So-called psychotropic or psychoactive drugs, sleeping pills, anxiolytics or antidepressants, can treat a large number of psychological disorders. Used excessively outside of any medical supervision, they lead to many health risks, and in particular a strong dependence for some.

WHAT IS A PSYCHOTROPIC?

A psychotropic is a substance that acts on the brain. By modifying certain brain processes, a psychotropic will alter perception, sensations, mood or even behavior.
Psychotropic drugs are traditionally classified into five main categories:
Anxiolytics, or tranquilizers, reduce anxiety and anguish.
Hypnotics, or sleeping pills, are prescribed for insomnia.
Antidepressants, as their name suggests, are used to treat depression.
Neuroleptics, or antipsychotics, are used to treat various mental illnesses such as schizophrenia.
Mood stabilizers stabilize or regulate mood. They are generally used in the context of bipolar disorders or epilepsy.

WHY CAN'T I TREAT MYSELF?

Each body reacts differently to medication. In particular for this type of treatment, the severity of the symptoms, medical history and psychological profile must be taken into account by a specialist before considering any prescription. So remember that a prescription is individual and that treatment is personalized: prescribed psychotropic medications should not be used by another person without medical advice.
If you consume these products for therapeutic purposes (but without medical monitoring), do not consider these medications as a miracle and essential solution. An anxious state, minor sleep disorders or certain symptoms of depression do not necessarily lead to a prescription of psychotropic drugs. Other solutions may be suggested by your doctor, who is the sole judge of the relevance of a treatment.

WHAT ARE THE RISKS OF EXCESSIVE CONSUMPTION?

As part of a temporary treatment prescribed by a doctor, these medications do not pose any significant health risks. In the absence of medical monitoring, the main danger lies in the strong dependence on the products.
A psychotropic medication should never be combined with other psychoactive substances without medical advice. The risks vary greatly depending on the products you combine, their dosage and how your body reacts. Most interactions between psychotropic drugs are unknown: some cancel out the effects of the medication, while others, on the contrary, potentiate them, thereby increasing the risks incurred. The combination with alcohol, in particular, is strongly discouraged, as it amplifies the sedative effect of the medication.
Taking certain psychotropic drugs (benzodiazepines) simultaneously with methadone (opiate substitution treatment) can lead to death due to respiratory depression. Benzodiazepines used with heroin or cocaine increase the risk of overdose.
In 2008 in France, out of 217 deaths related to drug abuse, nearly 40% involved a combination of psychotropic drugs.

HOW CAN I BECOME DEPENDENT?

The vast majority of psychotropic drugs cause psychological dependence that depends on the product concerned, its frequency of use and the user. This dependence occurs after long periods of use. If you stop treatment, you will have difficulty living without your medication and you risk starting to use it again.
More serious cases of drug dependence are linked to a certain type of psychotropic drug: benzodiazepines. These substances are often prescribed as anxiolytics, sometimes as sleeping pills. In addition to psychological dependence, they induce a real physical dependence after a few months or even weeks. Your body then "demands" the substance, the effects of which can diminish.
30% of benzodiazepine users have been taking them for more than two years (more than five years in 15% of cases), a period well beyond the prescription rules. This is called drug addiction.

WHAT FORM CAN MY DEPENDENCE TAKE?

There are three main types of drug addiction:
You started taking psychotropic medication under a medical prescription, then, not seeing a satisfactory effect, you increased the doses, continued the treatment beyond the prescription and started mixing several medications by consulting different doctors.
Although you are aware of the risks, your life revolves around psychotropic drugs. You consume large quantities of them very regularly, the only way for you to feel better.
You are an alcoholic or drug addict (cocaine or heroin) and benzodiazepines allow you to modulate or increase the effects of your drugs.
Whatever your type of consumption, you run many risks for your health and must undertake withdrawal accompanied by therapy.

I WANT HELP

If you have doubts about your addiction, talk to your doctor. He will be able to advise you and, in the case of a strong addiction, refer you if necessary to a specialized center. The structures intended for drug addicts also welcome and advise cases of severe dependence on psychotropic drugs. In the case of a strong addiction to benzodiazepines, medical support will be a valuable aid for a gradual withdrawal limiting the symptoms of withdrawal. Stopping abruptly in the absence of medical supervision is strongly discouraged.

France is one of the largest consumers of psychotropic drugs in Europe, particularly for anxiolytics and sleeping pills. Users are most often women: in 2010, 23% had used them in the previous year, compared to 13% for men. The elderly or those living alone are the most affected. According to a survey published in 2007, experimentation with tranquilizers or sleeping pills without a medical prescription concerns 15% of 16-year-old students in France.