Benzos are habit-forming sedatives, meaning that gaining an addiction to them can be possible if not taken properly. People who take the drug excessively may begin to feel high and experience unsafe relaxation. Their tolerance to the drug’s effects can build as they attempt to emulate that initial high.
Prescribing interventions
An uninsured young relative may use their older relative’s prescribed benzodiazepine for insomnia relieved by a benzodiazepine rather than to get high, but this certainly was not the intention of the prescribing clinician. The following symptoms of benzodiazepine abuse are listed from mild to severe. The mild symptoms can act as a warning sign that someone is abusing benzos, the severe will often be seen at the point of overdose or when benzodiazepines are abused with other substances like alcohol or opioids. Systems limitations in prescription monitoring in Australia reduce our ability to identify ‘doctor shopping’ so the presence of any aberrant drug-related behaviours should prompt further assessment and treatment. In general, the optimal treatment of these conditions in primary care is non-pharmacological, particularly psychological and behavioural, therapies.
- A significant proportion of the NSDUH-defined “misuse”, therefore, could reflect use for untreated symptoms among those with poor access to care—specifically behavioral treatments for insomnia (31, 32) or anxiety disorders (33, 34).
- They do have a significant withdrawal syndrome that needs to be managed properly.
- Most significantly, the 1970 Controlled Substances Act categorized benzodiazepines asSchedule IV drugs, which means the drugs have a high potential for abuse, addiction, and have limited medical uses.
- Dual diagnosis means that we address your addiction to Xanax or benzos and underlying mental health issues that may have played a role in that addiction.
What is Benzodiazepine Abuse?
During inpatient treatment for benzo addiction, you live at a facility for a period of time, generally ranging from 28 to 90 days. You’ll start with a medically assisted detox to manage the symptoms alcoholism treatment of physical withdrawal from benzos. Once that’s completed, your team begins working on your individualized treatment plan. Because of how commonly benzos are prescribed and used in Colorado and around the country, people have the dangerous misconception that these drugs aren’t harmful. Benzodiazepine toxicity symptoms can occur and can lead to overdose and death. Although benzodiazepines are commonly abused, they rarely cause serious illness or death unless combined with other drugs.
Spread of participants across patterns in relation to prescribed OAT/benzodiazepines and risk of overdose
The Recovery Village hasvarious facilitiesthroughout the country that can help with this process. If you have a severe benzo addiction and dependence, inpatient treatment is often recommended because it provides you with the most immersive experience. Outpatient treatment is frequently introduced as a step-down transition from inpatient rehab, although some patients will only do outpatient treatment. A benzo rehab center with an inpatient program will usually include a combination of types of therapy, including group and individual therapy.
Benzodiazepine Abuse & Addiction
This prescription drug is used to treat anxiety, panic attacks, and insomnia due to anxiety or situational stress. The severity of withdrawal symptoms depend upon the dose you are taking, how long you’ve been taking the drug, other sedating drugs you are taking, and other factors. Once dependence occurs, “if lorazepam is stopped suddenly, withdrawal symptoms can lead to seizures, altered thoughts, and can be fatal,” she said. Drinking alcohol or using certain illegal drugs alongside lorazepam can also increase these risks. Although between 11% and 15% of individuals in the U.S. use benzodiazepines, only 1-2% have abused benzodiazepines for longer than 12 months. Although benzodiazepine abuse can have dramatic negative effects on a person’s life, help is available for those who seek it.
Women are more likely to be long-term users of benzos and abuse lormetazepam, generally prescribed for insomnia. Men are more likely to abuse the benzo lorazepam, generally prescribed for anxiety.According to the US Library of National Medicine, unmarried or unemployed people with less education were more likely to abuse benzos but not necessarily to develop a benzo use disorder. Benzodiazepine addiction occurs when people misuse prescription medications likeXanaxorValium.
Getting help with substance misuse
- But people often take them with alcohol or other drugs, either of which can be dangerous or even deadly.
- The opportunity to co-use benzodiazepines supported by their accessibility, availability and finances 13, 53 facilitated the binge pattern of co-use in our sample.
- People who are benzodiazepine dependent or at risk because of misuse should be identified and appropriately assessed to determine their risk of harm.
- Benzodiazepines, also known as benzos, are psychoactive medications that physiciansprescribe to people struggling with anxietyand insomnia.
- We would like to thank the research participants for sharing their experiences with us and the services and staff that worked with us in Bristol, Teesside and Glasgow.
- The broad range of co-use experiences captured in three localities, which each have different drug markets, drug and alcohol treatment policies, services and DRD rates is a major strength of this work.
- The prescriber, pharmacy, and the state each received or retained one copy.
People are often prescribed benzos like Xanax for legitimate reasons, but there is also the potential for abuse with these drugs. Someone may have a prescription for a benzo but may take it in a way other than what’s directed by their doctor, such as taking a larger dose or taking it more often than they’re supposed to. Some of the most common and recognizable brand names of benzos include Xanax (alprazolam) and Valium (diazepam), and this class of drugs is frequently prescribed in the U.S. Some of the short-acting benzos include Ativan and Xanax, while longer-acting benzos include Librium and Valium. If you or someone you love is struggling with benzodiazepine misuse or addiction, The Recovery Village is here to help.Contact ustoday to learn more about treatment programs that can benzodiazepine withdrawal work well for your situation. Users oftenexhibit certain signs when they abuseor become addicted to benzodiazepines.
Medical Treatment for Benzodiazepine Misuse
Abusing benzodiazepine can lead to a tolerance forming in the user’s body, leading to psychological or physical dependence on the drug to create the same high. Anticonvulsants have some efficacy in benzodiazepine withdrawal if the patient is not dependent on other drugs. Carbamazepine has a modest benefit12 and pregabalin can be effective.18 Antidepressants and beta blockers have no proven benefit.