Contents:
- Medical Video: Sleeping Pill Dependence Medical Course
- Could someone depend on sleeping pills?
- What are the consequences if you have dependence on sleeping pills?
- How do you prevent dependence on sleeping pills?
Medical Video: Sleeping Pill Dependence Medical Course
Sleeping pills are drugs that are designed to help you fall asleep, especially for those of you who are experiencing insomnia and are in care. There are sleeping pills that use a doctor's prescription and some are sold freely on the market. In its use, you need to be careful because if used carelessly, sleeping pills can have serious consequences on the body and health. Not only that, you will experience a condition of dependence on sleeping pills that will make it difficult for you to fall asleep without consuming it first.
Could someone depend on sleeping pills?
Sleeping pills are usually used for people who have cases of insomnia, both long and short term. In the case of short-term insomnia, doctors will usually prescribe sleeping pills for several weeks. However, after regular use for a longer period of time, the sleeping pills you use may no longer be able to make you fall asleep. This is because the body starts to be resistant or immune to the drug so you need a higher dose.
Although the dangers of long-term use of sleeping drugs have not been studied, Dr. Carl Bazil from Columbia University said that the biggest danger of its use is that it can cause dependency.
Taking sleeping pills regularly can cause you to be physically and psychologically dependent. Psychological dependence on sleeping pills is characterized by anxiety that arises when you think not to consume them. Your brain thinks hard that without sleeping pills, you feel you will have trouble sleeping. Even though this hasn't happened yet and you just think about it.
While physical dependence can be seen when your body is accustomed to sleeping pills and when you suddenly stop it, the body condition will become erratic and even experience excessive difficulties to rest well.
What are the consequences if you have dependence on sleeping pills?
According to a report released by the substance abuse agency and the American mental health administration, the number of emergency room visits involving an overdose of zolpidem - the active ingredient in some prescription sleeping pills - almost doubled between 2005 and 2010. This number increased from 21,824 visits in the two-year period became 42,274 and two-thirds were women.
Sleeping pills can indeed improve your sleep patterns quickly. However, this is only temporary and is not a long-term solution to the problem of sleep in general. Women are at higher risk than men in taking sleeping pills. This is because women tend to process sleeping pills more slowly than men.
In January 2013, the Food and Drug Administration (equivalent to the POM Agency in the United States) reduced the recommended dosage for women from 10 mg to 5 mg. But some doctors still prescribe women more than that and if the dose is too high, the effect on the body will be stronger.
Daniel F. Kripke, MD, of the Viterbi Family Sleep Center at Scripps Health in San Diego stated that sleeping pills are harmful to health and can cause death by contributing to cancer, heart disease and other diseases. Research conducted by Kripke is the first study to show that eight of the most commonly used hypnotic drugs were associated with an increased danger of death and cancer, including zolpidem (known as the Ambien brand name) and temazepam (also known as Restoril).
Robert D. Langer, MD, MPH, from the Jackson Hole Center for Preventive Medicine in Jackson, Wyoming, said that among the patients he studied aged 18 years and over who were prescribed one to 18 sleeping pills per year, the risk of death was 3.6 times more high compared to participants who did not receive treatment. Langer also found an increased risk of death in all age groups.
How do you prevent dependence on sleeping pills?
Many people don't realize that they are addicted to sleeping pills. For people who want to overcome sleep dependence, the best course of action is to seek help from a professional before causing severe physical or mental damage.
The first step to overcoming sleep dependence is to get rid of treatment. This must be done slowly and under the guidance of the doctor to reduce symptoms that are painful and potentially fatal if they are suddenly stopped. Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) can be very useful for learning new ways of thinking about the use of these drugs and as a new way to deal with insomnia.
Many experts recommend reducing the dose of sleeping pills for several weeks to several months before stopping the drug completely. During this time, you should seek recovery assistance through a counseling support group to encourage your progress and avoid recurrence.
