They relieve anxiety and help many patients sleep, but benzodiazepines might not be the best choice for many patients — especially over the long term. Still, many older patients were taking these medications. 

Prescribing anti-anxiety and sleep medications may backfire with some teens. The authors of a recent study found that teens who had received prescriptions for these medications were much more likely to abuse them.

Keeping track of when to take which prescriptions can be very confusing. But failing to do so could end in a trip to the hospital. And seniors on psychoactive medications might need to take extra care.

Without the correct medical information, mental health patients can miss medication doses or have bad drug interactions. According to a recent study, elderly mental health patients may be taking medications not listed in their charts.

Benzodiazepines are a class of drugs commonly used to treat sleep problems and anxiety. New research suggests that elderly people taking these drugs may be at higher risk for dementia.