I don't quite understand how benzodiazepines work
First of all I of course understand that benzodiazepines work mostly on GABA and are used for hypnotic, sedative or anxiolytic effects. What I don't understand is the significance of their half-lifes, how long they actually have an effect on you and how dependance and withdrawal occures.
How long do they actually last?
About three days ago I took 10mg Diazepam combined with 1mg Clonazepam and it feels like I'm still feeling an anxiolytic effect. Weed usually gives me anxiety but yesterday and today it feels much calmer. I'm getting prescribed Vyvanse and usually I avoid taking them both together but I felt "brave?" yesterday and tried it, as well as today and I feel nearly no anxiety? How is this possible? Sometimes I took weed 8-12 hours after my Vyvanse and it still felt like it increased my anxiety, why not now?
Why do people always mention the half-life when talking about benzodiazepines?
I once took Flurazepam for sleep and the internet says it can have a half-life of 100-250 hours. What does that actually mean? Do I feel lingering effects for weeks and week till it clears after 5 half-lifes? Why are the half-lives of benzodiazepines so fucking long and are benzodiazepines with shorter half-lifes safer to use?
How does depedence exactly occur and is withdrawal sooner or later inevitable?
Let's say I take an Benzodiazepine with an half-life of exactly one week but it's duration of effect is 12 hours. If I hypothetically take it once a week, would I get withdrawals sooner or later because it never really clears out of my system because of it's on week half life?