Introduction: Addiction to benzodiazepines is a serious problem, and it is important to better understand how individuals can be motivated to quit. Few studies have investigated patients' perceptions and experiences of addiction to benzodiazepines and there is a need to better understand the influence of motivational factors on treatment seeking.
Methods: In this qualitative study, nineteen adults undergoing treatment for addiction to benzodiazepines participated in semi-structured individual interviews which were analyzed using reflexive thematic analysis.
Results: Participants both defined addiction in relation to and found motivation to quit using benzodiazepines in the negative effects they experienced. Three themes were identified relating to a patient's journey towards a "tipping point" where they were motivated to seek treatment. Participants described that as their addiction grew, benzodiazepine use became a constant mental preoccupation resulting in the need to procure more medication. Participants faced a crossroads as their benzodiazepines became less effective, and many entered a negative cycle of dose escalation and withdrawal symptoms. Participants also described many negative impacts on psychosocial and practical aspects of their daily lives as they lost control to benzodiazepines.
Conclusions: The results of this study provide insight to patient perspectives on benzodiazepine addiction and suggests that patients find motivation to quit when the consequences related to benzodiazepine use reach a tipping point. Motivation is of clinical importance in the decision to seek treatment, and by working to identify and cultivate individual motivational factors, healthcare providers may be able to help more patients recover from addiction to benzodiazepines.
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http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.josat.2024.209508 | DOI Listing |
Trials
January 2025
Department of Addiction Medicine, Haukeland University Hospital, Bergen, Norway.
Background: There is a lack of knowledge on effective treatment methods for comorbid benzodiazepine dependence in populations undergoing opioid agonist treatment (OAT). Tapering and discontinuation of benzodiazepines has long been considered the standard treatment, even though there is limited evidence for this practice. There is also limited research on benzodiazepine agonist treatment; however, peer and clinical experiences indicate that such approaches may be beneficial for a subgroup of the patients with long-lasting benzodiazepine dependence not responding to other treatment approaches.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFAddict Behav Rep
June 2025
Department of Psychiatry and Behavioural Neurosciences, McMaster University, 100 West 5th St., Hamilton, ON L8N 3K7, Canada.
Background: The substance use crisis continues to progress. Medication for Opioid Use Disorder (MOUD) are prescribed to reduce opioid use and related harms; however, many individuals continue to use substances while on treatment. The objective of this study was to describe the temporal and demographic trends of the agreement between self-reported and urine tested substances.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFFront Psychol
December 2024
Department of Psychiatry, Psychotherapy, and Psychosomatics, University Hospital Halle, Halle (Saale), Germany.
Sexual problems relevant to psychotherapy, such as compulsive sexual behavior (CSB) and sexual functioning problems (SFP), have been related to harmful substance use in several studies. Substance use is prevalent among medical students (MS) and is often considered a maladaptive coping strategy for stress, as well as a risk factor for mental health issues. Sexual problems and substance use share trauma exposure and post-traumatic symptoms as risk factors for their development.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFPharmacol Rep
December 2024
Department of Experimental and Clinical Pharmacology, Centre for Preclinical Research and Technology (CEPT), Medical University of Warsaw, Banacha 1B, Warszawa, 02-097, Poland.
Sudden cessation of the drug can cause withdrawal syndrome, discontinuation syndrome, or rebound effect. The common feature of these phenomena is a quick onset, usually limited duration depending on the drug's half-life and remission after restarting the therapy. They are characterized by varying clusters of somatic, autonomic, and psychiatric symptoms.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFBMC Psychiatry
December 2024
The Stockholm Centre for Dependency Disorders, Stockholm Health Care Services, Region Stockholm, Friskvårdsvägen 4, Stockholm, 112 81, Sweden.
Background: There is limited knowledge on long-term outcomes of tapering treatment for individuals with problematic use of prescription narcotics, including opioids and benzodiazepines. The overall aim of the study is to investigate clinical trajectories and treatment outcomes of patients seeking treatment in addiction care.
Methods: This paper presents the study protocol and baseline characteristics of a cohort of patients seeking treatment for problematic use of prescription narcotic drugs at specialized outpatient addiction services.
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