{"id":89149,"date":"2024-05-31T20:28:02","date_gmt":"2024-05-31T19:28:02","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.tratamientodelasadicciones.org\/?page_id=89149"},"modified":"2026-10-20T12:07:19","modified_gmt":"2026-10-20T11:07:19","slug":"psychotropic-medication-addiction","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/www.tratamientodelasadicciones.org\/en\/types-of-addictions\/psychotropic-medication-addiction\/","title":{"rendered":"Psychotropic medication addiction"},"content":{"rendered":"\t\t
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Psychotropic medication addiction<\/strong> is dependence on medicines that act on the brain, especially tranquillisers and sleeping pills such as benzodiazepines. It often starts with a prescription for anxiety or insomnia and, over time, the person needs to take them to feel well or cannot stop without a hard time. It is not a personal failure: it is a known effect of these medicines when they are used for a long time, and it can be treated.<\/p>\n

Psychotropic medication addiction: which medicines can cause it<\/h2>\n

Psychotropic medicines are useful and necessary for treating many mental health problems. The risk of dependence is not the same for every group:<\/p>\n

Anxiolytics and hypnotics (sedative-hypnotics)<\/h3>\n

They are prescribed to ease anxiety or help with sleep. Benzodiazepines are the best known, and there are other hypnotics that work in a similar way. They have a fast, powerful effect on the nervous system and are the psychotropic medicines most likely to cause tolerance and dependence.<\/p>\n

Antidepressants<\/h3>\n

They are used for depression, some anxiety and eating disorders, and sometimes insomnia. They are not addictive in the strict sense, but stopping them abruptly can cause unpleasant symptoms, so they too are tapered off gradually on medical advice.<\/p>\n

Antipsychotics<\/h3>\n

Also called neuroleptics, they are mainly used to treat psychosis. They are not usually associated with addictive use, but any change to how they are taken must be decided by the doctor.<\/p>\n

Benzodiazepine addiction: how it starts<\/h2>\n

Benzodiazepines relieve anxiety and insomnia quickly, which is why they are so widely prescribed. The World Health Organization warns that they should be used for short periods, of a few weeks, and that they are not the best option for acute stress or insomnia following a traumatic event. After that time, the body gets used to them: the effect wears off, the person feels they need more or cannot do without them, and when they try to cut down, the anxiety and insomnia come back, sometimes more strongly than before.<\/p>\n

This cycle means many people keep taking them for years without considering that there is a problem, especially when the pill is part of their daily routine and has been prescribed.<\/p>\n

Signs of dependence on psychotropic medication<\/h2>\n