Xanax Addiction Treatment
What is Xanax?
Xanax is a powerful, potent name-brand prescription benzodiazepine. It is most commonly used to treat insomnia, severe anxiety and panic disorders. To this date, Xanax is the top prescribed psychiatric drug in America. Conversely, it also accounts for some of the most medication related hospitalizations. It is estimated that more than half of youth that develop an addiction to the benzo get it from their own family’s medicine cabinet.
Xanax is highly addictive and oftentimes is prescribed to be used as needed or for specific situations and circumstances. Xanax addiction can develop even when the medication is being used as prescribed. The body develops a tolerance to the drug extremely quickly, requiring the user to take more and more to receive any benefit from the drug. Discontinuing repeated and regular use of Xanax can be dangerous, and cause extreme withdrawal effects. Use can also enhance and increase the dangerous side effects of opioids.
Effects of Xanax
Prescription Xanax is in a simple, tablet format. On the street, it is typically referred to as “bars”. Because tolerance to the drug is quickly developed, a user with an addiction will typically take extremely high quantities of it in a day. Usually, the negative side effects for overusing Xanax are short-lived as it exits the body fairly quickly. Longer term effects are usually only felt in the form of withdrawal – which, without professional assistance, can be extremely dangerous.
Short-Term Effects of Xanax Abuse include:
- Mental Impairment
- Amnesia, Memory Loss
- Rebounded Insomnia after Drug Wears Off
- Blurred Vision
- Dizziness and Confusion
- Birth Defects if Used During Pregnancy
- Lethal if Combined with Other Drugs and Alcohol
- Fainting
Should I Seek Treatment for Xanax Abuse?
- Taking Multiple Pills at a Time
- Taking More than As Prescribed by Doctor
- Snorting or Injecting Xanax
- Combining Use with other Drugs or Alcohol
- Drug Seeking Behavior
Medical Detox
However historically significant, Xanax detoxification with another benzodiazepine or “benzo” is rarely used today. This is because there are concerns about using a different benzo for Xanax withdrawal:- All benzos, like Xanax, are addictive drugs that are associated with a life of misery, potential grand mal seizures and death, just like alcohol.
- Using another benzo during Xanax withdrawal sends the addiction-replacement-message that it’s okay to substitute one benzo with another; as silly as detoxing a scotch drinker with gin.
- Non-addictive detox medicines that also prevent seizures, are frequently used in place of addictive ones whenever possible (i.e. pregabalin in place of a non-Xanax benzo)
- Are not addictive
- End the likelihood of a grand mal seizure
- Decrease craving
- Decrease Xanax seeking behavior
- Decrease worry and increase relief
- Decrease agitation and increase calm
- Decrease restlessness and increase tranquility
- Decrease fatigue and increase ambition
- Improve concentration
- Decrease irritability and increase serenity
- Decrease muscle tension and increase comfort
- Decrease panic, anger, or hate attacks
- decrease irrational fear and increase sustained endurance
- Generalized Anxiety Disorder
- Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder (OCD)
- Panic Disorder
- Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD)
- Social Phobia (or Social Anxiety Disorder)
- Insomnia
Xanax Withdrawal
Like any substance dependence, withdrawal can be extremely painful and dangerous. That is why medically assisted detox and 24 hour supervision is so important. Here is what some of the symptoms of withdrawal may look like;
Symptoms Include
- Seizures
- Hallucinations
- Heart Palpitations
- Restlessness
- Fatigue
- Difficulty concentrating
- Irritability
- Muscle aches
- Trouble falling or staying asleep
- Panic, anger, or hate attacks
- Irrational fears
- Attention deficit & confusion
What Happens After Medical Detox?
Following medical detox at Royal Life Detox, guests will begin a comprehensive, collaborative approach to substance abuse treatment designed to support physical, mental and spiritual wellness. We offer a variety of detox options for treating drug addiction beyond just Xanax. Our program helps to promote a lasting, sober lifestyle through sobriety and beyond. Our addiction specialists, from our therapists and case managers to our facility staff, are dedicated to providing the best in care and support. Our holistic, evidence-based approach to psychotherapy incorporates individual and group sessions. We use other holistic methods, such as art, music and animal therapy to help our guests to learn to express themselves and communicate. At Royal Life Detox, we believe that emotional healing is just as important as physical healing. Our treatment features state-of-the-art activity, movement, and adventure therapies to create one program that treats mind, body, and spirit.
Guests may begin their recovery journey in our residential inpatient program and continue with us through PHP, IOP, OP, and sober living at our graduate housing residences. At Royal Life Detox, the guest is always our top priority, and we consistently do all we can to effect lasting change, that they might continue to lead healthy, sober lives long after they have left our care. This is not just our goal, but our mission.
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