Benzodiazepines, often referred to as their shortened terms – “benzos” – are a family of substances that were originally developed as a form of medical treatment.
Generally, benzos are prescribed to people who have severe anxiety disorders, struggle sleeping (insomnia), and – in some cases – to treat alcohol addiction withdrawals.
However, because of the way they impact an individual’s body and the effects they can cause, they are also commonly found as a recreational substance.
Many people can develop a benzo addiction while completing a course of prescription benzodiazepines, but it can also happen independently of this scenario.
This article will focus on the detoxification process for a benzo addiction in Edinburgh, how it is carried out, how it can impact an individual, and where to start looking if you or someone you know requires support.
Studies show that benzodiazepines as a substance are incredibly addictive, with a dependence developing within weeks of chronic use (1).
Because of this, it is vital that those individuals who are prescribed benzos as a medical treatment are made aware of their addictive qualities and are offered support after their main course of treatment to alleviate any risk of continuing to consume the substance.
In addition, benzos are often considered to be in the same category of risky substances as alcohol and heroin; they can cause serious complications during withdrawal.
However, it is vital that all individuals who develop an addiction to benzos (or other substances) seek suitable support as soon as they are able.
This means overcoming their addiction and learning to cope with the negative effects that an addiction can leave behind.
As mentioned in the paragraph above, benzodiazepines are often considered alongside substances such as alcohol and heroin due to the way these substances impact the body.
It is understood that these substances are known as physically addictive and to cause a physical dependence due to the way that they become incorporated within an individual’s body and therefore everyday functioning.
When a substance is physically addictive, it is known to become integrated into the person’s regular functioning (physical and mental), therefore having serious impacts on how the person is able to go about their daily life.
When it comes to withdrawing from these substance in Edinburgh, this process carries relatively more risk than withdrawing from other substances that are not physically addictive, leading to a greater need for supervision, achievable time frames, and medical intervention if necessary.
Every individual who struggles with an addiction is different and will therefore experience different effects and impacts to their life and wellbeing as a result of the substance(s) that they are addicted to.
This also means that the withdrawal process is likely to be different in each and every case, creating variations in time frames of a benzo detox in Edinburgh from several days to several months or more.
Most withdrawal effects will occur within a short period of time from when the individual last consumed benzodiazepines (anywhere from a couple of hours to 48 hours), but after the initial 48 hours, many individuals may experience these effects in greater frequencies and severities.
Specific withdrawal effects for benzo detoxes are outlined later in this article.
Before any individual progresses with a drug detoxification sessions (for benzo detox in Edinburgh or any other substance or place), they must first get approval from medical professionals or make medical professionals aware of their intended rehabilitation plans.
This is so that medical advice can be given, as well as bringing awareness to the need for emergency care in some situations.
Before beginning any form of detoxification session, an individual can expect to answer some of the following (or similar) questions:
All individuals should be prepared to speak openly and honestly about their experiences with addiction, even if they perceive it to be an embarrassing or taboo topic – this will help them to get the best possible care and efficient treatment.
As mentioned previously in this article, many withdrawal symptoms will begin to occur within the first few hours after stopping consuming benzodiazepines, but this often reaches its peak around 48 hours after the individual has consumed benzodiazepines.
Again, this is likely to differ between individuals and is not the same in every individual case.
Common withdrawal symptoms from benzos can include:
In extreme cases, some individuals can develop Post-Acute Withdrawal Syndrome (PAWS) which occurs in many different scenarios relating to substances (2) but can be especially harmful in terms of lingering and long-term health effects.
Due to the effects of PAWS, many studies have suggested that the development of this disorder can be a leading cause of relapse (3) – something that all individuals attempting to detox and withdraw are working to avoid.
In many cases of addiction, whether this is to benzodiazepines or other substances, individuals also struggle with an additional mental health issue – a co-occurring disorder.
Though addiction itself is considered to be a mental health condition, this does not mean that it cannot co-occur with other disorders such as anxiety, depression, bipolar disorder, or schizophrenia.
This is a short list, but these are the most common – many other mental health conditions have also been recorded as co-occurring with addiction.
When it comes to detoxing and rehabilitation, however, it is vital that all mental health conditions are acknowledged and treated in a suitable way and time frame. This minimises future impacts and greatly boosts the individual’s experience of their broader rehabilitation journey, making for a more effective and efficient rehabilitation programme.
Attempting to withdraw from any substance at home and unsupervised is dangerous and should never be carried out without the suitable support and advice.
In a very small number of cases, however, it may be safe and suitable for an individual to withdraw from benzos at home.
This will only be recommended in a small number of cases due to the risks and dangers to the individual’s wellbeing and life but can be suitable in some cases.
During a home benzo detox, individuals would generally be sent medical intervention substances to help alleviate the negative withdrawal symptoms and cope with the uncomfortable recovery process more comfortably.
In most cases, this is also supplemented with video call checkups and in-person progress checks to ensure the individual’s ongoing wellbeing and success of the programme as it proceeds.
All individuals should discuss their plans for a home benzo detox in Edinburgh with a medical professional and no individuals should ever be unsupervised during this time.
In Edinburgh specifically, there are many sources of support for individuals struggling with an addiction – whether this is to benzodiazepines or any other substance.
As well as the public health services such as those offered through the National Health Service (NHS), there are also many private services or non-profit organisations that individuals can turn to for support.
The following list cites some of the best places individuals can go to seek support:
To start your rehabilitation journey, to learn more about benzodiazepines and benzo addictions, or to investigate any other query relating to addiction, call Rehab 4 Addiction’s addiction support hotline on 0800 140 4690 today.
[1] Lalive, A.L., Rudolph, U., Lüscher, C. and Tan, K.R., 2011. Is there a way to curb benzodiazepine addiction?. Swiss medical weekly, 141(4142), pp.w13277-w13277.
[2] Rennwald, A. and Hengartner, M.P., 2025. Post-acute withdrawal syndrome (PAWS) after stopping antidepressants: a systematic review with meta-narrative synthesis. Epidemiology and psychiatric sciences, 34, p.e29.
[3] Alsheikh, M.Y., 2021. Post-acute withdrawal syndrome: the major cause of relapse among psychoactive substances addicted users. Archives of Pharmacy Practice, 12(4-2021), pp.91-97.
