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Addiction to UK sleeping pills

Addiction to UK sleeping pills is a medical condition. It can develop from repeated use of an addictive sleeping pill. Not everyone who takes UK sleeping pills becomes dependent. Certain criteria must be met for this. The World Health Organization lists the following:

  • There is a strong desire or compulsion to take the UK sleeping pill.
  • You can no longer control how many sleeping pills you take.
  • Withdrawal symptoms occur when you stop taking the UK sleeping pill.
  • You need more and more sleeping pills to achieve the desired effect (tolerance).
  • You neglect your job, hobbies, and/or family and friends.
  • The UK sleeping pills continue to be taken, even though the harmful consequences are felt.

If three or more of these criteria occur repeatedly within a year, experts speak of a UK sleeping pill addiction. The same applies if at least three of these criteria are met simultaneously in one month. Even if you only take a small dose of sleeping pills, addiction can develop.

Why are UK sleeping pills addictive?

Benzodiazepines and Z-substances act in the brain and can influence certain metabolic processes there. Similar to other addictive substances, they stimulate the reward system in the brain: they make those who take them feel good. This feeling can contribute to people becoming dependent on something. However, not all people who take benzodiazepines for a long time become dependent on them. It has not yet been fully clarified why this is so. In addition to how the sleeping pills UK works, how doctors prescribe the drug also plays a role: are they making the right diagnosis? Do you inform the patient about the risks and the correct intake? Refer them to other ways to treat sleep problems? The easier it is for the patient to get the drug, the greater the risk of addiction. In addition, certain behaviors also play a role: Some people, for example, tend to take medication quickly if they do not feel well or have health problems.

What happens when you stop sleeping pills UK?

Addiction to sleeping pills UK sometimes only becomes apparent when the sleeping pill is stop. Some people can stop taking sleeping pills without discomfort. However, withdrawal symptoms can also occur when weaning, for example, anxiety, mood swings, restlessness, muscle pain, tension, tremors, or sweating. In some cases, such signs also appear when the dose of sleeping pills UK is greatly reduced. The longer the sleeping pills were taken and the higher the dose, the stronger the symptoms can be. Insomnia can also return – which was originally the reason for taking sleeping pills UK. Insomnia may even be worse than before. When treating addiction to sleeping pills, the drug is therefore not stopped suddenly, but in small steps.

The risk of withdrawal symptoms is higher in older people. Because the older body processes the sleeping pills UK differently. This allows it to accumulate in the body.

Many people who are addicted are also uncomfortable talking about their use of sleeping pills. They then often take the drug secretly.