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Benzodiazepines are classified by the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) as Schedule IV drugs. This schedule of drug often poses high risks for dependence. Therefore, people who take benzos regularly (prescribed or illicitly) will eventually develop a physical and psychological dependence on the drug. Those who stop taking the drug after dependence has developed will experience harsh withdrawal symptoms; some even fatal. At Coalition Recovery, we offer a benzo rehab program that is designed to help those who are struggling with addiction achieve lasting sobriety.
Contact Coalition Recovery at 888.707.2873 to learn more about our drug treatment program.
Do You Need a Benzo Rehab Program?
Addiction is another term for severe substance use disorder. It’s a disease of the brain that causes repeated drug use despite negative consequences. When benzodiazepines are used correctly and as prescribed, they can be safe and effective, but those who abuse benzos are often susceptible to addiction.
Common signs of benzo addiction including:
- The person withdraws from friends, family, and obligations in order to use the drug
From a place of fear of being without the drug, the person ensures that an adequate supply is maintained at home - The person does uncharacteristic things to be able to pay for the drug, such as borrowing money, stealing, draining bank accounts, or maxing out credit cards
- The person engages in risky activities, such as driving, after using the drug
- The person exhibits a reduction in effort to maintain hygiene or grooming (i.e., the person may begin to look disheveled)
- The person is uncharacteristically secretive about their daily schedule and/or tells lies
Shifts in mood or personality.
For the most part, a benzo rehab program is relatively standard. It begins with a detox procedure and leads to a combination of medication, education, therapy and counseling, and life coaching. Through these mediums, Coalition Recovery helps heal the various aspects of addiction by focusing on the underlying symptoms that cause a person to abuse the drug.
Our Benzo Rehab Program
Not everyone’s treatment path is going to be the same. For instance, some people may have anxiety and PTSD alongside their addiction. Having both anxiety and a substance use disorder is considered a co-occurring disorder. To effectively treat each and both effectively, our benzo treatment program includes dual-diagnosis treatment, meaning we can treat each disorder separately but at the same time. This is extremely important as many medications used to treat mental illnesses can be susceptible to dependence and abuse. Therefore, knowing a person has a substance use disorder while prescribing medications for their anxiety can help limit their potential for abuse in the future.
At Coalition, our benzo rehab program incorporates the following:
- Counseling
- Medication-assisted treatment
- Group therapy
- Alternative therapies such as yoga
Since many individuals struggle with benzo addiction after they begin taking them for mental health conditions, Coalition Recovery places an emphasis on finding alternative dual diagnosis treatments for mental health conditions in our benzo rehab program.
Benzodiazepines Alternatives: Antidepressants
In general, antidepressants, especially selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs) such as sertraline (Zoloft), are as effective and safer than benzodiazepines for the long-term treatment of panic disorder and generalized anxiety. Antidepressants have the advantage of relieving depression as well as anxiety, and they create less risk of dependence. But because antidepressants take weeks to work, benzodiazepines are often prescribed to tide patients over. The dose of the benzodiazepine is gradually reduced as the antidepressant takes effect.
Benzodiazepines Alternatives: Other Medications
Buspirone (BuSpar), used in the treatment of chronic anxiety, enhances the effect of the neurotransmitter serotonin. It is less effective than benzodiazepines and takes longer to work (several weeks), but it is less likely to cause physical dependence.
Ramelteon, a recently introduced treatment for insomnia, acts at receptors for melatonin, a hormone that helps to regulate the body’s circadian (24-hour) cycles. It is approved for long-term use.
Antihistamines are over-the-counter drugs sometimes used as sedatives. Diphenhydramine (Benadryl) is the most widely available. Side effects include daytime drowsiness and blurred vision.
Benzodiazepines Alternatives: Treatment Without Medication
Exercise, muscle relaxation training, yoga, breath training, and hypnosis can be used to relieve both insomnia and anxiety. Psychotherapy of various kinds is helpful for the long-term treatment of both. The most carefully studied and often the best alternative to benzodiazepines and related drugs is cognitive-behavioral therapy.
For insomnia, the cognitive-behavioral approach involves recording and changing both sleep habits and ways of thinking about sleep. Patients learn to go to bed only when sleepy, to exercise regularly but not near bedtime, to avoid eating, reading, or watching television in bed, and to rise at the same time no matter how little they have slept. They learn how to use relaxation techniques and breathing exercises, visualize soothing scenes, or repeat neutral sounds to fall asleep. They also learn to recognize and change unrealistic ideas, such as the belief that they will never be able to sleep well without drugs.
Contact Coalition Recovery Today
Learn more about our benzo rehab program. Contact our team at 888.707.2873 to learn more about how to get started. In addition to our benzo treatment program, we offer treatment programs for alcohol, prescription drug, meth, cocaine, and stimulants. Take the next step toward healing at Coalition Recovery.