Overview
Klonopin is a prescription sedative medication useful as an anti-anxiety and anti-convulsant drug. Doctors prescribe Klonopin to control or prevent seizures and reduce anxiety from panic attacks. Also known as clonazepam, this drug is a benzodiazepine–a class of drugs that is highly addictive. This substance works by slowing down certain functions of the body. As an oral medication, the drug is widely prescribed in the US because of its noted efficacy in the short-term.
More Information
Even individuals who start taking Klonopin as prescribed can find themselves quickly progressing to problematic levels of use due to the drugs propensity to elicit tolerance and dependence. If left unchecked, the compulsive cycle of use can lead to addiction. Because of this, Klonopin is a recommended to be prescribed for short durations only. Unfortunately, because of its ability to result in a euphoric high, Klonopin is often abused by those with no legitimate medical need for the drug.The desired effects of Klonopin will typically be noticeable within an hour of taking the medication orally. These results will be due to the depressant effects taking place in the central nervous system that serve to make the body feel slowed and relaxed. Depending on the severity of symptoms that the Klonopin is treating, effects will be felt for between 6 and 24 hours.
Abusing Klonopin will likely lead to tolerance and drug dependency if use continues over an extended period of time. When Klonopin is taken over time, the pleasurable and medically-necessary benefits of the medication begin to reduce as the body begins to adjust to the increased amount of the neurotransmitter GABA that Klonopin provides in the brain. This tolerance to the substance results in the user taking more of the substance more often to facilitate the same results (or the same “high”). This leads to the body functioning sub-optimally unless some level of Klonopin is present in the system at all times. When dependence on the medication has been established, an individual will begin to experience potentially severe benzodiazepine withdrawal symptoms when Klonopin levels fall below a certain level. The onset of addiction to Klonopin can be established during this time as the abuser will begin behaving and thinking in different ways with increased focus and attention assigned to acquiring and using more of the substance.