Addiction Treatment Center Discusses Xanax Abuse, Dependence, and Treatment
Xanax: A Benzodiazepine
Alprazolam (brand name xanax) and other benzodiazepine medications are used for anxiety disorders. Alprazolam has a range of short-term benefits but can have addictive effects later on. Xanax is prescribed for patients who have anxiety and fear disorders. It may be used alone or with other drugs to treat insomnia, benzodiazepine withdrawal symptoms, and panic attacks. In some cases xanax may be prescribed as a sedative to calm your nerves during surgery or dental procedures. If you find yourself using more than recommended under doctor’s care, consult a medical professional right away!
Benzodiazepine Withdrawal
Xanax withdrawal is not a simple process and can be uncomfortable and even life threatening at times. If xanax addiction has been an underlying problem in your mental health, it may require several weeks to months of treatment before you are able to reduce xanax withdrawal symptoms by gradually lowering the dose of xanax. The main goal is for users to eventually stop using xanax altogether once they have completed their withdrawal from this drug.
Withdrawal symptoms include aches and pains in joints & muscles, spasms of the muscles, fatigue, headaches and migraines, stomach ache/nausea, and even seizures.
Some people also experience "rebound anxiety" - a term used to describe the phenomenon of anxiety greater than pre-treatment levels upon cessation of the drug. These kind of symptoms make detoxing from benzodiazepines a very difficult and uncomfortable process.
Are Benzodiazepine Dependence & Addiction the Same Thing?
In most cases, the answer is no. Dependence on Xanax describes a person’s physical and psychological dependence on it. That is, they cannot stop using it even though they want to—sometimes because of how much it helps them and sometimes because of side effects (or other reasons).I n contrast, addiction involves more than just physical or emotional dependence. Instead, addiction means that you continue to use something long after its benefits are gone and even when your life becomes unmanageable due to problems caused by the substance’s abuse (impaired thinking or behavior; continued use despite behavioral or mental problems; withdrawal symptoms when the substance is stopped).
Why does benzodiazepine addiction (Dependence) occur? Generally speaking, most people do not develop an addictive state because they enjoy it. People who become dependent on certain drugs often have a different personality from the typical drug addict. For example, some addicts may initially take these medications with enthusiasm like anyone becoming increasingly uncomfortable and unable to cope without them. Over time, what starts as a physical dependence begins to manifest as behavioral and psychological changes which indicate addiction.
Xanax Addiction
Xanax addiction is a deadly addiction that affects one in every 50 people. xanax addiction occurs when a person becomes no longer able to control the use of xanax and uncontrollable or intense urges continue to make it impossible for them not to take this drug, despite harm coming from doing so. It can be difficult trying to get rid of an addiction without professional help but there are treatment centers where physical withdrawal symptoms will stop after you leave their facility. A xanax abuse problem occurs when a person has uncontrollable cravings to have xanax and believes he/she can’t live without xanax. They may take more than prescribed or even abuse the drug, trying to get positive effects from it using poly-drug addiction.
Detoxing from Xanax
Dependence on Xanax occurs more rapidly than dependence to many other benzodiazepines, and withdrawal symptoms are often more intense. As a result, many who are addicted to xanax find that they need to seek professional help in order to detox from the drug. Detoxification (detox) is a procedure for safely stopping the use of Xanax while reducing and managing withdrawal symptoms. Detox is frequently done under medical supervision in a hospital or rehabilitation center.
Many people stop using Xanax after a while. It might be replaced with a longer-acting benzodiazepine. In both circumstances, you gradually reduce the amount of medicine you take until it is no longer detectable in your system. Tapering is the term for this procedure, which can take up to 6 weeks.
It may take a little longer in some circumstances. Other drugs may be prescribed by your doctor to help you cope with your withdrawal symptoms.
Seeking Treatment for Xanax Addiction
Even after successfully detoxing from drugs like xanax, klonopin, ativan, valium, and other benzos, many find that they need continued treatment to overcome their substance use disorder. Getting help from a specialized drug addiction treatment center is a great way to maintain long term abstinence and sobriety. You can learn more about xanax addiction treatment from the professionals at All In Solutions Counseling Center Cherry Hill by visiting their website at https://www.allinsolutions.com/locations/cherry-hill-nj/