Benzodiazepine Abuse Treatment Program
What is Benzodiazepine?
Benzodiazepines are powerful sedative drugs, sometimes considered sedative-hypnotic drugs. Benzodiazepine was first formulated in 1955 and by the 1970’s, benzodiazepine drugs were the most prescribed drug on the whole planet. In such a short time, Benzodiazepines essentially replaced barbiturates in treating the symptoms of anxiety, panic attacks, seizures, insomnia, and even alcohol withdrawal. Benzodiazepines work by affecting the GABA neurotransmitter in the brain. The chemical process by which benzodiazepine works reduces communication between brain cells, which produces the drugs sedation effect of the body. When used correctly, benzodiazepines are an effective drug treatment with medical uses. However, one problem with benzodiazepine use is how rapidly a tolerance forms with prolonged use. An individual who has become physically dependent upon benzodiazepine, would require more of the drug to get the same effect. Another serious effect of benzodiazepines is their mechanism of action as a central nervous system depressant. When mixed with other such Central Nervous System depressants such as alcohol or opioids, it can create a high risk of mortality and increase the risk of a fatal overdose occurring. This is a cause of concern since many benzodiazepine addicts will often combine other drug or struggle with polysubstance abuse, which can prove fatal to the drug addicted individual.
What are the Side Effects of Benzodiazepine Abuse?
There are many side effects that come with the sedative-hypnotic class of drugs. Those who are addicted to benzodiazepines only intensify these side effects even further when combining other drugs. Some symptoms of simply abusing benzodiazepines only are:- Dizziness
- Confusion
- Nausea
- Slowed Heart Rate
- Shallow Breathing
- Erectile Dysfunction
- Blurry Vision
- Slowed Reaction
- Retrograde Amnesia
Benzodiazepine Addiction and Benzodiazepine Withdrawals in Wakefield, MA
For residents of Wakefield, Massachusetts, benzodiazepine abuse can result in an increased tolerance to the drug, causing the drug abuser to require increasingly larger dosages of the drug to obtain the same desired effect. With the increase in dosage over an extended period, an individual will become physically dependent on benzodiazepine. Abuse of benzodiazepine can be dangerous on its own but the withdrawals from benzodiazepine abuse can kill you. Withdrawals from benzodiazepine are life-threatening and attempts to cease using benzodiazepines should never be done without the supervision of medical professionals. The symptoms of withdrawals from benzodiazepine include the following:- Extreme Anxiety
- Hypertension (High Blood Pressure)
- Irregular Heart Rate
- Rapid Pulse
- Hallucinations
- Seizures
The risk of mortality due to benzodiazepine withdrawals is great when a drug addicted individual attempts to detox from benzodiazepines on their own. When benzodiazepine addicted individual wants to stop taking the drug, they need to admit to an inpatient drug and alcohol detoxification facility, where they can be under a physician’s care as they are tapered off the drug safely and stabilized under the care of trained and experienced medical and nursing professionals. Upon completion of an inpatient drug and alcohol detox for benzodiazepine addiction, the individual would then need continuing addiction treatment at an outpatient drug and alcohol rehab program. For benzodiazepine addicted individuals, Aftermath Addiction Treatment Center offers the Benzodiazepine Abuse Treatment Program, located in Wakefield, MA.