If you’re wondering “what is Xanax?” as far as what does Xanax do and what are some of the potential dangers you’re in the right place. Formerly I have both used Xanax medicinally and abused them. I’ve experienced the good and the ugly. It’s my plan to share both sides of the coin in this article.
What is Xanax?
Xanax (alprazolam) is a benzodiazepine, a class of drugs used to treat anxiety. There are many other benzodiazepines that have similar effects. This includes drugs like Valium, Klonopin, Ativan, and others. While these other benzodiazepines have nearly identical effects, Xanax is known for it’s shorter half-life and sheer power. A medicinal dosage of Xanax would be 0.5mg of alprazolam. When abused it’s commonly taken at doses at or above 2mg.
What does Xanax do?
When taken medicinally, Xanax can relieve acute anxiety almost instantly. It can take someone from a full blown panic attack to calm within 30 minutes. If someone suffers from an anxiety disorder the benefits from taking Xanax as prescribed can be life changing. However, Xanax is commonly over-prescribed. Chemical imbalance isn’t the only cause for anxiety, though doctors seem to think so. Someone who has anxiety from psychological problems can develop physiological anxiety if they aren’t diagnosed correctly. It’s the concept of “what goes up must come down” and with Xanax it’s known as rebound anxiety. Essentially, if someone uses Xanax for a chemical balance that doesn’t exist they can create one. The brains natural ability to be chemically balanced starts to depend on the drug. Afterwards, they will be anxious without the drug in their system sometimes lasting years or indefinitely.
What about Xanax abuse?
When abused Xanax is one of the most dangerous drugs out there. It doesn’t have the negative social stigma that methamphetamine or heroin do, though it should. Abusing Xanax is not only incredibly addictive, but also incredibly dangerous. It’s very easy to experience a blackout – waking up with no recollection of what happened as a result of Xanax intoxication. Commonly what happens during the blackout is taking a ton of Xanax, combining it with other drugs that can be lethal, and engaging in extremely impaired driving. Also, the person who abuses Xanax frequently may forget segments of their life. A memory of the prior month can be wiped away completely. If they become physically dependent they will experience some of the worse withdrawals imaginable, withdrawals so horrific they can physically kill you.
I hope article this helped you discover what is Xanax and what does Xanax do. Check out the embedded video for a video explanation by the author!
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Philip Markoff (Associate of Science) is an online influencer and thought leader on addiction education; he is known as his alias “CG Kid” who’s obtained a large audience primarily on YouTube as a vlogger and journalist. His current sobriety date from polysubstance chemical dependency is June 9th, 2013.