causes long-term brain changes:
Chronic benzodiazepine use accelerates the shrinkage of the hippocampus. This brain region is responsible for memory formation and emotional processing. The shrinkage can continue even after you stop using the medication. Ritvo, et. al. explain that users show an accelerated reduction in hippocampal volume during follow-up and that this shrinkage affects short-term and long-term memory function.
Long-term benzo use decreases volume in the amygdala, the brain’s emotional processing center. This change can impact how a person processes emotions, responds to stress, and manages anxiety, often creating new emotional regulation challenges different from the original anxiety that led to benzodiazepine use.
Benzodiazepines can reduce the brain’s ability to form new neural connections and adapt to new experiences. This decreased plasticity affects learning ability, emotional resilience, and overall cognitive flexibility, making it harder for the brain to develop coping mechanisms or learn skills. These deficits may persist “at least in the first 6 months following cessation,” according to studies by Barker, et. al.
Extended benzodiazepine use fundamentally changes how GABA receptors function in the brain. The brain becomes less sensitive to natural GABA activity while becoming more sensitive to excitatory neurotransmitters. This imbalance in the brain’s chemistry can persist long after you stop the medication.
While benzos initially help with sleep, long-term use can worsen sleep quality by interfering with natural sleep cycles and the brain’s ability to regulate sleep-wake patterns. Ritvo, et. al. propose that 86.9% of participants in their study who were abusing benzodiazepines reported sleep disturbances, with 56.4% experiencing these problems for a year or longer after they stopped.
Long-term use impairs the brain’s ability to form and consolidate new memories. Crowe and Stranks’s meta-analysis revealed significant impairments in “working memory, recent memory, and expressive language.” Their research showed these memory deficits often affect the formation and recall of new memories.
Ritvo, et. al. again show that 57.5% of users reported memory loss lasting a year or longer, with these memory problems being distinct from symptoms they had before starting benzodiazepines.
Users often experience lasting changes in mental processing speed and clarity. Italian researchers point to the link between benzodiazepine use and impairment in the ability to construct visual information, maintain attention, and perform complex mental tasks. Their tests showed a marked decline in cognitive processing speed, indicating that the brain became significantly slower at completing tasks that require rapid thinking and response. This can manifest as difficulty with complex tasks, decreased ability to focus, and overall mental sluggishness that may persist even after discontinuing the medication.
The brain’s natural fear and anxiety processing mechanisms become disrupted by benzodiazepine dependence and often lead to new or different anxiety patterns than those originally treated. This can create a cycle where anxiety management becomes more challenging.
A 2021 study showed that benzodiazepine treatment led to an “anxiogenic-like effect,” where treated mice showed increased anxiety behaviors instead of reduced anxiety. This was seen as a paradoxical effect where the drugs increased anxiety-like behaviors, contradicting their intended calming purpose.
Long-term use can affect the brain areas controlling movement and coordination. These changes may result in lasting issues with balance, fine motor skills, and overall physical coordination, particularly in older adults.
The 2021 study by Carton, et. al. measured motor function through distance traveled and exploratory behaviors. The study found a “trend toward a dose-dependent decrease in exploratory activity” in treated animals, but motor impairments were found to be reversible to a degree.
Long-term benzodiazepine use changes how your brain naturally handles stress. Benzos help calm your stress response by enhancing GABA activity, but over time, your brain becomes less sensitive to GABA and more reactive to stress signals. The result is that normal, everyday stressors can feel more overwhelming and harder to cope with, even after stopping the medication.
Ardu provides a complete, science-based approach to help you overcome benzodiazepine addiction and heal. As part of our comprehensive benzodiazepine addiction treatment, we employ medical detox services, stress management training, and cognitive behavioral therapy to restore your brain’s natural ability to manage anxiety and sleep without medication.
When you stop taking benzodiazepines, your brain experiences a dramatic shift as it attempts to readjust to functioning without the drug. During withdrawal, the brain’s natural balance of neurotransmitters becomes heavily disrupted, which leads to a surge in neural activity that can cause intense and sometimes dangerous symptoms. This period of readjustment can last from weeks to months, depending on the length of use and dosage.
Benzodiazepine withdrawal can affect the brain in the following ways.
Apart from distressing, these severe withdrawal effects may also be dangerous. Don’t try to quit benzodiazepines alone; reach out to Ardu now for professional detox and comprehensive care that will keep you safe and comfortable throughout the withdrawal process.
Overcoming benzodiazepine dependence requires a careful approach that addresses the physical and psychological aspects of addiction. Our treatment journey begins with medically supervised detox, your first step in breaking free from benzodiazepine dependence.
Our detox program prioritizes your safety during the challenging withdrawal period. We employ careful tapering protocols under 24/7 medical supervision to minimize withdrawal symptoms and keep you comfortable. Withdrawal affects the body and mind, so we complement our medical care with holistic approaches including nutritional counseling, float spa therapy, and vibroacoustic treatments to help calm your nervous system during this transition.
Research shows that more than 40% of people struggling with benzodiazepine dependence have co-occurring mental health conditions such as anxiety or depression. Our integrated simultaneous approach addresses both, breaking the cycle where mental health symptoms fuel substance use and vice versa.
We combine evidence-based medication-assisted treatment with individual therapy, CBT, and holistic practices such as yoga and meditation therapy to help you develop natural ways to manage anxiety and stress without medication.
Following detox, our rehabilitation program offers inpatient and outpatient options to support your ongoing recovery. Our residential program provides an immersive healing environment where you can focus entirely on recovery, free from outside triggers and stressors. For those who need more flexibility, our outpatient program allows you to maintain daily responsibilities while receiving intensive support and therapy.
