Benzo Addiction Treatment Center Washington
What is the need for a specialized benzo addiction treatment center Washington you may wonder? It may surprise you to learn that benzodiazepines like Xanax and Valium are often misused and abused, leading to addiction.
Benzodiazepines (benzos) are sedative drugs that were first prescribed in the United States in the 1960s to treat anxiety and sleep disorders. Since then, they have gone on to become one of the most commonly prescribed drugs in the US. Over time, doctors and researchers have recognized the risks of long-term benzo use, including abuse and addiction. Which is why there is the need for a benzo addiction treatment center Washington.
Nonetheless, benzodiazepines continue to be prescribed at very high rates. Surveys have found that for every 100 doctor visits, 27 visits result in the patient receiving a benzo prescription. Without treatment at a benzo addiction treatment center Washington, people who have become addicted to these drugs can find it quite difficult to quit. Also, benzo overdoses can be fatal.
How Common is Benzo Addiction?
Addiction to benzodiazepines like Xanax (alprazolam), Valium (diazepam), Ativan (lorazepam), Restoril (temazepam), and Klonopin (clonazepam) can be treated at a benzo addiction treatment center Washington. These medications are commonly prescribed at millions of doctors’ appointments around the world. An estimated 75 million benzo prescriptions are written in the US each year. Up to 6% of the population uses these drugs. Interestingly, benzodiazepine use is higher in older individuals. Also, women receive benzo prescriptions twice as often as men. This is perhaps the reason women seek care at a benzo addiction treatment center Washington more commonly than men.
Most people who are prescribed Xanax and other benzodiazepines take them as directed. Only 2% of individuals escalate the dose without their doctor’s knowledge. Nonetheless, people who are prescribed benzodiazepines for a legitimate medical reason by a physician can develop an addiction to these drugs quite quickly and end up needing care at a benzo addiction treatment center Washington. Reflecting the increased numbers of prescriptions and dependency on these drugs, benzo-related deaths have increased from 1,000 per year in 1999 to more than 11,000 in 2017 in the United States.
Benzodiazepines and Polysubstance Abuse
People who are prescribed benzos are more likely to also receive a prescription for opioids (opioids are prescription pain pills that are also highly addictive). Roughly one-third of benzo prescriptions in the US are accompanied by an opioid prescription. Meaning, a person could potentially develop an addiction to both drugs and need care at a benzo addiction treatment center Washington that also provides opioid addiction treatment.
The current advice is for benzos to be prescribed for no more than 1-2 weeks. However, interestingly, most patients who use benzodiazepines are long-term users and are prescribed the drugs for a chronic disorder. In such individuals, getting help at a benzo addiction treatment center Washington is critical because the simultaneous use of benzos and opioids makes it easy to suffer a fatal overdose.
Many people who abuse alcohol also abuse Xanax and other benzos. Sometimes, benzodiazepines are used to enhance the euphoric effects of other drugs. At other times, they are used to reduce the adverse effects of stimulant drugs or alleviate withdrawal symptoms. Research has shown that people with polysubstance abuse, i.e., benzo abuse along with other harmful substances, tend to use higher doses of benzos compared to people who abuse benzodiazepines alone. Again, seeking treatment at a benzo addiction treatment center Washington can prevent the serious health consequences of benzo abuse and reduce the risk of overdose death.
How is Benzo Addiction Treated?
The clinical team at a benzo addiction treatment center Washington will typically begin treatment for Xanax addiction with medical detox, during which time the body is allowed to rid itself of the drug. The aim of inpatient detox at a benzo addiction treatment center Washington is withdrawal and abstinence. Inpatient detox Washington provides round-the-clock care for symptom management and stabilization. Sometimes, staged withdrawal is performed, i.e., the dose is reduced gradually during residential or outpatient addiction treatment.
Some benzodiazepines, for example, alprazolam (Xanax) have a higher risk of misuse and are more dangerous in case of an overdose. One of the reasons is that Xanax is stronger than other benzos – a single 2-mg dose of Xanax is equivalent to four 5-mg doses of Valium. For this reason, doctors sometimes substitute benzos like Xanax for less harmful ones during treatment at a benzo addiction treatment center Washington. However, there is a lack of strong scientific evidence to support the effectiveness of this type of substitution treatment.
Psychotherapy and counseling at a benzo addiction treatment center Washington along with gradual dose reduction is more beneficial than dose reduction alone. Engaging in behavioral therapies, counseling, and holistic treatment at a benzo addiction treatment center Washington, while slowly reducing the benzo dose, can help reduce the risk of relapse.
How to Prevent Benzo Addiction?
Any person who takes benzodiazepines for more than 3-4 weeks is at risk of addiction and may need therapy at a benzo addiction treatment center Washington. To reduce the risk of dependency, benzos should be prescribed for a limited period with 1-2 weeks’ supply for patients with anxiety or insomnia.
Also, non-pharmacological treatment modalities, such as behavioral therapies, should be considered in anxiety and insomnia patients, rather than long-term treatment with benzos. However, if a person does develop Xanax addiction, a benzo addiction treatment center Washington can help them overcome the dependency.
Discover Recovery Benzo Addiction Treatment Center Washington
Prescription drug abuse, including Xanax abuse, has reached epidemic proportions in the United States. Addiction and overdose deaths continue to soar. Benzodiazepines are a safe and effective class of medications if used exactly as prescribed. However, they carry a considerable risk of misuse and addiction and need for drug rehab at a benzo addiction treatment center Washington.
Discover Recovery is a leading benzo addiction treatment center Washington, staffed by a highly experienced team of healthcare providers including board-certified physicians, masters level counselors, and registered nurses. The comprehensive program at our benzo addiction treatment center Washington has been developed to provide people with Xanax addiction a holistic drug rehab. Meaning, we not only treat a person’s benzo addiction but also the various psychosocial factors that led to drug