Can Taking A Benzodiazepine Speed Up Hyperstimulation Recovery?

Video Transcript

Since benzodiazepine medications calm the nervous system, wouldn't taking a benzo speed up hyperstimulation recovery?

Benzodiazepine medications can somewhat calm the nervous system, which could help reduce hyperstimulation. The problem is that benzodiazepine medications can change how the GABA system naturally functions.

This means that the calming effect of a benzo only occurs when the medication is active. As the body uses up the medication, the nervous system can become stimulated because the GABA system isn’t functioning normally as a buffer against stress.

On the one hand, benzos can help calm the nervous system to a degree; on the other, they stir up the nervous system as the medication is used up. The more medication a person takes, the less the GABA system functions normally.

Consequently, we only feel calm when the medication is active, and we feel worse as the medication wears off. This seesaw effect between the calming effect and being stirred up can keep a person stuck in hyperstimulation.

Worse, the less natural GABA function we have, the less ability we have to completely calm the nervous system when we want to. The inability to naturally calm the nervous system can prevent reducing and eliminating hyperstimulation.

While there could be a short-term benefit to taking a benzo that somewhat calms the nervous system, the negative is that we can never eliminate hyperstimulation because of a poorly functioning GABA system.

I became stuck in severe anxiety because of the benzo, and the worst part of recovery occurred when I tried to stop, which I tried many times before I was successful.

While taking a benzo to settle the nerves once in a while can be helpful, regularly taking a benzo can set up many physical and psychological problems. Consequently, I don't recommend regularly taking a benzo to help with anxiety and hyperstimulation because of the many problems it can create, including preventing the elimination of hyperstimulation.

In my opinion, it's far better to work through your anxiety and hyperstimulation naturally, such as with the help of an experienced anxiety disorder therapist, so that your recovery skills can be used anytime and anywhere you want, and without the use and problems associated with a psychotropic medication, such as benzodiazepines.