As with all benzos, withdrawal should only be done via medical detox to ensure the safety of the patient. Behavioral therapy is an important component of recovery from drug addiction. While detox medications are focused on avoiding adverse effects of withdrawal, behavioral therapy is a process that is focused on maintaining recovery. While Xanax is sometimes prescribed for longer than a few weeks to manage certain anxiety disorders, prolonged use can lead to a rebound of anxiety symptoms when the drug is eventually stopped.
How to reduce your risk of relapse
Sometimes family and friends can help in encouraging you to seek help and in pointing out these issues to you. And while the drug can be identified in the body, there are no blood or lab tests that can diagnose Xanax addiction. The diagnosis of Xanax addiction is based on whether a person meets certain diagnostic criteria outlined in the DSM-5. Additionally, some people are predisposed to substance addiction, possibly due to genetic factors and altered activity of neurotransmitters in the brain. There are several proposed explanations for why these groups may be at risk. Research shows that young adults who use Xanax tend to use it along with illegal drugs and are also more likely to have psychiatric conditions, which might be undiagnosed or untreated.
Xanax Addiction Symptoms & Signs
- If you suspect that you or a loved one has overdosed on Xanax, seek emergency medical care.
- The information we provide is not intended to be a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis or treatment.
- Never try to overcome your addiction at home or without supervision.
Benzodiazepine withdrawal can create a syndrome similar to delirium tremens that causes hallucinations, agitation, confusion, and potentially fatal seizures. For your safety, it is important to have medical supervision throughout the process of Xanax withdrawal so that these symptoms can be avoided, or immediately treated. Physical dependency develops over time xanax addiction as the individual’s body becomes used to the substance. Without it, the person may feel achy all over as the body starts processing the substance out. This discomfort can be treated with mild over-the-counter pain relievers.
How does Xanax make you feel?
With long-acting benzodiazepines, it might take up to 3 weeks to notice withdrawal symptoms. If you suddenly reduce your dose of benzodiazepines or stop taking them — even if you’ve been using them as prescribed by a doctor — you could have withdrawal symptoms. The longer you’ve been taking the drugs, the higher your risk for this. It can be hard to tell the difference between withdrawal symptoms and anxiety. Withdrawal symptoms usually show up anywhere from 3-4 days to 2 weeks after you last use the drug.
Xanax Withdrawal Timeline
- The purpose of therapy is for you to understand your addiction and to gain control so you can avoid misusing Xanax or another drug in the future.
- Cravings for the drug will begin to occur, and their tolerance will increase so that higher and higher doses will need to be taken for the individual to experience the same effects.
- Someone with a severe Xanax addiction can need up to thirty pills a day which can cost a considerable amount.
- If you develop tolerance to Xanax, you may need to use higher doses to maintain a therapeutic effect.
- Alprazolam, a medication that may cause physical dependence and, in some cases, addiction, is commonly prescribed.
- Additionally, about 26 percent of high school seniors in 2014 reported abstaining from all substances, including alcohol, marijuana, and tobacco.
- The onset of action with alprazolam is about one hour, diazepam is 0.25 to 0.5 hours, and lorazepam is 0.5 to 1 hour.
Doctors usually start someone on the smallest effective dose to avoid =https://ecosoberhouse.com/ the potential for addiction and withdrawal symptoms. Unfortunately, people abuse this drug for its euphoric effects and to enhance the effects of other drugs. Over time, addiction and mental and physical dependence can develop.
Often, people who are abusing Xanax have anxiety disorders they were trying to treat with the drug. Some 20 percent of Americans suffer from anxiety, Everyday Health reports. Oxford House You may benefit from one or more of these types of behavioral therapy. Upon leaving the treatment center, many people will pursue a 12-step recovery program to maintain abstinence or stabilization and maintenance.
Where to start if you or your loved one wants help
Taking the drug specifically to feel relaxed or happy is abuse, and it can lead to addiction to the substance. With such widespread availability, benzodiazepines were also widely abused, and this sedative addiction was finally addressed by the medical community. Dopamine is responsible for reinforcing thefeelings of reward in the brain.
- More than 30 percent of opioid overdoses involve benzodiazepines, according to NIDA.
- Having abused Xanax a few times, some people might attempt to take the drug under different circumstances or at different times.
- Don’t let the devastating side effects of addiction go on for another day.
- Whenever you speak to your loved one about their addiction, try to use “I language” when you speak (I feel, I notice) more than “you language,” which can sound like you are accusing and blaming.
Xanax is a short-acting drug, which means your body metabolizes it very quickly. Tapering Xanax is challenging because the amount of the drug in your system quickly goes up and down with each dose. To help you avoid these peaks and valleys, doctors often switch you from Xanax to a long-acting benzodiazepine such as Valium (diazepam).
