Don’t people who use alcohol also get rebound effects the next day?
I don't, at least not notably
But I get potentially intense (dose dependent) rebound effects after taking benzos. This is because I have had 2 full blown benzo habits, followed by 2 intense, prolonged withdrawal syndromes, from which I never fully recovered, leaving me permanently more anxious than I was beforehand. Prolonged high dose benzos can cause permanent desensitization of GABA-A receptors by altering the way these receptors are expressed.
In any case, I've noticed the effects of benzo rebound even in those without prior benzo abuse histories. For instance I've noticed symptoms of benzo rebound in my girlfriend (no drug abuse history) when I have given her benzos. This has occurred when I have given her benzos without her knowing what she even took (sometimes i'll say, "here take this, it'll calm you down").
So I'd say rebound anxiety from benzos is far more distinct and insidious when compared to next day alcohol use. I say insidious because unlike with heavy alcohol use, benzo rebound isn't accompanied with hangover, you feel fine, but you begin to handle stress less easily, become irritatable, sad, start sleeping poorly, etc. The more this happens the worse it gets, but it can be subtle to pick up on.
Once a week is too much in my opinion. The impact might be subtle but it will be there and become worse with time. I'd say alprazolam might be a superior choice in these cases as lorazepam lingers around. Either way regular benzo use is playing with fire. Very different than alcohol. Even having had horrible benzo addictions, I can drink a moderate amount of alcohol and not notice anything in terms of a rebound. But if I take 3mg of etizolam once I'll feel off for around 5 days. This same phenomenon will happen to anyone who takes benzos (i.e., a period of time where GABA-A receptors are less responsive to the effects of endogenous GABA) but the phenomenon won't be as clearly identifiable as it is to someone like me, because in a certain sense I sort of permanently feel like I'm in low-grade benzo withdrawal, so benzo rebounds are extremely noticeable.
One of the more bizarre features of benzo rebounds I've found is that there seems to be different phases. The first phase is anxiety/dissociative depression, which sometimes feels like it comes on suddenly, like a switch has been tripped in a matter of seconds. For example, X hours after taking benzo Y, I'll be watching a movie totally fine, then suddenly, boom, I feel entirely different, suddenly anxious, dissociated. It's not gradual, it's sudden (essentially its a abrupt surge in glutaminergic activity). Then a number of days later is when the insomnia hits, and the benzo rebound dreams start occuring. The more intense versions of these benzo rebound dreams are pretty distinct, having an eerie, evil, supernatural feel. And I'm not talking about benzo withdrawal, I'm just talking about a rebound from short term use. Any living being with GABA-A receptors are susceptible to such an effect. But since its a sort of "degenerative" processn those that notice it more have experienced it more, but it's there nonetheless.
