Anxiety (Why Xanax Causes Dependence)

Anxiety affects every person at some time or the other. That is because it is a normal form of the flight or fight reaction. Anxiety and fear are both the result of stimulation of the nervous system as a means of coping with threats. Anxiety is like fear but, some authorities differentiate the two reactions based on whether the threat is external or internal. Threats that are external are thought to give rise to fear. Threats that are internal or imagined give rise to anxiety. Problems arise when anxiety is inappropriately experienced, either in specific situations, such as social anxiety disorder, or by specific triggers that are abnormal, such as excessive worry experienced in PTSD. Whatever the cause, anxiety is extremely distressing to those who suffer from abnormal anxiety syndromes. Consequently, people who suffer from abnormal patterns of anxiety seek relief from a variety of medications, none more so than the class of drugs known as benzodiazepines. Xanax is one such drug. Xanax and the other benzodiazepines, however, can cause physical dependence, which is manifested as withdrawal symptoms when the drug is stopped. The mechanism by which Xanax causes dependence is proposed to be an imbalance of certain neurotransmitters. Here we discuss the changes that occur with the use of Xanax by persons suffering from anxiety and why these eventually lead to dependence.