Xanax Addiction: Understanding Symptoms & Treatment

This is because the body has difficulty metabolizing the two substances simultaneously, allowing more of each substance to remain active in the body for a more extended period. Many people will experience a total blackout on a combination of Xanax and alcohol or other drugs, retaining no memory of what they did while high. Behavioral therapy is an important component of recovery from drug addiction.

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Confrontation-style interventions may lead to shame, anger, or social withdrawal. The way a person behaves while living with an addiction can vary widely. You may notice changes in mood, behavior, appearance, or performance at work or school, but many of these can be attributed to other factors as well. “We dedicated time, resource and expertise to ensure these illicit counterfeit activities were prevented in order to protect public health.” Cranstoun, a harm reduction charity in the Black Country, said counterfeit drugs were often “much more potent and stronger than the drugs they are masquerading as”. He said the ringleader controlled every part of the drugs operation and was constantly involved in it.

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Before you start treatment with Xanax, tell your healthcare provider if you have abused or been dependent on alcohol, prescription medicines or street drugs. Ask your doctor more about the differences between physical dependence and drug addiction, and your risk factors when taking Xanax. 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. The gradual taper of this drug helps to reduce withdrawal symptoms. Detoxification (detox) is a process aimed at helping you safely stop taking Xanax while minimizing and managing your withdrawal symptoms.

Does Xanax cause a withdrawal effect?

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. In general, potent benzodiazepines with shorter elimination half-lives may be more prone to causing problems with tolerance, dependence and addiction. For example, for triazolam (Halcion), alprazolam (Xanax) or lorazepam (Ativan) all have relatively shorter half-lives. Overcoming an addiction to Xanax isn’t easy, but people do it every day.

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Although Xanax put a temporary stop to my agony, it soon introduced a new kind. After taking Xanax, the peak effects of the drug are typically felt within one to two hours. As an intermediate-duration drug, Xanax stays in a person’s system for 12 to 15 hours.

• If you think you or someone you’re with is in danger of overdosing, call 911 right away.
• Xanax addiction refers to the physical and psychological dependence on the prescription drug Xanax, which is a benzodiazepine commonly used to treat anxiety and panic disorders.
• Your loved one might refuse to admit they take drugs at all or refuse to undergo treatment.

These can all be side effects of Xanax even when used as prescribed, but when the drug is abused, these adverse effects become much more likely to occur as well as much more severe. When a person takes a hefty dose of the drug, they are also putting themselves in grave danger. A Xanax overdose can create respiratory depression, which can lead to coma and death. Since Xanax can cause serious side effects and has a high potential for addiction on its own, it is extremely dangerous to mix Xanax with alcohol or other drugs, particularly opioids. Some people who are prescribed benzodiazepines become dependent on them and end up misusing them. Others get them illegally and intentionally misuse them to get high.

Is dependence the same thing as addiction?

By customizing treatment approaches based on specific needs and circumstances, healthcare providers and treatment centers Alcoholics Anonymous like The Edge Treatment Center can address underlying issues effectively. Outpatient treatment allows individuals to receive care while maintaining daily responsibilities such as work or school. This flexibility enables patients to attend therapy sessions and support groups regularly. Patients in outpatient programs benefit from continuing care after completing more intensive treatment phases. They can access therapy sessions, group counseling, and other resources to support their long-term recovery goals.

• Cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) is the most common form of therapy for benzodiazepine addiction.
• The sub-acute withdrawal phase generally sees the symptoms of withdrawal subside, but many lingering effects persist.
• It should not be used in place of the advice of your physician or other qualified healthcare providers.

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Our dedicated team will guide you through understanding the roots of your addiction, and provide the necessary therapies and coping skills you need for a successful recovery. Xanax addiction is a growing concern, with reports indicating a significant rise in cases over the past few years. According to recent studies, the percent of individuals struggling with Xanax addiction has notably increased. The case reports of Xanax abuse have been on the rise, shedding light on the severity of this issue.

Chronic polydrug abuse may result in liver damage due to the metabolization process overload. Moreover, the central nervous system’s functioning can be severely compromised, leading to issues like memory loss and xanax addiction cognitive decline. The potential consequences of combining Xanax with other drugs are severe. Detoxification is the initial step in addressing Xanax addiction, involving the removal of the substance from the body. Medical supervision is crucial during this phase to manage withdrawal symptoms effectively.