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.

The survey asked about 23 specific symptoms and more than half of the respondents who experienced low energy, distractedness, memory loss, nervousness, anxiety, and other symptoms stated that these symptoms lasted a year or longer. A subset of respondents stated that symptoms persisted even after benzodiazepines had been discontinued for a year or more. Adverse life consequences were reported by many respondents as well.

Reference: “Long-term consequences of benzodiazepine-induced neurological dysfunction: A survey” by Alexis D. Ritvo, D. E. Foster, Christy Huff, A. J. Reid Finlayson, Bernard Silvernail, and Peter R. Martin, 29 June 2023, PLOS ONE. DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0285584