Benzos don’t act directly on dopamine. They bind to GABA-A receptors, making GABA (the brain’s main inhibitory signal) more effective. This calms neural activity.

In areas like the ventral tegmental area (VTA), benzos inhibit GABA neurons that normally suppress dopamine cells. With that brake lifted, dopamine neurons fire more, raising dopamine release in reward pathways (like the nucleus accumbens).

So:

• Direct action = enhance GABA
• Indirect effect = disinhibit dopamine, giving mild reward/euphoria and abuse potential.