Popular anxiety drugs linked to brain damage, even suicide: A survey

Many prolonged symptoms subsequent to benzodiazepine use and discontinuation have been shown in a large survey of benzodiazepine users. Benzodiazepine-induced neurological dysfunction (BIND) has been proposed as a term to describe symptoms and associated adverse life consequences that may emerge during benzodiazepine use, tapering, and continue after benzodiazepine discontinuation.

Acute benzodiazepine withdrawal and its effective treatment are well known and have been described in the literature. However, symptoms that persisted for months or even years after complete benzodiazepine discontinuation were observed decades ago. The lack of descriptive nomenclature for enduring symptoms associated with benzodiazepine use limits both the clinical identification of this condition and informed discussion of risk with patients.

The authors conducted an internet survey of current and former benzodiazepine users and asked about their symptoms and adverse life events attributed to benzodiazepine use. This is a secondary analysis of the survey conducted with 1,207 benzodiazepine users from benzodiazepine support groups and health/wellness sites who completed the survey. Respondents included those still taking benzodiazepines tapering , or fully discontinued.