True or false? Because of cross-dependency, barbiturates can be used to treat the abstinence syndrome of the chronic alcoholic.

The answer is true.

Alcohol withdrawal syndrome (or the abstinence syndrome of the chronic alcoholic) is often treated with benzodiazepine, but since benzodiazepine-resistant cases of alcohol withdrawal syndrome are common, alternate treatments are needed. Alternative treatments include barbiturate usage. Using the barbiturate (the same thing can happen with benzodiazepine too) cross dependence can occur. Cross dependence suppress dangerous or uncomfortable symptoms of one drug but develop an addiction to another drug which is used as a treatment. For example, you can suppress withdrawal symptoms with barbiturate but you become addict to it.