Diagnosis Dictionary

Sedatives (Symptoms)

Sedatives work by slowing down brain activity resulting in drowsiness or relaxation. Many types, though, including barbiturates (like Nembutal) and benzodiazepines (like Valium and Xanax) have the potential for abuse and severe accompanying complications.

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Symptoms of dependence: tolerance resulting in higher levels needed to achieve the same calming effect.

Symptoms of psychological dependence: needing the drug to function and being obsessed with obtaining the drug.

Symptoms of withdrawal: restlessness, insomnia, anxiety, seizures, even death in some cases.

To be clinically diagnosed as dependent on a substance, 3 or more of the following symptoms must be exhibited simultaneously during a 12-month period:

  • Amount and duration of substance intake is longer than intended
  • Efforts to control intake are not successful
  • A great deal of effort is put into obtaining, using, or recovering from effects of the substance
  • Due to use of substance, other activities (social, work-related, leisure) are reduced or abandoned
  • Substance is used even when known to cause or exacerbate a persistent or recurrent psychological, or physical problem
  • Tolerance of the substance
  • Withdrawal from the substance
Next: Causes

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