Benzodiazepines, which treat many types of conditions, primarily in the mental health category, have strict warnings to avoid taking them with alcohol. Combining benzos and alcohol can lead to many issues. These include overdosing, having too strong of an effect, and creating dependence on both substances. At The Right Step Hill Country, our dual diagnosis center in TX helps you overcome all of your addictions and helps you live a healthy life without substances.
Why Do People Combine Benzos and Alcohol?
In some cases, people combine benzos and alcohol accidentally. Despite the warnings on the prescription, they may assume that it’s relatively safe to take these two substances in tandem. This often happens because they are both legal to access. People may drink along with their meals or at social events. Therefore, this is a habit that they don’t want to disrupt.
In other cases, these substances may be combined intentionally to increase the effects of both substances. Since they both act in similar ways on your body, they have a combined effect that is greater than the sum of its parts. However, this is not safe and has a number of negative consequences that can happen. If you are addicted to substances, contact The Right Step Hill Country to learn more about the programs and treatments we offer including an individual therapy program and a group therapy program.
The Risks of Taking Benzos and Alcohol Together
You can encounter several risks with this combination that is hazardous to your health and well-being:
- Potential for overdose: Your benzodiazepine dose is not calculated for a combination with alcohol. Therefore, you don’t know what to expect when you drink while on this prescription drug. You could easily end up in a situation where you overdose, because of the increased effect that these substances produce.
- Dependency on both substances: Your body could become dependent on having both substances in your system at the same time. When you’re dependent on a substance, you are unable to conduct everyday activities without being under its influence.
- Difficulty thinking: Both benzos and alcohol can cloud your thinking and make it difficult to have normal cognition. You may run into trouble gathering your thoughts or communicating with those around you. You also have a harder time controlling your emotions and inhibitions.
- Difficulty reacting: Your reaction speed is also slowed down, and you could end up getting injured or being unable to help someone else because of it.
- Unexpected side effects: The combination of benzos and alcohol could lead to side effects that aren’t noted on either substance. These side effects may occur because of underlying health conditions that you’re not aware of, or simply because of the way these substances interact with your body.
- Development of long-term medical conditions: You can put stress on the systems in your body, especially if you become dependent on this combination. You could develop serious complications that put you at an increased risk of stroke, heart attacks, and other issues.
- Challenges in personal and professional life: You could lose relationships, jobs, and other things that are important in your life.
Getting Treatment for Complications Related to this Substance Combination
If you find yourself combining benzos and alcohol and need help with getting sober, we are here to help. We offer a range of services that will help you detox at our drug and alcohol detox center. We also help you understand why you became dependent on this combination, and what you need to do to get and stay clean. Talk to us today at 1.844.675.1628 to learn more.