Developed in the 1960's, Valium quickly went on to become the world's best selling drug. It belongs to a group of tranquilisers called benzodiazepines, and is normally administered to help relieve anxiety. Until the 1950's barbiturates were used extensively for such problems, but these had side effects such as drowsiness and a dry mouth. Barbiturates were also extremely dangerous if excessive doses were taken.
As with many drugs which act on the brain, the exact way in which they operate is not yet fully understood. Scientists have discovered a natural tranquilising substance which is produced by the body. This substance is imitated by drugs such as valium. The long term objective must be to reproduce this substance in a natural form. However, the goal is not to completely remove stress and anxiety as many feel that some degree of anxiety is beneficial to retain a high level of mental health.
During the early years of benzodiazepines, it was thought that the drugs were not addictive and had little or no side effects. Whilst the latter may be true, time has now shown that prolonged use of these drugs can cause a severe dependency. Doctors are now far more aware when prescribing them, the intention being to try to restrict their use to very short periods.
