Benzo Addiction Treatment

Benzodiazepine Dependence. What Causes Benzo Addiction? Benzodiazepine Side Effects, Withdrawal & Overdose, Detox Timeline, Benzo Addiction Treatment At We Level Up NJ.


What Is Benzo or Benzodiazepine ?

A benzodiazepine, or benzo, is a class of drugs used to treat various conditions. 

Conditions commonly treated with benzos include insomnia, anxiety, sleep disorders, and even alcohol withdrawal. 

In addition, these substances act on the GABA receptors in the brain as they produce a very calming effect. 

Unfortunately, dependence can develop in as little as a month.  High-risk patients or those with unstable medical conditions or a significant seizure history may benefit from admission to an inpatient service for benzodiazepine detox or withdrawal.  [1]

Gamma-aminobutyric acid or GABA is a naturally occurring amino acid that works as a neurotransmitter in your brain.

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Benzodiazepine Dependence

Benzodiazepine dependence is different from benzo addiction because addiction occurs only in some people.  When you take benzodiazepines for multiple days or weeks, the brain adapts to the presence of the drugs.  As a result, you may start to depend on the drugs to function.  Benzo dependency is the state of relying on benzo to feel natural.

As drug dependency amplifies, the brain begins to need larger doses to feel similar effects.  Requiring more significant amounts of a substance is an adaptation called tolerance.  For example, when someone dependent on a benzodiazepine stops taking the drug, they experience withdrawal symptoms.  [2]

Types Of Benzodiazepines

There are many different benzodiazepines on the market.  Doctors may prescribe one over the other for several reasons.  Perhaps their patients have seen more progress for one over the other, or a specific benzo formulation is known to better meet a client’s needs.  Furthermore, here is a list of the different types of benzos with their generic and brand names.

  • Alprazolam (Xanax, Xanax XR)
  • Clobazam (Onfi)
  • Clonazepam (Klonopin)
  • Clorazepate (Tranxene)
  • Chlordiazepoxide (Librium)
  • Diazepam (Valium, Diastat Acudial, Diastat)
  • Estazolam (Prosom – discontinued brand in the US)
  • Lorazepam (Ativan)
  • Oxazepam (Serax – discontinued brand in the US)
  • Temazepam (Restoril)
  • Triazolam (Halcion)

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What Causes Benzo Addiction?

Like other drug addiction effects, benzodiazepines cause a dopamine discharge.  Dopamine is a chemical contributing to how we feel pleasure.  Over time, these drugs alter the way the brain releases dopamine.  This affects the way people feel euphoria or happiness from all activities.  As a result, people addicted to benzodiazepines can sometimes feel happy unless they take large doses of the drugs.

Addiction also alters the motivation system in the brain.  The brain correlates the substances with happiness and causes cravings that drive the person to take the drugs, and withdrawal is another part of benzo addiction.  People who attempt to discontinue the drugs on their own are seldom able to make it through withdrawal.  Instead, the symptoms are usually so painful that people return to the benzos for relief.

 People under the influence of benzos have an increased risk of being involved in accidents. Someone who doesn’t know how to react to prescription drugs should avoid driving a car or operating machinery. Benzo addiction should not be taken lightly as it causes multiple risks of accidents and deaths.
People under the influence of benzos have an increased risk of being involved in accidents. Someone who doesn’t know how to react to prescription drugs should avoid driving a car or operating machinery. Benzo addiction should not be taken lightly as it causes multiple risks of accidents and deaths.

Benzos can also be addictive because they momentarily alleviate specific mental health issues.  For example, some people self-medicate with benzos to mitigate anxiety or sleep difficulties.  The drugs can temporarily manage these illnesses, but long-term use can make people think they have to have the drugs to feel less troubled.

Benzodiazepine Side Effects

  • Drowsiness
  • Confusion
  • Dizziness
  • Trembling
  • Impaired Coordination
  • Vision Problems
  • Grogginess
  • Feelings of Depression
  • Headache

Benzo Addiction Long Term Side Effects

  • Possible Dementia
  • Physical Dependence
  • Overdose
Benzo addiction and withdrawal symptoms need a medically assisted program to ensure safe and comfortable detox and recovery.
Benzo addiction and withdrawal symptoms need a medically assisted program to ensure safe and comfortable detox and recovery.

