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How Valium Is Recreationally Abused

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Valium (also called diazepam) is a benzodiazepine used to treat anxiety, alcohol withdrawal, and seizures. This drug is also used to relieve muscle spasms and to provide sedation before medical procedures. Valium gives users feelings of euphoria or sedation, which may lead to some individuals taking the drug for non-medical reasons.

Benzodiazepine abuse is a widespread problem in the United States. Research shows that 5.6% of all prescriptions in the United States are Benzodiazepines.1 Recreational users may not realize that Valium is a central nervous system depressant and cause a deadly overdose when it is taken with other sedatives like alcohol, prescription painkillers or heroin.

How Is Valium Obtained?

It’s not difficult for non-medical users to gain access to Valium. Individuals who use Valium may become physically or psychologically dependent on the drug after taking it for more than just a few weeks. According to the U.S. Department of Justice, these users obtain Valium in the following ways:

  • Seeking prescriptions from more than one doctor
  • Requesting early refills of their prescriptions
  • Faking prescriptions
  • Purchasing drugs illegally on the streets
  • Buying drugs from foreign sources2

The Internet gives individuals the opportunity to buy Valium and other sedatives without a prescription. Many of these suppliers are located overseas and are not regulated by US laws. However, not Valium sales are online. You can also find diazepam in your neighborhood. Middle-school and high-school students obtain this tranquilizer in various ways such as stealing the drug from family members, getting pills from friends, or buying the drug on the street. Parents with good intentions may even share Valium with their teenagers to ease menstrual cramps, relax a strained muscle or to encourage sleep.

When a parent shares drugs with their child, the teen believes it is okay to use prescription medications without a doctor’s authorization. This form of Valium abuse can quickly escalate toward chemical dependence, self-destructive behavior, and even legal trouble.

How Is Valium Used?

Women sharing pillsValium is available in three forms: tablets, solutions and extended-release capsules. When an individual abuses Valium recreationally, it can be ingested by mouth or ground into a powder. Then the powder can be snorted or injected intravenously. Regular diazepam users can quickly develop a tolerance to Valium, which means that they must take more than the recommended dose to get the desired results.

When taken with another central nervous system depressant, such as alcohol, oxycodone, or heroin, Valium can enhance the effects of the other drug. The combination of sedative substances increases the risk of respiratory suppression, a slow heart rate, loss of consciousness, coma and death. Many users who experience a Valium overdose are found to have additional drugs in their system.

If you struggle with Valium addiction, please know that we’re here to help. We can give you the support and help you need to recover from drug abuse. Please don’t wait any longer. Call the toll-free number at Michael’s House to speak with one of our professional admissions coordinators.


Sources

1 Storrs, Carina. “Benzodiazepine Overdose Deaths Soared in Recent Years, Study Finds.CNN. Cable News Network, 18 Feb. 2016. Web. Accessed 12 June 2017.

2Benzodiazepines.” Resources – Drug and Chemical Information.N.p., January 2013. Web. 12 Accessed June 2017.

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