Posted by scott-d-o on December 22, 2003, at 14:36:33
In reply to why is xanax addicting, posted by 1980Monroe on December 21, 2003, at 10:31:32
Xanax nor any benzo is addictive. There are people out there that are stupid enough to abuse even OTC medications; this doesn't imply that they are addictive. Tolerance and/or dependency may develop; do a search if you are confused with the definition of these words. Every 'addictive' drug raises dopamine levels in the nucleus accumbens resulting in some measure of euphoria. Everything from cigarettes to heroin and cocaine does this, and the degree to which they raise these levels is a measure of how addictive they are. Benzodiazepines potentiate the transmission of GABA which inhibits presynaptic release of all the monoamines. Therefore, benzodiazepines may actually even decrease dopamine via attenuation of dopamine release via the increase in GABA levels. This is why many will tell you that benzos make them depressed and less motivated if used in excess.
poster:scott-d-o
thread:292100
URL: http://www.dr-bob.org/babble/20031219/msgs/292409.html