Benzo Addiction Overdose

The most significant risk of using benzodiazepines and a reason to get into a benzo addiction treatment program is likely overdosing.  With a capacity to develop a tolerance, the longer someone takes benzodiazepines, the greater dosage they will need to take to reach the desired effect.  Hence, the greater the risk of overdosing.  In addition, sedative benzos cause breathing to slow.  In turn, less oxygen is directed through the lungs to the brain and the rest of the body.  Finally, once you take a larger dose, breathing delays to the point of being fatal.

Benzo Addiction Withdrawal Symptoms

The benzo withdrawal symptoms will differ depending on how the detox process is administered.  For instance, in a professional detox center where the client is weaned off properly, symptoms include feeling sleepy and depressed and sweating and chills. 

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Benzodiazepine Withdrawal Syndrome [3]

Benzodiazepine withdrawal becomes much more severe and fatal, most especially without medical supervision.  In addition, you may develop Benzodiazepine Withdrawal Syndrome that could cause more painful effects to your body and mind.

General

  • Headache
  • Palpitations
  • Sweating
  • Tremor
  • Muscle pain, stiffness, and aches (limbs, back, neck, jaw)

Neurological

  • Dizziness
  • Paraesthesia or shooting pains in neck and spine
  • Visual disturbances (blurred vision, diplopia, photophobia, image lags behind eye movements)
  • Tinnitus
  • Faintness and dizziness, sense of instability
  • Confusion, disorientation (may be intermittent): A common cause of disorder in older patients
  • Delirium (in the absence of autonomic hyperactivity): Particularly in older patients
  • Delusions, paranoia
  • Hallucinations (visual, auditory)
  • Grand mal seizures 1–12 days after discontinuing benzodiazepines

Gastrointestinal

  • Nausea
  • Anorexia
  • Diarrhea (may resemble irritable bowel syndrome)

Psychological

  • Rebound insomnia, nightmares
  • Anxiety, panic attacks
  • Irritability, restlessness, agitation
  • Poor memory and concentration
  • Perceptual distortions – sensory hypersensitivity (light, sound, touch, taste), abnormal sensations (e.g., ‘cotton wool’ sensations)
  • Metallic taste
  • Distortions of body image
  • Feelings of unreality, depersonalization, derealization
  • Depression, dysphoriac

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Benzodiazepine Detox Withdrawal Timelines

Much like detoxing from other prescription drugs, benzo withdrawal timelines can differ from case to case.  For someone using short-acting benzos, withdrawal symptoms may begin to present themselves in as little as 6 to 8 hours.  However, if a longer-acting benzodiazepine was used, it could be 24 to 48 hours before symptoms are observed.  Withdrawal symptoms typically last about four days.  And rebound symptoms may last about 2-3 days from when they begin.

Benzo Addiction Treatment At We Level Up NJ

Benzo addiction can have social and psychological effects on those who struggle with it.  Unfortunately, some may find these effects to be the most significant difficulty they encounter. 

 Individuals who are dependent or struggling with benzo addiction should seek medically supervised detox. Clients in rehab for benzo addiction slowly taper off the drugs while receiving 24/7 monitoring.
Individuals who are dependent or struggling with benzo addiction should seek medically supervised detox. Clients in rehab for benzo addiction slowly taper off the drugs while receiving 24/7 monitoring.

However, for others, it is the physical effects that are the scariest.  When one stops taking benzodiazepines without tapering off, severe symptoms such as tremors, seizures, and even death can occur.  For this reason, professional treatment at a medical benzodiazepine detox facility is crucial.

Once the benzo detoxification process has been safely completed, then an individualized treatment plan is developed.  Most importantly, during treatment, individuals who have struggled with benzo addiction will learn skills and mechanisms to help them stay off these drugs and lead better lives.  Possible levels of care include PHP, IOP, and outpatient treatment for benzodiazepine addiction.

If you or someone you love struggles with substance use to Ativan, valium, or any other form of benzo addiction, get them the help they need and deserve.  Contact our team at We Level Up New Jersey to get started today!

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