Last Updated:

February 2nd, 2026

Benzodiazepine addiction

Benzodiazepines were supposed to be safer than the drugs they replaced, but they have since become one of Britain’s most troubling addiction problems. Around 1.4 million adults in the UK receive benzodiazepine prescriptions each year, and an estimated 40% of people who take them for longer than six weeks develop a dependence. While benzos can work well for short-term anxiety or insomnia, benzodiazepine addiction begins when short-term becomes an indefinite struggle.

Benzodiazepine Addiction Tablets

What is benzodiazepine addiction?

Benzodiazepine addiction is compulsive use of sedative medications despite harm to your health and other parts of your life. It can start with a real prescription or with pills that you have bought or otherwise obtained illegally. 

Whatever the starting point, benzodiazepine abuse is the first step along the road to addiction. This includes taking extra pills, chasing a high rather than treating symptoms, snorting or injecting benzo pills, or using medication meant for someone else.

Benzodiazepine dependence follows continued use. This is when stopping triggers withdrawal symptoms like anxiety rebounding worse than before, or physical symptoms like tremors and sweating emerge. Benzodiazepine dependence is a state of altered brain chemistry, which means you need the pills just to feel baseline okay.

Benzo addiction is the final stage, when both your body and mind need the drugs. It is when benzodiazepines have become the centre of your life, and all attempts to cut back or stop have failed.

What are the latest benzodiazepine addiction statistics?

The most recent benzodiazepine addiction statistics are cause for serious concern. An estimated 300,000 people in the UK are on long-term benzodiazepine prescriptions despite guidelines limiting use to four weeks. Around 35% of patients on benzodiazepines have been taking them for at least twelve times longer than recommended.

The risks of benzodiazepine overdose, addiction, and other health and personal issues all increase dramatically with long-term use. It is important to understand this when looking at prescription data, because benzodiazepines were involved in 929 deaths in England and Wales in 2024, the highest figure since records began.

What are the most addictive benzodiazepines?

Some benzodiazepines are stronger or longer-lasting than others, but all can cause addiction. The most common types of benzodiazepine addiction include:

Buprenorphine Addiction

Buprenorphine is used to treat opioid dependence, but misuse or long-term use can still lead to physical dependence and withdrawal symptoms.
Buprenorphine Addiction

PCP Addiction

It’s a powerful hallucinogenic drug that can cause severe psychological effects, impaired judgement, and a high risk of dependence with repeated use.
PCP Addiction

Librium Addiction

This develops from chlordiazepoxide, which is sometimes used to manage alcohol withdrawal.
Librium Addiction

 

Diazepam addiction

Valium is among the most commonly prescribed and misused benzodiazepines in Britain.
Diazepam addiction

Mogadon addiction

Nitrazepam is another addictive sleeping medication, which can produce a powerful physical and psychological dependence.
Mogadon addiction

Xanax addiction

This has grown rapidly despite Xanax rarely being prescribed by UK doctors. Most British Xanax comes from online pharmacies or street dealers, making it particularly risky.
Xanax addiction

 

Klonopin addiction

Usually stems from the misuse of clonazepam, which is prescribed for seizures and panic disorder.
Klonopin addiction

Restoril addiction

Restoril is a sleeping pill, but it can be highly addictive without proper medical oversight.
Restoril addiction

Lorazepam addiction

Develops from a potent, fast-acting benzodiazepine often prescribed for severe anxiety or before medical procedures.
Lorazepam addiction

What are the signs of benzodiazepine addiction?

Benzodiazepine addiction symptoms often creep up gradually, especially when you’re taking prescribed benzo medication. Spotting these benzodiazepine addiction signs can be what helps you see past addiction denial and get the help you need:

  • Always tracking how many tablets you have left
  • Becoming desperate when you’re running out of benzos
  • Feeling unable to face stressful situations without taking benzos first
  • Insisting you still need the medication for anxiety or insomnia, which are now being caused by the addiction itself
  • Constant drowsiness, slurred speech, poor coordination, and memory problems
  • Benzo doses that used to work now having little or no effect
  • Withdrawal symptoms when you have gone too long without taking benzos
  • Lying to your loved ones or doctor about your benzodiazepine use

Benzodiazepine Addiction Man Experiencing Depression

What are the biggest benzodiazepine addiction causes?

