Last Updated:
November 25th, 2024
Nitrazepam Addiction
Nitrazepam can seem like a godsend if you are battling chronic insomnia or intense anxiety, offering a calming effect when other treatments haven’t worked. But like many strong medicines, nitrazepam use also comes with a hefty risk of addiction. No matter how it starts – prescribed or otherwise – the more you use nitrazepam, the easier it can be to slip into nitrazepam addiction. Understanding how nitrazepam addiction can develop, who is most at risk and what help is available is essential for making informed choices about nitrazepam use.
What is nitrazepam?
Nitrazepam, often known by the brand name Mogadon, is a benzodiazepine sedative that has been around since the 1960s. Nitrazepam is usually prescribed for insomnia and certain anxiety disorders because it amplifies GABA, a brain chemical which relaxes the nervous system. This soothing mechanism takes the edge off anxiety and makes sleep easier.
Nitrazepam is usually reserved for cases where other treatments have fallen short because it can pack a serious punch. However, while this strength makes nitrazepam very effective, it can also cause a variety of unpleasant and dangerous nitrazepam side effects, such as:
- Dizziness and blurred vision
- Drowsiness and fatigue
- Confusion
- Muscle spasms
- Nausea and diarrhoea
- Slurred speech
- Anxiety
- Hallucinations
- Insomnia
- Memory problems
- Mood swings
These nitrazepam side effects and its potential addictiveness mean that it is usually only prescribed in short-term cases where there is an immediate need for relief.
What is nitrazepam addiction?
Nitrazepam addiction isn’t just about taking too much – it is when you reach a point where the drug feels like a necessity rather than an option. For some, nitrazepam addiction begins with recreational use, but often, it starts with a simple prescription for insomnia or anxiety.
In either case, as you continue to use nitrazepam, your body begins to depend on the soothing effects created by the boost in GABA. You then start upping your dose because one pill is no longer enough, and as your body is flooded with more and more nitrazepam, quitting can trigger nasty symptoms like shakes, muscle pain or even seizures.
On an emotional level, nitrazepam can quickly become a fallback for coping with life’s challenges. Soon, it can feel like you need the pill to function, and nitrazepam can become a crutch that you lean on more and more. This dependency can sneak up on you until it feels impossible to manage sleep or even normal stress without nitrazepam, affecting everything from your mood to your mood to how you spend your time.
Nitrazepam addiction in the UK
In the UK, nitrazepam addiction is a real and pressing issue, which has seen it named as a Class C drug. From 2022-2023, 3,600 people sought benzodiazepine addiction treatment in the UK, including nitrazepam. However, the actual number affected is likely much higher as in just 2022, the number of benzodiazepine-related deaths in the UK rose to 509.
How to spot nitrazepam addiction symptoms
Spotting a nitrazepam addiction means taking a hard look at your habits and how they are affecting your life. Nitrazepam addiction isn’t always obvious at first, but by reflecting, here are some questions to consider which may help you spot nitrazepam addiction symptoms:
- Are you continuously upping your nitrazepam dose to feel the same effects as before?
- Have you attempted to stop but been unable to follow through?
- Does stopping nitrazepam or even just cutting back a little make you irritable or unable to sleep?
- Has nitrazepam taken over your life with all your time and energy spent getting it, using it and managing its after-effects?
- Are you still using nitrazepam even though you know it’s hurting your health or relationships?
- Have you started using nitrazepam to cope with stress rather than its original purpose?
- Have you taken risks to get more, like doctor shopping or using nitrazepam when you shouldn’t be?
A “yes” to any of these questions can be a sign that nitrazepam addiction has taken hold. Accepting this is hard but being aware that there is a problem is the first step to solving it.
Why is nitrazepam addictive?
Nitrazepam addiction often takes root due to a mix of personal vulnerabilities and life circumstances. Here is a closer look at what can make some people more susceptible:
Family history
Addiction sometimes runs in families, making it more likely you could struggle with nitrazepam addiction if close relatives have faced similar battles.
