Did you know addiction to benzodiazepines could happen to anyone? The use of medications that can aid in treating seizures, insomnia, and anxiety can be a disorder if intake lasts for long. Since they are meant to be used for short-term physical dependence, to addiction can develop within four weeks.
If the user turns out to be a disorder, the patient should seek treatment from a facility specializing in substance and poly-substance abuse https://www.vsmdetoxaustin.com/. Benzodiazepine addiction can lead to serious health complications. More so, the disorder ought to affect every aspect of someone’s life, ranging from work to daily personal engagements.
Benzodiazepine Detoxification and Withdrawal
The most commonly abused benzos include Valium, Klonopin, and Xanax. The drugs are known to cause uncomfortable withdrawal symptoms; thus, the need to seek treatment from an inpatient detox center. Withdrawal from benzodiazepines comes with painful symptoms.
Benzodiazepine withdrawal is both a physically and emotionally arduous process. An addict may experience severe and life-threatening symptoms once they quit the use of the drugs, cold turkey, and without medical intervention. Higher doses of benzodiazepines result in the worst withdrawal symptoms, like:
- Psychotic episodes
- Seizures
- Auditory and visual hallucinations
- Increased risk of suicidal ideation
Common withdrawal symptoms
- Disturbed sleep
- Intense restlessness
- Headaches
- Tremors of the hands
- Anxiety and panic attacks
- Physical tension
- Stiffness and pain in the muscles
- Drug cravings
- Heart palpitations
- Difficulty concentrating
Detoxification Phases
Check-in and Evaluation: Medical staff carries out substance abuse assessments. This determines the withdrawal process and co-occurring disorders like anxiety problems.
Customization of Detox plan: Creation of tailor-made treatment plans to fit your comfort level and needs. Clinicians are acquainted with monitoring and supporting the recovering patient during the process. The detox may also integrate therapy sessions for the overall recovery process.
Post Detox recovery: To avoid relapse, recovering addicts may seek further engagements like counseling and rehab treatments. The engagements are vital in identifying stressors that may have prompted your addiction and help build coping skills.
Medically Assisted Benzodiazepine Detox
Medical professionals offer close supervision to patients when undergoing toxic substance elimination from the body system. The medical team makes the detox process more bearable. The onsite clinicians help the recovering patient get clean and sober.
Through medically assisted detox, the medical professional monitor’s vital signs and prescribes necessary medication to minimize your symptoms. Doctors typically work to prevent seizures which can lead to fatal or permanent brain damage.
Medical detox manages acute withdrawal from both short-acting and long-acting benzodiazepines. The symptoms peak o the second day for short-acting benzos, while long-acting benzos have a prolonged acute withdrawal.
Factors affecting how long benzodiazepine withdrawal and detox take
- Depending on the benzodiazepine abused, short-acting drugs like lorazepam and alprazolam leave the body quicker. Withdrawal symptoms begin within 8-12 hours after last use. Other long-acting drugs like clonazepam may take about two days to start experiencing the symptoms.
- The dosage per intake
- Your body type and composition
- Types of medication used in the detox treatment plan
- Genetics
- Anxiety disorders
Poly-Substance Abuse Disorder
Benzodiazepines may be abused alongside other drugs like opioids and alcohol. The combination of substance abuse is perilous as it causes numerous fatalities and unpredictable impacts on the withdrawal process. Medical detoxification is crucial in treating poly-substance abuse disorder. Additionally, due to the occurrence of a dual diagnosis, the patient may experience both mental illnesses and addiction.
Conclusion
Medically assisted detox works excellently alongside therapy sessions to enhance the overall recovery process and deal with underlying health conditions. Benzodiazepine detoxification integrates rigorous treatment for sustainable long-term recovery. Inpatient detoxification centers provide stabilization measures to manage drug cravings and help recovering addicts develop coping skills.
