Benzodiazepines are a class of prescription medications used to slow down activity in your brain and nervous system. These medications are commonly prescribed to treat anxiety, panic, seizure disorders, insomnia, and even alcohol withdrawal symptoms. While each benzodiazepine medication similarly works in your brain, there are differences associated with their potency, duration of action, and half-lives.

While benzodiazepine drugs can be effective in treating a variety of conditions, they are known to be habit-forming and addictive.

Because benzodiazepine abuse is so common, it’s important to be aware of which benzodiazepine drugs are the strongest or weakest.

What are the Strongest Benzodiazepines?

People who abuse benzodiazepines typically look for high-potency and short-acting versions of these medications because they will provide a quick and potent high.

Several high-potency benzodiazepines are commonly prescribed in the United States. However, there is also an illegal benzodiazepine that is sold on the street. This illicit benzodiazepine is known as flunitrazepam or Rohypnol, and it is one of the strongest benzodiazepines.

High-potency and short-acting prescription benzodiazepines include:

The other high-potency benzodiazepine that is available by prescription in the United States is known as clonazepam (Klonopin). Clonazepam is different from the other strong benzodiazepine drugs because it is long-acting. It takes longer for it to kick in, but the effects last longer than short-acting benzodiazepines.

What are the Weakest Benzodiazepines?

The weakest benzodiazepine drugs have a low potency, which means the effects are not as strong as other types of these medications. However, when taken in higher doses, they can produce equally as strong or stronger effects than the most potent benzodiazepines.

The weaker benzodiazepine drugs include:

  • Diazepam (Valium)
  • Oxazepam (Serax) 
  • Temazepam (Restoril)
  • Tranxene (Clorazepate) 
  • Chlordiazepoxide (Librium) 
  • Flurazepam (Dalmane) 

While these weaker benzodiazepines are not as strong as other benzodiazepines like Xanax or Ativan, they are still known to be habit-forming and addictive. Taking them for long periods or in doses higher than prescribed can result in a substance use disorder. You should always take your benzodiazepine prescription as prescribed by your doctor.

Is it Safe to Take Weaker Benzodiazepines?

While some benzodiazepines are less potent than others, that does not mean they are safer. Some people might intentionally seek out the strongest benzodiazepines because they are suffering from an addiction, however, weaker benzodiazepines are habit-forming, too.

It is safe to take any benzodiazepine if you are carefully following your doctor’s instructions. The problems begin to arise once you start taking them in a manner other than advised on your prescription bottle. Additionally, taking any benzodiazepine drug you buy off the street is incredibly dangerous.

Risks of Abusing Benzodiazepine Medications

Listing the benzodiazepines from strongest to weakest is only intended to display what each drug is capable of. With that being said, any one of these medications can lead to dependency, addiction, and life-threatening effects when abused. Abusing a low-potency benzodiazepine like Halcion can be just as dangerous as abusing Klonopin.

Risks of abusing benzodiazepine drugs include:[2]

  • Addiction
  • Life-threatening overdoses 
  • Increased risk of dementia 
  • The development of withdrawal symptoms 
  • Severe or worsening symptoms of your condition 
  • Legal issues like jail time for obtaining prescriptions illegally 

Benzodiazepine withdrawal occurs when you stop using the substance after a period of dependence. Unfortunately, benzodiazepine withdrawal can be life-threatening without medical detox services. If you become addicted to a benzodiazepine drug, you must seek professional help.

What are the Signs of Benzodiazepine Addiction?

If you or a loved one frequently misuse a benzodiazepine drug, you could be struggling with addiction.

Common signs of benzodiazepine addiction include:

  • Running out of your prescription early 
  • Visiting more than one doctor to receive multiple prescriptions at a time (“doctor shopping”)
  • Forging prescriptions when your doctor stops providing them 
  • Stealing benzodiazepines from your friends or loved ones 
  • Buying benzodiazepine drugs off of the street 
  • Experiencing cravings or uncontrollable urges to abuse benzodiazepines 
  • Using a higher dose of the substance than prescribed 
  • Experiencing withdrawal symptoms when you cannot obtain benzodiazepines 
  • Needing more of a benzodiazepine medication to experience a desired effect (building a tolerance) 

If you experience any of the above-mentioned symptoms, it’s time to seek treatment for benzodiazepine addiction. Allowing yourself to go through withdrawal at home could lead to life-threatening effects, such as seizures. As a result, you should never delay attending an addiction treatment program for benzodiazepine use disorder.

Find Help for Benzodiazepine Abuse

If you or a loved one suffer from benzodiazepine addiction, First Step Behavioral Health is here to help. With a combination of evidence-based behavioral therapy, group counseling, holistic treatment, and relapse prevention planning, we can provide you with the tools you need to achieve long-term sobriety.

To learn more about our benzodiazepine rehab program, contact First Step Behavioral Health today.

References:

The National Library of Medicine (NLM): Benzodiazepine use, misuse, and abuse: A review, Retrieved July 2023 From https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6007645/

The National Library of Medicine (NLM): Benzodiazepine Use and Misuse Among Adults in the United States, Retrieved July 2023 From https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6358464/

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