Tranquilizers                                                                              Ian Procyk                 06/07/98

    Tranquillizers like sedatives and hypnotic drugs produce calmness and a sense of well-being at lower doses. However, tranquilizers are much weaker. However, like in any drug, if taken at high doses they can have effects that would be similar to higher power sedatives and hypnotic drugs. Tranquilizers aren't nearly as fatal as other drugs if you overdose. Therefore, tranquilizers are the most prescribed drugs of all for ailments like anxiety, nervousness and sleeplessness. One of the most famous tranquillizer is Valium.

Tranquilizers (origin and medical uses)

    Tranquilizers are very similar to sedative-hypnotics because they produce a calm without sleepiness. These pills are usually prescribed to treat anxiety, nervousness and to relax muscles during or after spasms.

Short Term Effects

Some things you will notice while taking a tranquilizer would be as follows:

• Relaxed muscles
• Balance and coordination can be slightly impaired
• Well being loss of inhibition.
• Sporadic behavior such as rage and violent actions
• Dizziness, rashes and nausea

Long Term Effects

• Long term use can lead to more sever outbursts of violence and aggressiveness
• Malformations in early baby development.
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Tolerance and dependence:

    Regular use of a tranquilizer will increase the tolerance to it. This makes higher doses needed to produce the same tranquility. Psychological and physical dependance can also occur with a tranquilizer. Some withdrawal symptoms include sleeplessness, increased sweating, stomach cramps, increased agitation, slight tremors, delirium, convulsions and under extreme conditions even death.

Legal Status

Currently, you have to have a written prescription to obtain tranquilizers.