Mental health struggles
If you are wrestling with stress, anxiety or insomnia, nitrazepam can feel like the fix-all you have been waiting for. However, nitrazepam can deepen your struggles as you become more and more dependent on it.
Trauma and loss
For those dealing with past traumas, nitrazepam can start out as a way to ease the emotional pain but can turn into something you feel unable to live without.
Environment
Growing up or spending time in environments where drug use is common makes it easier to view misuse as “normal.”
Thrill-seeking traits
If you are naturally impulsive or crave excitement, you may be more likely to experiment with substances like nitrazepam, which can easily evolve into a habit.
The dangers of nitrazepam addiction
Nitrazepam addiction is a life-altering illness that can seep into nearly every corner of your existence. Some of the most worrying dangers of nitrazepam addiction include:
- Cognitive decline: Over time, nitrazepam affects your memory, focus and ability to make decisions, making even simple things confusing.
- Mood swings and emotional instability: Nitrazepam addiction often leads to increased anxiety, emotional ups and downs and worsening depression. This can make life feel even more unmanageable, making you more reliant on nitrazepam to try and get by.
- Rebound insomnia: Instead of improving sleep, chronic nitrazepam use can disrupt your natural sleep patterns, leaving you exhausted and stressed and upping your dose to find relief.
- Physical harm: Prolonged nitrazepam use can cause liver problems and weaken your immune system, making you more vulnerable to illness.
- Nitrazepam overdose risk: Since nitrazepam is a powerful sedative, a nitrazepam overdose can slow down your central nervous system to dangerous levels, especially if mixed with other depressants like alcohol or opioids. Nitrazepam overdose can cause extreme drowsiness, confusion, loss of coordination, shallow or slowed breathing, coma or even death.
- Broken relationships: Addiction often pushes people away and nitrazepam addiction is no exception. Relationships with family, friends and partners can all suffer, leading to isolation and loneliness (the perfect environment for nitrazepam addiction to strengthen its grip).
How is nitrazepam addiction treated?
At Recovery Lighthouse, Nitrazepam addiction treatment starts by easing off the drug in a controlled detox, helping you navigate withdrawal safely. With the physical part over, benzodiazepine rehab addresses what fueled the nitrazepam addiction and teaches you coping skills to replace old, unhelpful habits.
Aftercare then rounds out the process with long-term support through group therapy and lifelong membership of our Alumni network, providing the backing you need to leave nitrazepam addiction behind for good.
Get help for nitrazepam addiction today
No one should have to face nitrazepam addiction alone. Recovery Lighthouse offers the support you need to let go of addiction and move toward a healthier, happier future. Contact us today and make this the first day of the rest of your life – a life where nitrazepam is no longer in control.
Frequently Asked Questions
(Click here to see works cited)
- BNF. “Nitrazepam | Drugs | BNF | NICE.” BNF, https://bnf.nice.org.uk/drugs/nitrazepam/. Accessed 28 October 2024.
- Kitabayashi, Yurinosuke et al. “Chronic high-dose nitrazepam dependence 123I-IMP SPECT and EEG studies.” Addiction biology vol. 6,3 (2001): 257-261. doi:10.1080/13556210120056507. Accessed 28 October 2024.
- Mind. “Comparing benzodiazepines.” Mind, https://www.mind.org.uk/information-support/drugs-and-treatments/sleeping-pills-and-minor-tranquillisers/comparing-benzodiazepines/. Accessed 28 October 2024.
- UK Rehab. “Benzodiazepine Addiction | Causes, Symptoms and Diagnosis.” UK Rehab, https://www.uk-rehab.com/prescription-drug-addiction/benzodiazepine/. Accessed 28 October 2024.
- UK-Rehab. “Nitrazepam Addiction | UK Rehab.” UK-Rehab, https://www.uk-rehab.com/benzodiazepine-addiction/nitrazepam/. Accessed 28 October 2024.