Benzo addiction treatment is essential when one has become addicted to benzodiazepines. Since addiction and withdrawal symptoms can be very severe, going to a benzo addiction treatment center can help get addicts off of benzos and potentially save their lives. Benzodiazepine addiction treatment can be in the form of detox, inpatient, outpatient, and aftercare programs. Avenues Recovery summarizes below an overview of the symptoms and treatment options for a benzo addiction.
What are Benzos?
Benzodiazepines, or ‘Benzos’ as they are commonly called, is a drug that is classed as a depressant or a sedative. This means that they suppress the central nervous system, slowing it down. They are often prescribed to treat mood disorders, anxiety (panic attacks), insomnia or sleeplessness [1], muscle spasms, seizures, and for alcohol withdrawal. Benzos have short-term calming and relaxing effects on the body.
Some of the medications containing Benzodiazepines that are commonly prescribed include:
- Valium
- Klonopin
- Xanax
- Ativan
- Halcion
- Lunesta
- Phenibut
- Restoril
What Are the Symptoms of Benzodiazepine Addiction?
Like many drugs, the body eventually develops a tolerance to benzos, which means that a person will slowly have to increase the dose to reach the same effect as they originally received. Although benzos have a low potential to be abused, with time, a person could become dependent on the drug and eventually addicted. A benzos addict will experience the classic symptoms of drug addiction. The most significant, identifying factor of addiction is failure to quit using the substance, even as the user experiences adverse physical, emotional, mental, and psychological effects as a result of their benzo misuse.
Usually, people who have a history of drug use, mental disorders, or other previous negative habits when dealing with uncomfortable emotions, are at a greater risk of becoming addicted to routinely prescribed benzos.
Misusing benzos, particularly with opioid drugs or alcohol, is very dangerous and can lead to your internal organs shutting down. Many people dealing with a benzodiazepine addiction find themselves in the emergency room, battling for their lives. There’s also a serious risk of overdose.
Benzo Addiction Withdrawal
The withdrawal symptoms of completely quitting benzos are severe and even life-threatening. They are almost impossible to manage on your own. The body will have a hard time adjusting to the absence of the drug, which it had adapted to depend upon in order to function. For that reason, it is vital to receive benzodiazepine addiction treatment at a reputable rehab center with experience with benzos. The treatment for benzo addiction includes a safe, moderated detox where the person struggling with benzo drug addiction is weaned off the drug slowly, minimizing the difficult withdrawal symptoms.
One of the most common withdrawal symptoms of a benzos addiction is something known as the ‘rebound effect’. This is where the withdrawal symptoms include the problem that the drug was prescribed for in the first place. For instance, someone who was prescribed a benzodiazepine drug to address insomnia or panic attacks. After becoming addicted and then withdrawing from the drug, the person will likely experience extreme insomnia or panic attacks, as well as the other symptoms.
Do I Need to Join a Benzo Addiction Treatment Center?
As mentioned previously, being addicted to benzos can be dangerous to your physical, psychological, and emotional health. People struggling with addiction will often deny that they have a problem, lying to themselves and others to cover up the negative effects of drug addiction. However, if you can be brutally honest with yourself or if you can identify the following features in a loved one, it may be time to enroll in a benzo rehab or other benzo addiction treatment center.
- Have you ever taken more benzo medication than was prescribed to you?
- Have you ever obtained benzo drugs from sources other than your doctor?
- Have you been told by close family and friends that you may have an addiction problem?
- Have you ever tried withdrawing from benzo drugs but were unable to quit completely?
- Do you experience adverse withdrawal effects when abstaining from the drug for longer than usual?
- Have you taken benzos to help you relax, or in addition to opioids or alcohol?
If you can identify with any of the above, it’s strongly advised that you consider enrolling in a benzo detox center to help you move forward, living a life free of addiction.
Benzo Addiction Treatment Options
When it comes to a benzo addiction there are various options to choose from for benzodiazepines addiction treatment. Below are the different ways one can receive treatment for a benzos addiction.
1. Benzo Detox Centers
The first step in recovery is a medical detox, where the rehab center will help a struggling addict to safely reduce the quantity of the drug, to wean off the drug completely. Benzo detox centers ensure that the body slowly learns to function without the drug, causing minimal withdrawal effects along the way. This critical stage of recovery can take place at a hospital, an outpatient facility, a medical clinic, or another medical facility equipped to supervise a safe detox from benzodiazepines.
2. Inpatient Benzo Rehab
People struggling with a benzo addiction who require more care and support to help them stay sober can join an inpatient program at a hospital, a rehab center, or other medical facilities. It usually includes one-on-one therapy, support groups, and other psychosocial and emotional support. Some programs also help you integrate into society, helping you stay sober in the long run by finding you housing, a job, and a safe environment after rehab that is removed from triggers.
3. Outpatient Benzo Addiction Treatment
Outpatient rehab is for people who would like to join a treatment program but stay at home. This is only recommended if the person dealing with the drug addiction has a supportive, safe, and stable home environment. There are many different types of outpatient programs, ranging from therapy sessions 1-3 hours a day for 1-3 days a week, to 4-6 hours of therapy five days a week, or more. The necessary duration for outpatient treatment can also vary greatly, depending on the personality of the person, whether or not there is a dual diagnosis, the progression of recovery, and the intensity of the disorder/s.
4. Aftercare For Benzodiazepine Addiction
Making a concrete plan for staying sober after completing the benzo addiction treatments is a priority. Once you are no longer part of a supportive group or under the care of mental health professionals, the person struggling with the addiction has to learn to manage in the real world, while staying sober - a very difficult feat. That’s why many rehabs offer aftercare following on from their benzodiazepines addiction treatment, where they continue to provide support and teach skills for coping with life after rehab.
Benzo Addiction Treatment at Avenues Recovery
Realizing that you have a substance abuse disorder is scary. You may feel lost and afraid, unsure of how it’s possible to completely relinquish the drug you have come to depend on. If you can identify a benzo addiction in yourself or a loved one, remember that you are not alone. Thousands have walked the same path, entering Avenues Recovery defeated, powerless, and devastated, but emerging victorious after going through our treatment programs. You CAN live a life free of addiction. Contact us at Avenues Recovery and we’ll help you find your local rehab center today. We’re with you on your journey toward a better life.
Sources
[1] ncbi.nlm.nih.gov