You Can Get Help for Your Benzodiazepine Addiction

If you struggle with a benzodiazepine addiction, you can get the help you are seeking.

Admitting to your benzo addiction and starting to find resources online is a fantastic starting point. Congratulations on taking the first steps!

But as you started doing that vital research, one thing became apparent.

There are a lot of places treating benzodiazepine addiction.

So how can you tell, first off, that you need help and cannot recover alone?

Furthermore, how can you decide which treatment program is the right one for you?

At Pathfinders Recovery Center, we have over 25 years of experience in helping people recover from benzodiazepine addiction.

Our goal is to offer you the facts you need to make a smart choice in finding the treatment center best able to help in treating benzo addiction.

Immediate Placement Benzo Rehab – Get Help Now

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Signs of Benzodiazepine Addiction or Benzo Addiction

Do you use benzodiazepines, but you are unsure of whether you would classify your usage as a benzo addiction?

According to the UCLA Jane & Terry Semel Institute for Neuroscience and Human Behavior, the following signs are five hallmarks of a benzo addiction:

  • Unable to reduce the use of benzos or stop using them altogether.
  • Incapable of functioning without taking benzos.
  • Experiencing benzodiazepine withdrawal when you try to stop taking them.
  • Increase in thinking about self-harm or suicide.
  • Additional tolerance to the drug, which means you must take more to get the desired effect.

If you experience these signs of benzo addiction, and you want to receive our help, please contact us for assistance.

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What Are Benzodiazepines?

If you are trying to help a loved one, you may wonder… What are benzos, exactly?

Benzos are part of a prescription drug class that includes sedatives and tranquilizers.

Doctors often prescribe these medications for short-term use for the following legitimate reasons:

  • To treat insomnia
  • Seizure relief
  • Muscle relaxants
  • To treat anxiety
  • For a component of an alcohol use disorder treatment plan

Types of Benzodiazepines

You might even recognize some types of benzodiazepines by their better-known names:

  • Alprazolam
  • Ativan
  • Halcion
  • Klonopin
  • Librium
  • Niravam
  • Restoril
  • Tranxene
  • Valium
  • Xanax

How Does a Benzo Addiction Start for People?

Benzodiazepine addiction often starts with a prescription medication.

For example, a doctor might prescribe Alprazolam to the victim of a car accident to help alleviate muscle spasms that result from an injury sustained in the wreck.

Or, a psychiatrist may write a script for Xanax, Ativan, or Klonopin for a patient who struggles with severe anxiety.

These medications calm the body’s central nervous system, alleviating the impact of these conditions. However, long-term use can lead to addiction.

The feeling of well-being that users experience after taking their prescriptions makes it easy for them to use their medicine as a crutch. It is tough to stop using these medications on your own.

Treating benzodiazepine addiction in a professional treatment center is your best bet for sustainable success.

Benzodiazepine Addiction - Mixing alcohol with a benzodiazepine addiction can lead to very serious problems including death. This is a photo of a woman passed out with a bottle of Xanax and a glass of alcohol out of focus next to her.

The Risks of Mixing Benzodiazepines and Alcohol

For many who use these drugs, mixing benzos and alcohol go hand-in-hand. However, this is a hazardous game to play.

You might wonder why mixing benzodiazepines and alcohol is such a risk. Here is the reason. Both benzos and alcohol create a sedative effect on your body.

The combo of alcohol and benzos can be lethal because the liver is unable to clear both from your body.

In other words, mixing the two can cause you to suffer a benzodiazepine overdose. But the damage from a benzo overdose can be quite severe.

When you have a benzodiazepine overdose, the result is a toxic buildup that can cause suppression of breathing and brain damage.

Treating Benzodiazepine Addiction

At the core of treating benzo addiction, you will find a committed team of medical professionals and support staff who share a common goal—treating clients with the compassionate and encouraging care that they deserve.

At Pathfinders Recovery Center, we treat prescription pill addiction with the same urgency as we tend to those who are addicted to street drugs.

We also know, from years of experience, that treating benzo addiction must be tailored to treat any additional mental health conditions or other substance abuse.

We call this dual diagnosis treatment or co-occurring disorders.

For many of our clients, benzo addiction is a symptom of a more profound underlying problem. Indeed, many began using this drug to cope with anxiety, insomnia, or other conditions that could stem from mental illness.

So treating benzo addiction without addressing these root problems will be unlikely to solve the client’s addictive behaviors.

In other clients we treat, the mental health issues arise out of the addiction. For example, we often see cases in which someone took benzos under a physician’s care and became addicted.

Then, the client developed anxiety or profound feelings of shame that triggered emotional disorders. There is no right, wrong, or judgment at Pathfinders Recovery Center—just healing.

Choose a treatment center that will craft your care to your specific needs. Addiction recovery is never a one-size-fits-all solution.

Treating benzodiazepine addiction is a matter that should be handled by professionals.

24 Hour Benzo Hotline – Get Help Now

877-224-0761

Benzodiazepine Withdrawal: Do Not Go it Alone

Benzo withdrawal is intense. While you might feel tempted to go cold turkey at home, we highly recommend that you seek the professional support you need.

When you seek benzodiazepine addiction treatment at a rehabilitation center, you will go through a process called medical detox.

During the time that you face the uncomfortable benzo withdrawal symptoms, you will be under the careful watch of a doctor, nurses, and other support staff.

They will monitor you for safety as the drugs leave your body and can offer therapies to lessen the impact of benzodiazepine withdrawal.

What Symptoms You Might Expect with Benzodiazepine Withdrawal

Here are a few of the symptoms you could experience during benzo withdrawal.

Please note that we said “could.” That differentiation is essential because every client has a unique experience. While some have severe cravings and symptoms, others find them mild:

  • Insomnia or disrupted sleep
  • Muscular pain, tremors, or spasms
  • Flu-like aches and pains
  • Seizures
  • Hyperventilating
  • Vomiting or nausea
  • Mood swings or irritability
  • Panic attacks
  • Feelings of anxiety

Regardless, your medical team is there to support you.

Benzodiazepine Addiction - A woman sits in bed and feels bad. She has flu like symptoms as she deals with her benzodiazepine addiction.

What Causes Benzo Withdrawal Symptoms?

With prolonged use, your body learned to rely on benzodiazepines to function.

Your central nervous system expects a dosage at fairly regular intervals. Then, when you don not give it what it wants, it sends alerts to your brain.

It is sending a false alarm that something is wrong with your body. Although, you are beginning to rid your body of a harmful chemical.

That scenario triggers those benzo withdrawal symptoms. It also proves that you should not attempt to detox from benzos on your own.

If your body overreacts to doing without your drug of choice, it can create dangerous symptoms. Thus, medical detox is the only safe detox.

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We Want to Help You Break Your Benzodiazepine Addiction

We want you to lead your best life. Release the chains of benzo addiction, and you can start leading an entirely new experience.

We would love to guide you on this journey to restored mental and physical well-being.

If you are ready to talk, please call the Admissions Counselors here at Pathfinders Recovery Center at 877-224-0761.

We will be delighted to learn more about how we can help you reach your goals.

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  • (877) 224-0761
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