Benzodiazepines work by boosting the effect of GABA, a brain chemical that calms nervous system activity. The resulting relaxation and anxiety relief feel pleasant (at least at first). But your brain adapts by reducing its own natural calming response. Without benzos, your nervous system becomes overactive, producing the anxiety, insomnia, nausea, and agitation that push people to relapse.

These effects mean that benzo addiction can happen to anyone who takes the drugs for long enough. However, there are certain factors that raise the risk.

First, people with mental health conditions like anxiety disorders, depression, panic disorders, or chronic insomnia are more likely to develop problems because they’re more likely to be prescribed benzodiazepines in the first place. Benzos rarely help with these conditions in the long term, and once benzodiazepine addiction takes hold, symptoms usually get much worse. That is why there are so many people with co-occurring anxiety and addiction, and depression and addiction.

Those with a history of addiction to alcohol or other substances are also particularly vulnerable to becoming addicted to benzos. Women are also nearly twice as likely as men to be prescribed benzodiazepines, which may contribute to increased rates of benzo addiction among women, though there is no evidence that they are inherently more susceptible to it.

Side effects of benzodiazepine addiction

The longer you use and the more you take, the worse the side effects become, and these can turn fatally dangerous. Some of the most serious dangers include:

  • Fatal benzodiazepine overdose due to suppressed breathing
  • Coma
  • Dangerous withdrawal symptoms, including seizures, hallucinations, psychosis, and severely high blood pressure
  • Respiratory depression 
  • Oxygen deprivation.
  • Accidents and serious injury due to slowed reaction times, poor coordination, and impaired judgment
  • Long-term cognitive damage and persistent memory loss
  • Worsening mental health 
  • Suicidal thoughts.
  • Emotional blunting or mood swings
  • Chronic sleep problems

What does treatment for benzodiazepine addiction involve?

Benzodiazepine addiction becomes harder to break the longer it continues. Seeking help early can make withdrawal easier and give you a better chance of full recovery.

Benzodiazepine detox
Drug detox for benzodiazepines differs from other withdrawals because stopping benzos abruptly can trigger seizures. Medical supervision and planning during detox is therefore essential, and often involves switching you to a longer-acting benzo and slowly reducing how much you’re taking.
Benzodiazepine rehab
Drug rehab for benzos works through psychological patterns like why you started relying on benzodiazepines, and how to cope without them. Rehab includes various therapies and healing approaches, with recommended treatment length varying depending on personal circumstances.
Ongoing support
Recovery from benzodiazepine addiction takes time, as withdrawal symptoms can last for many months. NA Meetings provide peer support during this difficult period, while relapse prevention planning and aftercare through your rehab centre are essential for managing anxiety and other triggering situations without returning to benzos.

Prevention

Preventing benzodiazepine addiction means being cautious from the start. Before accepting a prescription, ask about non-drug alternatives for anxiety or insomnia. If benzos are genuinely necessary, use the lowest effective dose for the shortest possible time—ideally no more than two to four weeks. Never increase your dose without medical guidance. Don’t take benzos prescribed to someone else. If you notice yourself dreading running out or feeling unable to cope without your medication, raise this with your doctor immediately.

Finding help for benzodiazepine addiction

You should never try to stop benzos on your own, because the complications of withdrawal can be life-threatening. Recovery.org can connect you with the best benzodiazepine addiction treatment for you. Contact us today, and we will explain every option to you, so you can make the right decision for your recovery.

Frequently Asked Questions

Which benzodiazepine has the highest potential for abuse?
Alprazolam (Xanax) is generally considered to have the highest abuse potential among commonly prescribed benzodiazepines. Its rapid onset produces a noticeable “hit” that shorter-acting benzos often don’t provide, making it popular for recreational misuse. However, all benzodiazepines carry a significant addiction risk with extended use.
Where can I get help for benzodiazepine addiction?
Your GP, private rehab clinics, and Recovery.org can all provide you with advice and help you choose the right treatment path for benzodiazepine addiction.
What is the incidence of benzodiazepine abuse?
Around 1.4 million adults in the UK are prescribed benzodiazepines each year, with approximately 300,000 on long-term prescriptions lasting over a year. The Royal College of Psychiatrists estimates that 40% of people taking benzodiazepines for longer than six weeks develop dependence.

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