Family healing is also central to lasting recovery. Through family therapy sessions, we help rebuild relationships strained by addiction while providing education and support to your loved ones.
Contact Ardu online or call at 801-872-8480 to learn how our personalized treatment approach can help you reclaim your life from benzodiazepine dependence. Our expert team is ready to guide you through every step of your recovery journey.
Brandon Okey is the co-founder of Ardu Recovery Center and is dedicated to empowering people on their journey to sobriety.
Long-term effects of benzodiazepines cause significant cognitive dysfunction and impact cognitive performance through multiple pathways. Studies of long-term benzodiazepine users show impaired executive function, reduced cognitive performance, and changes in cognitive functioning. Physical dependence can lead to brain abnormalities affecting daily functioning. These cognitive effects can persist during months of abstinence.
Benzodiazepine drugs severely impact episodic memory and memory formation. Long-term benzodiazepine therapy causes documented brain abnormalities, particularly affecting the hippocampus. Research on benzodiazepine exposure shows users experience short-term and long-term memory impairment. Memory problems can persist through periods of abstinence.
Benzodiazepines fundamentally change how your brain’s neurotransmitters work. Over time, these changes lead to mental health problems such as depression and anxiety that weren’t there before. The brain’s chemical balance becomes severely disrupted, altering everything from mood to memory. These changes grow stronger with continued use, leading to physical dependence and potentially toxic effects on brain function.
Hypnotic medications such as benzodiazepines severely disrupt sleep architecture and circadian rhythms. Long-term benzodiazepine users develop chronic sleep disorders as physical dependence increases. Daily dose adjustments often fail to improve sleep quality. The cumulative effects of benzodiazepine prescriptions create lasting sleep dysfunction that persists during periods of abstinence.
Long-term benzodiazepine users experience severe cognitive dysfunction and mental confusion that worsens with continued benzodiazepine exposure. Brain abnormalities from cumulative doses affect information processing and mental clarity. Medical records show confusion symptoms increase with higher daily doses of common benzodiazepines.
Xanax leads benzodiazepine prescriptions in physical dependence and abuse. This type of benzodiazepine carries higher risks of benzodiazepine toxicity and overdose than other anxiolytic medications. Long-term users face increased adverse effects as a result of its potent impact on brain function and short half-life.
Long-term benzodiazepine therapy often triggers mental disorders and mood dysfunction. Users experience heightened depressive symptoms and anxiety symptoms over time. Benzodiazepine exposure alters emotional processing, while physical dependence creates new psychiatric symptoms. The cumulative negative effects worsen existing mood regulation.
A high dose of benzos can shut down crucial brain functions, particularly breathing control. The risk skyrockets when mixed with other drugs, but even alone, high doses can be dangerous. Long-term users face greater overdose risk because they often need more of the drug to get the same effect. Even non-fatal overdoses can cause lasting brain damage.
Long-term benzodiazepine use alters how your brain adapts to stress and challenges. Medical professionals observe that users lose their natural stress resilience, as the brain becomes dependent on the medication for managing even minor stressors. Longitudinal studies show this disrupts normal response relationships to environmental pressures. Risk factors for poor stress adaptation increase with extended benzo use. Sensitivity analyses reveal the brain’s natural coping mechanisms become progressively weaker, making users more vulnerable to psychological and physiological stress even after discontinuation.
Hofe, I.v., Stricker, B.H., Vernooij, M.W. et al. Benzodiazepine use in relation to the long-term risk of dementia and imaging markers of neurodegeneration: a population-based study. BMC Med 22, 266 (2024). https://doi.org/10.1186/s12916-024-03437-5
Edinoff, A. N., Nix, C. A., Hollier, J., Sagrera, C. E., Delacroix, B. M., Abubakar, T., Cornett, E. M., Kaye, A. M., & Kaye, A. D. (2021). Benzodiazepines: Uses, Dangers, and Clinical Considerations. Neurology International, 13(4), 594. https://doi.org/10.3390/neurolint13040059
Ritvo, A. D., Foster, D. E., Huff, C., Reid Finlayson, A. J., Silvernail, B., & Martin, P. R. (2023). Long-term consequences of benzodiazepine-induced neurological dysfunction: A survey. PLOS ONE, 18(6), e0285584. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0285584
Barker, M. J., Greenwood, K. M., Jackson, M., & Crowe, S. F. (2004). Persistence of cognitive effects after withdrawal from long-term benzodiazepine use: A meta-analysis. Archives of Clinical Neuropsychology, 19(3), 437-454. https://doi.org/10.1016/S0887-6177(03)00096-9
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, 33(7), 901-911. https://doi.org/10.1093/arclin/acx120
Federico, A., Lugoboni, F., Mantovani, E., Martini, A., Morbioli, L., Casari, R., Faccini, M., & Tamburin, S. (2020). Detoxification Improves Multidomain Cognitive Dysfunction in High-Dose Benzodiazepine Abusers. Frontiers in Neuroscience, 14, 539575. https://doi.org/10.3389/fnins.2020.00747
Carton, L., Niot, C., Kyheng, M., Petrault, M., Laloux, C., Potey, C., Lenski, M., Bordet, R., & Deguil, J. (2021). Lack of direct involvement of a diazepam long-term treatment in the occurrence of irreversible cognitive impairment: A pre-clinical approach. Translational Psychiatry, 11(1), 1-10. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41398-021-01718-8
Brunette MF, Noordsy DL, Xie H, Drake RE. Benzodiazepine use and abuse among patients with severe mental illness and co-occurring substance use disorders. Psychiatr Serv. 2003 Oct;54(10):1395-401. doi: 10.1176/appi.ps.54.10.1395. PMID: 14557527.
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