Benzodiazepine Abuse (cont.)
Medical Author:
Roxanne Dryden-Edwards, MD
Roxanne Dryden-Edwards, MDDr. Roxanne Dryden-Edwards is an adult, child, and adolescent psychiatrist. She is a former Chair of the Committee on Developmental Disabilities for the American Psychiatric Association, Assistant Professor of Psychiatry at Johns Hopkins Hospital in Baltimore, Maryland, and Medical Director of the National Center for Children and Families in Bethesda, Maryland. Medical Editor:
Melissa Conrad Stöppler, MD, Chief Medical Editor
Melissa Conrad Stöppler, MD, Chief Medical EditorMelissa Conrad Stöppler, MD, is a U.S. board-certified Anatomic Pathologist with subspecialty training in the fields of Experimental and Molecular Pathology. Dr. Stöppler's educational background includes a BA with Highest Distinction from the University of Virginia and an MD from the University of North Carolina. She completed residency training in Anatomic Pathology at Georgetown University followed by subspecialty fellowship training in molecular diagnostics and experimental pathology. IN THIS ARTICLE
Benzodiazepine Abuse Causes and Risk FactorsAlthough some people may have a genetic tendency to become addicted to drugs, there is no single cause for addiction. Some biological risk factors for benzodiazepine abuse include female gender and elderly age group. A noteworthy statistic about benzodiazepine abuse is that women are 37% more likely than men to be prescribed and therefore exposed to a benzodiazepine compared to men. Being of the elderly age group is also a risk factor for the abuse of benzodiazepines since physicians may inappropriately prescribe benzodiazepines for elderly individuals with depressive symptoms. There is little doubt that environmental factors also play a significant role. Some of the more common environmental influences for benzodiazepine abuse are low socioeconomic status, unemployment, and peer pressure. Next Page: Must Read Articles Related to Benzodiazepine Abuse
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Toxicity, Bezndiazepine »
Since initial development in the 1950s, benzodiazepine has become popular in the treatment of various medical disorders and as a drug of abuse.
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