Doctors may prescribe this medication to ease the symptoms of withdrawal. A number of different types of therapy are used in the treatment of substance abuse disorders. In the treatment of Xanax addiction, abstinence is often a goal. This means discontinuing the drug after supervised decreases by a medical provider. The process of reaching abstinence may involve detoxification (often referred to as “detox”) and behavioral therapies.
Xanax side effects
Patients with a high tolerance to Xanax may require doses greater than 4 milligrams per day, increasing their risk for dependence. Therefore, treating alcohol and the adolescent brain national institute on alcohol abuse and alcoholism niaaa usually involves a gradual reduction in the amount of the substance ingested. Tapering the dose instead of suddenly stopping Xanax reduces the risk of serious withdrawal symptoms, makes relapse less likely, and ensures that the individual has plenty of social support. To learn more about the treatment process, review our guide to Xanax rehabilitation, which provides comprehensive information on the entire process. Normally, the withdrawal process involves slowly reducing the dosage of Xanax and eventually switching the user to a long-acting form of the drug for a period of time.
Alleviating Symptoms of Breakthrough Withdrawal
Enter your phone number below to receive a free and confidential call from a treatment provider. Once a Xanax addiction has taken hold, daily responsibilities such as school, work, or family are ignored as energy is redirected toward drug-seeking behavior. If you suspect someone is experiencing an overdose, call 911 immediately. If you do not have access to a phone contact Web Poison Control Services for online assistance.
How to Recognize and Treat Xanax Addiction
Your doctor might also prescribe other medications to ease your withdrawal symptoms. Ask your doctor or another health professional for a recommendation. You can also search for a treatment center close to where you live with the Behavioral Health Treatment Services Locator. It’s a free online tool provided by the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA). Your doctor can assess your overall health by performing a physical exam.
- In the event of an overdose, medical providers may pump the stomach to remove as much of the unabsorbed Xanax as possible.
- Even if you only take Xanax for a period of several days, you may develop a physical dependence on the drug.
- In some cases, a nonthreatening conversation is a better option.
- Xanax should never be combined with other benzodiazepines like Valium, Klonopin or Ativan.
Alprazolam Abuse Symptoms, Signs and Addiction Treatment
If you use Xanax during pregnancy, your baby could be born with life-threatening withdrawal symptoms, and may need medical treatment for several weeks. Xanax is a type of sedative that people use to treat conditions such as anxiety and panic disorder. However, this medication is prone to misuse, which can lead to addiction. Detoxification, or detox, is the process of allowing a substance to leave the body while treating and mitigating any withdrawal symptoms.
Xanax Addiction Treatment and Recovery
This can lead to severe drowsiness, breathing problems (respiratory depression), coma and death. People who combine Xanax with alcohol or other CNS depressants are at an increased risk of side effects. Certain medications can result in Xanax staying in the body for longer, which can lead to an overdose. People can also develop an addiction to Xanax which not only includes physical dependence but goes one step beyond such that they will continue to use Xanax despite experiencing harmful consequences as a result. Individuals with a history of addiction or substance use disorder are particularly at risk.
CNS depression leads to impaired respiration and bradycardia (slow heart rate), which can cause coma or cardiac arrest (interruption of the heartbeat). The potential for addiction is higher with Xanax than with lower-potency benzodiazepines like Librium (chlordiazepoxide). Benzodiazepines (also known as “benzos”) are commonly referred to as sedatives, hypnotics, or minor tranquilizers. They work by increasing the effect of the neurotransmitter gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA) in the brain. This reduces the excitability of neurons (nerve cells), resulting in decreased feelings of anxiety.
alcohol withdrawal symptoms can be serious and affect a person’s mood, behavior and physical characteristics. Ask your doctor more about the differences between physical dependence and drug addiction, and your risk factors when taking Xanax. In general benzodiazepines are used to treat a variety of other conditions, such as alcohol use disorder, short-term use in insomnia, as a muscle relaxant (short-term), procedural (conscious) sedation, and seizures.
According to the 2016 National Survey on Drug Use and Health, roughly two million Americans aged 12 and older indicated that they misused Xanax and other tranquilizers during the past year, representing approximately 0.7% of the population. The use of Xanax for non-medical purposes has increased in recent years. Overcoming an addiction to Xanax isn’t easy, but people do it every day. Medical detox and treatment programs can be helpful when treating a Xanax addiction. Contact a treatment provider today for help finding a Xanax addiction treatment program near you. They say drugs fill a void, or at least that’s what my therapist thinks.
These users visit multiple prescribers within a short period in an attempt to conceal their dependence on Xanax. To combat this problem, some states have implemented monitoring programs, which rely on electronic databases to track prescriptions for controlled substances. Non-medical users sometimes take Xanax to enhance the feelings of euphoria produced by other substances.
Regular drug use changes your brain chemistry, affecting how you experience pleasure. This can make it difficult to simply stop aa meetings: what they are types and format schedule using the drug once you’ve started. The development of tolerance is a major factor that drives a new substance addiction.
According to the 2018 World Drug Report, there was a 700% increase in the quantities of benzodiazepines seized in 2016. This guide explains the effects, trends, and dangers of Xanax use, as well as an unbiased analysis of the medicinal and behavioral treatment methods for Xanax addiction based on current research and publically available statistics. In some cases, usage statistics are derived from general prescription tranquilizer use, which includes Xanax, Librium, Klonopin, and Ativan, or from general prescription benzodiazepine use. Those suffering from Xanax addiction and abuse frequently combine the substance with alcohol or other pills — particularly opiates — to get a better high. In addition, approximately 40% of alcoholics regularly abuse Xanax. Alcohol is particularly dangerous when mixed with Xanax because they are both depressants; combining the two can lead to an overdose and respiratory failure.
During Xanax detox, you would be monitored for signs of withdrawal, and you might need to receive treatment to alleviate and prevent harmful complications. The severity of the disorder can be classified as “mild” if two to three criteria are met, “moderate” if four to five are met, and “severe” if six or more are met. These classifications may help direct the most appropriate course of treatment. Xanax overdose causes central nervous system (CNS) depression, which is a direct result of the drug’s effect on reduced neuronal excitability.
You may take so much to overcome your tolerance that you quickly become dependent on the effects of Xanax—using dangerous amounts in the face of negative health and personal consequences. Flumazenil can also be used to treat withdrawal symptoms in long-term benzodiazepine users. However, flumazenil could worsen symptoms in patients with a history of seizures or head injuries. Withdrawal from long-term Xanax addiction can last for up to two weeks, but symptoms slowly improve after the first few days. Those who take large doses of Xanax regularly are more likely to develop a substance use disorder than individuals who take low doses of the drug infrequently. Dependence occurs when a person experiences physical or mental withdrawal symptoms when they stop taking a substance.
